Page 2 - Sonoma County Gazette January 2017

Dear Readers,
Before I launch into why OPTIMISM is my chosen path (in spite of national politics), I want to make sure you know that one of my heroes, Louise Hallberg, creator of Hallberg Butterfly Farm in Graton, is turning 100. Every year she comes out to greet visitors during her annual event at the end of June where we get to tour her farm, learn about butterflies, and purchase plants that butterflies thrive on. Volunteers keep this farm vital and we all appreciate that they are so dedicated to Louise’s vision. Friends will be celebrating her 1st Century birthday on January 3rd in Graton.
It’s good to have heroes. People who dedicate their lives to excelling at what they love. It’s inspiration for others. People who take risks and fail. But they try, try, try again until they succeed. It was one of those lessons I was fortunate to learn. Failure is only a step toward success. So much to learn!
And along the line of life lessons...optimism. As I have said many times, I am blessed with my father’s genetics. Neither he nor I had comfortable lives growing up. But because of the lessons he taught me, we considered set-backs, etc. as bumps in the road instead of mountains in our way. No blame that others made our lives miserable. Others suffered and we suffered with them, but it was not our path to suffer long. We had sunshine in our hearts.
Many years ago I read a study on survivors of abuse. What makes some come out OK and others fall into holes they can’t drag themselves out of? Survivors don’t blame themselves for the abuse they suffered. The abuser has the problem. The abused doesn’t deserve the abuse, so leaves and finds a path that allows him/her to thrive. But here’s an important part of the “no blame” path. The survivor doesn’t blame the abuser for making life miserable. The survivor leaves the miserable life behind and walks away...without blame.
When I learned that, I knew that I could climb out of a miserable childhood and make a good life for myself. I watched my father climb out of a disastrous marriage to love again. I watched him save my brother in spite of immense odds. Survivors look forward...to successs.
All of these life exeriences reinforce my #2 Rule...that the Universe Works. (#1 Rule is to Treat Others as You Wish to Be Treated). When I stand back from the details of what happened and look back at life over time, I see progress.
I see that most, not all, things turned out OK in the long run. Sometimes that long run is VERY long, so it takes perspective to get the whole story.
But as many people know - there’s always another lesson to be learned, another challenge to be met, and life goes on...and that’s a good reason to be optimistic....no matter what.
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