Category Archives: Relationships

The Art of Change

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I took this photo the other night at Newport on the Levee

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Lessons in Hot Yoga and on Facebook

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A couple of days ago, I went to a Hot Yoga class in Loveland, Ohio at a studio called “Simply Power Yoga”.  There were 22 of us sweating profusely in the over 100 degree heat for an hour and fifteen minutes.  At the beginning of class, the teacher read the following to the class.

Letter from a Mother to her Daughter:

“My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through.

If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”… Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep.

When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl?

When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way… remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day… the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through.

If I occasionally lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you.

And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked.

When those days come, don’t feel sad… just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love.

I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you… my darling daughter.”

– Unknown

Here is a photo of my mother and I on a cruise back in 2004.  She passed away in June of 2011.

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As the teacher read this…I found myself welling up with tears, trying to wipe them away without anyone noticing, and remembering back to all the times I wasn’t patient with my mother.  When she was finished reading…she made eye contact with me and knew I was touched.  Then yesterday on Facebook I saw the same letter posted on an acquaintance’s page.

I also remember all of the times I was patient and sweet to her.  Calling her almost daily.  Buying her diamond rings and hiding them in her glass of champagne or wrapping them in multiple boxes.  Flying her to see me in Germany when I was in the military.  Quitting my job to take care of her when she was in a nursing home and finally, again, the week before she passed.

I realized that we are too hard on ourselves.  We beat ourselves up.  I learned the lesson of forgiving myself and realizing I’m not perfect!

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How to Improve your Relationships

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I was given an article to read entitled, “Live and let live: How Detaching can Improve Relationships“, from the website “Positively Positive”.  The original article is written by Martha Beck and was featured in “The Oprah Magazine“.  The basic concept is that we can fully accept someone for who they are, and as a result, be at peace with whatever they do, by not caring what they do, but still loving them.

According to Beck, there are four steps to detach from loved ones:

1.  Choose a person you love, but about whom you feel some level of anxiety, anger, or sadness.

2. Identify what this person must do to make you happy, but using this sentence: “If _____________ would only _____________, then I could feel _____________.”

3. Delete the first part of the sentence, so it reads: “I could feel _________________.”  Realize that this is the only honest truth in the sentence and know that you have the power to feel that way no matter what anyone else says or does.

4. Shift your focus from controlling others to creating your own happiness.

These four steps create an environment for those around you to feel loved and accepted — no matter what they do — and they also create an environment in which you can be happy and at peace with those you love.

Obviously learning how to do this takes practice and patience.  It’s not easy to be positive and happy when you’re faced with negativity and/or bad behavior, such as a family member that has an abrasive personality or a loved one that is battling an addiction.  Positively Positive gives these tips to help you master these steps.

* Find your own unique sources of happiness.  Relying 100% on one person is a big no-no when it comes to having a happy relationship.  It’s key to find some activities/people you can enjoy outside of the relationship you have with a significant other and/or family member.

* Surround yourself with external support.  If you’re struggling to understand someone you love or having trouble dealing with his/her actions, its essential to have some support outside of your home environment.  Find a close friend or a therapist you can talk to.

*Remember that you are powerless over others.  This is such an important thing to remember if you want to improve your relationships (or just live a positive life in general).  No matter what you would like to believe, you have zero control over others.  Realize this and you will free yourself from a lot of mental anguish.

*Focus on the positive things about your loved one.  If you’re struggling to deal with a specific behavior from someone you love, a great exercise to combat any negativity you might be feeling is focusing on the positive things you love about that person.  Most likely you’ve been ignoring a lot of positive things.

*Focus on the positive things about yourself.  Remember that there are a lot of positive things about you too.  Sometimes when we’re dealing with an upsetting behavior, we forget to focus on the positive things about ourselves — like our strength or our resilience.  Remind yourself of your awesomeness.

*Know that who you are is not defined by who you love.  Sometimes it can be really hard to deal with a family member or loved one’s behavior and it can be even harder to separate ourselves from it.  We sometimes take it to be a part of who we are — but it’s not.  Who you love (or are related to) is not who you are.

*Communicate your intentions with the ones you love.  If something really bothers you about someone you love, ignoring it can be tough — as can changing that person.  In my opinion, it’s best to communicate that you love the person, you don’t love the action, but you’re going to do your best to accept it.

Some of this resonates with me and other parts not as much.  As with anything, I say “take what you want and leave the rest”!

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