Friday, June 20, 2014

We are not the houses we live in.....................

We all know how much I love beautiful houses - I do a weekly series on it after all - but at the end of the day they are really just houses - nothing more - nothing less - they don't define us whatsoever.
When we are younger it's all about "achieving "

We measure how well we are doing by what we have.
But as you get a little older - you do in fact get a little wiser and you learn a thing or two on this journey.
First of all you learn how privileged and blessed you are to be a part of this planet for however long you've been granted.
Secondly you learn that lists are indeed very wise things to have and thirdly you learn that the items on your list should not be " things " you've acquired but things you've " done "

We are not the houses we live in.
They are merely structures to keep us safe from the outside.
Some of us may have grand homes - some of us may live in humble abodes and still others live in cars or cardboard boxes by the subway - but we are all people living inside of them - the size of the house does not
reflect the size of one's character.


We are not the clothes we wear.
They are merely pieces of cloth designed to hide our nakedness - and to protect us from the elements.
Some of us may wear designer clothes - some of us may wear only good will finds - still others dress in rags but we are all people beneath the fabric - the cost of the cloth does not reflect the worth of one's life.

source
We are not the pay check we work hard to acquire.
That is simply a payback for what society deems important.  A star earns an excessive one - but is no better than a lawyer who is no better than a doctor who is no better than a teacher who is no better than a social worker who is no better than someone who makes minimum wage. A garbage man's job was created so that unnecessary diseases be eliminated and may probably be the most important one of all for that very reason. Some are smarter - some are more artistically inclined - but  we are all people depositing that weekly - biweekly - monthly sum - we are more than what we earn and what we " make " does not reflect the value of a life well served.

source

We are not the car we drive.
That is only a means of getting from here to there.
Some of us may drive fancy ones - some of us may drive economical ones - and some of us may drive rust heaps -  but we are all people sitting behind the wheel - trying to get from here to there.  What we drive is not as important as what drives us.

We are not the toys we seek to own.  We are not the latest machine we need to have.
We are not diamonds or rubies or any other precious stone.
We are not tax returns -
And most importantly - we are NOT - not one of us - better than anyone else.
We are all just people and what defines us is how we live our lives -
We are not what we can accomplish in a day - but what we've accomplished during our time on Earth.
We are acts of kindness -
We are smiles -
We are words of encouragement -
We are helping hands -
We are hugs
We are welcoming
We are supportive
We are sympathetic and empathetic

We are part of a global family and as a family we should and must keep an eye out for each other.

Life shouldn't be a competition of what we have - but rather a competition of what we can do to help ease the suffering of others.

We were meant to shine from the inside - not  the outside.
The people that glow are the ones that live their lives with kindness as their guide and the ones that deserve our respect and admiration the most.
And though diamonds were once a " must have " in my world I've long since given them
to my daughters - they mean very little to me now ( other then the joy they brought to them when
I placed them in their hands )

A couple of weeks ago I walked for the Relay For Life here in Montreal - and met the most charming elderly woman.
After telling me about her teenage years ( I helped her walk around the track ) she touched my hand and asked if I was a volunteer -
"Oh I'd just love to have you visit me - you're such a sweetheart and you made me laugh " she said with a smile.
And because of those few words I'm looking into doing some volunteer work in the fall with the elderly.
The house renovations can be put on hold one day a week.

Maybe my gift is simply the gift of laughter but don't I owe it to share it freely with others? Especially those that may not have a reason to do so very often?
It may not be much - in fact I know it isn't much - but it's something - and it's a start to living a life of kindness.

We are, after all, not the houses we live in.
They are merely structures to keep us safe from the outside and I've learned a thing or two on this journey.....................

See you in September Hazel...............you are amazing.

Much love,

Sharing with
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Redhead Can Decorate

43 comments:

  1. Suzan,
    So beautifully written and so true! If we are lucky, we mature to knowing this and living this. It's really quite freeing to realize "you always had the power within you" and no need for exterior sparkle and shine. No gift is less worthy than another in our creator's eyes.

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    1. Thank you so much Janet - it's a process to discover this - and some of us take longer to see it then others - we all have such power to help others - every one of us
      XOXO

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  2. oh suzan, you made me cry, what an amazing post,

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  3. Such a beautiful thought!

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  4. This brought tears to my eyes Suzan and oh how very true are these words! You will be an awesome light in the lives of the elderly. They are so precious and thought so little of in this soceity we live in....so easily dismissed and forgotten. Bless you for caring enough to volunteer and be a light in the life of another. Have a beautiful weekend...Vicky

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  5. I enjoyed your post and perspective, Suzan. How true, how true. You will bless a lot of people with your gift. You certainly have blessed your readers with it.

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    1. How kind of you to say something so sweet Rita - thanks SO much -
      XOXO

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  6. A beautiful post, Suzan ~ words to live a full life by ~

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  7. Wonderful post. I believe we should all do volunteer work. It lifts us up as well as those we help.

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  8. So well written, it brought tears to my eyes also. It is the meaning of life. And thank you for sharing this. Have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Oh thank YOU so much Karen -
      You have a great wknd too
      xoxo

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  9. Awesome post Suzan! Well written, but you are wrong about your laughter not being much....it is everything! Way to go girl! Cheers.

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  10. Great post, Suzan. You are filled with goodness and an ability to find humor in anything.
    Go see Hazel before September. xoxoxo, T.

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  11. Lovely! And why my blog is Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home. It's not the dwelling, the spaces, or stuff...it's the HEART and whats in the heart shapes everything!
    Hope you are having a GREAT weekend...
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  12. This is a beautiful post Suzan. Blessings.

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  13. You, my dear, have summed it all up so well. Thanks for the heartfelt message. Patty/NS

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  14. Beautifully said Suzan. Lovely post.
    Kris

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  15. Oh Wow, this sure made me aware, (and cry a few tears) of what we all can do, to make life pleasant for others, and not to focus so much on what we have, or do not have. I know there are those who are wanting and wishing for ,what we already have, and most everything we do have, we pretty much take for granted. I am saving this post, to reread, and read again...and make sure I do not forget your very important words. thanks so much for posting this, it really hit "home"

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    1. It's so true Bonnie - we take far too much for granted - shamefully so I think.............
      Thanks so much for taking the time to read my thoughts
      XOXO

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  16. God Bless you, that is such a wonderful post, and so true. We often forget what is truly important in life, to love, be kind, and help those who need us for whatever reason. There are so many things we can do to make this world a better place to live and helping others should be a priority. You are giving a wonderful gift of your time, it will be so appreciated and will enrich your life in so many ways:)

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  17. Good morning, Suzan ~

    This is so beautifully written and true.

    Many years ago on our way down to Mexico, we stopped to visit family, and they introduced us to their friends who owned two mansions in La Jolla. Both stunning homes.

    A few days later while in Mexico, a young woman saw me holding my baby son, said she had a son about the same age, and invited me to her home to meet him. I'll never forget the experience. As I entered her home, I was welcomed with the most warm and generous smiles I've ever seen. Their home was small. Their home was poor. But it was the most gracious and loving home I have ever been invited in to, because of the people that lived there.

    So happy to have met you via Susan's blog. I'm a new follower...

    ~ Lin

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  18. I love this. You did a great job writing this post.
    Thank You!!
    xx oo
    Carla

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  19. This is so beautiful and so true. You've touched my heart and inspired me to do a little more on this journey. Thank you.
    Hugs,
    Patti

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  20. You made me cry! You are an amazing person Suzan! I'm glad to know you here in blogland.
    LOVE these words you have written!

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  21. Suzan, this is wonderful and inspiring. Your words couldn't be more true. We can all use these reminders from time to time.

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  22. Amazing Post and it spoke to my soul and heart as well. I too will be joining you ( well, okay not physically!) and begin sharing my time, talents and treasure with the elderly. This is something that has been lingering in the back of my mind for more than 2 years now, but your post really and truly inspired me to get off my duffus and get busy...before it's too late. THANK YOU!

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  23. Sing it sista! It is so true...all the labels and bling mask the authenticity of who we really are and that's all that matters (is that a Jewel lyric?) Accompanying her around the track may have seemed like nothing much to you but to Hazel it was HUGE! You definitely have a gift of bringing laughter to the heart's of others - your awesome blog posts exemplify this. Lucky will be those who receive the gift of joy through your volunteer efforts!
    Marie@The Interior Frugalista

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  24. This is a very well timed post for me. You go, girl.

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  25. Thanks goodness for that! Although I am about the same age as my house, I must remember I have a few scars and wrinkles too. The volunteer work will be very rewarding, I did it about 10 years ago for a time it was actually quite fun.

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  26. You know they say that the purpose of education is to find your gifts....and the purpose of adulthood is to share them. I've done some volunteering over the last 5 years and it never fails to satisfy. Enjoy.

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  27. Very wise and powerful words Suzan, a wake up call for some of us including me. I am finding my lists are of things I want to buy for my house or jobs that need to be done around it. I have been forgetting what is important in life and how short our lives really are. I plan to balance my life much better than I have been as it really is out of balance.

    Thank you for sharing.

    Lee :)

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  28. Beautiful, poignant words, Suzan. I could not agree more. You wrote in such a way that I believe it will impact people very strongly - it certainly did me. Thank you!

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  29. PS. I'd like to feature this post in my weekly, 'Tuesday Tidbits'. I would use just an excerpt and your pictures with all links and credits going back to you, of course. Could you let me know if this would be possible, Suzan? Thanks so much.

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  30. LOVE every word Suzan, your awesome!

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  31. I came over to visit you fromRobyn's blog. This was just ! beautiful!
    Very well said, and so true.
    You will be blessed beyond when you give yourself in way of volunteering with the elderly. There is great joy found there. I work with a senior group and enjoy just loving on them! They are precious indeed.
    I have enjoyed my visit here, Susan.
    Have a blessed day!
    Joy! Debbie

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Due to a large amount of spam ( that I'm tired of going back to posts and deleting ) I'll be using comment moderation from now on !!!
Can I beat these spammers at their own game? Probably not - but I'm going
to try my damnedest !!!
xoxo