Crabs and Feng Shui

Sorry that I haven’t written sooner. I've been a little low on energy (chi) this week. There’s something about little health setbacks that really drag me down. You might say that I've had the crabs.

Speaking of chi: fourteen years ago when I designed and built our home, I used the principles of feng shui to guide me. Feng shui can be defined as the Chinese art of arranging space to achieve happiness, health and prosperity. Another definition I’ve read states that it is the Chinese art of living in harmony with your surroundings. My husband didn’t quite understand the language and reasoning I used as I chose shapes, colors, art, materials and accents throughout our home in order to produce harmony and positive energy (chi).

It was not by accident that my home office was decorated around the theme of water and is located in the career area of our home (according to the feng shui model). Originally my office was confined to a small corner of the room because it doubled as a guest bedroom. However, last year we redecorated, got rid of the bedroom furniture, and created a wonderfully spacious home office just for me.  I’ve painted the walls turquoise, filled jars with seashells, hung artwork depicting water, the ocean, and spiritual themes.  The room has quite the “beachy feel” with white wooden furniture and a Bahamian print recliner.  All the decisions and decorating regarding this room were made by me, that is, except one.

One day I decided I needed another piece of art to hang on the wall of my office.  My husband, John, was going with a friend to a flea market while visiting south Florida. I asked him to look for something “beachy” for me.  John had a successful shopping adventure and when I next saw him, he proudly presented me with his finding: a blue metal crab with a sign that read “CRABS gather here.” I wasn’t  really quite sure how to take that ???

tiny sand crab, hidden in plain sight

I was able  to spend time this week relaxing in my home office. I really love the feeling of this space.  As I read, reflected and relaxed in the recliner, my attention and gaze often rested upon the beachy art that John had bought me.  In spite of my mood and disposition, I chose to look at that crab and focus on it’s beachy-ness. You won't find any crabby-ness inside this office. I can hide those feelings in here. Or maybe it's the feng shui and chi that overcome those negative thoughts and feelings? If I could only get rid of the crabs when I step outside of these office walls…

Where do you go when you need to relax or release? Is there a place where you can safely be with your crabby-ness? Is there a place where you can safely let it go?

Dragonflies and fairies

A very peculiar thing happened to me this week. I stopped believing in fairies. 

Last week I stayed with my mother in her home after she had surgery. I spent 8 nights and days in her home. I fixed her meals, brought her medicine and water, stood by as she showered, and cleaned and dressed her incisions. It was such a blessing to have the time and ability to care for this wonderful lady, who over the 55+ years of my life, has been my caregiver time and time again. 

On several occasions during her week long recovery, while mom was napping, I would drive to my home to pick up a change of clothes or a book or perhaps a few ingredients for a meal that I was going to prepare back at mom's house. Each time I went home I couldn't help but notice that food was getting eaten and dishes were getting rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher. Not only THAT, but the dishwasher was getting run AND the dishes were getting back into the cabinets and drawers where they belong. I found myself wondering what little fairy had invaded my home in my absence. You can imagine my relief to know that my husband John, and nephew Dane, who also lives in our home, were not wasting away while I was caring for my mother. In fact, they were 

managing quite well.

No fairies. Just dishpan hands.

Mom is much better now and I've been able to return home. My husband and nephew seemed genuinely happy to have me back. The first night the guys told me not to worry about preparing dinner. They told me that they would have leftovers and were glad to reheat things for themselves. The fairy had trained John and Dane well. I had eaten with mom before leaving her for the day so I settled in for a short evening of television before retiring for the night. Imagine my dismay when upon arising in the morning, I found the kitchen sink full of dirty dishes and leftover food containers from the night before. No dishes were rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher. Guess what? Those dishes weren't going to get washed and returned to their rightful places in the cabinets and drawers either. That is, not unless... I was going to do it. 

No, I don't believe in fairies anymore.

Do you believe in fairies? Do you, like me, often expect what you want or need to magically happen? How can we help others to better care for US?