Heros

Most of us had a hero we looked up to and mimicked when we were young.  It may have had you running around with a cape jumping off the couch arm or maybe with masking tape around your wrists, pretending to be Wonder Woman (ya that one was me).  What was true ‘back when I grew up’ is still alive today.  It can be seen everywhere around us, including the local grocery store with the little guys riding in carts with capes and a plastic sword or fairy wings and a magic wand.

Now that I’m grown, my ‘ heros’ come in a different form and are found in a variety of people.  They aren’t saving the world from mass destruction per say, but they are people who I admire, people who do things that make a difference, they are people who are following dreams before they are missed opportunities. 

This topic is one that came to me this week because of a friend and the incredible decision her and her family have made to leave everything that is familiar and safe to follow a dream they have had for years.  To make the very tough decisions and despite the fear, are embarking on a new and exciting adventure.  Fear is normal and I believe to some degree healthy.  What we fear, we respect.  It is when we allow fear to take over and cause panic and anxiety that we stop taking risks and we miss out on some awesome opportunities. 

I have been more than guilty of this many times in my life.  I find the older I get, the more aware I am becoming of the missed opportunities.  It would be unrealistic to think that I can change overnight and that I will no longer allow the fear of the unknown or the fear of failure to stand in my way.  However, as I become more aware I can make those baby steps.  I can start with some realistic and relatively safe steps, like getting on a plane!

I don’t know if this friend will happen to read this blog, but if she does I hope she knows how blessed I feel having her as a friend and how missed she will be by many! You might not fight crime or wear a mask with pointed ears, but you have many who admire you for what you are doing and wish you the absolute best.  Is it better to stay safe and live with regrets later?  I don’t believe it is, so you go girl!

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

Blogging

Three whole days without continuous coughing and being able to have a conversation without stifling a cough, YAY!  Finally, after over a month, I’m starting to feel a little more normal.  I have been back to see my doctor and am on my way to another pulmonary function test tomorrow.

On another topic, blogging…  I think most everyone, including myself, runs into those days where you just feel you have nothing to say.  You put off the blogging waiting for something profound to come to you.  Before you know it another week has passed and you find yourself in the same position as the week before, plus you are now a week behind in your blogs.  Or perhaps you have a whole lot of stuff going on and just not sure if or how to share it.

My intention isn’t to put unwanted pressure on anyone, but Saturday’s meeting re-emphasized the importance of blogging for me.  I’m not a loud outgoing person.  I don’t speak up a lot with my thoughts and feelings in some situations.  This isn’t because I have nothing to say, it’s because I feel this need to pick words carefully and sometimes don’t feel it’s the right time to speak up or in some cases am scared of offending someone unintentionally (you can’t take words back and sometimes things are perceived differently than intended). 

At the same time, there are an awful lot of team members who haven’t been heard from in a while.  Are you guys ok?  Without hearing from you, it’s hard to know where you are or if you might be struggling and may need a little help.  There is a pretty good chance that whatever struggle you might be having, someone else has found themselves in those same shoes at some point. Remember, you are part of a team who cares how you are doing and are more than willing to help!  Instead of waiting and allowing things to snowball and get worse please let someone know.

When those days of writers block hit, just drop a quick note, if nothing else,  letting the rest know you’re still alive and kicking!

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

Cough cough...

Last week was kind of blah and crazy at the same time.  Trying to get back into school and activity routines, at the same time as feeling miserable made the week long.  Twice a year (sometimes more) I am plagued by what seems to be a never ending cough.  Everywhere I go people are dodging me thinking I am horribly contagious.  Honest, I'm not! Now with harvest and all the extra dust in the air I’m having a hard time doing anything without coughing and sputtering.  I’m running low on sleep and my abs feel like I’ve done 10000 sit ups every day.  I’ve been told after tests a few years back that it is a form of asthma.  However, it seems to be lasting a little longer every time, so back to get it checked out before I drive my family nuts! 

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

Responsibility

Growing up is inevitable and seems to happen so fast.  This week we are celebrating our oldest son’s 16^th birthday.  Yikes! Here comes the start of so many new and exciting things (all requiring mom to let go a little).  Like getting his driver’s license and own vehicle and all the independence that comes along with it.  The last couple of weeks we have been spending a lot of extra time practicing for his driver’s test (while his younger brother very dramatically in the back seat wails “I’m too young to die!”).  With the day coming, whether I’m ready or not, is not teaching and preparing him the best thing I can give him?

In a world that is yelling ‘you are now 16 and entitled’, we have tried to instill in our kids that driving, like so many other things, is a privilege and one that comes with great responsibility.  It is not something to take lightly and with expectation, but rather something to treat with great regard and respect.  With power comes responsibility.

So here I find myself trying to remember what it was like to be 16, to let go where I need to and trust that what we have taught him and the foundation we helped build, will be what he bases his future decisions on.  He will make mistakes, like we all have, but it will be what he learns from them that will determine how and where he succeeds.

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca