Choose to be Happy: A Tuesdays with Dori Paw'dcast


Welcome Furends to my very first Tuesdays with Dori Paw'dcast. 

Today's topic is Choose to be Happy.

For the past year my family has been nomming a steady diet of stress. And it's not delicious, even with a little salt and a shot of tequila.

Yoo see my pawrents packed up our home and moved us to Flory-Da last summer. During the packing Mom realized she had been lugging too many items from childhood throughout her life. Plus, being an author, she had boxes of abandoned manuscripts, lots of beloved books, and sentimental stuff acquired from relatives who had gone over the rainbow bridge. It was time to purge.

Purging can be emotional. She said it was like planning her own funeral. Items she still loved had to go because there was no room for tchotchkes in the Flory-Da home.

The real stress began when the moving truck had been unloaded, and Mom realized she didn't have enough closet space. Back at our old house we had two walk-in attics. They were like bedrooms, so big. Remember, Hwemie and I set up a purranormal investigations office in the attic off Mom's author office. But sadly, now Mom and Dad are desperate for room. Desperate for space. Desperate for less stuff. (Gosh, I feel like purging my beloved old Mylar dolly just writing this!)

And so they are back to purging. Mom has finally decided that all she has room for is the cherished memories. And like photographs, memories are sometimes much better than actual possessions. In fact, taking a picture of an item, then purging it, can be emotionally rewarding. Just the act of freeing ones space of clutter can help yoo to BREATHE! 

But that's for another paw'dcast topic. Today's topic is Choose to be Happy. 

It took awhile for Mom to recognize her stress as emotional loss of friends, of familiar stores she enjoyed at her old home, and that the house we bought came with hidden problems. My daddy spent months repairing things that the former owners did not divulge. His stress over that blended with my Mom's stress, which became a vicious cycle of endless anxiety.

Then winter arrived. My pawrent's families live in Michigan, which has been locked down for the Quarantine since last March. Getting their hair done, going to a restaurant, going to the mall, seeing a movie has been practically removed from their lives.

Compared to what their families are going through--the isolation and despair of wondering how much longer before their lives return to Normal--my pawrents realized  their stress isn't all that bad. After all, they are able to go to an outdoor restaurant with an ocean view, and they easily get salon appointments. And let's not forget Winter has settled in to freeze the Michigan spirits, whereas we have our doorwall open today to enjoy a beautiful, sunny day.

Stress is a tricky beast. What upsets one, won't bother another. Some have it much worse than others. It's not fair to say, "Oh, yoo can't be upset because yoo don't have it as bad as someone else." We all get upset, and we all have weally bad days.

However!

By focusing on the pawsitive... By Choosing to be Happy instead of letting the stress eat us up every day, we are deliberately shunning the negativity, and that helps our minds and bodies to feel light and healthy, instead of heavy with frustration.

And... if yoo can turn your tails to that mean o' negativity and give it a good spray...all the better.

Now enjoy my paw'dcast. Hope it helps yoo Choose to be Happy.

Until Next Time...


6 comments:

  1. You have no idea how much I relate to this! A couple years ago, we had a water issue and three of the boxes in my closet were pretty much destroyed. Inside: all kinds of knicks-knacks (and pretty much ... crap) from growing up. It was so hard to let it go. That started grand purge that included all my old Happy Meal figurines, school papers (the high school ones ... the others are in my father's basement) and all kinds of randomness (including a bunch of my stuff in my father's basement like bowling trophies and ribbons from elementary school track and field day). I don't think I could've born to pitch any of it (even the stuff ruined by water and mold) if I hadn't taken pictures of the majority of it. Even better? I don't have to have the pictures printed ... meaning what used to take up a closet now takes up an SD card. I'm still hanging on to some stuff - I can't help it. I still have boxes to go though. Getting rid of the stuff IS freeing - I feel lighter and more hopeful even though I stress that I might be throwing away something I'll need later.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ps - I used to be a HUGE Michigan fan. I forgot home many posters I had (mainly from basketball ... Fab 5) - including some I put together from news stories. I'm still a Michigan fan in some ways - I just gave up watching a lot of the basketball and football games when I got married because my ex-husband hated sports. And yes, I have pictures of the Michigan posters too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. dori ewe R veree wize....when in doubt; spray it out; ore at leest sprayz sumthin...we canna heer yur moovee cauz de gurlz bak ta werk sneekin round ona pea sea with a bad sound card; but we still gives it 984 pawz UP !! ☺☺♥♥

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dori, I love this. After 4 months off of work, I did decide not too stress over stuff & now I can enjoy what I do again. As for the purge well - 10 years ago when we evacuated as our city flooded, we could only take what could fit in our car, it really focused what was most important to me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. We are so late reading the post due to STRESS! Thanks so much we are working on it

    ReplyDelete
  6. Such good advice, Dori. Our mom has trained herself to look for silver linings, as she believes there always is one, even in the worst of situations. XOCK, angel Lily Olivia, angel Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy, Sawyer & Kizmet

    ReplyDelete

Your comments make us purr. Thank you for taking the time to tell us what you think.