Follow the Yellow Brick Road With Me

I think this is the last post with The Wizard of Oz theme, but I have to agree with Lulu (Lulu’s Musing) that our blogosphere can be seen as the yellow brick road as we all connect and search for inner/outer peace, supporting each other through the power of kindness, love, compassion and blogging!

For me, I have found loving support through blogging and I believe it raises our vibrations to connect as such on a global level.  To have ‘met’ so many loving souls at different stages in my/their lives has been inspiring to say the least.  I am so grateful for all of you.  Your friendships have enriched my life in ways that I can’t even begin to describe or even fathom.  To know that we are all here writing, sharing and supporting each other is such a gift for which I am truly grateful.

We learn from each other’s experiences.  We grow by connecting through friendship.  We share joy and sadness.  We feel the companionship of caring.  We are not alone.  We are a growing, enriching, connecting group who shine our heartlights, each different and yet the same, as we follow the yellow brick road.  Sometimes we skip and dance, sometimes we fall down, but always we help each other on the journey.

Isn’t life with all it’s trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows, just full of gifts?  That’s why I call my blog, The Presents of Presence!  This blog post is dedicated to all of you!  You are loved, appreciated and I am blessed to know you!

Shine On!

xo

 

 

*Photo credit here

My Wizard of Oz Theory

This came to me a few nights ago as I closed my eyes to sleep and is my own theory.  Let me know what you think!

I’ve been thinking about how we are all on this journey called life.  We search for answers inside and outside of ourselves.  We connect with others along the way who help us in many ways:  teaching us lessons, supporting us and even sharing similar experiences to bond with us.  Each of us has our own unique journey and we can intersect with eachother’s journeys throughout our lifetime or only for a little while.  But I believe we each leave a distinct mark on humanity by being ourselves.  What type of mark you leave, depends on you.

I remember in The Wizard of Oz the gratitude that each character had when they joined together to travel to the Emerald City to see the All Powerful Oz, each with their own agenda.  As Dorothy travels along the yellow brick road in search of the Wizard because she wants ‘to go home’, she meets up with the Scarecrow whose deepest wish is to ‘have a brain.’  Deciding to travel together, they meet the Tin Man who ‘longs for a heart’ so they invite him to join them.  Further along, the come across the Cowardly Lion, who confesses that he’s ‘searching for courage’ and joins the quest to find the All Powerful Oz.

As you may remember, in the end, they learn that each had what they were searching for right inside of themselves.  It was not the Wizard who bestowed those qualities/characteristics in them, it was they themselves who carried them already, but hadn’t been able to ignite their gifts alone.  Together however, during their journey, the others were able to see that what each of them felt they ‘lacked’ was not lack at all.  They simply hadn’t had the chance to use their potentiality and thus had missed the gifts that they already had inside.

Dorothy carried her ‘home’ inside of her (love, security, confidence).  Scarecrow had a ‘brain’ that he used quite frequently in their travels.  Tin Man’s compassionate ‘heart’ helped him and others along the way.  Cowardly Lion ‘courageously’ to stood up to protect himself and others.

The Wizard acknowledges their quest by giving each of them an outward reminder that they have what they were searching for already.  Scarecrow receives a diploma.  Tin Man gets a testimonial heart-shaped watch and the Lion is pinned with a medal of valor for bravery.  Dorothy is offered a ride home in the Wizard’s hot-air balloon, but misses her chance.  Glinda the Good Witch lets her in on the secret of her ruby slippers and by tapping her heels together three times and repeating, ‘There’s no place like home’ arrives safely back to Kansas.

I often write about connecting with others as a way to not feel so alone and to bond, to strengthen and to open our hearts and minds to a happier life journey.  I guess the parable of The Wizard of Oz just reminds me how when we connect on life’s yellow brick road, we increase our inner lights.  We can acknowledge eachother’s strengths and remind ourselves that we are not alone.  Together we make a difference.  Connected we share experiences and strengthen ourselves and others.  We increase peace and love within the universe by shining our heart lights.

So when I sign off with Shine On, know that I am sending you a ray of my heart light and asking you to do the same wherever you are on the yellow brick road of life.  Shine so others can see you and help you along the way.  Connect your light with joy, compassion and love.  Be grateful for your gifts.  Acknowledge others’ strengths and watch how your own grow in tandem.

Shine On!

xo

 

In researching The Wizard of Oz theories, I never found anything similar, but I sure did find a lot of theories as to the significance of it here.

*Photo credit The Wizard of Oz from Classic Hollywood Central

There’s No Place Like Home

“There’s no place like home” ~ Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz

With Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, many patients get confused towards the end of the day and want to go home.  It’s not necessarily to the last home they inhabited, but to their childhood home, even though they seem to mix them up in their minds.  Many times during a sundowners episode, my Aunt will want to ‘go home’ to her childhood home, believing that she needs to feed her Mama and take care of her siblings even though most of them have passed away.  She was a caregiver until the disease took her mind so I believe because the role is so ingrained in her, she returns to that role time and time again.  Then again, many times she believes she is home in the place where she now resides.  It is confusing to us all how her mind works and reworks reality as time goes on.

When it is explained with kindness that most of her family have passed away, she is saddened by the news, explaining that ‘she didn’t know,’ even though she has been repeatedly told this information.  Many times distraction helps to alleviate her need to ‘go home’ without having to sadden her unnecessarily about her loved ones being already passed away even though she was present during that time in her life when it happened.  Intentionally we use distraction instead of reality in order to ease her mind and worry.  Living in her present is more beneficial to her than repeatedly hurting her with sad news that will not stay in her head.

Weather, barometric pressure changes and moon phases all play a part in the severity of sundowners.  Loved ones with sundowners get agitated easily at dusk and the need to go with the flow of their thinking is crucial.  Lucky for us, my Aunt has a mouth full of ‘sweet teeth’ so chocolate kisses help immensely when she’s not in the mood to put on her pjs or go to bed.  A few delectable chocolate kisses on a pillow make for sweet dreams and a calmer patient when she’s irritable.  Patience is key as well since rushing a patient simply doesn’t serve the situation since we are on ‘their time’ and not our own.

Do you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s and Dementia?  Do they confuse home as well?  Do they return to their long-term childhood memories easier than the short-term of the last 10+ years?

For me, home is where the heart is and I wish yours to be safe, happy and filled with love.

Shine On!

xo

 

 

*Photo Credit from PrettyCleverFilms

Trick or Treat

Hurricane Sandy aka Frankenstorm is threatening to land nearby like Dorothy’s house on the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz, so I may not be online for a few days.  So…I thought I’d just have a bit of fun until I can return with the iPhone app for SendOutCards…

Trick or Treat.

Reblogged with a huge smile on my face.  Thanks to Ramblings of a Hedge Witch…

Happy Halloween to All of YOU!

xo