Listen

Kris Evans 0 Comments

“Careful the things you say. Children will Listen. Careful the things you do. Children will see. And learn.”

Stephen Sondheim wrote a beautiful musical called “Into The Woods” and in it is a very poignant song called “Children Will Listen.” Those words from the song hold very true today. Our actions and our words are so important to our children. Especially now they need to feel safe and cared for even if we are afraid and unsure. We are all they have.

My son is 31 with a son who is almost 1. I love watching him take care of and protect his son and wife. These are uncertain times and a feeling of hope is all we have to cling to right now.

“Guide them along the way. Children will glisten. Children will look to you. For which way to turn. To learn what to be. Careful before you say, “Listen to me.” Children will listen.”

“Careful the spell you cast. Not just on children. Sometimes the spell may last past what you can see. Careful the tale you tell. Children will listen.”

In these times when spending time with family whether with or without children it’s hard sometimes to be aware of not listening. I think people don’t want you to solve their problems or ignore or minimize their feelings. They just want recognition, understanding, and acceptance.

I don’t think we need a pandemic to understand the importance of listening. Words are important but not everything. Sometimes it’s just your willingness to listen that speaks volumes.

Hindsight

Kris Evans 0 Comments

I recently watched a video from Tomfoolery called The Great Realisation Hindsight 2020. I have watched it numerous times and when I’m not I’m thinking about it. Being quarantined has given me a lot of time to think about things. You know, stuff. I’ve always had an issue with my monkey mind even in the best of times but somehow it has seemed to be calmer. Having the time to reflect and not judge has helped considerably.

I finished my course from Yale entitled The Science of Well Being and have to say that I did a jig when I received my certificate upon completion. It doesn’t mean I have college credit from Yale but it does mean I have a personal credit knowing I plowed through. And I must say I am better for it.

Which brings me to hindsight in everything, not just 2020. The technical meaning of hindsight is the understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or developed. Wow is that a rude awakening considering where we are now. Much like the stock market. Oh, to have a crystal ball. With the stock market, there are ways to creep back to mend what has happened. But with this pandemic, I think we have to reach much deeper and go back to basics. In everything. As boring as simplicity may seem at times, beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder.

I had to do a final paper on what I had learned from my course. I chose gratitude to focus on for four weeks. What I realized especially not being able to go out much was that I began to be more grateful for simple things.

It seems ridiculous to even mention some of the things I found. Like coffee, birds singing, a beautiful sunset, time to sit in my swing and look at the mountains, vitamins, a notarized document (quite a feat in a pandemic), webinars, etc. You get the picture. Nothing earth shattering but made my day go a bit smoother having all of it. Trust me there were other things deeper I was grateful for but the point is I had taken for granted even what seemed to be mundane.

So I sit here now writing my blog and listening to my washing machine wash my clothes in my own home with a full belly from a lovely dinner I prepared able to afford all of it. Heck yeah, I’m grateful.

Loretta

Kris Evans 0 Comments

In all of this pandemic, I am always looking for something that is uplifting and makes me smile. I love the New York Sunday Times book review where I learn so much information about people I would least likely read about.

Last week I read about Loretta Lynn in the By the Book section. It’s a very popular column where they ask the author out of the ordinary questions about their writing. The column definitely has its pretentious moments which makes this interview with Loretta all the more enjoyable. And finding being too pretentious myself when it comes to writing, I found her real refreshing.

It was discussing Loretta Lynn’s new book “Me & Patsy Cline Kickin Up Dust”. I am not a big country-western music fan and would probably never in a million years pick up this book even though I know about Loretta Lynn. But in reading about her philosophy about life I think I may have to git me one.

When asked how she organizes her books she replies, “Heck if I know. They’re all over the place.” Sounds like someone I know. Very well…

Her favorite booK? “The best book I ever got was my family Bible my husband Doo gave me in 1966. It means the world to me. My daughter downloaded a dang vampire book on my Ipad. It was nasty as heck and rated X. I made her remove it.”

Gotta love a country girl who speaks about the Bible and a dang X rated vampire book in the same thought. My kind of gal.

Asked which three writers, dead or alive, would she invite to a dinner party? She said she wouldn’t. “You build people up in your mind. I want to keep the stories as is and not know the ins and outs of their work.” How many times have we built someone up to be disappointed when they are nothing like what you thought they would be? Much like in life.

But my favorite quote was this when asked what book you were supposed to like and didn’t? In that matter of fact, down-home, pure and simple country way, she replied, “Self-help books make me crazy. Seems like everyone wants a quick fix. My advice is to go outside, hug your child, and thank God you got to see another sunrise!

Yep, I’m becoming a country-western fan after all. As one country-western song says, “There’s dust on Mother’s Bible.” Not in Loretta’s house. Her Bible, I’m sure, has a special place all by itself and she knows exactly where it is.