Tag When Life Gives You Bananas

Not All Horses Eat Apples: A Lesson in Giving

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Atticus refusing an apple slice

Not all horses eat apples. This was a heartbreaking realization for me, as my entire childhood was filled with dreams of sharing apples with my horses before we took long, rides through rolling pastures. Today my dreams are still to take long rides through rolling pastures, but no longer do I picture my herd running happily toward me ready to nibble red and greed apples from the palm of my outstretched hand.

In fact, I own two horses that generally turn their noses up at apples or any treat that is not peppermint. On rare occasions, Star will give apples a chance if they are cut into thin slices. Atticus just plain walks away or spits them out. If I offer a treat that is apple flavored, both Star and Atticus will turn their heads in search of something better.

Star walking away from an offered apple slice

Winn Dixie is whole other story. She will scarf down any apples that are offered and scoops up those refused by her herd-mates. How could I have been so wrong about apples and horses?

Have you ever pictured giving something to someone and knew it was going to be perfect, only to have them reject or refuse the gift?

Why does it hurt so badly when our gifts are rejected? Why is it so difficult for us to digest that what we thought was just right doesn’t resonate with the recipient? Why don’t all horses like apples?

The answer to these questions is simple. Sometimes our hearts are in the right places, but our minds are on different trains of thought than that of the one we are trying to gift.

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The Glass is Refillable – Wise Words Wednesday

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Refillable, as in the ability to be replenished, has to be one of the most optimistic words I can think of.

When the coffee has all been chugged, the ice cream has all be inhaled, or the treats have all been taken, it may be a downer. You may feel depleted, but that doesn’t mean you are defeated. It means you have an opportunity to scavenge for something sweeter, saltier, or just a bit more savory.

Let me give an example of how easy it is to tap into some positive purpose when your energy cup is empty.

My 7 year-old son has started reading chapter books and it is ROUGH. He struggles with phonetics and may have a hole in his attention span reservoir. He loves the book we are reading (Ready Freddy!: Shark Tooth Tale By: Abby Klien), but EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT. we struggle, cry, throw fits, and read in a slow, robotic cadence through the chapters. Last night was no exception. The enthusiasm was not flowing for my boy, but once he read the next chapter title things turned around.

Chapter 4 – “If You Have Lemons, Make Lemonade” was all about Freddy finding ways to make money to buy a fossilized megalodon tooth (My son is obsessed with megalodons and lemonade stands.) Freddy’s elderly neighbor Mrs. Golden had broken her ankle but still had a friendly dog that needed walking. Her situation was a bummer, but my son started understanding that even sad situations can lead to happy opportunities. Freddy was able to help Mrs. Golden care for her dog AND earn money towards the purchase of that precious megalodon tooth.

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When Life Gives You Bananas…

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We all know the adage, “When life give you lemons, make lemonade.” What about when life gives you bananas?

Recently my mom came into a pile of bananas. Literally, there was a pile of bananas at her work that were just going to be thrown out because they were overripe. Not wanting to let good bananas go to waste, Mom politely asked if she could have them. Her manager said, “Yes, my wife will kill me if I bring home another box of brown bananas.”

When she got home Mom set to work putting the soft, but still yummy, bananas to good use. She baked a banana cake, banana bread, and banana muffins. She still had a few of the aged fruits left over; she will surely come up with a clever way to use them. (Fertilizer for her rose bushes, maybe?)

Bananas (3)Saturday night, Mom and Dad joined us for dinner. She brought the banana cake. It was awesome! (In fact I had one of the last pieces this morning with my coffee. A terrific way to start a Monday morning.) She plans to share her banana muffins with her co-workers at school. I am sure the banana bread has a generous future too.

What do you do when life gives you bananas?

Do you toss them out? Do you let the fruit rotten? Do you make them into something that is still enjoyable? Do you fertilize your flowers? Continue reading “When Life Gives You Bananas…” →