Taking a Break While the Seasons Go Round and Round in the Circle Game

The air is turning crisp while leaves dangle from their branches. Acorns lie carelessly on the ground waiting for hungry squirrels to gather them in anticipation of winter. Life goes on, as it always does. And the seasons, they go round and round.

seasons

I’m finding it hard to focus, to put pen to paper about MS research that was recently announced in Paris at ECTRIMS. So much has happened in my world in 2017 that writing feels like a Herculean effort. I didn’t anticipate this happening to me. Writing has always been my passion. At times it’s been cathartic to watch the empty pages fill up, sometimes helping me arrive at realizations and conclusions I never expected.

When we’re faced with adversity we can never anticipate how we’ll respond. While we want to remain strong we place too much pressure on ourselves to be that person, that dependable someone who lifts others up at a time when they’re faltering. We try to muddle through our own demons when we’d rather be doing anything other than what we are.

In the midst of writing this post I was reminded of the 1948 movie “State of the Union” where the great Katharine Hepburn once again played Spencer Tracy’s wife. Tracy's character is an industrialist who is persuaded to run for president. As he begins to make political and marital compromises Hepburn gives an impassioned speech on how Tracy can’t fool the voters because they can smell compromise a mile away.

Why am I reminded of this particular line?

As much as I want and need to write about the important MS news, and report on other subjects you typically find on this blog I feel that you, the reader, will notice my heart and soul are in need of repair. Honesty and integrity must never be compromised.

That's why I’ve been taking a short break, to take care of myself, to make some repairs. It’s something we all need to do every once in awhile. There's no shame in that. In fact, it's a necessity.

Woe is certainly not me. My dad was my mentor and moved on no matter what curves were thrown his way. I learned from the best. Illness and grief won’t keep me down for long. This is just a breather. I promise.

Remember to take a breather when you need it, too. The changing seasons will always be there to help us move forward.

"And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game." ~Joni Mitchell, The Circle Game

How Women Empower Women

The stars must have been aligned today when I turned on my car radio. My favorite XM station (Siriusly Sinatra) had a special guest host, Judy Collins, who was playing her favorite Frank tunes for an entire hour.

women

Collins is more than qualified to talk about Sinatra’s unique phrasing and impeccable timing because, as she explained, she learned a lot from his techniques and applied them to her own singing voice, helping to gain even more popularity in her own long successful music career. She continues to this day to capture the hearts of audiences with her unique brand of music.

I’ve always loved Judy Collins. She and Joni Mitchell captured my heart in the 1960’s with their lyrical voices and dedication to social causes. Both strong women, they influenced me early on to become an involved citizen of the world.

Katharine Hepburn. Golda Meir. Eleanor Roosevelt. Jane Pauley. Gloria Steinem.

They were two of my role models. Two women empowering others through words and music and embodying the very essence of what a woman is capable of doing.

Betty Friedan. Harper Lee. Marlo Thomas. Jane Austen. Mary Tyler Moore. Edith Wharton.

The lists of women I offer in this post illustrate those who were influential during my formative years. They made an impact on me and my view of the possibilities of what women can achieve. Each one is strong, a vibrant force who contributed their talents to enrich our world. They knowingly, or unknowingly, paved the way for future generations of women to do the same.

Bella Abzug. Shirley Chisholm. Helen Keller. Carole King. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Today, I continue to embrace strong and intelligent women who inspire and empower me on my journey for personal growth. Being over fifty doesn’t mean it’s time to close up shop. On the contrary. It’s a time to stretch our minds and follow our passions by using our innate abilities to express what we believe in.

Emily Dickinson. Marie Curie. Ella Fitzgerald. Ingrid Bergman. Julia Child. Indira Gandhi.

Whether it’s a long phone call with a friend, an online conversation with fellow writers, or a conference for women, I feel blessed when I can spend time with women who make a difference in my life.

We have a growing number of opportunities available to us to learn and grow, to be inspired by one another by using our curiosity about the world to learn more about ourselves.

Women

Three of the speakers for the upcoming PA Conference for Women: (L to R) Jane Pauley, Robin Roberts and Diane Keaton

So I was thrilled to learn about an upcoming event, The Pennsylvania Conference for Women, taking place in Philadelphia on October 16. It promises to deliver inspiration and information, offering opportunities for business networking, and a chance to listen to a host of speakers that includes three who are near and dear to my heart - Jane Pauley, Robin Roberts and Diane Keaton.

Women empowering women. Women inspiring women. Women supporting and encouraging women. It doesn’t get much better than that.

NOTE: I loved learning that author Gail Sheehy retweeted this post!

— PA Conf for Women (@PennWomen) October 4, 2014

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