When I have a lot going on in my life, I tend to worry.
During this morning’s exercise swim, I came across a single yellow frangipani flower, floating in the pool. It made me smile.
The color yellow carries a whole story for me.
About six years ago, my family and I were about to move from Sweden to Philadelphia. Did I worry? You bet. Not only moving to a new house, a new neighborhood, a new school for the girls, a new job for my husband, but also a new country, a new continent even! And also something else: I had no idea how I would manage, feeling constantly exhausted, my chest heavy, making it hard to breathe.
“You’ll have to do everything,” I told my husband and he agreed, sensing my fatigue.
But still. Show me the woman who can sit on a chair while her whole house is being packed up! I cleaned and I sorted out old stuff to throw away. I could barely drag myself up and down the stairs.
I needed something to help me.
Feeling inspired one day, I pulled out the girls’ colored paper sheets for crafts. I chose yellow. A bright, happy, energizing color. I cut several yellow sheets of paper into odd-shaped pieces, about the size of my palm. On each piece I wrote: Things will work out.
Then I walked across the house, sticking the yellow pieces on walls, on doors, on mirrors, on kitchen cabinets, inside cupboards, on the wall by my bed, on the tile over the kitchen sink. Everywhere I knew I needed it.
I remember doing the dishes, looking up and seeing the yellow, like a smile, cheering me on: things will work out.
And we did it. We made the move to the USA, where things got really messy, but worked out in the end. (That is a loooong story, I would need to write a book about it. Oh, wait, I did. đ Can’t wait to tell you more about my memoir.)
To this day, when I see that bright, yellow color, I remember.
The yellow frangipani flower floating in the water. Things will work out. The yellow flag on the beach in Nusa Dua, Bali. Things will work out.
Lately I have extended my mantra: Things will work out, and if they don’t, that’s also fine. đ
Somehow, somehow, even though it might seem impossible, things have a way of untangling themselves and looking back, there was actually a road where we thought only thorns. Maybe there is a road, because we walked it and now that we see it, we might help someone else struggling to find it.
Take care,
â„Lene
How about you? Are you a worrier? Or are you more of a things-will-work-out kind of person naturally?
You know, yellow is the royal colour in many countries. And it was my favour colour long before I got to know that. Yes, I worry, but long before I really need to, so when it gets tough I have no worries left. đ
Ha! I love that! No worries left. đ You’re like me then, only I need to work on that no worries left part. đ Thanks for your comment, very interesting with yellow being the royal color and congrats on having such a happy, bright color as your favorite. It is really growing on me too.
Jag oroar mig ocksĂ„ dĂ„ jag ser olika scenarier som kan hĂ€nda. Men en erfarenhet under barndomen lĂ€rde mig att inte oroa mig sĂ„ mycket sĂ„ lĂ„ngt fram i tiden – alltsĂ„ Ă„ratal fram. HĂ€ndelsen man oroat sig för kanske inte intrĂ€ffar! Jag försöker lĂ€ra mig att ta en dag i sĂ€nder.
/Eva
Japp, en dag i sĂ€nder⊠LĂ„ter enkelt, men inte alltid sĂ„ enkelt. đ Tack för dina tankar, uppskattar dem!
Hej
Det Àr ingen ide att oroa sig i förvÀg för olika hÀndelser. Det kanske aldrig intrÀffar! Gör det det fÄr man ta den hÀndelsen och bearbeta det om det finns behov av det.
Vet att inte alla har den förmÄgan. För mig Àr livet idag en gÄva som jag vill leva fullt ut.
Gult har varit min favoritfÀrg Ànda sedan jag var liten.
Ulla
Tack Ulla för din fina kommentar, hÀrligt att lÀsa dina tankar och roligt att du ocksÄ har gult som favoritfÀrg!
Oh….I love that extended mantra: “if they don’t, that’s also fine”. It made me smile! đ
Xx
Anna M
Thank you Anna! And thanks for sharing your smile đ
Fint!
Tack!
SĂ„ bra att ha synliga mantra lite varstans – sĂ„ att man pĂ„minns gĂ„ng pĂ„ gĂ„ng – för ofta Ă€r det vĂ€l sĂ„ att man tĂ€nker nĂ„got positivt inför det svĂ„ra o bestĂ€mmer sig för att minnas det men … sĂ„ kommer livet emellan o man glömmer nĂ€r oron sĂ€tter in, dĂ„ Ă€r det bra med pĂ„minnelser. Bra ide!
Ylva
Tack och ja det Ă€r inte dumt med pĂ„minnelser, behöver vi sĂ€kert alla lite dĂ„ och dĂ„. đ
Hi Lene, beautiful story. I thought it very ironic….although I would say I felt prompted…..the other day. I saw the yellow day lilies and knew immediately they were yours. There were some gorgeous red ones that I considered but only momentarily because the thought was…”Lena you know that the yellow ones are for Lene”!
And yes…things will always work out. What a beautiful thought. Have faith and enjoy!
I thought for sure you had stopped by my blog; the yellow lilies were perfect just when I needed them! But now I learn you were inspired, so cool! Thank you so much for your kindness and friendship, bringing me flowers and chocolate while I recover from my stay at the hospital. You are wonderful!