What I Learned In July

 July

July ended on a sad note this year.  My mother-in-law passed away. It was not sudden or unexpected.  She has been in a home for the past five years suffering.  She had lost her memory and her ability to walk and take care of herself.  She didn't know where she was or who she was or even who the people were that were coming to visit her.  However two things remained true to her throughout her life: Her faith and her kindness towards others (Although sometimes the illness made her struggle with this.)

I learned a lot from her not by what she said but by her actions and by the actions/interactions of her children as well.  She did many things throughout her life however she was a housewife and a mother first.  She had a schedule and she stuck to it. Her house was clean everyday of the week.  She raised five wonderful and humble children who were with her everyday of the five years she was in the home. All five of her children are active in the churches they belong to. That says a lot!  And every grandchild can tell you about grandma's cookies and most can even make them just like grandma.  She always made time to be with her family and friends.  

Even though she could not remember her family she could recite the Hail Mary every night.  Each night after her husband passed away(two years ago) one of her sons' was there to say a Hail Mary with her before she went to sleep.  Her oldest son made sure she continue to go to Mass once a week.  Her family wanted to make sure she continued to pray even though she might not remember to on her own.   

So what did I learn in July????
1.  Family/Faith/Love   Wow!  It is powerful and amazing! Life is short and make sure you enjoy each and every moment.

2.  I really took a lot of time in July to relax, read and reflect.  That is something I do not do a lot of.  I find when I make time to read I am calmer and feel more peaceful. 

3.  I learned how to make a watermark to add to my pictures and other things I make.  It very simple to find the information.  I typed in the word watermark on Pinterest and read several different ways to create one. I picked one that I felt was easy for me.

4.  I am learning about Bullet Journals.  I am a list maker so Bullet Journals are right up my alley.  My Bullet Journal is not fancy for colorful it is very practical right now.  I am experimenting with different formats and trying to find one that works best for me.   

I have several pages so far:

• Monthly Calendar
• Weekly Goal Checklist/and Daily Tasks
• Monthly Gratitude Calendar
• Monthly Blogging Calendar
• Reading List
• TV/Movie List
• Cleaning List

 
5. Finally I learned that I am having a grandson in November. What a great addition to our family.