Skip to main content

U is for Unexpected

un·ex·pect·ed
ˌənəkˈspektəd/
adjective
  1. not expected or regarded as likely to happen.
    "his death was totally unexpected"

    synonyms:unforeseenunanticipatedunpredictedunlooked-forsuddenabrupt,surprisingunannounced
    "an unexpected change in plans"


    There is a way we view our world. We know the players, the backdrop, the goings-on. But sometimes something so unexpected happens that it shakes up that orderly arrangement. This rearrangement, brought on by unexpected news makes you question all of the aforementioned parts of your seemingly orderly life.

    Acrylic on Canvas, c. 2015 Stephanie Rose Bird


    I received some unexpected news yesterday. A friend of the family has been suffering with breast cancer, quite quietly, I might add. I had no idea, which also causes a variety of responses ranging from guilt to shame, and then inevitably the question rises, What to do?

    The friend of the family has just always been there, at least for the past 12 years or so. She is an indirect friend, meaning our children our good friends, and by default we have been brought together on many occasions. Yesterday I found out that this lovely person, who has always been so helpful, so open and welcoming, has breast cancer. She has been enduring chemotherapy, and in the process she has lost her lovely blond hair--all of it.

    So now I am re-examining things because that's one of the challenges unexpected news offers. I'm wondering what is the appropriate thing to do and I keep coming back to heart. While unexpected news is a shake-up of sorts, it is also a reminder of the heart center or heart chakra we learn about in yoga. My intention is to give of myself, as selflessly as she has, from the heart. 

Comments

  1. You have a sympathetic heart. It is hard to know what to do to help someone without being a burden.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm sorry to hear of this Stephanie - not only for your friend but for you too. You will help her by acting from what your heart knows to do. And yes we have to know to expect the unexpected - it happens so out of left field.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This intentional awareness to heart-centered navigation sounds like a beautiful way to meet this unexpected news Stephanie.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely. (Not the news, your reception and decision.) That's all someone who is ill with cancer needs, someone to help when they need it and with the things they need. I LOVE your painting, fabulous. ~Liz http://www.lizbrownleepoet.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. All you can do is offer your support. Help if you can see where to help. Sometimes that's enough.

    Liz A. from Laws of Gravity

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks so much Liz! Your words and thoughts are very uplifting. The painting is all about the random aspect of chance and fate. I'm so happy that it speaks to you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. So sorry to hear about your friend. I hope she makes a good recovery. I think at times like this, the best help you can give is just by being there - ask what your friend needs and provide it
    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  8. Stephanie, This is a very difficult situation. I too recently have gotten unexpected medical news that is very challenging and complex with a beloved family member. It has far-reaching ramifications that overwhelm me and I am trying to keep my heart open, trust, and love. It is a test of my Buddhist nature.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so sorry to hear of this Beth but I'm sure that through your being such a grounded and centered person you'll know just what to do. Thanks for the well wishes!

      Delete
    2. Thank you. Staying centered is challenging for me right now, I confess. Breathe.

      Delete
  9. Life takes such unexpected turns, one can least imagine what's lurking in the corner. Being there for someone is so crucial at this point. I can't even imagine what you and her family and friends must be going through.
    [@samantha_rjsdr] from
    Whimsical Compass

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good to visit your blog. Congratulations for the last post in advance.
    My Post for Z Today Zeal Required in Blogging to Make it a Success
    A to Z April Blogging Challenge 2016 - Co-Participant - Nrao - NRao Blogs
    @knoltweet
    NRao Blogs - 2016 A to Z Challenge Blog Posts
    Million Page View Blogs

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am so sorry to hear this news, Stephanie. What I do know from reading your blog is that your friend is lucky to have you in her life...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is the nicest comment to wake up to Monday morning. Thanks!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Go ahead. Make my day by leaving a comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Tree Whispers

Tree Whispers Shinrin-yoku is a complementary medicine modality, designed to up-lift sub-par health conditions, through lifestyle changes that involve immersion in nature, specifically the wildness, we call a forest, where the senses, including our intuitive sense and ability to heal ourselves through it, is ignited. Forest bathing, as Shinrin-yoku is popularly called, has come to our attention, at a time when the scientific community is abuzz about the ability of trees - be it in stands, groves, or forests, to build community. This, at a time, when we as humans, struggle hard to build and sustain healthy in-person communities, in the face of Online communications. Books like “The Hidden Life of Trees: What they Feel, How they Communicate Discoveries from a Secret World,” (Wohlleben 2016) by Peter Wohlleben is a Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post bestseller. It makes readers privy to trees’ communication skills and social networks, that is, it helps us entertain...

Art of Motherland Herbal

 Motherland Herbal is my latest book, set to be released June 11th by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins. It is a cross-genre work, primarily an herbal guide, with elements of memoir, and creative nonfiction. It encompasses my passion for folklore and mythology, from the African diaspora. I’m back here to begin a series of posts built around the art within its pages. Today, I share my inspiration for the book cover art. One of my favorite houseplants is our Money Tree. Rich in lore, intimately connected to abundance, prosperity and luck, I adore this plant. It is plentiful, in its growth habit, beautiful in its variety of green leaves and becomes luminous in the morning, when it catches light, hence the yellow-orange negative space around the leaves on the cover.  I enjoy the playful way the art director at Harper, inserted the text, showing the title, subtitle and my name. The cover was a wonderful collaborative effort. It is designed to be inviting, informative and lumin...

Press Release: New Moon Collection

  SRB Botanica Announces New Moon Collection December 15, 2020 Noted Author, Artist Stephanie Rose Bird Teams Up with Actress Daughter to Craft Healing, Responsibly Sourced Body and  December 15, 2020  - Herbal product company SRB Botanica, led by mother-daughter duo Stephanie Rose Bird and Olivia Bird, has announced the release of their New Moon Collection of body and hair products, timed to coincide with December’s new moon. The products in the collection make fabulous holiday gifts!  Loco for Coco is a simple, old-fashioned handmade cold-processed soap handcrafted from chocolate, cocoa butter and coconut oil with distilled water and lye, and featuring a patchouli lavender scent. Cacao has many phytonutrients and minerals that are great for the skin. Hair potion Palm-made was crafted with four words in mind: modern, healthy, strong, hair. Palm-made yields better hair health through the skilled combination of venerable essential oils such as ylang ylang and rosemary...