Christmas parade memorial mural in downtown Waukesha
With the one year anniversary of the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy, I have been thinking a lot about that day, the Brooks trial and the past year.
I took a picture of the new mural. It has six butterflies and six flowers for the number of people who died on or after November 21, 2021 due to this event. The city has scheduled an anniversary event on November 21st at Veterans Park at 4:39 PM. They are also working on a parade memorial for Grede Park and Main Street.
I have decided to remember the event by painting the back of my Star of Hope with a new design. I hope to bring it to our Christmas parade in December. I am also working on a collection of rocks to put out around downtown Waukesha. I saw some others on Facebook who are planning on placing painted rocks too.
What are you planning on doing to remember the pain that we all here in Waukesha city have experienced? How is your recovery coming along?
I found two interesting articles. The first one is a study about how much free time each day that a person has and how it impacts the person’s happy. The article ends with a list of pleasure producing activities such as gratitude.
The second article is a list of things to be thankful for. Some are simple like sunshine. So, I suspect you will find something in it to be thankful for.
Do you know of any interesting articles that you’d like share with me and my tiny handful of readers? Please share.
I enjoy painting rocks in the hope of encouraging others. But, sometimes I mess up. My most recent rock was cute until I sprayed it with the protective coating. The design smeared really badly.
Now, I am wondering what to do with this rock. Will the finder see it as ugly? Could it remind them not to give up after making a big mistake? I wonder If I should keep it instead.
I decided to leave it by a tree sapling near the hospital. I hope someone enjoys it even with the runny message.
I just finished reading this devotional book. Here are some quotes and my thoughts.
“Lord Jesus, show me Your love in the midst of my biggest fears, and give me the courage to risk doing what I am afraid of. Amen”
Guess what I have never done. I have never asked for a pay raise. I hate asking anyone for anything because I fear being rejected. I especially avoid asking an authority figure for things.
“On any given day, you may be super stressed and really want to take a break from everything. But please know that you’re worth a lot more than your feelings will tell you. One day – no matter how rough it is – does not define your life. Your purpose and calling give you an important place in the world. Do not give up. Hold tight to God. There is so much more joy to come and so many people counting on you to keep going. (Pg. 115)
My brain loves to lie to me in this way. I think cognitive behavioral therapy calls this catastrophizing. One or two things go wrong such as a fight with a family member. Then, I start thinking that I can’t get along with anyone. The memories of a lifetime of arguments swirl in my head. Yet, it is impossible for me or anyone to argue all the time. While I sometimes argue in my dreams and wake up angry, I know that I rarely argue at work.
“There are hundreds of comments saying that I sound annoying when I talk. Do these things hurt me? Sure. Because I’m human, and sometimes the comments sting. But I don’t let those little stings stop me from doing what I love to do and from using my voice in the spaces where God opens doors for me to speak. (Pg. 117)”
“Lord, knowing that everybody fails doesn’t make it any easier. So I pray that You would give me the courage to keep doing what You want me to do – even if it means getting roasted. I pray Your voice would be louder than the hate. Amen. (Pg. 117)”
I fear confrontation and worry about what others will think of me. Will they think I am too stupid to do my job? I sometimes think this when I get corrected on how to do something two or three times in an hour. The knowledge that I am learning a new job helps to reduce the thought’s volume and impact until the next correction. I have been at the new job for over two months and have already cried twice. I discovered that I am sensitive about my hand writing. Yet, it is readable.
“The Lord wants to help us strengthen our faith. He understands it’s hard to believe sometimes. So if you’re struggling with faith, I encourage you to ask God to give you the faith to believe. You can also pray that He will give you the strength that you need or that He’ll help you believe that you are loved and that you are enough. Or maybe it goes deeper and you need to ask Him for the faith to believe that your life matters and your breath has purpose. That’s not too far out to ask God for. That’s not too crazy to pray for. It’s exactly what God wants you to do. (Pg. 161)
This quote reminds me of when I was deep in a depression episode. I was praying for strength to get through the work day every morning. By the end of the day, my rational thinking part of my brain was too tired to keep up the fight against the negative thinking side of my brain. It is amazing how much work it is to fight your own brain. I’d just stare at walls or cry due to insufficient mental energy to keep up the fight. Thanks to therapy, medication and God, this time ended. I hope I don’t experience another episode.
“Lord, give me the courage to not let feeling awkward or foolish keep me from using the gifts You have given me. I humble myself to exalt Your name. Amen. (Pg. 199)
God, give me strength and wisdom to serve you and my fellow man through this blog. Amen
I believe that God gave me the gifts of compassion and writing.
Mike Weaver is a singer in Big Daddy Weave. Here is a video of one of their songs called “Redeemed.” He shared his struggle with being overweight and having low self-esteem.
While working on a previous post about Aldrin’s struggle with depression and alcoholism, I found some quotes from this book. So, I decided to read it.
Go for your dreams
“One truth I have discovered for sure: When you believe that all things are possible and you are willing to work hard to accomplish your goals, you can achieve the next ‘impossible’ dream. No dream is too high!’ I feel limited by my tendency to cry when stressed out. I have cried at every job that I have ever held. Since my current job is almost a month long so far, this is really saying something. So, I am not sure how far I can get in life. If I could believe that I can do it even under stress, I know that I would be more successful.
“Average people tend to think about merely maintaining the status quo; unsuccessful people think about simply surviving. Innovators and explorers think about what might be possible.” I have been working on thinking about how to get better at my job and make it better for my co-workers.
“Most people don’t like to move out of their comfort zones, but as we all know, change is inevitable. You can resist it and complain about it as an inconvenience, or you can regard change as your chance to do something new.” This quote reminds me of cognitive behavioral therapy which focuses on shifting one’s interpretation of an event. A lot of our emotions are influenced by how we interpret what is happening in our lives. So, shifting our thinking can help us to get our emotions under control.
“Life is a gift, and none of us has any guarantees about tomorrow, so don’t miss the opportunity to tell your friends and family members how much they mean to you.”
“All work is noble, if it is legal and ethical, so do your best, whether you are first, second, or last. Never lose an opportunity, a job, an election, a competition, or anything else because you were too lazy to give it your best effort.”
“I learned that asking for help was not a sign of weakness, but of true strength.”
“No matter who you are or how accomplished you may be, a time will come when you realize that you need help. Don’t be too proud or resistant to seeking help out of fear of embarrassment, reprisal, or other consequences.
“Seeking help when I was suffering with depression after returning from the Moon was a lifesaver for me-perhaps, literally.”
“Fortunately, I found excellent doctors and friends who encouraged me and helped me to recognize that I was not trapped by the past, that I could be responsible for my own decisions, and that my emotional health was much more important than my career.”
“Much more than talent or a pleasant personality, perseverance and persistence will open doors for you, if you simply keep working toward your goal and refuse to give up.”
“Nothing is impossible, but you must have a passion for what you want to do and a plan for where you want to go if you ever hope to get there.“
“But the truth is, if you are afraid to fail, you will probably not accomplish much in life.”
“IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT, something noble, something that perhaps has never been done before, you must be willing to fail. And don’t be surprised or devastated when you do. It is not the end of the world, and untold numbers of people have experienced major failures and have come back from them, not as more successful, but also as better, stronger people.”
“But failure is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that you are alive and growing.”
“Fear paralyzes in many ways, but especially if it keeps you from responding wisely and intelligently to challenges. The only way to overcome your fears is to face them head-on.”
Anne Frank (1929-1945) wrote a diary while hiding from the Nazis. I am amazed by how she managed to stay positive in the midst of the Holocaust. I want to be able to stay hopeful no matter what I see in the news and in my personal life like she was.
“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is! “
I have always believed that everyone has goodness in them. While I know that we also have an evil side (sinful side), I believe that God created us in His image.
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
This mystifies me. I have always dreamed of improving this world.
“Don’t think of all the misery, but of all the beauty that still remains. In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
While I believe that most people are kind and honest in most situations, I doubt I could believe that if I had experienced what she did.
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature, and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.”
“I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness. I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too. I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.”
While Ann Frank didn’t live to see the end of the war, we know that it did end. She had hope in the future.
These quotes are reminding me to hold onto hope in the midst of this strange world. My sister has commented that she feels like we are in a parallel universe while I feel like I am trapped in the Twilight Zone. Pandemic. War in Ukraine. Supply chain problems. Inflation. Overturning of Roe v. Wade. A huge divide here in the US. Mass shootings. My city’s (Waukesha) Christmas parade tragedy. Highland Park parade shooting. Uvalde school shooting.
I found the quotes in Women Know Everything by Karen Weekes.
Buzz Aldrin went into outer space and visited the moon. This is such an amazing achievement for him and mankind. Yet he struggled with depression and alcoholism. Here is an article about his life and struggles. He shared his struggles in an interview too.
This story reminds me of a Elijah (1 Kings chapter 18 and 19). He challenged the prophets of Baal to a challenge. He had them set up two altars with sacrificed bulls. He had Baals’ prophets pray for their god to burn the sacrificed bull up. Nothing happened. (Crickets sounds playing here) Then, he has the people pour water three times on the altar for our God. The water filled the trench around the altar. I suspect the wood and sacrifice was dripping wet. Then, he alone began to pray to God. “Then, the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench (1 Kings 18:38).” Then, the people believed. A little later, Elijah prayed for rain causing a drought to end. This had to be a high point in his life like when Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon.
But, Elijah ran into death threats and found himself depressed. Buzz Aldrin developed depression and a substance disorder. Sometimes a great experience can lead to a stumble when things get tough again.
