In the twilight of an evening I took a walk from my home. As I walked, admiring the beauty of nature all around me, my mind

began to ponder  the words freedom of choice. I marveled at the fact that I have lived in this home for over six years and only just started taking daily walks in this beautiful neighborhood! Now granted, I had my knee replaced a year ago so my mobility is much better than it was for many years, but therein lies the same three little words, freedom of choice! I lived with a bad knee for way too long.

Now as I walk briskly smelling the delicious night air I think WHY? WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG? Why am I just now enjoying nature at my doorstep when I had six whole years wasted on my freedom of choice not to participate in one of the huge joys in life — walking in nature! Now I don’t want to keep crying over spilled milk or should I say complaining because I had freedom of choice and what did I do? — I chose not to have my knee replaced earlier and I chose not to take hikes and walks from my home. I need to forgive myself and move on and enjoy the fact that I am now doing what I did all through my twenties, thirties, forties and early fifties. Take long walks! It is exhilarating as all get-out! The walking lets out endorphins. I smell the night air and my heart sings.   These are the same trails that I rode my horses on for fourteen years. I smell the horse manure and then my foot lands in a fresh pile of it on the trail. I don’t mind, as you saw in my last post. I love horses and I love the smell!

At first I was going to write about how lucky I am (as are many of us) to have freedom of choice.  But then I started thinking about Mother Teresa working in the slums of Calcutta all of her life, coming from a well to do family, choosing to help the thousands of people whom she helped directly and indirectly. Even people in the most dire of predicaments have freedom of choice. They teach this line of thinking in Buddhism and many other religions.

We may use our minds to help create a better life for ourselves, if only in our minds. It is a truth that we are a mental planet before we are a physical planet. If we can dream it, it may happen. Depending on how strongly we want something and believe that we deserve it in our lives; is the truth be told to our realization of the reality of having that particular blessing in our lives! And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (King James Version of the Bible).

Opra’s story is a perfect example of this belief system! Opra came from abject poverty and uneducated folks. Opra wanted something different for her life! She wanted much more! And by gum she received exactly that! It says in the Bible “ask and it shall be given you”! I so believe this truth! As I walked along this evening I saw a bat! I have not seen one in years and here it was right outside my property! I also noticed the shapes and forms of the eucalyptus trees in my neighborhood, the twists and interesting forms they take as they climb to the sky. How majestic they were in the evening light. I felt inspired to paint. Francesca’s Gallery

Here’s to the ability we have to make choices in our lives. God or our higher power has given each and every one of us the ability to “Choose Wisely”. We can choose to stay positive and bring good into our lives and to help others along the way as we do so.

Bye for now,

Francesca