From Nancy Pelosi at Mount Holyoke to Online Shift Network Talk on Ayurvedic (and lots in between)

Of course the real highlight of the Mount Holyoke Graduation was celebrating with The Class of 2018! Yet having the experience for a couple of hours of being a hUge field house filled with People happily sitting in (and sometimes cheering from ) thousands of white plastic chairs.

We heard from the new Mount Holyoke President Sonya Stephens, recipients of honorary degrees who really wanted to Do Something to improve the world of education (teaching teachers) and reforming agencies was very moving, as was hearing from the renaissance woman and mother of five (within 6 years) who 'got a life' and worked in Congress (with her children, especially her youngest giving her the Green Light ...and encouragement to Get a Life! Ah, outta the mouths of babes even as teens...Of course transitions can have a few ups and downs (and go-arounds) especially if helping haul dorm contents down a few floors and figuring out which cars to put them in.

Yes, some graduates had offers for help they didn't exactly expect or want--they might lose track of their stuff, some of which they may need to repack for the next adventure in a day or so. All of that means students and parents (and others braving The Move) should think up some win-win game plans and team players along with a timely schedule (how about the day Before if not a few days before have everything but the basic boxed and 'ready to go' which should only take an hour or so)

Just a thought. Same goes for 'where to meet and when as in dorm first floors inside versus in a parking lot or other vague proximity. With working, charged cell phones, texts and calls can bridge most gaps and keep things civil. Maybe an extra cell phone 'usher, helper' type  person could be stationed at each dorm front door area at key times for just such support.

Even figuring out What questions to ask of whom should one lose one car key (or other important item, such as passports...yes, I found someone's from West Africa and hopefully they have them by now and are set for their journey home. Kind of keeps things in perspective as I reflect  calmly from my Connecticut cozy abode.

But really, doing something out of the ordinary can be exciting and Stressfull..so I hope to see the show on Ayurvedic ideas for living, eating and so on offered shortly by The Shift Network (if I can stay away another hour after quite a lot of interrupted sleep these past few months...) Maybe a power nap for ten minutes is in order. So again, more details hopefully to follow and thankfully I did find my car key (it was in the last place I knew I had it..in a dorm room which I thought I'd taken if from and put in my pocket. However since I noticed someone a few floors down needing a ticket and driving away, I hurried along and in my haste, made a waste of a few hours later, looking for 'said key'.

Yet in that campus wide search back to the vast field house which thankfully was not quite locked up for another 10 minutes, and doing a 'victory lap' around the whole shebang of chairs and stage..with no sign of my key, I then went to collect leftover balloons floating by the front door of the gym. Next to those I found the coat and an hour later thought to look in the pockets (in the jacket lining too, a nice Ralph Lauren). That's when I found the pass port. Your welcome, Paul!

Everybuddy check for your important belongings. Stay mindful of what you are doing hour to hour and as you lug boxes or move in new ways. Take time to plan what you are doing and to move carefully when gardening or doing housework. Don't reach for things or strain. More on that in a recent post. An extra tip too though is  to be mindful when caring for people. Keep pathways clear, have good lighting and move slowly and ask what the person needs and agrees to have help with. It's helpful to learn to do a one-person transfer with a bear hug if you basically healthy and of good strength relative to who you are moving...look online and such or ask a home health aid or certified nurse's assistant etc for some basics before you try it on your own. Practice with a healthy person first too.)