Not Always As They Appear

Loving Lifelong Learning • May 30, 2025

We often hear phrases such as things are not always as they appear, or just wait, be patient, the truth will come out, and maybe even…trust the PROCESS…trust THE process…TRUST the process…Hmmmmmm much easier stated than lived out. So seemingly unpredictable. And then let’s consider the WEATHER. At times we are hard pressed to find a consistent pattern…Some winter days feel like spring, spring days like summer and so on…Spring is typically the time for planting and new growth…and while we long for spring and refreshment we end up hearing tornado sirens and high winds blowing and then…trees are cracked, branches and leaves are strewn, some buildings and even precious homes damaged. And then again…we are called to remember….things are just not always as they appear or how we wish they would appear.


Recently, I found another 4 leaf clover. Those who know me well understand this propensity has been lifelong. Ever since I can remember, I would be drawn to a clover patch and many times there would be a 4 leaf clover, just waiting to be picked…People often say, “FAITH HOPE LOVE & LUCK when they think of a 4 leaf clover.


While there are various stances on 4 leaf clovers, how common or not, why they exist, the frequency for which one might find one…the fact is, I’ve been prone to discover them throughout the years.


So…while I’m not sure why, it is a fact and my tendency is to find 4 leaf clovers. Loaded with fun, great conversation, a dedication to the one I’m speaking to or out with when the discovery is made, these clovers have brought many smiles, energizing surprises, good thoughts and sparked numerous interactions and conversations through the years.


Regarding the 3rd one of this season, and there have been several since then, it was sweet, tiny, fully 4 leaves, yet shriveled very quickly. Along with this find, came the life reminder that so many things, situations, happenings in life can be temporary and are at times real but truly not as they appear. If one looked at the little clover just 30 minutes after the find, it did not look the same. And…especially this time I should have snapped the photo immediately! There have been several since, another tattered one, an uneven one, a speckled one, even a butterfly shaped 4 leaf clover and one found on a particularly tough evening.


This reminder of things not always being what they appear has been so timely. The path feels long and at moments impossible right? A nudge to recall might need to be reframed and turned into a pull back or a redirect. Assessing a situation from a different view and choosing to refrain from getting stuck on what “should be” and letting what is unfold…might be the best path choice. Growing on from there may include a challenge but oftentimes this is needful to do. And to do so while simultaneously strengthening our emotional stamina can be powerful. At times I believe we are inclined to long for “linear” and for everything to be set directly into place and stay on track with a specific frame we hold onto as hope. When we realize our journeys become shaped and better informed by our sadnesses and celebrations as well as our surprises and the mundane, we are better equipped to learn and lead by example and share forward helping our world to become better and stronger, one heart at a time. And whether it feels comfortable or not, and regardless of how linear the process may seem as we are trudging through, we simply cannot see what is not there.


As we soar through spring, rites of passages via graduations or milestone events which inevitably occur, let us enjoy each moment for what it is, embrace life with goodness and grace and remember, just because something looks one way now, it can and will most likely change. Are you willing to rearrange? Grow? Settle in? Reach for different? Regrouping and resetting may be on deck so let us lean forward accepting FAITH HOPE LOVE along with a sprinkle of LUCK or CHANCE…and make all our spaces better with our time, treasure, heart soul and being!


Things are not always as they appear

Diligently try not to live within fear


Will you choose grace

And gently embrace?


Faith to fill

Hope to still


Love to lead your circumstance

Embracing good luck and chance


Allow a spontaneous surprise

To enlighten your mind’s eyes


Engage with your all

Pursuing the life call


To be and show

What you know


Each and every day

In so many a way


The path might be long

But keep moving along


When put to the test

Live to impart your best


And remember…in all you do

You can and will get through!


© 2025 Kathleen Bauer, Ed D

Alongside her husband B

Mountains

By Loving Lifelong Learning • June 16, 2025
While some are already reveling in the respite of a summer break, very shortly, summer will truly be upon us and in full swing. Before we get all the immersed into summer adventures…I am compelled to reflect upon a “springing into summer” adventure we enjoyed in the MOUNTAINs! Earlier in spring, Brian and I were scheduled to be in Boulder, Colorado…Both of us had an array of items to complete while there and as we worked on our professional lives much of the time, we did take moments to experience the glorious beauty of the surrounding mountains. We participated in one of our favorite activities which is receiving FRESH AIR THERAPY! So, for personal development as we endeavored several “trails” and sought to thrive, we found ourselves at times acclimating well with measured breaths and strong endurance. There were other instances when the altitude seemed to be getting the best of us, and we were feeling so incredibly “old” and “out of shape” …YIKES! This up and down pattern served us up a few life reminders… GRIT matters. KEEP putting one foot in front of the other even when you cannot see the outcome or where the path is leading now. The WORK and exercises we do as a part of our life habits continues to be meaningful. It offered stamina on each trail we attempted and conquered. In LIFE , we oftentimes feel we are not “there” but when we persevere on, we are indeed headed forward. Keep GOING! The VIEW at every stage had more to explore than we could have imagined. There were twists, turns, times to sidestep, and valued seconds of stopping to enjoy and breathe it all in. Along with this came the inevitably unexpected, another hill to climb with more rock paths to maneuver through, and then we would turn another corner and keep going on and up toward the destination. From the Flat Iron paths to the trails through the red rocks. For the Royal Arch victory and the Mount Sanitas Trail after a steep Mapleton Avenue walk…we were stretched, found peace, wished for better core support, (smile), yet discovered more than we could take in while finding fulfillment and purpose in the complex yet simple journey. Similarly, situations around us might not be clear or understandable in life, but these mountainous experiences reminded us we must keep doing our trek. Today…we are where we are. How we have done life up to this point counts and carries lessons we may or may not be aware of. However, we must effort to remain present in each moment. So…what changes will you be willing to adjust for your life? What are you doing well? How can or will you choose to navigate each “trail” “hill” “trek” or “hike” of life and to do it well? Much to ponder… Perhaps you’ve been thrust into mountains of emotions to traverse, hills of pain to climb, or rocky relationships to navigate. Maybe the economy, your job situation or the health of yourself or loved ones feels tumultuous. Possibly you have endured a betrayal and rejection of those counted as friends…life happens doesn’t it? Moments of emotion will surface…Are you equipped to move through the climb? Gear up! May we find and embrace a sense of satisfaction despite the pain and do so with sprinkles of happiness. With courage, confidence and perseverance, we can lean in and stay healthy on this journey we call LIFE! Whatever path you choose Allow it to ignite and infuse Walk on with peace Find sweet release Success in the climb Viewing the sublime Keep calm and stay assured Even when the path is blurred Love without hurry Embrace no scurry Refrain from the fitful When seeking restful Always a season for each Soon again a time of reach For now, bask in tranquility With joy in your fresh ability To be strong Move along As you desire to retain And want to maintain Allow space for the unexpected Believing you are still protected Life mountains might indeed look to be in the way May we navigate well and on our BEST path stay  This we CAN do As life we go thru! © 2025 Kathleen Bauer, Ed D Alongside her hiking partner B

CHRISTMAS in JULY

By Loving Lifelong Learning • July 16, 2024
CHRISTMAS in JULY?!?! What? Recently, after being at the STL Soccer game and watching the effort by our CITY team, Brian and I were headed home and listening to the KMOX broadcast of the Cardinal game. We barely made it in the house to turn on the TV and watch the Cardinals WIN! It was their second VICTORY of the DAY! At some point during the 9th inning while we were doing this, I noticed a phrase at the bottom of our screen…It read, “ CHRISTMAS in JULY”! Immediately…this phrase jettisons me back to yesteryear; watching the Venture, K-Mart and Famous-Barr (your Christmas ANGEL store…!) ads as child. It never felt all the way right when the sales would begin describing Christmas and Winter Holidays when we were anticipating fireworks displays, heading to the pool, playing kickball in the yard, and collecting fireflies. Ahhhhhh CHRISTMAS in JULY! To me, these words, CHRISTMAS in JULY, stir up music in my heart, mind and soul. While we do not feel ready for the Holiday Season to embark on us at this very minute, Brian and I LOVE the thought of CELEBRATION, FAMILY, FUN, & LOVE! Do you? What brings music to your ears? How does your heart experience an extra surge of happy beats? Is it a beautiful display of fireworks like many have taken in lately? Is it the laughter of children in the neighborhood playing? Perhaps it is an array of special people in your life or maybe even some important memories of days gone by. Throughout July, maybe we take some time to reflect on what has been and what is yet to come by the time we will be making it through another calendar year. Has any event or happening resonated deeply with you? Among our summer favorites, we have integrated some small house and yard projects, sought to carve new paths within our daily work, intentionally focused upon being “there” for some, and have centered in on embracing the unpredicted events and opportunities we have been offered. So, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, as you head to local sporting events, enjoy a favorite cool summer treat with those you love or simply enjoy the longer daylight hours of summer with taking just one more walk through the neighborhood, try to find moments to savor and embrace all of the beautiful; past, present and yet to come. Do you find yourself already anticipating another holiday to come? Try not to resist or overlook the potential adventures awaiting in the here and nearly NOW! And, just sayin’…the ULTIMATE Christmas in July for US this year? Well, it is fast approaching as we anticipate the arrival of some of our dear extended family dropping in for a visit very soon…the elements of surprise and joy and new memories to make loom sure. To us, this is simply the BEST & that’s a WINNER! Through the years Amidst life’s fears Whether it is in December or July Or any other month, time flies by From then & onto now A heart surge & WOW Perspective matters Amidst life shatters Whoever you are with & whatever you do Delight in each & every moment…be TRUE Memories & photos galore Of those we so much adore At the Grand Hotel Our hearts did swell From Ted Drewes to CITY & Cardinal Nation Our people are with us in fresh anticipation For the unexpected to be yet lead the way As newfound memories are formed today Stirring arrays of enlightened emotion Amidst loved ones and the commotion Seek for reasons to celebrate Letting JOY & PEACE infiltrate Always find memories of days gone away By looking ahead to walk into another day More than research or reflection Relationships deserve protection As with a sundae topped with whipped cream & a cherry Lean into and embrace every moment and do not tarry Cherish the treasures of life and good all year long Clean out spiff up and with possibility move along With agility finding our best attitude Coloring every bit of life in gratitude Lean into the BEAUTY-FULL Embrace the WONDER-FULL As always we invite you to the party of reminiscing, celebrating or sharing…your thoughts are welcome…so join the conversation. © 2024 Kathleen Bauer, Ed D Alongside her husband B 

Ahhhhhh Flooded with Nostalgia!

By Loving Lifelong Learning • May 28, 2024
Ahhhhhh Flooded with Nostalgia! Have you ever been filled or overflowing with Nostalgia which flowed in like a tsunami? So what is nostalgia?? It is sometimes defined as a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for a possible return to some past period. Nostalgia may also invoke a sense of homesickness or invite cherished memories of days gone by. Nostalgia is triggered by something reminding an individual of an event or item from their past. This resulting emotion can vary from happiness to sorrow. The term "feeling nostalgic" is more commonly used to describe pleasurable experiences but can actually also be triggered by times of sadness or discomfort. Nostalgia is one way of coping with things in life like social isolation or disconnectedness, loneliness. Times of adversity can trigger nostalgia because remembering who we were and where we have been helps us to identify how we want to grow forward and offer us elements of continuity to do so. Nostalgia is known to serve several important psychological purposes and we can distinguish three types… Restorative, longing for the restoration of a lost comfort or home or feeling or person; Utopian, transforming our longing into an idealistic feeling or memory; Reflective, leading us to focus on recovering from a perceived loss as we ponder questions of our past history. Why is nostalgia so “powerful”? Some experts in the field have found that nostalgia activates a network of brain regions which are involved in memory, emotion, and reward. These regions assist us in retrieving memories and processing emotions. Hopefully these emotional events produce a loop of positive emotions eventually, and assist or help us through times of transition and uncertainty. Additionally, they may serve to boost our hearts and brighten our outlook on the future as these memories remind us of our ability to grow and persevere. Nostalgia can offer feelings of pleasure, good, settled, comfortable… Nostalgia can awaken sadness and stir memories… What sorts of memories bring you to feeling nostalgic? Are they pleasant? Peaceful? Thought provoking? Perhaps sad or maybe even distressing? Maybe some nostalgic emotions are filled with pressure for some reason and truly do not feel okay. Whatever feelings of nostalgia that rise up in us, we have them, and regardless of our feelings or perspectives, we may want consider working through them in order to grow and move forward in life. Some feelings of nostalgia which come up for me might resonate with some of us gathered here as well… Simply the word… HOME Family Going home A special song or tune floating through the air like “…and I think to myself…what a wonderful WORLD…” Fresh baked cookies…YUM! Grilling out A favorite dish or pie The smell of home The smell of spring…and fresh grass growing Baseball season, the crack of the bat… Or fresh rain A Creek or Lake Going fishing or hiking FAMOUs BARR French Onion Soup…(wait…am I dating myself??!) The Forest or woods The beach or mountains The last day of school, graduation ceremonies… Covid 19 Pandemic, the Loss of a loved one… For many reasons we can all easily become flooded with Nostalgia. Recently…Brian and I attended a conference event in Washington D.C. and as we were walking down the street of the National Mall…I was FLOODED with Nostalgia… Not only because of hearing The Star Spangled Banner done beautifully at the conference venue earlier that day, not just because we had been to Arlington cemetery to honor those who have served our country…while these were amazing experiences, walking down the streets of Washington D. C. being reminded of the sights and sounds I recalled visiting numerous times growing up and then several times in younger adulthood with our son David, and one other time with Brian…my emotions of nostalgia were gushing in like a water fall! I simply cannot be there without nostalgia filling me…but not in regard to the above listed. The nostalgia I feel when I am in our nation’s capital typically reverts back to one specific time there…where my parents, dear friends, one of whom was a physician and other extended family members who lived in the area were touring. Among the other sightseeing and touring plans…on one specific morning our entire group was headed to the White House for a VIP tour…Having relatives live nearby we had been before but absolutely loved the opportunity to return and be reminded of America the Beautiful! The morning of, I awakened and oh dear I felt AWFUL! Now I am not often sick, nor was I a sickly child growing up, I achieved perfect attendance throughout my school years. So I went to my Mom and told her I wasn’t feeling well, to which she replied, “Oh you’re fine, we don’t want to ruin anyone’s time here. Get dressed come on down to breakfast because we have VIP tickets to the White House today!” So I aimed to pull my young self together and fumbled to the dining room. When I mentioned I was not at all hungry, I was told by both my Mom and her identical twin sister that I needed to eat some Wheaties! And so I did, (hint…this did not turn out well!). Let’s fast forward a few hours after a half hour drive to downtown D.C. a walk to the White House VIP line to stand in and wait. It was July. I was fading and FAST. I continued feeling like I wanted to just sit or lay down anywhere…and as a tweenager, this was not “cool”. But the longer the day carried on the worse and worse I felt. Persevere I did…so we finally make it into the White House…I barely made it through our tour, when all of a sudden, we arrived to the classic space we have all seen for years on TV where the podium sits beyond a RED carpet, the American Flag is placed in front of the Blue Curtain which displays an emblem of The White House…Yes, right there in that spot, by body could no longer hold onto the Wheaties I had complied to eat earlier in the day and I threw up…I was so incredibly ILL…Our VIP tour turned into a chaotic mess with… Secret Service coming out of the walls from hidden doorways… Family shocked… Guests appalled… And my Mother and I being whisked through a doorway down a stair well to a bathroom for freshening up… Now, on to the rest of this day and for another few days, my family and friends continued touring and sightseeing, having me trapse along, just KNOWING I would be better soon…However, I did not recover, I became weaker and weaker and weaker…YIKES! What was happening??? So…the rest of the story is…I ended up with an extended stay in the Washington D.C./Virginia area and had to endure an emergency appendectomy while there. All along it was my appendix. Wow! Who knew? No one! So when I say Nostalgia is not always a “WARMING or COMFORTING” thought it’s not right?! The greater question for us is… When we are flooded with nostalgia…WHAT do we do with it? How are we to handle it? Do we introspect and try to grow forward? Are we able to use nostalgia as a springboard for another level of healthiness? Where does self-care fit into nostalgia? So…why? Why do I share this with you? Partly because this season we are in right now can definitely be one of nostalgia inviting sentimentality and reflection. So I share this story with you to encourage you along the path of life. It is my firm belief there is not ever waste to any experience we have endured. Not all nostalgic experiences feel comfortable… yet…We can still learn from them! When we feel or perhaps fear there may be some wasted spaces and places we have tread, or positions we find ourselves in or even new opportunities which arise. Perhaps, regardless of our stage in life it is time to recycle, repurpose and reuse these emotions to mindfully move along the path of life. As we go through the here and now and circumstances seem to spin out of control, regardless of the situation, memories, moments or hardships we are enduring, may we quest for settling into the flooding of memories, savoring the best and the beautiful as we learn from each scenario. Not long ago, our grown son was over and we were sharing robust conversation with him. Very organically, the topic of nostalgia came up. He began unfolding his view on nostalgia and mentioned emphatically the fact that people often only use the word as attached to super positive memories. Brian answered him saying, you know Mom has had some things to say on this lately. And as I agreed, I may have been heard saying while smiling… “Ahhhhhh that’s my son!” And of course I was once again… Flooded with Nostalgia! Seasons of Nostalgia…those sentimental longings, and deep affections for the past and personal associations. Every reminiscence, remembrance, and recollection, which whisks us away to different times…may we embrace them as a reminder to dig deep and strengthen on! Let us revel in each and every situation Finding peace and grace and celebration Through the years Beyond our tears With mindful presence Illuminating our essence Truth to discern Each & every turn Find hope & song To pull you along Ever strong and true and bold As our story is shared and told © 2024 Kathleen Bauer, Ed D Alongside her husband B
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