Move the ladder!

Mom,

You would have saw it coming. You would have known better. You would have moved the ladder instead of reaching so far!!

I, on the other hand, learned by "experience".

I was up in the ladder, (in my favourite dress, no less) picking cherries yesterday. I've been up on that ladder every day, twice a day, for the past few days, picking bucket after bucket of cherries for the hostel. So, naturally, the area where I was picking, in the tree, was getting sparse. I found myself at the top of the ladder, literally bending over the top of the ladder, reaching to grasp a few cherries with my outstretched hand. I had the big bowl full of cherries in my right arm. The thought "move the ladder" did come to mind but I didn't want to climb down, move the huge ladder and then climb back up, for just a few more cherries...so I reached as far as I could, around me, to grab all the cherries within reach.

I could feel the moment that I had reached too far. My intuition knew this was going to happen! The ladder started to tilt. I had grabbed a couple cherries that promptly squished in my hand as I gripped onto a big branch. My other arm clung on to the full bowl of cherries. There was no way I was dropping the bowl. It was FULL! And I am from Saskatchewan, where cherries are at least $5 per pound, from what I remember! I froze at the top of the tree, sort of hoping that a neighbour would come and rescue me. But no one was there. I started talking out loud to myself, calming myself down. It was the exact sort of scenario - like in Mexico - on the DIVA Retreat - when I climbed over the top of the railing to get in to the hotel's property when we all forgot our keys that night! I was talking to myself, coaxing myself around the security bars when Carol stopped on the little bridge that went over the pool to her and Kate's room, hearing me talking to myself. She said "What the hell are you doing?". The same question could be asked as I clung to the top of the cherry tree, refusing to give up the bowl of cherries in exchange for my safety.

It was all quite funny! I braced the ladder by holding a branch to prevent it from falling any further. Then I SLID down the ladder in slow motion with my bowl in tow, step by step. As I neared the bottom, I had to let go of the branch and then jump to the ground. Only a few cherries spilled out of the bowl as I landed and the ladder fell a bit and then rested on another big branch.

I fixed up the ladder and took my bowl inside, thankful that I made it down safely. It wasn't all that dangerous, to be honest. I would have only fallen about 10 feet, if I had fallen down. It did seem much higher when I was up there though. Much, much higher!

I won't do that again, even if it was only 10 feet! Next time, I'll stop, climb down and MOVE THE LADDER, instead of reaching so far. That would ultimately make it much easier.

I can see in other parts of my life, where I "reach too far...when I could easily move the ladder" in a metaphorical sense! Sometimes, I make life more difficult, get in my own way, try to force something (anything) and sort of "bend over backwards" in certain, situations, expending time and energy in the wrong places, when really, I should just simply "move the ladder"....re-adjust, modify, change and be more intentional in what I am doing. Trying to push, force or "stretch" is great in many ways...but not in all situations. Not at all. In those situations, it might be better to let go, even take a step back or move "the ladder" (to another part of the tree or to a different treee) all together...

Today, I had a fabulous day, out with Mel picking paint colours for the basement that I'm going to rent out in "Vacation Rentals By Owner", going to the hostel for the evening to help with one of the busiest weekends of the summer and contemplating the silly ladder experience of yesterday!

What I know for sure as I get ready for bed...
1. I am blessed.
2. I will be even more blessed if I have patience.
3. We are all blessed when we listen to our intuition to know when to reach and when to move the ladder...in the cherry tree and in life.

Mom, I love you. Thank you for being out there in the cherry tree with me (in spirit!) yesterday! And for getting me to the ground safely!

I love you,
Crystal