Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote the quote ‘Nothing Can Bring You Peace But Yourself.’ He was a man ahead of his time, for he believed that all things were connected to God and therefore divine. A notion during the 1800’s that was a bit radical; today it would be embraced by many.
I saw this quote recently and it’s timely appearance made me think about my current circumstances for I believe that this is my next, and quite possibly, my hardest life lesson to learn. I was with my husband for over 23 years and after that I had a boyfriend for 5, but that is over now and I am without a partner.
I remember a conversation I had with my dear friend Channy when my husband and I broke up and I immediately went online to find a replacement. She chided me for moving so quickly, telling me to concentrate on other areas of my life. When I told her that I just wasn’t that person, that I didn’t feel whole unless I had a partner in my life, she was astonished. She couldn’t fathom a strong, independent woman such as myself needing a partner to feel fulfilled while at the same time she applauded the fact that I knew myself well enough to be honest about it.
As life does, this has changed. I know at this time in my life that I need to be at peace with myself, by myself. Just saying this is not going to make it happen of course, there is work to be done. I have that part of myself that feels like a total failure in my relationships. I have other parts of me that go to war with that feeling, pushing it down and telling it to go away. However, I believe that I must embrace that feeling, comfort it and say, ‘why yes, in some ways you did fail, but what did you learn?’ I’m still working on that, and will continue to do so, and that is why I’m choosing to be alone and find peace with myself for the first time in many decades.
I’m changing things in my life so that I can learn to love myself by myself. I’m doing that by embracing my metaphysical side and doing daily meditations. I’m also working out, but this time not just for my weight and trying to look my best for someone else, but for me and my overall health. I’m taking classes in things that interest me and enlighten me. I’m taking the moments when I’m sitting alone on the couch watching Hell’s Kitchen and not having anyone to laugh at Chef Ramsey with in stride, trying to enjoy that laughter with myself. It’s going to be an interesting journey and I look forward to learning more about me and enjoying what I learn.
Until next time, enjoy your alone moments to their fullest.
Recipe of the Day – Zucchini Pasta
There is no pasta in this recipe! Yep, Zucchini is the pasta and it’s AMAZING! But first things first, go out and buy yourself a Spiral Vegetable Slicer
You can get this on Amazon (I found mine at Home Goods for $29)
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic chopped
- 2 cup of chicken broth
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 2 Tsp: Salt, Lemon Pepper, Cumin (combine and make two portions)
- Parmesan Cheese (shaved is best, but any will do)
-Clean and cut bell pepper into 4 large pieces, rub with olive oil and salt/pepper to taste.
-Put bell pepper on a cookie sheet and bake at a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes (until brown on edges and soft)
-While the bell pepper is cooking, using a potato peeler take the dark green skin off of the zucchini and cut off both ends
-Put a plate on the end of the spiral maker so your zucchini goes on to it when when making your ‘pasta’
-In a saute pan, put in 1 TBS of butter and saute your onions and garlic with half the seasoning until cooked through and set aside
-When your bell pepper is done, put into a blender with the cooked onions and garlic and 1/2 cup of chicken broth and the rest of the seasoning and puree until smooth
-In a wok or big skillet put in your sauce and the rest of the chicken broth 1 TBS of butter and heat
-Once the sauce is heated put in your zucchini and cook until tender (not mushy)
-Once cooked (yes, test it!) top with Parmesan Cheese
In the pot (you can see that I didn’t take off all the green skin my first time around, it wasn’t bad, but better with it off)
On the Plate
(with roasted potatoes and pork chop…yum!)