Thoughts from the Coconut Goddess

As I start this, I have no idea where it is going to go. I do not want to rant and rave about life. Truth be told, I don’t have much to complain about.
I am a momma of 4 beautifully, wonderful beings. I have no idea how we are so blessed to have them in our lives. No, they are not perfect (I am fully aware of that) and will not pretend that they are. However, they are amazing.
We are starting a new company, that has many levels to it. One is importing Chilli Sauce from Fiji. It fills my heart because we offer a product that is amazing, help boost our local farmers at home (Fiji Islands) and get to share about one of the best places on earth (not only my opinion).
As I have been speaking with friends and neighbors the last couple of months, a few things continue to come up. Life has become so much more difficult over the last couple of years. What once would take a few moments to accomplish something, can take up to a full day. And still accomplish nothing! We talk about things getting back to normal, or that this is our new normal. Life is just so different now. It is something we must come to accept, but it does seem a little harder.
We have gone through a full fledge panic—we had no idea how to protect ourselves or our loved ones—and life just stopped. We are now slowly climbing out of that void. There has been loss and confusion on so many different levels. There are many emotions that most seem to not recognize or are even aware that they are being carried (buried?). In the process there is so much anger and hatred flying about. When did it become ok to be so ugly to those around us? We must remember—a little compassion goes a long way.
We are now living in Northern California, and our little area has suffered so much trauma in the last 6 years. Learning to recognize trauma has become second nature to those that pay attention.
My husband and I see life very differently, which is probably why we work so well together. We do not allow the other to live in their comfort zone for very long! We have had our ups and downs, but one of the things we have learned is to communicate with each other, even when it takes a week to finish the conversation. We respect each other’s space, time to process and then at times, agree to disagree. Such is life. When did we lose the art of conversation? The ability to actually hear what someone is saying is truly a gift. If I do not agree, it is not my job to sway anyone to my way of thinking. It is my job to hear their heart, and hopefully learn from their story—to allow their experience, ideas, and life choices to enrich my life—and hopefully they take that from me.
There is beauty and kindness if we look for it—and then we share it with others.