Tag Archives: Advice

Another Classmate Gone

I am on an alumni site for my high school in Maryland, class of ’86. Yesterday a friend posted that another one of our classmates had passed away, there have been several. Looking at his high school senior picture, I was reminded that we are not here forever. Oh, most of us live like we are going to be here for a long time, and then expect to die peacefully in our sleep when we are one hundred one.

burial cemetery cross daylight

Photo by Matthias Zomer on Pexels.com

Life is short, whether we live to be a centenarian or only take a few short breaths at birth. It is all short in the scope of eternity. This verse comes to mind,
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”. (James 4:14)

branches daylight environment flowers

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I pray for Mrs. Tia Coleman, the woman who recently lost nine of her family members in the duck boat accident in Branson, Missouri, including her husband and children. From a sweet family picture before their adventure to a horrible storm and tragedy that is changing her life forever.

boat on body of water

Photo by Leo Cardelli on Pexels.com

I don’t know about you, but I find myself getting caught up in stuff on a daily basis that doesn’t really matter. My perspective gets skewed, and I worry too much. I waste my days on this and that, robbing myself of the joy of this life. I need to be more mindful of my moments, my memories, even my mundane.

Life is a wonderful gift.

white and red led signage with love family laughter text

Photo by Sara Wether on Pexels.com

 

backlit dawn foggy friendship

Photo by Helena Lopes on Pexels.com

two person holding hands while sitting on grey cushion

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

sunset person love people

Photo by Josh Willink on Pexels.com

scenic view of sky during night time

Photo by Hristo Fidanov on Pexels.com

 

Whitewater And Time

blue ocean sea water

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Pexels.com

I don’t know if it is the fact that I am older, (not ancient mind you, but wiser…that is my story and I am sticking to it) but time seems to be roaring through the weeks much like a raft on whitewater rapids. I’ve been white water rafting before and ended up flying off the raft when we hit exceptionally rough water. I was completely disoriented as the water went over my head, and the roar of the water filled my ears. Thankfully, I was able to right myself and get back in the raft. I was soaking wet but safe. So, yes. That is how I feel about time right now. Time is fast. So fast. No slowing down. No turning back. Once this day is gone, it’s gone.

Even though that is true, I want to remember the days. I want to cherish the moments, and that is difficult to do when one feels the spray hit her face and feels herself being pulled under into the churning basin of time. Why do I always feel like I have to rush when my heart’s desire is to just slow down?!

Stay awake. Stay afloat. Keep my head above the water. Enjoy the minutes.

swimming underwater diving person

Photo by Roman Pohorecki on Pexels.com

A reminder to open my eyes and really see what each day brings. Let’s face it, some days are going to be better than others. I’ll admit there are days when I am glad it is time for bed because I am exhausted and just want the day to be done. But, most of the time I don’t want to check the minutes and hours. I want to hold them a little longer. Laugh harder. Smile more. Cry if I need too. I want to hold hands and hold hearts. I want to admire the sunset, pet the dogs and cats, write the email. I want to smell dinner cooking, look out the window, get tan and be barefoot. I want a little more time. I can’t change the clock, but I can change my attitude so that those moments seem longer and fuller.

man in black long sleeved shirt and woman in black dress

Photo by Jasmine Wallace on Pexels.com

adolescence baby black and white blond

Photo by Drew Rae on Pexels.com

light nature sky sunset

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

dog pet cute

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

feet rain wet puddle

Photo by Alicia Zinn on Pexels.com

When Life Threatens To Bust Me Wide Open

IMG_1163

The things meant to sustain us, are often the things that drain us…

Some days break me. Crack me wide open. I feel exhausted and moody. Eeyore has nothing on me. You all know what I’m saying. We’ve all been there.

It is not one thing in particular, but many small things that chip away at me. The cat puked on the couch. My grand daughter is not interested in hugs and kisses this morning, even when I desperately need her sweetness. My students are not into the lessons I am trying to teach. I am pouring myself into the Revolutionary War and all I get in return is a blank stare. My college classes are drowning me in assignments that I try to squeeze into the cracks of my otherwise hectic life, and my resentment toward my <innocent> professor grows. I am behind in typing my home school summaries. (Parents, please forgive me!) Messes I didn’t make. Muck I didn’t create. And Misunderstandings that I hate.  Life is hard. And all I really want to do is curl up in a blanket, read a book and forget about schedules, deadlines, and craziness.

Just when I was feeling like I was going under for the third time, and life was looking bleak, my husband reminded me of something. He said, “Dawn, remember your one thousand gifts. Remember your practice of writing all your blessings”.  “Yes”, I barely whisper. Blessings. Things that God chooses to gift me with. All the small but great. The subtle but sensational. The soft, and wonderful and silly. I write on the good days, to sustain me through the bad ones. To remind me through the hard. The jagged and broken. On those days when I am fragile and cry over running out of green tea.

When life threatens to bust me wide open, or worse when it punctures me leaving a slow leak of joy….emptying me. I will choose joy.

Today I choose joy. I choose life. I choose to be thankful.

*Rainy Saturdays *Cool Fall-like weather *September *Fall is on the way! *Sleeping in *Wearing leggings and an oversized t-shirt (comfy clothes) *Reading my Chasing Slow book *Quiet house *A husband who loves me even when I feel unlovable *Safety for my children *A grand daughter that turned one a few days ago. *Excellent lab results *The smell of coffee brewing. *A God who whispers to me, calming my soul. *Friends *Second, and third, and fourth chances at getting things right. *Smiles *A new haircut *Old quilts * Dog licks *Netflix *Dancing to music in the kitchen *Gluten-free pizza *Family *Texts from my sister *Laughing

 

Dear Younger Self…

One of my friends on Facebook, posted something interesting yesterday. I’m sure she had seen it somewhere and thought she’d repost. The gist of it was, if you could go back and tell your “younger self” something, what piece of wisdom that you’ve gleaned from your experiences would you

facebook engancha

now share?

Hmmmmmm……….. I thought I’d give this a try.

Dear Younger Self,

Younger Self, I have so many things to tell you. You probably won’t listen, because you think you know everything and have it all figured out. Um……your Older (and hopefully wiser) Self has to tell you that you do NOT have any real idea of what you are doing. OS is going to give you some advice. Keep your mouth shut and just read it!

1. You do not know all the answers and that is okay. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to always know what to do. Most people are in the same boat, just trying to figure out life, one day at a time.

2. Do your best and let the rest go. Striving for perfection can cause stress related illness. It’s not worth it. Most of your real learning will come from living through your mistakes, anyway. If you get knocked down, stand back up.

3. Be kind to yourself. You have to live in your own skin, why not be comfortable with it?

4. Be a friend, enjoy people. Make memories.

5. Be thankful for what you have. Open your eyes to even the smallest miracles.

6. Laugh a lot. Laugh out loud. Laugh until you can’t breathe. Even snort if you have too!

7. Accept that there is always happiness mixed in with sadness. Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be good.

8. Love. The greatest of these…..

9. Find a mate that you like hanging out with. Make him your best friend.

10. Spend time with God, get to know Him……without Him there is nothing else.

11. The girls in the magazines are airbrushed.

12. Read a lot. Never stop learning.

13. Children will change your life, forever.

14. Don’t go through life in a rush, you have to slow down to really enjoy it.

15. Do what you love, and the rest will follow.

16. Pray daily.

17. Play music often. It speaks to the soul.

18. Help others that can’t help you back.

19. Listen. You learn more by listening, and no one wants to hear you talk all the time.

20. Eat ice cream without guilt. Don’t ask questions…just do it.

Love, Your Older Self

 

Related articles

Moments That Live On

Child play

Image by i-on via Flickr

Sometimes, going home means saying goodbye.

My dear uncle died yesterday.

He will be so very missed.

The entire family, as you can imagine, is sad.

Sometimes words are not enough.

Hearts laid open.

Emotion bared for all to see.

Bleeding out memories of yesterdays…

A summer ago my family and I were visiting

My cousins and I watched as our own children rolled down the hill in my aunt’s back yard.

Racing. Laughing. Playing.

A flashback…

My cousins and me.

That same picture…except it was us rolling down that hill.

The 1970’s…and I remembered.

I glanced around at the faces.

My aunts and uncles taking in the same scene.

Fondly remembering their children, not as 30 and 40 somethings, but as young children.

Days when they, themselves, did not yet have gray hair, or illness.

There were more days, looking forward to the future…

Not looking back.

Sigh.

Life is hard, and on some days, it is nearly unbearable.

Time does not stop for any of us, but we can slow it down.

Savor the moments.

Enjoy the time.

Be present.

One day it will be me with the gray hair

and I will remember…

Filled with all the moments.

Moments that live on

In the hearts of the ones that matter the most.

 

 

 

Related articles

Feeling Beautiful

Neon Sign "Beauty Supply", New Jerse...

Image via Wikipedia

It’s interesting that last week I read not one, but two blogs about female beauty. The blogs weren’t written by women. Both blogs were written by men, and they were both very thoughtful…and in my opinion very insightful. It got me to thinking….

1. What is true beauty?

2. Is it only the physical?

3. Or is that just what we are taught?

4. The truth is those women that are physically beautiful, don’t really have to work at it.

5. I remember a quote from a famous model.

6. She said something like, “Please don’t love me because I’m beautiful. My beauty isn’t something I earned, or am good at. I was born this way.”

7. She used her physical beauty for a living, to make money, but it isn’t the only thing she wanted to be remembered for. She understood that her physical beauty would one day fade, she wanted more than that.

8. I just thought that was interesting.

9. Women are beautiful…it’s just that many women don’t see it.

10. They have been trained to see only the flaws, not the beauty.

11. A beautiful smile that lights up her whole face…and is contagious to those around her.

12. A beautiful mind that questions and debates.

13.  Beautiful hands that reach out to help others… and arms that give hugs.

14. Laughter that is contagious.

15. Strong legs that can walk for miles.

16. Eyes that seem to look into the soul, or twinkle with mischief.

17. Witty banter.

18. Goofy grins.

19. Ponytails.

20 and Pixie cuts.

21. Short, Tall, or inbetween.

22. Mothers, sisters, daughters, friends.

23. There is a lot more to beauty than the latest styles or expensive “lotions and potions”…

24. And I think most men would agree.

25. True beauty can’t be bought.

26. A truly beautiful woman will have people drawn to her.

27. Not because of her hair color.

28. Or because she is ultra thin.

29. But because she emanates confidence and her own personal style.

30. Her beauty shines.

Related Articles