Under Construction

Whether you are one day old or a hundred years old,
we are all Under Construction.
If you aren't learning and education yourself daily,
you're already dead.

Sometimes, it's not about learning facts and figures,
but instead learning to navigate a situation;
where to step and where NOT to step;
what to say and what NOT to say;
what to do and what NOT to do;
when to stand up and when to walk away;
when to join the circus and when to get out of the ticket line;
when to speak and when to listen;
when to hug and when to just exist beside someone.

Skills that aren't taught, only learned
in this rugged adventure called Life.

I wish for you today, construction that is always positive,
no matter how painful or how far the detour takes you.

Ch-Angels

I am a lucky girl.
I have two incredible children.
I have an amazing husband.
I am, mostly, healthy.
I am, mostly, intelligent and articulate.
I am blessed to be surrounded by Ch-Angels!

Those friends and family members who, without hesitation,
lift me up;
give me wings;
talk sense to me;
hug me tight;
understand me;
push me;
pull me;
laugh with me;
sit with me;
pray with me;
pray for me;
support me;
steady me;
love me.

It is an honor.
Thank you.

I hope you have your Ch-Angels too.

So Very True

A quote I came across that stopped me dead in my tracks.
This is my life motto.
There will always be curveballs, hurdles and inconceivable obstacles.
But . . . by Charlotte Whitton . . .

When one must, one can.

POP

POP - Power Of Prayer

It is extraordinary.
It is soothing.
It is exciting.
It is fulfilling.
It is uplifting.
It is joyous.
It is enveloping.
It is overwhelming.
It is vital.
It is needed.
It is necessary.

POP on your own.
POP with someone else.
POP for someone else.

Just be sure you POP!

Worth Repeating

From ye old RWE:

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children . . .
to leave the world a better place . . .
to know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived;
This is to have succeeded.

I wish you all much success today.

From Within

There are plenty of us who are hurting;
either physically, mentally or emotionally.

We've lost some one or some thing
that we've held dear;
we've been cut off from something
we care about;
we've been betrayed or hurt
or feel disrespected in some way;
we've witnessed something terrible;
we're facing a seemingly
insurmountable obstacle.

Let me assure you . . .
you got this!

There is something
so phenomenal,
so extraordinary,
so miraculous
that lies deep at the core of each of us
that just waits to obliterate that hurt.

It is stamina.
It is tenacity.
It is strength.
It is faith.
It is fortitude.
It is hope.
It is beautiful.
It is

From Within.

You Got This!

Be The Reason

I have a morning ritual,
as I'm sure most everyone does.
One step is to bow my head
at the beautiful crucifix I received from my mom and Alfonso
and ask for guidance for the day,
for the chance to do the right thing,
for an opportunity to help someone,
for an open door that I can do some good,
to be the reason
that someone's day is better.

Today, and every day, go . . .

Be The Reason

Good Surroundings

One of the single best things you can do for yourself
is to surround yourself with what makes you happy.

This begins with what you wear.
Be comfortable and brilliant and bold.
Where you live.
Plant pretty flowers, or walk by the water,
or take a stroll through the woods.
Those you associate with.
Make sure they are positive and productive.
Make sure they are supportive and spectacular.
What's in your heart.
Make sure it is filled with all things pleasant and loving and kind.

When you have planted all the proper things around you,
the negative things fall away,
they seem less invasive,
and the good becomes better.

Go . . . plant well.

Give Plenty

So, I'm a little disheartened by the actions of a few.
I'm going to try to cheer myself up by doing what comes naturally to me;
writing and being positive.

Where you find hate,
give plenty of love.
Where you find anger,
give plenty of understanding.
Where you find confusion,
give plenty of attention.
Where you find pain,
give plenty of comfort.
Where you find tears,
give plenty of compassion.
Where you find loss,
give plenty of sympathy.
Where you find discord,
give plenty of hope.
Where you find hate,
give plenty of love.

The world is full of negative things.
The world is also full of wonderful things.
You are the keeper of your temper,
your actions,
your behavior,
your decisions,
your choices,
your heart.

Where you find need . . .
Give Plenty!

3 H's

We've all heard of the 3 R's ~ Reading, Writing & 'Rithmetic
(which kind of scares me because only one of them is really an 'R').
I'm here today to remind you of the 3 H's:

Health, Happiness & Hope

Each is vital to your existence.
None is attainable without the others.

Ponder THAT for a moment.

2 vs 1

We have two ears, and only one mouth.
We have two eyes, and only one nose.
We have two hands, and only one head.

So . . .

It must be twice as important to listen
as it is to speak.
It must be twice as important to see
as it is to sniff things out.
It must be twice as important to lend a hand
than to ponder why.

Listen and learn.
See all perspectives.
Offer assistance when possible . . .

it's ALWAYS possible.

Embrace the Unknown

There are times when we might feel lost,
uncertain,
confused,
frightened,
scared
of what the next minute, hour, day might hold.

Embrace the Unknown

You cannot control and plan every detail.
You can, however, decide how you react.

That leap of faith you take
may be as tiny as a shuffled step,
but it is movement forward nonetheless.
Take it.
Enjoy it.
Bask in it.
Thrive in it.

Embrace the Unknown

Avoid the Piles

Came across a Facebook post a few days ago
that literally made me laugh out loud and really start thinking.
As you know, my daily thought process begins with:

You can be happy or you can be crappy.

The day evolves around your choice.
To elaborate . . . step two:
much the same as when I'm mowing the dog's back yard . . .

Avoid the Piles!

There will always be piles.
There will always be things to step in.
There will always be smelly, nasty things in your way.
Avoid them!
There is no point in stomping on it.
No purpose in traipsing through it.
You might be able to shovel it up,
but rarely have a decent place to dispose of it.
Just . . . please . . .

Avoid the Piles!

Choose Happy and Avoid the Piles!

Together

Today marks TWENTY-SIX years of marriage
for my dear, sweet hubby and me.
It astounds me.

That two souls literally stumbled over each other in a parking lot
and have since then walked through fire together,
raised two incredible human beings together, sweat together,
laughed together, cried together, danced together, argued together,
played together,  prayed together, talked together, goofed off together,
ooh-ed and aah-ed together, whispered together, people watched together,
fished together, racquetballed together, hiked together, swam together,
fought together, discussed together, cleaned together, saved together,
gave back together, supported together, cheered together, got lost together,
explored together, trained together, moped together, whined together,
got angry together, loved together, laughed together some more and,
perhaps, most importantly . . . loved being together!

To simply sit so comfortably beside someone without expectation
of conversation, activity, agenda or motive, but for the sheer sake
of being near them because it makes your heart happy . . .
THAT is bliss!

I wish you all that sort of bliss.
I wish you all my Together.

TTNH

We are a world choking on acronyms.
So . . . what's one more?

We are aware of
SWAK:
Sealed With A Kiss
TTFN:
Ta Ta For Now
KISS:
Keep It Simple Stupid
DIRFT:
Do It Right the First Time

and now . . .
possibly my new favorite . . .

TTNH:
Til The Next Hug

Need to relieve some tension ~ find someone to hug.
Need to feel secure and safe ~ find someone to hug.
Need a little hope and support ~ find someone to hug.
Need to feel a little love ~ find someone to hug.

TTNH!

His Hand

Ever sat alone on a bench outside only to have a random ray of sunshine
inch its way across the field to find you and warm you?
Ever questioned your circumstances, feeling almost pitiful,
only to have a defining song, answering all your queries, pop on the radio?
Ever listlessly waded through a turbulent day
only to run across a long lost friend, or a $20 bill?
Ever miss someone so very much that your heart physically aches
and then some random stranger speaks words only they would have said to you?

I believe in MORE than happenstance.
I believe in MORE than coincidence.
I believe in MORE than chance.

I believe His Hand still provides miracles!

May His Hand greet you today . . . and every day.

Integral

There has been much hate and death and anger in the world as of late.
In my own little corner, loss and sadness.

But . . .
And there's ALWAYS a but . . .

We gathered to celebrate WHO we lost.
We gathered to remember good times.
We gathered to cherish friendships.
And this happened not only in my own little corner,
but all over.

To gather ~ united ~ is integral
to our health
to our hearts
to our souls
to our lives
to our existence.

Embrace the Difference

The rose is exquisite;
yet the daisy invokes an entirely different emotion.
The ocean is expansive;
yet a babbling brook does wonders for the soul.
A city skyline is impressive;
yet a backdrop of mountains frees the mind.
Lobster is simply scrumptious;
yet a backyard bbq owns its own place in my heart.

Different isn't bad.
Different isn't scary.
Different isn't hateful.

Different is beautiful.
Different adds exponentially.

Embrace the Difference.

Why?

Is there really ever a good answer?
Or even any answer?
Why am I sick?
Why did this happen?
Why did they pass away?
Why did I get fired?
Why did she betray me?
The 'why' always lingers.

The only answer is
to walk in faith that there really is a bigger picture.
Maybe there is sickness to appreciate health.
Maybe problems arise to avert your attention.
Maybe our loss is heaven's gain.
Maybe a new, better job awaits.
Maybe the drama is best left in your rearview.
We just don't know.
But we must find some positive and . . .
perhaps most importantly . . .
continue to move forward.
When you are mired in the unknown, you sink.

Personally, I believe we face what we face
to assist someone else.
In that belief, my sorrow and stress
is lessened every time I offer a hand, an ear, my heart.

Hoping your question is answered soon.

Happy

In the morning,
as a new dawn breaks,
I will sometimes sit on my patio
sipping my coffee
petting my dog
consumed not by the tasks before me
nor taxed by the weight of the day.
I just sit.
I just listen.
I watch the birds and the lizards.
I just exist.
Peaceful.
Content.
Blessed.
Happy.

Try it. You'll like it.

Ch-Angel Dan

I try to bring light to Ch-Angels while they beam upon the earth.
Sometimes, though, their work is done and they are called home very early.

Ch-Angel Dan, you great big giant teddy bear . . .
You were a veteran, a husband, and father to the masses.
To teach is to touch a life forever and, without doubt, you did that.
You were the biggest kid out there during PE and the biggest heart on campus.
You enveloped all those around you with a warmth and kindness unparalleled.
To know you was a gift.
To have called you 'friend' was a blessing.

You listened, hugged like no other, laughed, played, cared and supported.
You lived. Large!
Thank you for the millions of conversations of football - Seminoles and Steelers.
Thank you for the millions of tears allowed to be spilled upon your jersey-ed shoulders.
Thank you for saving me from the psycho lady at school.
Thank you for laughing about it with me afterward.
Thank you for the bike ride to pay your bills.
Thank you for just sitting with me.
Thank you for people watching with me.
Thank you for the umpteen Pioneer Days.
Thank you for embracing my children as if they were your own.
They adore you!
Thank you being a member of our family for so very long.
Thank you for YOU!

Enjoy your wings, my friend.

Point Your Shoes

My grandfather had just a grand school of thought.
He used to say, quite frequently:

Point Your Shoes In Another Direction

This is such good advice . . .
on so many levels and for so many things.
You are not quitting.
You are not forfeiting.
You are not folding.

Quite the opposite.

You are smart enough;
brave enough;
bold enough;
to walk away from the nonsense,
the conceit,
the chaos,
the bullchit (another Billy Bots term),
and find a better, less stressful viewpoint.

Sometimes walking away from the argument,
putting distance between yourself and the idiocy,
is the purest and best judgement you can exercise.

Point Your Shoes . . .

Freedom

Freedom ~ at any level ~ is not free.
It takes sacrifice and determination and tenacity.

We have what we have because of the sacrifices
of countless folks before us.
We have what we have because of the determination
of countless folks who choose to stand up for us.
We have what we have because of the tenacity
of countless folks who fight for what we want.

Enjoy your barbecues.
Enjoy your burgers and dogs,
your beer and your wine.
Enjoy your family, festivities and fireworks.
Remember, though, WHAT you're celebrating.

May God continue to bless America.

Independent

One of my favorite movie lines is when Rudolph asks Hermie
if he can be independent with him.

In our need to be free of the tethers of
society,
government,
rules,
regulations,
there is an ever-present desire to be attached by
touch,
caring,
support,
love.

Go be independent,
but never forget that we will always depend
on one another for the essentials in life.

We are one

As we celebrate the independence of our nation this weekend,
let us try to celebrate also the independence of one another.
We are each unique and amazing creatures.
We each have purpose and value.
Let's not condemn.
Let's not breed contempt and hatred.
Let us, instead,
open our ears
open our minds,
open our hearts
to the vast kaleidoscope of beautiful souls in existence.
Let us rejoice in the differences.
Let us bask in our individual exceptionalism.
While we become fully aware that we are all made
of the same flesh and bone and blood.
We are billions.
We are one.
Independent dependents.