Bars

Ever feel trapped?
By jobs, decisions, choices?
By failures or misdirection?
Never be a prisoner
of your past.
Remember
it was only a lesson,
not a life sentence.
The bars you stand behind
are self-imposed.
Freedom is as easy
as filtering
and moving forward.
Your sentence
could end with an exclamation point.
The choice is yours.

Carry On

I am not perfect.
I have made mistakes.
I will continue to make them.
It is by the grace of God
that I continue to walk the earth.
It is through the blessings of God
that I am allowed to share my gifts.
I write with a passion.
Not to preach or mandate or influence,
but to uplift and inspire and ignite.
There are days
that I write to share my feelings,
days that I want to share inspiration,
days that I want to acknowledge Ch-Angels,
days that I simply want to let you know
that you matter.
Because you do.
We all fall short.
Rise up and carry on.
You've still got things to do.

As the Season of Giving Approaches

Steve Maraboli states:

Give yourself entirely
to those around you.
Be generous
with your blessings.
A kind gesture can reach a wound
that only compassion can heal.

Parts

I am only using just a portion of this quote
by Cristina Marrero.
I think it is the most important portion,
the part that strikes the most dramatic chord.
I hope that whoever needs to read this today
really lets it sink in and work its magic.

… Love with full sincerity,
believe with true faith,
and hope with all your might.
Better to have lived in truth
and discovered life,
than to have lived half-heartedly
and died long before
you ever ceased breathing.

A little I & I

We all know about R & R,
and if you can grab some, get all you can!
Yet very few have heard of I & I.
Those little stickly, gangly, malnutritioned letters
that carry so much weight.
On this national day of making a difference,
a little I & I is absolutely perfect.

Inspire and Impact!

This entire blog today has been brought to you
courtesy of a special Ch-Angel friend,
AMB,
who is anxious about an upcoming trip.
I seriously believe she doesn't understand
what kind of I & I she wields.
This opportunity before her,
much like the one before you every day,
is the chance to enlighten and uplift,
to educate and open eyes,
to open minds and open hearts.
She does this daily and effortlessly.
I admire her abilities and grace.
And I admire you.

After your R & R,
be certain you share some I & I.
You have so very much to offer.

Autumn

It is said that time is fleeting;
that it goes too quickly;
it passes too fast.
Try this perspective...

As I'm sitting at my computer,
staring out at the multitude of colors
in my yard and beyond,
this image came to mind.
It is as though
nature is dressing up
in her fanciest and most brilliant attire
to dazzle her date
before a glittery evening
of celebration
and then a long, sweet slumber.

Let that one sink in.

Age

As the number increases,
and the aches and pains follow suit,
the good part, I have found,
is becoming comfortable within your own skin.
Not in an outward, runway sort of thing,
but more realistically at ease.
This is me.
Like me, hate me, love me.
This is me.
This is who I am.
I am happy with this person.
Your approval is not necessary.
I miss certain attributes and certain people,
but I am blessed beyond measure.
I rise each morning in anticipation
of what the day holds
and how I can impact it for others.
If I disappoint you,
it's because your expectations are your own.
If I anger you,
it's because you have your own issues.
If I hug you,
it's because you're special to me.
If I reach out to you,
it's because I trust you.
If I love you,
you'll never know anything more fierce.
I am okay with all of that.
Wisdom really does come with age.

Truth!

Above all else,
go with a sense of humor.
It is necessary armor.
Joy in one's heart
and laughter on one's lips
is a sign that a person,
deep down,
has a pretty good grasp on life.
The choice is yours.
How you react and respond
to the daily disasters,
the mundane mayhem,
the ludicrousness of life,
directly impacts the quality
of your being
and those around you.

You Are So Special

No one else has access
to the world you carry around within yourself;
you are its custodian and entrance.
No one else can see the world
the way you see it.
No one else can feel your life
the way you feel it.
Thus it is impossible
to ever compare two people
because each stands on such different ground.
When you compare yourself to others,
your are inviting envy into your consciousness;
it can be a dangerous and destructive guest.

- John O'Donohue

Perfect for Monday

Forget yesterday - it has already forgotten you.
Don't sweat tomorrow - you've not yet met.
Instead ...
open your eyes and your heart and your mind
to a truly precious gift ...
Today!

Be the Cause

Be so incredibly kind today,
by doing simple, sincere gestures,
without expectation of acknowledgement,
that someone out there finds faith in the
goodness of humanity again.

Yes, be the cause of that.

Yes, sir, Mr. Peterson

Walk with the dreamers,
the believers,
the courageous,
the cheerful,
the planners,
the doers,
the successful people
with their heads in the clouds
and their feet on the ground.
Let their spirit ignite a fire within you
to leave this world better
than when you found it.

Moments

Thirty-one years ago today
I was proposed to in a very fancy Italian restaurant.
At any given time,
memories of that day will flit through my mind,
and my heart,
and I will smile.
It was a horrendous workday
and we came home to news of San Francisco falling apart
but everything in-between was sheer bliss.
Magic.
Beautiful.
A Moment!
Since that day, there have been births and birthdays,
celebrations and graduations,
marriages and journeys and hikes and dinners,
challenges and trials, laughter and excitement,
tears - both of sadness and joy.
Each moments in their own grandeur.
Precious and perfect and preserved in my heart
and etched upon my soul.
Cherished.
Cherish your moments.

Coincidence?

Today is National Boss's Day
and also National Liqueur Day.
Coincidence?
I think not.
Make the best of any and every day before you.
Preferably without the liqueur
and probably without the boss.
Smile and go face your Wednesday.

Today!

Why an exclamation point?
Because 'today' can be as exciting as you choose for it to be.
You're in control.
You decide.
I saw this quote and enjoyed most of it,
so I will take the parts I liked and share them with you.

(Did you see what I did there?
I filtered.
I only carried with me the parts that made me happy
or the parts that make sense or a difference to me.
You can do that, too!)

Renew. Release. Let go.
Yesterday is gone.
You can't "should've" done something.
(I absolutely love that line!!!)
You can only DO something.
Today is a new day.

Hocus Focus

(See what I did there?)

What are you focusing on?

When you focus on the hurt
you continue to suffer.
When you focus on the lesson
you continue to grow.

There is no magic.
No special spells.
Not one waving wand.
This is entirely up to you.

What are you focusing on?

Music of Life

Gifted by my Momma,

I have a ferocious love of music.

All kinds, mostly.

From the 40s through the present - 

excluding rap -

I'm hooked.

Love classical, jazz, country,

classic rock, a cappella, head-banging,

and just about everything in between.

But my absolute favorite?

The Music of Life!

The rhythmic lull of hubby's breathing.

The tintinnabulation of a baby's coo.

The dulcet waves of your child's laughter.

The melodic pulse of family.

The chime of a friendly email.

The mellifluous ring of an awaited phone call.

The sonorous steps of an arrival home.

The tune of life is full

of pianissimo and staccato,

turn it up and play it smooth,

crescendos and allegros,

highs and lows,

and it is all absolutely beautiful!

Dance.

Sing along.

Enjoy your tune.

You Know Who You Are

So, again, when I see things multiple times,
or I hear things multiple times,
I take it as a sign to absorb and share.

For all of you,
you know who you are,
this is for you:

"You have been my friend,"
replied Charlotte.
"That, in itself, 
is a tremendous thing."

Thank you.
It means the world.
I am humbled.
I am honored.

Wise Weis

My family can attest to the fact
that when you have 'that moment'
to open your mouth and make a real impact
you somehow, inexplicably forget how to speak.
This clears that up:

Words can never fully say
what we want them to say,
for they fumble, stammer, and
break the best china.
The best one can hope for
is to find along the way
someone to share the path,
content to walk in silence,
for the heart communes best
when it does not try to speak.

Self

As a volunteer with a terrible problem saying 'no,'
it is only fitting that I'm surrounded by people
who 'suffer' from the same affliction.
I am not bashing volunteering.
Every single human being should offer
their time, talents, funds, and attention
if they have even a brief few fleeting moments.
It is enriching and humbling and rewarding and grounding.

But ...

You need to also take care of your self.
If you are broken, you cannot fix another person.
If you are sick, you cannot take care of someone else.
If you are sad, you cannot perk someone else up.
You matter.
You are important.
You do amazing things.
Take care of you so you can continue to do those wonderful things.
Self-care,
self-love,
self-assurance
is not to be thrown to the wayside til you have a minute.
Being your best self
is the grandest way to take care of everyone else.

Raining Ch-Angels

So yesterday I went to a party.
It wasn't a get-all-dressed-up fancy party.
In fact, it was just a come-as-you-are party.
Ok ... actually … it was a pity party.
Table for three.
Yup, that's right folks. I'm not always pooping rainbows.
Shocker, I know.
But it's also helpful to realize that everyone is human.
And so,
without decoration or balloons or even cake
I sat miserable, on my sofa, feeling all kinds of blah,
self-loathing and feeling generally worthless.
And when I reached out - there they were.
A pair of Ch-Angels!
Without judgement or preaching or condemnation.
Just listening and loving.
They walked me over my small abyss
and guided me to a better evening.
My thanks is just not enough.
I owe you my sanity.
Love you Lisa and Amie.
Ooh, and on a positive note ...
the party got better - hubby bought me ice cream!
Love me some Ch-Angels!

3:28

Saw this yesterday
not once,
not twice,
but THREE separate times
in three separate places.
That would be that tired inner voice
screaming at me to share it.

There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free,
there is no male and female,
for you are all one
in Christ Jesus.

Do Something Nice

Today is National Do Something Nice Day.
Visit someone who can't get out.
Bake some cookies and hand deliver them.
Help someone at the grocery store.
Prepay for someone's coffee or meal.
Open a door.
Give a sincere compliment.
Smile.
Share some of what makes you so wonderful.

Plant

Do not judge your days
be the harvest that you reap;
but by the seeds that you sow.
Give, lift, support, love.
What comes back to you
will feed your soul for eons.

A Query

And boy howdy, it's a doozy:

If the world was blind
how many people
would you impress?

Yasssss!!!

You are far too strong
to be the only thing
standing in your way!

Short and Sweet

No, silly,
this isn't about me.
It is in reference
to this nifty little snippet
that someone might need
to see today:

Change
how you see
and
see
how you change.