Style...

Style is a way to tell the world who you are without having to speak.

I just saw that on Twitter and I stopped.

In a world where acceptance is sometimes far more important than uniqueness, style can get lost in a maze of becoming someone else's expectations - and then some.

Nope. Style means I am unlike anyone else. I - am - UNIQUE. Style means I can like and accept myself - and my style - more than I like and accept the concept of looking like someone else. Finding that style can be a fumbling game at best at times, but being comfortable in your own skin is far more comfortable than wearing someone else's.

I've discovered that with shoes. No high heels - no chunky, clunky for looks sake for my feet. That style means OUCH for me - not my style. I found an awesome pair of solid leather black flats that will probably outlast me, they're made so well. And the instant I put them on - ahhhhhhh..... comfort. My style. Not showy. Not flashy. No glim glam flash for my feet. Quality. Comfort. Classic. Functional. Healthy. Yup - now I'm bulleting out... my style.

No one else like me... And I'm going to be comfortable with that.

Love your loved ones - while you can... :)

A third child has died as a result of yesterday's senseless act of violence. A high school student, frustrated by life, used a gun to express those frustrations, creating an abrasively abrupt end to three young lives surging with potential.

I'm a mother. Situations like this make me ill - physically ill.

We learned today that a business acquaintance could no longer deal with the stress of living his life, and chose to end his by calmly walking out into his backyard at the end of his workday, pointing a loaded shotgun at his head, and pulling the trigger.

No one knows what the next second holds. The longer I live, the more I realize how fragile the thread of life is. And when it breaks violently, it rips a multiplicity of hearts apart in its wake.

Today:

Hold your loved ones close.

Gaze into their eyes and tell them how much they mean to you. 

Hug your loved ones, arms tightly wrapped around their fragile bodies, while you can.

Make each moment of life count. The next... is not yours to claim.

Wow. It's almost hateful how fast time can fly when you really don't want it to. I treasure the winter months for the occasional blizzard or, at the very least, ice storm or other temporary diversion to everyday normalcy that keeps everyone inside for at least a day or two when I can get caught up with all the stuff I've put aside simply because everyday life has gotten in the way of doing everything I want to do and don't have time to do...

except this year. This year the weather has been absolutely uncooperative with snow emergencies or otherwise and life has been progressively active to the extent where...

Where has the time gone to WRITE?  Yes, I do know. My life revolves around writing - writing for everyone except for myself - and much has been accomplished for all those I've head responsibility to write for. Except myself!

So, here are a few moments on a quiet Sunday night, as my cat is sitting lazily in front of me daydreaming cat daydreams, for me to pause...

catch my breath...

and wish - hope - wonder...

Where has the time gone this winter?

The more accurate question, I'm afraid, is: Are we going to have winter this winter?  Just one day - one nasty ice-snow-blizzard event so we can all walk away from what is called winter into the next realm of spring with something to complain about and one day in our recent memory banks to treasure because we got to enjoy being forced to be stuck at home to get all the stuff done we have to put off because we don't have enough time...

I'll wait and see... :-)

Or will this have to wait... until next year...?

New beginnings...

New Year's Eve.
And someone died this morning. Someone I knew.
Someone I always looked forward to seeing.
Someone who meant a lot to a lot of people.

Two weeks ago he entered the hospital. Days later, the family was told he had cancer. Throughout his entire body. The fastest-growing cancer they had ever seen.
He was literally moments from eternity.
And he was ushered in this morning.

2012 begins soon...
      and many people won't celebrate who celebrated New Year's a year ago.
They passed away this year. 2011 was their last year on this earth. Many probably had no clue that this would be their last year on this planet; after all, how many of us think about that as we blow horns, cheer, and kiss love ones when the moment strikes at midnight and we sing "Auld Lang Syne"?

Morbid as it may sound, my own thoughts roll that way as I wait for the midnight moment to arrive...
     and 2012 to be ushered in.
Who won't make it to 2013?
How many of my loved ones will pass from this life to eternity this year?
Will I be one?
Will that change any of my plans, goals, dreams, or resolutions?

No. I will happily begin this new year content and excited about what lies ahead and...
     if God should take me home this year...

Happy New Year! :) 

Acceptance

Accepted.

You are - or you're not. You do - or you don't. 

We long for acceptance - to belong - to be part. 

We long to be embraced for ourselves... in spite of ourselves. 

Acceptance. 

It is the true thing everyone longs for. The one thing everyone craves. 

To walk in a room and to be greeted by everyone with hugs and smiles. 

And, in that small passing moment, you truly know you're loved, needed, and accepted... :)

 ~ Rena Harmon

There may come a time when, try as you might, you realize that there are times and places when and where you won't be accepted. The pain of the reality can bite, can hit, can land and grow from a tiny seed to a huge and strong root of bitterness and discouragement. 

Don't let it. Smile. Be willing to get up, smile one last time, hold you head up...

and walk away.

‎At some point you will realize that you have done too much for someone and that 

the only next possible step to do is to stop. 

Leave them alone. Walk away. It’s not like you’re giving up, and it’s not like you shouldn’t try. 

It’s just that you have to draw the line of determination from desperation. 

What is truly yours would eventually be yours, and what is not, no matter how hard you try, 

will never be. 

 ~ unknown, Wisdom Quotes

The tear.

This morning I had an encounter that filled me with emotion. Have you ever been there? In a place – in a time – in a realm that fills you to overwhelming with emotion that just wants to…

Move. 

Move through you and move out of you. And, when it does, relief can thankfully fill and refresh so you can go forward to your next place – time – realm. Reality must be dealt with, so emotional interludes must pass.

But something remained this morning.

As memories rushed through me of days gone by, encounters shared, and life lived, emotions played their accompaniment. The symphony of life once lived in the past played briefly as I was enroute to where I needed to be and, as I prepared to leave the memories behind in my car and enter reality, I looked down.

One round circle looked back at me from my lap.

It was as small as a paper-punched hole; like a piece of my heart punched through that remained as one spilled tear in my lap. I couldn’t wipe it up, blot it up, or get rid of it. It simply stared at me, as a reminder of my humanity.

You can leave a piece of history behind, but you can’t leave memories. They will remain, ingrained in your inner fibers, and may exhibit themselves from time to time as pieces of your heart flow through your tears.

One tear. The reminder. It was a beautiful memory. 

Happy Thanksgiving... every day!

If Thanksgiving weren't synonymous with gravy, butter and other festively dressed saturated fats, it could be the healthiest holiday around. That's not just because the bird itself is a great source of lean protein... or because sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins (just replace the marshmallow stuff with toasted walnuts = YUM!!)... 

Thanksgiving is about giving thanks and being with family and friends, and there's no question that both make us and you healthier. If you practice a life filled with consistent thanksgiving, research shows you're also likely to exercise more, have fewer aches and pains, and feel more optimistic than if you ramble on about things that drive you crazy or don't matter much. Consider... you can't complain and be thankful at the same time. Even better, studies show that 15 minutes of daily gratitude can dramatically decrease aging stress hormones in your body!

Celebrate this Thanksgiving holiday by showing your thanks. Remember people who are important in your life and write them a note of gratitude. Or maybe they'll be around your holiday table and you can thank them in person! You'll all feel more deeply connected and even happier to be together. While you're fussing with the bird, the centerpiece, or your new whole-grain stuffing, take a minute to put the "thanks" in "Thanksgiving." Your heart will be grateful, too.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Take time today to tell the people you love...

you're grateful they're in your life.