The journey is short

Happy Monday,

How is everyone doing on this incredible and hot Monday evening? Did you enjoy your weekend? I hope so. Mine was awesome overall. We celebrated Father’s Day with John’s family on Saturday and then we had a quiet day at home yesterday with John celebrating Father’s Day mostly with his youngest kiddo.

John and the boys went to breakfast then in the late afternoon John got to open his gifts. He was beyond speechless with the acrylic pen Tate made him at school. This young man sure has some talent and his workmanship is flawless. I don’t have a close up photo of the pen Tate made John, but below is a photo of John holding his new pen.

Tate said making the pen took him a long time. He made it from scratch. All I can say is 100% talent.

John also got to open his 3D printer. He and Tate stayed up late last night tinkering with it. They’ve made a couple practice pieces and now they’re getting ready for the big leagues and will begin making some designs Tate has chosen from the online library of 3D prints. John said he would make me some village pieces for my Jimmy Buffet village and then he’ll begin making me pieces for my Halloween and Christmas villages. I think less houses and more accessories.

Speaking of Halloween, have you seen that Michaels has launched this years Lemax villages? My Michaels has all the Halloween villages set up and on display. Oh what temptation. So far I’ve been able to hold off on buying anything, but the urge is there. I keep reminding myself I don’t need anymore pieces, only accessories. Wish me luck. I’ll need it. I absolutely love all the village pieces.

I got a message from a friend this morning who took the time to read last night’s blog post. Apparently I made her tear up. She realized how much she loved and missed her daddy too. It’s hard when we lose our parents and I think when a daughter loses her daddy, that’s a different kind of sting.

I know when my dad passed my brothers were so devastated I know they still suffer the sting of their heart missing him. One of my brothers was so close to dad and another had a bit of a difficult road with dad. I can’t help but wonder if his hurt heart is because as much as he loved our dad, there were words left unsaid.

We all have things we put off until tomorrow, but I’m realizing more and more, tomorrow may never come.

When my dad passed I didn’t get to say goodbye. I didn’t get to tell him I loved him one more time. I had spoken to him two days prior to his passing and I told him I’d call him back the next day. The next day came and I lost track of time. Then another day came along and before I could make that call, he was gone. Instead I got a phone call saying, “dad’s gone.”

My heart still hurts. I still do the what if’s. I still get frustrated with myself for not making that last call. I allow myself from time to time to become overwhelmed with sadness and guilt even though I know my dad is no longer suffering. I still wish I had one more day with him.

Today while I was driving I heard something on the radio that resonated with me. “Stop procrastinating. The future is bright and it’s yours, but you have to work towards your goals. Towards your dreams and towards your passions.”

While walking the pups this morning I saw a butterfly just fluttering by. He seemed to follow us for a long while. All I could do was allow my heart to melt and as the butterfly flew in front of me all I could say was, “hello daddy. Thank you for the reminder.”

The reminder? Yup. Every time I see a butterfly it’s when I need my dad the most. Sometimes he flutters by to remind me that everything will be okay and when I find myself in a state of doubt, somehow that butterfly reminds me that my dad is near by saying, ‘you’ve got this.’

As I was scrolling my phone while sitting and waiting for my oil change I got a message that said, “You are good enough. You are also capable of so much more.”

I know I am. I just need to take that first step towards me.

These last couple of days I’ve really had this nagging feeling that I need to finish up those final edits to my book. Every time I find my mind racing I am drawn to write. If I don’t get my message out, my gift of writing may be given to someone else. I can’t keep allowing distractions to set in. Who knows, maybe I need to check myself into a hotel for a couple of days and do nothing but write. Take a cooler full of my protein drinks and allow my fingers to get lost on the keys. I need only a couple more days before my book is what I hope Stephanie will think is perfect.

Time is short and if I’m going to make my mark on this life and leave behind something notable for my sons, I need to follow my dreams a little more closely. I need to let go of the things I can’t control and immerse myself in being who I am meant to be. A published author.

I have a really good friend, mama Sandy. While she’s not my mama, she’s been a fill in mama to me. She just turned 80. You’d never know it, but she’s 80. The other day when I was talking with her she said to me that her time left is short. I blew the statement off and told her she has many, many more years ahead. Her auntie Francis lived to be 102 1/2. My aunt Billie is 100. Sandy said the last couple of years of her aunts life weren’t full of quality and she doesn’t want to live that long without substance.

I went home and couldn’t get that out of my mind. While I agree with her, it’s still a hard thing to accept. While 10, 15 or 20 years sounds like a long time, it certainly will fly by in the blink of an eye.

My aunt Billie is a 100. How much time does she have left? How much more quality of life does she have? A year? Two? Maybe three. I don’t want her to die, but I don’t want her to live without quality either. The selfish in me wants to hold onto her forever. The love for her says when she feels her time is up, then let her go.

I saw this wonderful reminder the other day on how short life really is. I hope you enjoy the reminder as much as I did.

“An elderly woman got on a bus and sat down. At the next stop, a strong, grumpy young woman climbed up and sat down sharply beside the old woman hitting her with her numerous bags.

When she saw that the elderly woman remained silent, the young woman asked her why she had not complained when she hit her with her bags.

The elderly woman replied with a smile: “There is no need to be rude or discuss something so insignificant as my trip next to you is so short because I am going to get off at the next stop. “

This answer deserves to be written in gold letters: There is no need to discuss something so insignificant because our journey together is too short. “

Each of us must understand that our time in this world is so short that darkening it with struggles, useless arguments, jealousy, not forgiving others, discontent and an attitude of constant discovery is a ridiculous waste of time and energy.

Did someone break your heart ? Stay calm.

The trip is too short.

Did someone betray you, intimidate, cheat or humiliate you? Relax. Excuse. The trip is too short.

Did someone insult you without reason ? Stay calm. Ignore it. The trip is too short.

Did a neighbor comment on the chat that you didn’t like ? Stay calm. Ignore him. Forgive them. The trip is too short.

Whatever the problem someone has brought us, remember that our journey together is too short.

No one knows the length of that trip. Nobody knows when it will arrive at its stop. Our trip together is too short.

We will appreciate friends and family.

Let us be respectful, kind and forgive, we will be filled with gratitude and joy, after all our trip together is very short.”-Unknown.

Powerful words spoken above.

When we stop and consider how short time truly is, the fights, the issues may not seem so big after all. I need to remind myself of this a little more often.

The old woman on the bus said it very well. “There is no need to be rude or discuss something so insignificant as my trip next to you is so short because I am going to get off at the next stop. “

We never know when or where our next stop may be. The journey of life will one day let us off at our final destination. We don’t need to leave behind unspoken words. Bad feelings, or unresolved negativities with our loved ones.

Another great quote:

“I once asked a very successful woman to share her secret to a good life with me.

She smiled and said to me..

“I started succeeding when I started leaving small fights for small fighters.

I stopped fighting those who gossiped about me…

I stopped fighting with my in laws…

I stopped fighting for attention…

I stopped fighting to meet peoples expectation of me…

I stopped fighting for my rights with inconsiderate people…

I stopped fighting to please everyone…

I stopped fighting to prove they were wrong about me…

I left such fights for those who have nothing else to fight…

And I started fighting for my vision, my dreams, my ideas and my destiny.

The day I gave up on small fights is the day I started becoming successful & so much more content.

Some fights are not worth your time…..

Choose what you fight for wisely”

I was told today that my success depends on my hard work. The journey is short and if I die tomorrow I will die with words unwritten. Words unspoken and dreams unfulfilled.

I’ve learned many lessons in this life. I’ve learned that I can do life on my own. I’ve learned nobody is coming to save me. I’ve learned that my happiness is dependent upon myself. Others certainly can contribute to my happiness, but ultimately, being happy is on me.

I walked out the door of a very intense home life. It took everything I had. I was terrified, but somehow I did it. No regrets.

One day I woke up and decided to stop fighting with the inconsiderate person who slept next to me. I stopped trying to please him because it didn’t matter what I did, my good was never good enough. I fought the mud slings. I fought the lies and the more I fought to prove my innocence, the more the lies and fights would escalate.

One day I stopped fighting to prove the liars were wrong about me. Funny, some people from my past still insist on sending me horrible messages. They continue to lie about me. Shun me. Degrade me to others and once I decided to leave their nastiness at the back door, a huge burden was lifted from my shoulders.

Now it’s time to fight for my visions. My dreams. My ideas and my destiny. No more fighting for someone’s attention. If I’m not worth someone’s time, it’s okay. Life is to short to fight for the approval and time of someone who doesn’t fight back for your time.

Life is short. To short to hold grudges. To short to have a heart full of hate. To short to worry about the trivial stuff.

Aunt Billie always says, “I Did It My Way.’ Her favorite song by Frank Sinatra. It was the song played when they carried her husband, my Uncle Bud’s casket out of the church. It will be her song too. I hate thinking about that, but it is a reality that is sooner then later.

My dear readers, when you close your eyes tonight, say a little prayer of thanks for another day to do it your way. Give thanks for the prospect of waking up tomorrow. Not everyone will get that opportunity. I hope we do, but it’s not promised.

As I drift off to sleep tonight I’ll play Aunt Billie’s favorite song and think about how when I look back on my life I can say, I did it my way.

“And now the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case of which I’m certain

I’ve lived a life that’s full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way

Regrets I’ve had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption

I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way

Yes there were times I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all
And I stood tall and did it my way

I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried
I’ve had my fill, my share of losing
And now as tears subside
I find it all so amusing

To think I did all that
And may I say not in a shy way
Oh no, oh no, not me
I did it my way

For what is a man what has he got
If not himself then he has not
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way

Yes it was my way”

Sleep well my dear readers and don’t forget, until next time, Love Life++ Hugs