Bless Us, Oh Text

Is this what we have come to as a society?? Although funny, it is also a little sad because it is probably pretty close to the truth. We are a world moving forward with our heads down, gazing into our phones as if they hold all the answers of the universe. Well, I guess with Google or Suri they kind of do!
Is it too much to ask that we leave the phones away from the Thanksgiving table? Can the score, the text, the update, the post wait for the 20 minutes it will take us to consume the food that took four hours to make? Can we try and look at each other when we converse? Can we remember that all the technology in the world cannot make up for a kind word spoken, a hand held, a pat on the back or a hug?
Happy Thanksgiving...unplugged!
 

Oh, Jack

"To my grandson: I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am with I am with you. Keep being you."
This boy...hard to put into words how I feel about him. I love them all, no doubt, but this boy is such a special, kindhearted gift from above. He had just gobbled down and PB&J and had a little jelly on his face (look closely) in this photo. I was struck with how old he looked in the picture and told him so. He immediately hugged me and said it was okay!
When did the child lead the adult? How quickly the roles reverse! How lucky I am to learn from this beautiful soul.

What's on Your List?

I was just having a discussion with a friend this week about this very idea and then came across this sign. Oh, there's loads of things I want, most of which I really can just go and buy for myself, but when someone asks me, "What do you want for Christmas?", I am hard pressed to give them a good answer. Age has a way of diminishing "things" you desire. How do you wrap health? How do you wrap family harmony? How do you wrap less stress and more peace? How do you wrap living in the moment?
One of the best Christmases I ever had was the year I told everyone I wanted "nothing to dust". In other words, no more "things". I received wine. I received a gift certificate for a massage. I received gift cards to restaurants. I received movie passes. In other words, I received "experiences" instead of "things". As I get older, I realize the idea of creating memories is more fun than getting one more trinket for my already filled house. I realize that doing something with the people I love will leave me feeling happy and content longer than another pair of shoes (and I really like shoes!). I realize there is a finite amount of time left to store up as many of these beautiful memories as I can.
What did you get for Christmas last year? Might be tough to answer.
Remember how we laughed when we went skiing at Copper Mountain and somebody thought my husband was Mel Gibson in the elevator?!?! So easy to remember and smile one more time.
Yeah, nothing to dust is a pretty good idea.

Let Go

You know how, every once in awhile, you read something that feels like somebody smacked you on the forehead? Well, when I read this proverb this morning, it did just that for me. I am pretty sure each of us has  something in our life that we'd be better off if we'd just let it go.
Hard to do, but worth the effort.

TAG

If the shoe fits....okay, I think I'll own this today!!! Just call me TAG for short!!
Happy Monday!

A Story

 Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was not athletic. In fact, she hated sports. She was not popular. She was not pretty. She was smart. She knew the answers when the other kids didn’t. Something happened to the girl when she was in her fifth decade. She suddenly decided to try running. It made her lungs burn. It made her legs ache. She couldn’t get very far, but she kept at it. Sometimes she said to herself, “I hate running!” Sometimes she said it out loud, “I hate running!”  She still kept at it. She entered her first 5K and, although it was hard and she wasn’t that fast, she was hooked. She ran another and another and another. She tested her own limits and tried a 10K. She amazed herself that she finished and didn’t throw up!

After a year of running short races, the crazy notion of trying a half marathon crept into her brain. She tried to ignore it, but it wouldn’t go away. Could she make it? Could she finish? The questions nagged her and so she trained for it. She ran and she ran and she ran. She ran when it was cold outside. She ran when it was hot outside. She just kept running. Even if the run was hard, the way she felt when it was over was hard to describe. She felt happy and accomplished and at peace. These were not things that this girl usually felt.

The years went by and the races she ran added up to dozens. Sometimes she ran fast and sometimes she ran like a snail. It didn’t matter because the feeling at the end was always the same - wonderful. The rack in her workout room was full of medals she had received. Sometimes she looked them over and still marveled that a girl like her, smart, not athletic, had accomplished so much. Silly things, those medals, but for this girl, they may as well have been diamonds. They were precious to her.

Sometimes she got aches and pains. Sometimes there were injuries. These were the times, when she could not run, that she was reminded how much she loved to run, how much she needed it to stay grounded and sane in her crazy world. She always whispered a little prayer of thanksgiving for her ability to run, injury free and healthy. She meant every word.

Most stories that start with, “Once upon a time…” usually end with, “And she lived happily ever after.”

This story, however, must end with “to be continued…” God willing…

Everything?!

The land mines of marriage. Do you know how to safely navigate them? Take it from someone who has been married a loooooong time ~ full disclosure is overrated! 
Isn't that what girlfriends are for?!?!?!