Do you ever hear a song on the radio that takes you back in time? One that transports you to a time when you were younger and life seemed much simpler?
It’s that song that brings you back to a precious memory, of a time when you remember being so carefree and happy.
For me it’s a song sung by Eddie Money that makes me think that “I wanna go back and do it all over, but I can’t back, I know.”
But I can’t go back. None of us can.
What we can do is hold onto those memories from a lifetime ago.
Keep them safely tucked inside of your heart.
And don’t lose sight of “now.”
When life isn’t going the way we had planned, or we’re feeling sad or depressed, or as though we’ll never be happy again, we often go back to those times.
We all do.
But don’t go back to those times and wish that you were there again.
Visit those times to remind you that you have been happy and that life was all that you wanted it to be at that time.
And let those times remind you that you can have that in the “now.” You didn’t leave happiness in your past. It was simply a different time in your life that taught you what “happiness” feels like.
Take those feelings of old memories with you into your “now.”
And let your “now” guide you into your “future.”
Life is a series of memories, good and bad, a series of life lessons, easy and hard, and a series of ups and downs. Experience is a great teacher and memories are gifts that we are given along the way.
Go back and visit if only to remind you that your “now” is just as precious as your “then.”
There are days I have to keep reminding myself of what I used to tell my children: “it won’t be like this forever…just for today.”
And I know that it’s true. It’s a lesson I learned many, many years ago, and one I have to remember. Life happens, things happen, and sometimes it’s easier to sit in sadness or anger than to look at the flip side to it all. Everything happens for a reason, and while we may not know the reason at that moment, the Universe will bring it to us when we’re ready to see it.
I know it’s tough to do, to find the good in something “not so good,” yet life is a domino effect: one things affects another. And I’m here to tell you that throughout my life I’ve tried to stay positive and keep the faith through some pretty dark times, and one thing I’ve learned is that those “dark times” brought me to the light in my life now.
Stay positive, my friends, no matter what type of situation you’re going through. Find your light through the darkness, because truth is, YOU are the light!
“Just believe, just have faith, everything else will fall into place.”
And remember: “it won’t be like this forever…just for today.”
This story is for those of us that stay home during a rainy day or to all of you folks throughout the country dealing with snow, ice, and extreme freezing temperatures right now!
And it’s about how we can embrace the weather that tends to confine us to our homes.
Yesterday was a very cold day here in Florida, with non-stop torrential rain, and you know what? I was grateful for it! I turned on the soundtrack from “Under The Tuscan Sun” and cooked my homemade Italian gravy (or sauce, as some of you may prefer) with meatballs and sausage for almost eight hours. I even managed to make time to READ a book between stirring and tasting the gravy. It was a glorious, “no pressure, stay at home” cozy kind of day, and I loved every moment of it!
I know that we all grumble at times when the weather in our area confines us to our homes, but if you change your perspective on the situation, you may actually embrace and enjoy your time at home.
I love that feeling of knowing it’s a good day to stay home. It’s as if the Universe gave you permission to stay home, change your routine, relax and enjoy! It’s a day to stay in bed with the paper and your morning coffee. It’s a day to curl up with a good book in front of the fireplace, or in your favorite chair. It’s a day to stay in your pj’s or cozy in your most comfortable sweats all day. It’s a day to turn off your computer and turn on your favorite movies. It’s a day to cook your favorite comfort foods and sip your favorite hot tea.
It’s a day to do whatever you want and how often do we allow ourselves to have that kind of day?
Be grateful for the weather that keeps you home for a day or two.
Be grateful that you’re home safe and sound.
And be grateful that you’re here to embrace the day, no matter the weather.
There’s something I’d like to share with all of you and I’m hoping that my experience helps save a life or prevent the loss of one.
After Thanksgiving dinner I started to have a back ache. It felt like a pinched nerve on the left side of my back. I woke up Friday morning with the pain worse and it was now on both sides of my back. Silly me, I went for a pedicure just to use the massage chair in the hopes that it would help my back. It didn’t.
Saturday night the pain was extremely bad in my entire back and had now moved around to both sides of my upper chest. I slept sitting up on the couch because I couldn’t lay in my bed or roll from side to side. It was a struggle to get to the bathroom and I needed help just getting my pants on. The pain became excruciating and the muscle relaxers I had did nothing to help. I called the doctor on Tuesday for something that could help but they wanted me to come in on Thursday, which I did.
My doctor did an EKG and said that I may have had a heart attack or was about to have one or possibly a stroke. I was rushed to the hospital and admitted. After x-rays, a CT scan and ultrasound, the verdict was in. I did not have a heart attack but had blood clots in both lungs and one in my leg. I have NEVER felt such fear in my life. It made breast cancer seem like nothing but a bad dream. THIS was a nightmare!
I’m happy to say that I’m feeling better! I’m on medication and am able to walk up to 20 minutes a day now without chest pain or shortness of breath and am so grateful for that!
I went to my doctor a week later for a check-up. She hugged me and said that I had had a “near death” experience, which is why I was feeling more emotional than usual. She also told me that most people wouldn’t be alive after staying home with that much pain and those symptoms for eight days like I had, and that someone on the other side was watching out for me. She also believed that it was a sign that it just wasn’t my time!
She saved my life and there are no words to thank her enough, so I will share this experience with you in the hopes that you will not ignore symptoms such as these like I did. I still sit here some days and can’t believe I didn’t do something sooner, but it’s done and over with and I’m here, thank God. Now, it’s time to get on with life and life is even more precious than it was.
I say to all of you, don’t take one day for granted and don’t take the people in your life for granted. If you think of them throughout your day, let them know. If you love them, let them know as often as you can. And never, ever, take someone you care about for granted.
That’s my story and it’s been quite an eye opener for me. It’s changed me in many ways and I will certainly share those changes with you as time goes on.
Every year on New Year’s Eve I pick out a “word” to follow me into the new year. It’s a word that will help to keep me motivated, inspire me when I’m feeling less than inspired, and remind me of the reason I picked it in the first place.
This year I am picking the word “hope.”
Hope that this year will bring peace into an unsettled world.
Hope that we can all work together to spread love and kindness to one another.
Hope that there will be less illness and more cures to those fighting them.
Hope that we will all strive to be the best version of ourselves that we can be.
Hope that there is more forgiveness and less blame.
Hope that we focus more on gratitude for what we do have instead of focusing on what we don’t have.
And hope that I can make a positive difference in this world and in the lives of others.
I have big dreams for this year and my hope is that they become a reality.
What’s your word and why did you choose that particular one?
I’d love to know and would be grateful if you would share it with me!
Anne Dennish - Writer/Author 