Yesterday marked another trip around the sun for me.
Sixty-five years of living, learning, loving, and sometimes letting go of things that were never meant to stay.
What I realize now, more than ever, is that time is precious. Too precious for unnecessary drama. Too precious to spend carrying hurt that steals our peace.
This season of life feels different.
It feels like the moment when you finally give yourself permission to live the life you’ve always imagined, not the one that others expected.
At this age, I find myself dreaming again.
I picture a small table somewhere in the Tuscan countryside… a glass of wine beside me, rolling hills and vineyards stretching into the distance, and a notebook open in front of me.
A quiet moment to write, to breathe, to simply exist in a beautiful place.
Maybe that’s what this chapter of life is really about — finally giving ourselves permission to live the moments we once only imagined.
Another trip around the sun… and I’m still dreaming.
Sundays have a way of reminding us to slow down – no matter what the weather is doing.
Here in Florida, the rain is settling in and up north the cold is creeping closer… but there’s something beautiful about it all. Maybe today is the perfect day to embrace whatever’s outside your window and create a little peace inside your heart.
So curl up with a soft blanket, watch your favorite holiday movie, sip something warm and let yourself just “be.”
Rain or snow, warmth or chill, there’s always a little bit of magic tucked inside a quiet Sunday afternoon.
Here’s to finding comfort in the coziness and joy in the simple moments.
I love the first day of the month, no matter the month. It’s a feeling from childhood of the excitement of the first day of school, or how you felt on Christmas morning, not knowing what “Santa” brought you. The memories of those emotions always come back to me on the first of each month because there’s an excitement of not knowing what the month will bring. It’s as if we’re given another month to get things right or do them better than the month before.
It’s a new month with no mistakes in it. It’s a new month to change things, to do things differently, or to do what it takes to live your best life.
Here’s to the new month of July and all that it can bring to you…to all of us.
Welcome this first day of July with open arms, a delicious iced coffee and a mindset that this month will be filled with all that you want!
Life is filled with endless possibilities and with each new month there’s a renewed sense of gratitude for receiving the gift of another month to live your best life.
Sometimes you have to write yourself a “permission slip.” Remember those back in grade school? They were the ones your parents wrote for your teacher or school telling them that you had permission to leave early, or permission to attend a class trip. It seems so long ago yet as adults I think we need to write one to ourselves.
I’m home by myself this week. Eight days and seven nights of “alone” time and it’s been good for me. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of travel and my oldest and daughter-in-law came for a visit, so this time was much needed and well deserved.
And during this time, I realized something sacred: “I can.”
I can say no to what drains me.
I can say yes to what lights me up.
I can order takeout without guilt.
I can write when I feel called to.
I can nap if I need to.
I can breathe deeply.
I can be gentle with myself.
I can say: “This is my time.”
This is the freedom that we often forget that we’re allowed to take. Balance isn’t about doing it all, it’s about knowing when to shift, when to rest and when to rise.
Write yourself a permission slip. Remember that this is your time. Live a life of “I can!”
I’m happy to say that I’ve been back in full swing writing the sequel to my last book, “The Mind of a Heart.” My apologies to those of you who have been waiting to see what happens next to the main character of that book. I had hoped to have it done sooner but it’s been a bit more difficult getting back to writing while living in Florida. I’ve been trying to “get my groove back” and it feels as though I finally have. I’ve written over 60 pages and 10 chapters in the last few days. My deadline is my birthday, March 15th, to have the book finished, edited and sent to the publisher.
It’s funny what motivates us to get back into doing the things that we love to do. So often we’re doing so much for everyone else and making them a priority that we forget to focus on ourselves. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last month or so is that no one is going to make me a priority if I don’t make myself one.
Life can be strange sometimes but I’m beyond happy that I’m writing again and am finally finishing my next book because it means so much to me.
Do something that makes you happy and make yourself a priority.
Do you make a list of things you need to do? I do and I don’t have just one! I have the shopping list, the list of bills that need to be paid, a list of doctor appointments that need to be made and so on, and so forth. I must go through all the lists I’ve made at least once a month to check off what I’ve done and what still needs to be done.
But what about this? What about making a list of things you need to do each day just for YOU? Why not make a list of “reminders” of important thoughts and actions you need to live your best life?
Here’s a “life list” I started making for myself for this new year of 2025:
The moment my eyes open in the morning, and before I get out of bed, I stretch and say a prayer of gratitude for another day to do things better than the day before.
Each morning that I have my first cup of coffee (or tea) I sit and meditate for the day. I keep my thoughts positive and remind myself that I am worthy of all good things.
I want to devote time each day to reading a book with a cup of tea and relaxing.
When my thoughts start racing into a negative direction I will stop and take some deep breaths and refocus my attention on something positive. (This is an important one while dealing with PTSD)
And each day I want to embrace the gift of another day to laugh, to dance, to hug another and to count my blessings.
The list can go on and on but you understand what I mean. We tend to get so caught up in life that we forget to enjoy it and it’s time that we change that!
My heart and soul hurt. It’s a pain that I have no control over because it’s caused by people I love the most: my family.
I understand that I can’t control the behavior of others, but how do you stop them from constantly doing things that they know hurt you? Why do they isolate you from the people you love? Why don’t they care what they’re doing to you?
I was diagnosed with PTSD years ago after a difficult marriage and divorce. I spent years doing what needed to be done to heal myself. It worked, or so I thought. That’s the thing about PTSD; it can come back in an instant and it did.
I used to believe that there is nothing more important than family, but I don’t anymore. It has been close family members that have caused most of the trauma in my life.
Most of my family never really accepted me for who I am. They can’t understand how I can be faced with hard things in life and still remain positive. Their lack of understanding of who I am may be the reason for their behavior towards me.
They prey on my empathetic personality and think nothing of doing what they can to hurt me, and I don’t understand why. I’m no threat to them or anyone else. I’m just this girl who wants to share her experiences with the world in the hopes that someone can relate and know that it will be okay. I’m just this girl that wants to try to change the lives of others and the world for the better. I’m just this girl that tries to teach people that kindness matters and that we are all important.
I have very little contact with these people, yet they know how to get their point across to cause pain.
I’ve always been open about my life and I felt that it was important to do so now. Yes, my PTSD is back and I’m doing what I have to do to heal. I’ve tried to tell one of those family members about how much their behavior hurt me only to be told that I deserved to be treated that way.
No one deserves to be treated badly. No one deserves to be hurt intentionally, and no one deserves to feel worthless because others think that they are. Isn’t there enough pain and heartache going on in the world now? Why be a person who intentionally causes that to others?
I keep telling myself that their behavior towards me is their own insecurities about themselves and that they have to hurt me in order for them to feel good about themselves. They are the narcissists and abusers of the world and sadly, they are part of mine.
I’ve begun my journey of healing. I have to forgive them so that the anger doesn’t continue but I do NOT have to forget what they’ve done to me, and I never will. Unfortunately, family is connected in one way or another so cutting them out of my life is one thing, yet the connection is still there.
This is not the way that I intended to end 2024 yet I have learned so much with all that’s happened
that it’s time to begin 2025 without them.
I’m grateful for the life lessons, painful or not, that have placed me on this journey of healing. I intend to embrace each and every step along the way.
And for any of you going through something similar, I’m here for you. Together we can help each other to heal and hopefully, we can heal the world!
Another memory popped up today that reminded me about “lists.” We all make them and we’re always adding to them, but they’re usually “to-do” lists of things we need to get done in a day. All too often these lists do not have anything on them about doing something for ourselves. They’re usually about tasks, appointments and things we have to get done but why don’t we try another type of list? How about a list of things that are specifically for YOU and no one else? Why not have a list of things that help YOU to live your best life?
I know that we need lists to help us to be organized and as reminders of things that need to get done, but I think a “to-do” list for YOU is just as important.
Do you know what that picture below represents? It’s the face of a happy person. It’s the face of someone who received or was treated with kindness from another, maybe even a stranger. Can you imagine what the world would look like if we lived in a sea of smiles? I think that it would be absolutely beautiful.
Who wants to join me in making a commitment to spread kindness wherever we go? Who wants to join me in trying to share an act of kindness with someone every day?Who wants to join me in putting in the effort to make this world a better place?
If you’re in, type “yes” below or share a comment.
All of you that follow me are amazing and I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without your love and support and I am so grateful for each and every one of you.
And today I offer my kindness to all of you by telling you just that, because it’s the truth.
Here’s to happy faces and happy people made possible by all of us that want to make this world a better place.
Anne Dennish - Writer/Author 