life

“What Happened to Us?”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

I’m 64 years old and after the tragedies of yesterday I sat here and wondered “when did this world change so much?” Where did all of this judgement and hatred come from? When did the world split apart into different teams? When did we lose compassion and empathy for our fellow human beings?

On September 11th, 2001, all of our differences were put aside and we all stood together. Neighbors met in the street to console one another, children stood on their streets holding up the flag and signs that said “honk for America.” On that day there was no race, color, religion or political differences. No one cared what your job was, or your financial status or what you believed in. We all stood together as one, consoling one another and standing in love, kindness and compassion for each other and for a world that was terrorized on that day.

What happened to that? What has happened to the people of this world? Did anyone deserve to die on 9/11? No, so why did someone deserve to die yesterday at the hands of someone else, or why does anyone deserve to die at all by someone else?

There is no one person or particular situation that changed this country or the people in it. WE are in control of the way we act and react. We have a choice to sit in judgement and spread hate to the people whose beliefs we don’t agree with OR we can choose to accept that we’re all different and that it’s not our job to judge someone just because they don’t believe what we do. 

I believe that the problem is that we don’t hold OURSELVES accountable. We blame. We blame whoever and whatever we can. You need to hold YOURSELF accountable for what you put out into this world. Look in the mirror and ask yourself: “Am I trying to make this world and country a better place or is my judgment of others clouded by anger, fear and hatred?” 

Is it so hard to accept that we’re all different? Is it so hard to let others be different? Or is it easier to judge and hate? In my 64 years I have never seen judgement or hate change anything. I have been witness many times to what love, compassion, empathy and acceptance can change and I’ve seen it change things for the good.

We, as a people, can move mountains and achieve greatness but it begins with each one of us. 

Today is a day to pray for all of us and decide that it’s time for change. Today is a day to remember what happened on this day 24 years ago and to remember how healing it was when we all stood together as one.

Let today be the ending of hatred and judgement and the beginning of acceptance, compassion and changing the world “together.”

Wishing you love, light and peace,

~Anne Dennish~

“Ten Days with My Mother”

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I don’t think that anyone is prepared for this day, the day that you lose a parent. I know that I wasn’t prepared. My mom hung on for 10 days and I sat with her each and every day, hoping and praying that she’d pass without pain. She never wanted this and my heart broke each and every time she’d say to me that she’d had enough. 

At 3:55 am on Sunday, March 9th, my mom decided that it was time to go and I have to say, I’m heartbroken. We all knew that this was going to happen, and we didn’t want her to suffer yet the pain was far more than we’d have ever imagined. 

Today was one of the worst days of my life and one that I know has changed my life. My mom, the woman whose approval I’d strived for my entire life, left this world telling me all the things that I’d wanted to hear all of my life. She took those 10 days to make sure that I knew how much I was loved and how proud she was of me.

I love you, Mom, and my world has been turned upside down. I miss you already and life as I’ve known it for all these years with you has changed. Today the pain is unbearable and my heart hurts in a way that it never has before. 

Today I grieve the loss of my mother, the woman who continually gave me a run for my money. Today I am grateful that I finally understand everything about her. Today I celebrate her for trying her best.

And Mom, your best was good enough.

I love you.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Why Are You So Mean?”

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I’m feeling a little sad this morning. It’s not a sadness that has to do with any one thing, but an overall sadness about the lack of kindness and empathy in the world.

I’m feeling sad for the people who are cruel and abusive to others. They must have the lowest of self-esteem and more insecurities than can be counted. They must be so jealous and envious of another that they have to try and ruin that person’s

 life. 

There must be a reason for such a person to exist.

Did someone teach them that a person deserves to be treated badly just because they’re mad at them or don’t like them?

Did someone teach them that it was fine to speak abusively to another human being and then move on happily with their day without remorse?

Did someone teach them that they are the most important person in the world and that no one else matters or has value?

Somewhere along the way, they were taught these behaviors or were allowed to behave that way. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter because no one has the right to be abusive or cruel to another, period!

Everyone has a choice to change and I have found that these types of people never do change because they truly believe that they don’t need to.

Today I’m sad for a brief moment, saying a prayer for them, wishing them love and light and letting them go. 

You can’t save people like that and you’ll never change them, no matter how kind you are, no matter how much you try and help them, and no matter how hard you try to communicate how their behavior affects you. They will always feel that they have the right to treat people how they want because they believe that they deserve it.

Walk away from the darkness of negative people and surround yourself with those standing in the light of positivity.

And now, I let go of that brief amount of sadness and move forward with my day trying to be the best person that I can, spreading a little kindness wherever the day takes me.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Morning Coffee”

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Don’t you just love when that first cup of coffee (or tea) in the morning tastes perfect? It starts the day off with you thinking that it’s a sign that the rest of the day will be just as perfect. Sometimes it is, sometimes it’s not, but either way, for me, that first cup of  coffee sets the tone! 

I know, it’s just a cup of coffee, but my point is that the way we start our day is important. It’s important to wake up with gratitude, with a clear mind in knowing that it’s a new day with no mistakes in it and that it’s a day filled with endless possibilities. The day is what we make it and even though life happens and “not so good” circumstances happen to us, it’s up to our attitude and perspective as to how it affects us. 

Life is a mindset and our thoughts are powerful. Choose your words carefully.

It’s not easy to always be positive, I know that, but it’s certainly worth a try.

So, on this beautiful Friday morning, I sit with my perfect cup of coffee at my desk, enjoying my view. It’s time to get to work and start writing.

My wish for all of you is a wonderful day filled with all good things. 

Happy Friday.

And on a side note, I’m so happy that life has brought me back to writing.

It feels good to be back.

I missed you.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“On Turning 63”

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It’s been quite an amazing day today. I’m feeling extremely blessed for this next “trip around the sun” that I celebrated today. I am grateful for each and every day that I am blessed to wake up to and today was an especially good day as I turned 63 years old. 

My day was filled with wonderful well wishes from friends and family and ended with an awesome dinner sitting by the water in the warm and sunny weather in Florida.

Life is passing by more quickly than I had ever imagined that it would, but there is something about getting older that makes me appreciate every moment of every day that I’m blessed to see, that makes me stop sweating the small stuff and appreciate ALL of the stuff, and makes me realize that NOW is the time to truly make a difference, to love with all that I am, to laugh every chance that I get, and to be grateful for every moment of every day.

Here’s to each of our “trips around the sun.” 

I’m so grateful for each and every one of you.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Every Day Is International Women’s Day!”

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International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and today I want to celebrate ALL women: the mothers, grandmothers, the dreamers and the doers, the lovers and the friends!

Today is a day to celebrate all women who make a difference in this world and to remind you that you ALL make a difference. You make an impact on the world just by being here and today I want you to celebrate YOURSELF!

You matter, you count, and you are important!

Take a moment today to celebrate YOU and all that you do in this world, in this life, on this day!

It’s a good thing!

Happy International Women’s Day!

You are amazing and you are my heroes! 

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Ten Year Breast Cancer Survivor!”

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There are some days that are more special to you than others, and today is one of those days for me. 

Today I am officially a “10 Year Breast Cancer Survivor!” To say that I am grateful is an understatement. There are no words to express my gratitude to be blessed with this special anniversary.

Time is certainly flying by and I am doing my best to embrace each and every day that I am blessed to see and be a part of. I hope that you are doing the same.

I’m sending lots of love to all of you today and always.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“I Wanna Go Back and Do It All Over”

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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.”

And remember to be grateful for it all.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Just For Today…”

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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.”

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“When You Weather the Weather”

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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.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~