love

“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”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

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?”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

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~

“On Turning 63”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

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!”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

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!”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

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”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

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~

“What’s Your ‘Word’ for 2024?”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

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~

“Say What You Mean, But…”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

“Say what you mean and mean what you say, but don’t be mean when you say it.”

I’ve always loved this saying and taught it to my children as they were growing up. Not everyone holds to this. There are people that will say what they mean in a cruel and hurtful way. Words are nothing to play around with. It’s the hurtful words that will stick with the person you said them to for a long time, if not a lifetime.

I listen to whatever anyone has to say to me, my children included, but I will not tolerate being talked to in a cruel and hurtful manner. My boundary is “say what you mean but don’t be mean when you say it,” and if what they’re saying to me turns ugly, that’s the end of the conversation. I’m not going to allow someone to verbally beat me up or use me as a whipping post. I respect the boundaries of others and they need to respect mine.

We all run into people that will be cruel and hurtful, trying to cut us down but if there’s one thing that I realize about them it’s this: they’re the ones with the real issue. They’re cruel words are born out of their own feelings about themselves. Maybe they’re lacking self-esteem and are jealous. Maybe they aren’t willing to take their own accountability and instead, throw it back on someone else.

Please, my loves, in a world that can be less than kind, YOU be kind. Be respectful of someone else’s feelings but also be respectful of your own boundaries. 

We can’t change the life of someone overnight, but we can continue to try through kindness, love and compassion.

Be the change you want to see in this world. Be the one who plays a part in healing the world. Be the one who tries to make a difference…and together, I believe that we can.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“One Year In Florida”

/ Anne Dennish / 4 Comments

Today marks one year that I’ve been in Florida and what a year it’s been. Eleven days after I moved here Hurricane Ian, a Category 5 hurricane, hit and I had to grab my parents and evacuate to the East Coast until it passed. Happily, I had minimal damage done to my little Florida house!

It’s been a year of trying to find my balance and my place here in Punta Gorda. My significant other stayed up North for six months before he moved here. I’ve tried to find part-time work and have ended up with some crazy jobs. It’s been quite an experience, to say the least. 

I did learn some interesting things about living in this area.

Florida has no cold water in the summer months, due to the extreme heat. The most you’ll get out of your faucet is warm water. 

Porches are called “lanai’s” which drives some of my friends crazy when I say that.

Most bars have a last call at 9:30 pm and close at 10. 

Onions are very strong here and if you cook them I can tell you that you will smell them in your house for over 24 hours!

I learned that lightning can, indeed, strike a car because we saw it happen while driving.

Some of the great things are that you can eat outside at almost every restaurant all throughout the year.

Though the summer is hot, the fall, winter and spring are beautiful. 

I love thunder and lightning and this is definitely the place to witness some beauty in the storms here.

The clouds are absolutely stunning at sunset.

I’ll never get used to alligators and snakes. I do love the sounds of the pack of coyotes that live at the end of my street, especially during a full moon when they howl for quite a long time.

Here’s to Year #2 in Florida. It’s taken me this last year to get used to it, but I’m working on it. I still miss the beach at the Jersey Shore but know that I’ll make it back there at some point.

Here’s to change, finding the positive in it and making the best of it.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~