Words to live by

I haven't had many words lately. 

I just couldn't leave anyone reading my blog hanging for another week.  

Here is a quick message.

You only live once.  

If you want to cut your hair, cut it. It will grow back.  

If you want to eat a piece of cake, or the whole cake, eat it.  

The weight gained can be lost.  

If your kid wants you to watch a corny movie, watch it.  

One day that kid won't want to sit with you at all. 

If your spouse wants to go camping and you hate the woods, go camping. 

You could wake up and that person is gone without notice. 

Enjoy every moment. 

Your friend calls you up to just sit in the house, go and sit. 

One day you won't be able to see them when you want.  

It's the little things in life that matter.

Often times we forget to just enjoy the simple things in life. 

There is too much time wasted on planning and preparing. 

Too much time wasted on the what if in life. 

Just live. 

It doesn't have to be a big event or production.  

Sometimes it is just as simple as doing something a little different. 

Live life. 

Make memories.

Eye Candy

Eye Candy
Tall Glass of Water
Hello!
Caramel skin. 
Long, neatly braided locks.
Shirt fitting just right. Not too tight, but close enough to accent the right places.
Clean cut.
Nice smile. Straight teeth.
Glasses fitting the face just right.
Swaying across the room.
A wave from across the room. Hello!
Oh lawd, that man looks some good.
Uhm, that's some eye candy.
Amen! Hallelujah!
Uhm, Uhm, Uhm
Look at him. Just look at him.
Now why didn't I stick with that in high school?
Oh lawd, help me he is just so darn cute.
Wait, let me stop. 
It is Sunday and I am in a church.

I've been looking for "how-to" books and articles about how to relieve stress.  Well people, I think I found something. I love to walk and take a little jog, that makes a sista feel good.  However, I found a piece of eye candy, a tall glass of water, that sure trumps exercise and certainly makes me forget about stress. I don't care where I saw it, even if it was a church where I'm supposed to be focused on God.  I think it's a blessing to have seen such beautiful God creation.  If you have not found anything so good looking that it feels like a breath of fresh air, I challenge you to go out and find it.  I know I did and I wasn't even expecting to find it.  Uhm, a fine brother, a nice specimen of a person, I haven't seen in a while and I hope it won't be too much longer before I see it again.  Amen! 

I have had my ah ha moment - a man.  A piece of eye candy, a tall glass of water! Stress no more, I'll just think about him.

Death

When someone dies close to you, your thoughts most often are of that person and the memories you have of that person.  Well, of course, right?

This Friday, my cousin died. He was more like a grandfather. He was family.  Death is never expected. You can never truly be ready for death. This weekend, most of my memories have been of him and thinking about the funeral.

As I thought about what I could share with the world on this Sunday, I thought about death. Not how sad I may be or the memories that I have of my cousin.  What struck me is that as I mourn his death, I have totally put the thoughts of my life on hold. Since Friday, I haven't stressed much about the struggles that I face daily in my life.  There has been loss of life and loss of my problems.

How is it that I stress on a regular basis about life struggles, yet in this time, in this time of mourning, I have lost sight.  I have lost sight of those daily things that I find important.  Maybe I should mourn someone everyday so that I forget about my daily struggles.  Do you think that would work?

I doubt it.

What I have realized is that if I can mourn and forget about my life's issues, then I can stress less and think about life's issues less. I can do it. I have the capability to know that all the issues of life are very small.  They can certainly be forgotten about quickly.

I always tell one of my girlfriends to get a hobby in order to stop stressing. So, what is that I should tell myself?  What is it that you use? Tell me about it. I can't possibly think about mourning in order to stop stressing. 

I'll just go take a walk and stress about stress later. I'll enjoy my mourning memories and enjoy the moments of a stress free life.

The Game

My son started playing football this year.  I'm not quite sure how this is going to go, but we are trying it out.  On days he has practice, we have a routine.  I get home, he plays sick.  He goes through the motions of moaning and groaning about hating football.  I respond with a parental message of good health, exercise, and perseverance.  In response, he begins to dress for practice.  He gears up in the under armor,  football socks and football cleats.   Once at practice, he gears up with shoulder pads, goggles (he wears prescription glasses), and helmet.  He is READY.  Ready for what the game has in store.

He is now on the field, in his first game, running and tackling.  During the game he starts to have fun.  Goggles fog up, he can't see - the coach ask if he wants to stop playing and he responds, "no".  He can't see, but he wants to stay in the game.

After the game, I ask him if he hates it, he smiles.

I can relate.  I've held positions throughout the years where I would hate to get up.  I get to the building and then I'm all in the game.  Can't see for hating the place, so much, but I'm all in.  

More prevalent, is being a single parent.  There are many days that I wake up in pure disgust - I hate it.  How did I get here?  I hate it.  Each day, I wake up, get dressed in my single parent gear.  It's filled with perseverance, positivity, patience, drive, love and prayer.

Once I'm all geared up, I get into the game and go for the gusto.  I'm a parent.  Just like my son is a ball player.  I have to get in the game and play regardless of sight or insight.  I am the sole player in this game - I do everything.  I discipline. I laugh. I cry. I cook. I clean. I love.

My son and I - we've been together for the long haul.  I was married only for a moment, but while married my husband worked so much, it was still just the two of us.

We've been in this game for almost eight years now.  All he knows is me and all I know his him.  We are teammates, in this game together.  He throws the balls and I catch them. The tricky part is that I have to run the ball and tackle in every play.  I'm the offense and the defense.

I hate it sometimes, but just like my son, once I'm in the game there is some thrill to the action.  Pushing through the game win or lose.  Ask me if I hate the game in the morning, I would tell you yes.  Ask me after I've made it through a day, when the game is over and he is sound asleep - I will just smile.

In life we all have a position to play if we like it or not.  The thrill of the game is not how easy or hard it is to play, but the simple fact of being able to keep up in the game.  Parent. Wife. Sister. Mother. Brother. Father. Employee. Employer. Get READY, get in the game, play your part and keep on smiling.