Leave the past where it belongs

Dear Readers,

Today has been the best day ever. I'm so serious. It's been a long time since I can honestly say that I had THIS kind of day. Wasn't so sure it was going to be awesome when I woke up, but right now, at this moment, I can honestly say that THIS day, March 7, 2015, will be one for the record books.

To start my amazing day, I stuck to one of my New Year's promises to myself. I never make resolutions because they are just too silly sometimes. I made promises to myself, because a promise is harder for me to break. This year, I vowed that I would be better at making plans with friends whose advice, opinions, and friendships I truly valued. I didn't just want to be Facebook friends, I wanted people I considered friends to know how I felt. So, today......I had a three hour lunch with my dear friend Josann. What a wonderful time we had. And the funny thing is, I didn't even have my phone with me in the restaurant (or so I thought). When I came out from our lunch, I panicked in my car, thinking someone stole my phone. It was in my purse all the time, but it made no difference. I had no desire to be on my phone while being with her. Suffice it to say, that we had such an enjoyable time that we decided to plan a once a month lunch date! Promise to myself - KEPT!

Then, I attended the 16th birthday party of the daughter of one of my dear friends. We had such a good time at the party. Good food, good friends, and good times. I was so happy that I was able to celebrate with them, even if I don't really know her daughter all that well. To be able to be there for my friend was just great!!

And then....my night ended on such a positive note that I am still smiling. Last Spring, I had a bit of a falling out with a friend of mine. Without rehashing the situation, I will say it saddened me to lose this friendship. Tonight, I came home from the party to a Facebook message, my friend offering an olive branch and a rekindling of a friendship. Tears immediately came to my eyes and my soul felt refreshed. This friend was someone I had known forever, and to lose the friendship was a sad event in my life, but one that taught me a lot throughout the past few months and I believe the final lesson was the most important. Leave the past where it belongs....behind you. I am so thankful to have this friendship back, for not letting pride get in the way of either one of us (her for the extension and me for the accepting). 

When the decision is made to forgive and forget, that is what has to happen. Leave the past in the past. Take the lessons that were taught and move forward, making sure that you always work to be better than you were the day before. People say you can forgive but you can never forget. You make that choice. It is not easy. It is probably the toughest thing you will ever do. But in NOT forgetting, in remembering the negative of the situation, you will never escape from the bitterness negative memories bring with them. To quote my friend in her message to me, "To letting the past be the past and the present being a gift." Tonight, it's been the best gift I could have been offered.

Until next time, my friends.....in good times and bad times, I'll be on your side. Forevermore. That's what friends are for.

Think Thankfully!

Take charge of YOUR life!

Dear Readers, 

It’s time to embrace the moment and start writing again! I love when the urge to write is bigger than the urge to do anything else at the moment! I sit here in the (somewhat) solitude (Criminal Minds reruns are on the TV providing background noise for me) and so many things swirl around inside my head. I’m a major mish-mash of feelings at this moment, which makes writing a bit tougher than usual, but I forge on, deciding to put onto paper what I’ve got inside my head. Sometimes it helps to battle the blues when I’ve got a keyboard at my fingertips!

I guess you could say I’ve struggled with a form of depression for a little while. I’ve done a very good job of overcoming it, fighting it off by exploring this Think Thankfully journey for the past three and a half years, but it’s always there, in the far reaching bowels of my soul. I can easily slide into feelings of inadequacy, loss, betrayal, fear, and frustration. I think we all can at some point in our lives. When I am at this point in my life, I tend to bottle up my true feelings and I put on the happy face, making it seem like nothing in the world is bothering me. It is at these moments that I feel completely stuck. Like my wheels are turning but I’m going nowhere. Fast. I dream big, but I feel as though I fail at working on reality.

We allow ourselves to believe that we can’t move forward. We can’t get past the rut we are stuck in. But you know what, let me let you in on a little fact of the matter. The truth is (and you KNOW how I feel about the truth!), YOU have the power to move forward no matter what roadblocks you encounter on your journey. YOU have the power to live up to your highest expectation of how amazingly awesome your life can be. YOU have the power to follow through and make significant strides towards your biggest goals, no matter what those goals may be. YOU have all this power because YOU hold in your hand, a CHOICE. In each moment, YOU can choose what you think, what you do, and who you want to be. YOU CHOOSE!

Stop allowing your feelings of inadequacy, loss, betrayal, fear, and frustration control YOU. They are only feelings. They are NOT the fact of your life. Feelings are controlled by YOU. Make the choice to think positively. Be strong and courageous in your daily happenings. Leave no room for inferior feelings. I know it is easier said than done, but believe me, taking baby steps along the way eventually will lead to one HUGE leap, one in which you leave the negativity behind you and start seeing only the positives!!!

Until tomorrow, my friends ….. Take charge of your life and make this day the best day of your life! Keep reminding yourself that you are strong enough to take whatever the next step is in taking charge of YOUR life, and that this step is the only step that matters right now!

Think Thankfully!!!

Show a little faith, there's magic in the night

Sometimes we all need reminders to keep the faith and remain grateful for things in life. Not a super easy task for any of us at times. I am constantly reminding myself that it's ok to find myself in a slump, it's ok to not be perfect, it's ok to not please everyone all the time, it's ok (and normal) to have bad days.

Last May, I attended my 15th Springsteen concert. I was 10 years old when I first heard ThunderRoad and instantly fell in love with Bruce and his music. It's been a 31 year (one sided) love affair that continues to grow. Although he has no clue, Mr. Bruce Springsteen has truly been my go-to person during all my troubling times. He's helped me through many a tough time in my life.

Today, October 4. 2014 marks the 3 year anniversary of my Think Thankfully journey. Currently, I've posted 1,096 'Tonight I'm thankful for:' posts on my personal Facebook page. I haven't missed a night, no matter where I've been, who I've been with, or what I've been doing. I posted. They've become the best therapy (aside from listening to Mr. Springsteen) I could have ever attempted. Some days I've had to dig very deep to reach a level of thankfulness, but let me tell you....there haven't been many like that. I've learned that the more you have to be thankful for, the more you are given in this world. I've also started to post them on the Think Thankfully Facebook page, too, each night.

This past year has been a whirlwind for me. I've reunited with some old friends, met a lot of new friends, lost some friends, grown to 735 followers on the Think Thankfully Facebook page, and managed to do it all with a grateful heart for all I've experienced. Through it all, the ups and the downs, two people stand out in my mind who have really affected me during the past year: my dear high school friends, Keri and Ryan. Both of these friends are faced with their own challenges in life and sometimes, I believe, life can get very overwhelming for the two of them. Now, before you go assuming anything, they are NOT married to one another. Keri has a wonderful husband, Jeff, and three children. Ryan has an incredible wife, Jenny, and three children. They are both very special friends to me and I am thankful, so very thankful, to have rekindled old friendships with both of them. If I may share....... 

Last November, I challenged my Think Thankfully followers to start posting a nightly thankful post on their own Facebook pages. My friend Keri accepted the challenge. She is less than a month away from completing an entire year of thankful posts. I love to see her tell people how it has truly changed her way of thinking because let's face it...that's what it's all about!! It's been a wonderful ride, watching her whole mindset start to change from simple things each day to be thankful for, to really giving a power punch to things she's been thankful for. As many people often tell me, I look forward to her thankful posts each night!

Ryan is a very gifted writer. He is also a gifted musician. I've been privileged to be able to read some of his incredible poetry years ago when we both reconnected thanks to Facebook. He's always been a neat person in my eyes, because he has a very unique ability to put his feeling on paper and make you feel every single word of it. And I do mean that. I know Ryan struggles with some personal inner demons. During this past year, Ryan has also taken to posting more of his daily gratitudes.  Although he doesn't do it every single night, in reading Keri's nightly posts and my nightly posts, Ryan is able to really see the value of important things in his life. Recently, he posted something to the effect that he wasn't there yet but he's been working on it! That's what it's all about! Working on it!!!

Heck, I'm not completely there yet. I still have moments of self-pity, anger, frustration, heartbreak, and wondering if it's truly all worth it. In the end, the answer always remains and emphatic YES. I like who I've become on this journey. I like to be the happy person. I love thinking thankfully. I truly am blessed.

Happy Anniversary, Think Thankfully......

Until next time (which I'm going to try to be better at this year....), my friends......remember, there is always, always, ALWAYS something to be thankful for!

....some days are like this, even in Australia

There will be days when you feel like the world is crumbling beneath your feet, as if every good thing you have ever done has been trumped by something or someone else. There will be days when you wonder if you can keep going along this path, like you continue to take every wrong turn along the way. There will be days that test your patience and build your character, days that you simply do whatever it takes to make it through without hurting someone or saying something you will end up regretting. There will be days when you just want to put your head down and cry. There will be days when you really want to quit, when you just can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Today is one of those days for me.

There will be days just like these throughout your life because you’re human after all. But just remember that it’s on days like this that the true reflection of who you are shines through.  It’s on days like this that you show the world what you are made of.

To quote one of my favorite storybook characters, Alexander, “Today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” My strength, patience, and fortitude have been tested to their outermost limits today. Today has been one of those days that has me questioning everything about my life as I know it, with the exception of my relationships. I’m feeling pretty solid about those, and it feels good to come home from a day like this to a loving husband, who allows me to vent! God Bless him. 

As my own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day progressed on, I received a message on the great book of Faces from a friend who needed some ‘positive’ advice. It killed me. At that moment in time, I seriously wanted to say…..’ASK SOMEONE ELSE, MY LIFE SUCKS RIGHT NOW’, but I did not. I knew I was needed. I knew THIS is why I created Think Thankfully. This is one of my gifts to the world and there was no way I was letting her down. I told her I’d message her back when I got home and had a clearer head. And then it struck me…..

Sometimes it pays to actually take your own advice.  Although to be honest, today will probably not go into the archives of my life as the absolutely worst day of my life, on a professional level it ranks very high on the list.  While many tell me to take all the stuff being placed before me as an indication of how wonderful my classroom is run, that does not help me…..the perfectionist, the teacher with the high standards not just for her students but for herself, the one who feels that no matter how good I am, I’ll always be dumped on and no one listens. Yes, I’m venting. Yes, this is my outlet. Do I love my job….yes, but I don’t love the sincere tests of my ability that I have been up against lately. Today, I’m feeling as though my best will always get me more frustrations.

I came home today completely stressed with my blood pressure beginning to skyrocket, tears welling in my eyes, my voice reaching abnormal altitudes when talking, and I immediately hit the Cool Ranch Doritos (in case you missed it, I’m a serious stress eater). As I sat here, breaking out the Microsoft Word to write my frustrations away, it occurred to me that I’d be giving people some sort of advice with this blog. But what advice would I be giving when the world seems to be walking all over you? What could I possibly say to anyone to make a terrible day seem not so terrible? How do I seriously handle situations (or days) like this? Well, here’s what we do:

We faced the trouble head on.  When those worst of days come rushing at us like an out of control freight train, it never does any good to try to live in denial of what is happening.  At best, it will just prolong the agony.  So what do we do? We face it.  It is there.  We cannot deny it or ignore it. For me, I cannot change the events that are happening. I’ve got absolutely NO CONTROL over the end result, but I do have control over what happens after and that might be ok for me. Rather that wallow in self-pity and stress, I will face what comes along. Perhaps I can be like Superman and just stretch out my arms and stop it all, but that’s highly unlikely, so face it I will!

We control what we can in the situation and let the rest of the chips fall where they may. When we face what we feel might just be the worst day of our life, either we should take control of what we can or we just accept that there is nothing we can really do.  

From time to time, our days will be filled with complete and utter chaos and frustration. There will be days when we want to pack it in, quit, walk away. There will be times when we cannot control what is happening, but rather we must deal with the hand that’s dealt us. Face those difficulties head on. Control what you can. And in the end, realize….’Mom says there are days like this, even in Australia.’

Until tomorrow, my friends….

Think Thankfully!!!!

Routines, routines....

I realized way too late last night that I never promoted yesterday's blog. Prior to the tower taking a dump, I had my routine. I woke up, got ready, headed for the downstairs, and blogged. Seemed like after a good night's sleep, I was always able to write. After writing and publishing the blog posting, I'd head over to the FB page and set it up so that the blog would show as a status at some point during the day.

In the two months that my tower was in the shop, I fell out of that routine. I became a morning sloth, making sure I play each of my Snoopy games on the iPad before heading out the door to work. Even this morning, I fell short of getting back into the routine. I did my morning 'get ready' routine and then came downstairs and made sure Snoopy's Candy Town and Snoopy's Street Fair were all taken care of for the day. As my daughter came downstairs, I realized I had a blog to write!

Trust me, I do feel a strong urgency in writing. Since my routine was messed up, the urge to write comes at weird moments, when I am not able to access the blogger site. I've started resorting to writing things down as they strike me, perhaps that's what writers do.

It is amazing to me how we get tied to our routines and once they are messed up, forget it. Seems like it takes three times as long to get back in the swing of things. I find that happening more and more in my life. I've put weight back on (not happy about that), fell out of the walking/exercising routine, stopped reading, and even slowed down with my writing (although that wasn't entirely my conscious fault). All these routines that I had once been so fervent in following are all seeming like distant memories to me right now.

Perhaps I need to become more of a 'go with the flow' kind of person, but I guess I have come to realize that I need my routines. I need to know what I'm doing at what time. I need to have a plan and stick to it. I'm thankful for some eye opening realizations.

Until tomorrow, my friends......

Think Thankfully

Prayers and remembering

Today's blog is going to be short and sweet. I am asking that the Think Thankfully Nation please keep my little brother, Travis, in your thoughts and prayers over the next 6 months as he deployed this morning for his 5th tour in the Middle East.

I'm truly at a loss for words this week, as it is my least favorite week of the year, and add to it the deployment of my little brother, I just feel like nothing I have to say will be worth much. With that being said, I am extremely proud of my brother's selfless sacrifice and his dedicated service to our great nation, The United States of America.

I am also asking you to remember the lives of the astronauts on the Space Shuttle Challenger, as today marks the 28th anniversary of the explosion just 73 seconds after lift off, killing all 7 on board, including one of my heroes, Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space. I remember sitting in my 7th grade Science class, watching. My teacher, Mr Eckhart had applied for the Teacher in Space program. We knew all about it and I was intrigued. At the moment of explosion, I can remember thinking, "Oh my...all the students that are watching this." and at that moment, I knew I wanted to inspire people the way Christa McAuliffe had inspired me. "I touch the future, I teach."

"They slipped the surly bonds of earth

To touch the face of God."

President Reagan January 28, 1986

Until tomorrow, my friends.....cherish those you love and never waste a minute on holding on to anger. Love deeply, always.

Think Thankfully

It's perfectly ok....

I am in a funk. I blame it on the time of year. I seem to have lost all motivation and desire to do anything. It is a feeling I do not like, nor do I want to keep in my life. I know I'll get over it, but for now, I am in a funk. And you know what? It is really ok!

This weekend has been a big old bag of yuck. My daughter has been battling a bit of a sickness all weekend long (ok, it isn't a bit of a sickness, she is SICK) but doesn't want to miss school, basketball, anything. She is run down, coughing up both lungs, a tad whiny, and just not her usual self. At 16 years old, I still feel sorry for her when she is feeling poorly, much like when she was a baby. It sucks. We spent all day yesterday couped up in the house (which hasn't helped my mood) and today followed suit (couped up all afternoon, going stir crazy). Yes, I am in a funk. And you know what? I AM ALLOWED TO BE!

For a long time after I started this whole Think Thankfully idea, I always thought that I had to put on a chipper face and smile through everything simply because that is what people now expected of me. I am no different that anyone else. I get frustrated, irritated, moody, and I, too, fall into a funk. And you know what??? It's perfectly ok, too!

It is very safe to say this past weekend, I felt sad, down, somewhat blue. Instead of kicking myself in the pants and trying to smile my way out of my funk (which I knew was not a reality because my heart and spirit wasn’t in it) I simply sat down to write it out. Yesterday was a wash. As much as I wanted to write, my time was needed with my daughter. Yes, a sick 16 year old still requires a lot of ‘mom time’ when she is sick. And guess what? That is perfectly ok with me!

While I talk and write about a positive attitude and always being thankful, I constantly remain 100%  realistic about everyone going through these ‘down days’ every once in awhile. So many people think that because you live a happy, positive life more often than not, you are immune to the ‘down days’. Wrong answer! As I sit here typing away, I want to scream, shout, let it all out….and more importantly, I want you to know – IT IS PERFECTLY OK TO FEEL THIS WAY! Sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to not do anything we simply don’t feel like doing (for a day or two), to just wallow a bit in some self pity, to cry if we need to, to have those ‘down days’. And you know what? It is ok! Give yourself that permission! It is perfectly OK!!!!

This much is true: I will get over it.  I know this feeling won’t last long. This funk has been here before (pretty much last year around this time) and I know as soon as I satisfy my need to just ‘be blue’, I will be right back on top of my game, spewing out the sparkly colors of the rainbow for everyone!!!

Until tomorrow, my friends…..don’t try to hide your feelings or pretend they don’t matter. They do! And it is PERFECTLY OK to feel down and blue once in awhile. It is healthy. Just don’t allow yourself to stay that way for too long!!!

Think Thankfully!

Memories, light the corners of my mind

This time of year is normally very rough for me. From today through my birthday, I find myself drifting towards a darkness I really despise. My heart becomes heavier and I long to go back in time. 

Five years ago today, we said goodbye to my Pappy. His passing was quite unexpected and came on the heels of losing my other grandfather, almost two years prior. My Pappy was a one of a kind guy, the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back, the most encouraging word, and always left you feeling like you were the most important person in his world. 

I was fortunate to have such an amazing man to call my Pappy Wip. He was known by almost everyone: the oil man (he worked for a local oil company), Wipper, Wip. Known for his fingerless salute (he lost two fingers in a press accident when he was younger), my Pappy always threw those fingers in the air as a sign of irritation, hello, or just to make his presence known. He surely was one of a kind. 

My Pappy didn't have to be my pappy. He came into my mother's life as a father figure when my mother and her sisters were just young girls. He loved my grandma through good times and bad and the year my mom married my dad, my grandma and pap got married, too! He was never a step anything, which is probably why I dislike the term step in my own family. 

My Pappy supported all our sports, all of our endeavors, everything we did. Everyone should be so fortunate to have a grandfather like Wip Kleintop was!!!

Today, as I walked into the Catasauqua High School gym to watch the Bomber Boys Basketball team, I felt the spirit of Wip Kleintop screaming at me. I knew that I had to write. So here I sit, in the bleachers while everyone else is watching a good JV game end, writing. 

To you, my sweet grandfather....5 years of missing you. I two fingerless salute you!!! And I'll have a 7&7 in your honor later!

Until tomorrow, my friends....

Think Thankfully!

What I think Marilyn Monroe's quote means.....

As I sit here today, writing this blog, the temperatures outside are registering at 7* (with a wind chill of -10*). Since being up this morning, I've watched The Golden Girls, vacuumed my downstairs and collected some garbage to go out tonight, enjoyed some games on the iPad, and just sat in the quiet of my living room. As I looked around the room, I couldn't help but smile when I took inventory of all the photographs we have displayed in our home. We've got tons of pictures of the kids, the grandkids, and the nieces, our parents, our siblings, my grandparents.....and then, there are a wonderful fair share of photographs of my husband and I.....and then I couldn't help but sit in total thanksgiving for the blessing of my husband in my life.

Being married to me has not always been easy. I am a difficult person to love at times. I can be very moody, easily have my feelings hurt, and I am a pro at distancing myself when I find myself in times of trial or tribulation. I am one of the most insecure people you will meet. I can be loud, opinionated, sarcastic, and at times embarrassing. Yes, I can be a very difficult person to love. Things have gotten a lot better since I started on this journey to be a more thankful, positive person, but I still have my lapses in positivity. It never ceases to amaze me how much my husband loves me, despite all my flaws. He truly is a blessing in my life. Sometimes, I expect to wake up and find this was all just a dream. Many times I feel as though I don't deserve his love and devotion. Far too often, I feel like I fail him in the category of loving him. Sure I always say, "I love you more", but the truth is, there is no possible way that is accurate. 

It warms my heart to see so many pictures of the two of us throughout our home. This is something that seriously lacked in my first marriage. There were next to no pictures of the two of us displayed in our house. Not this time. We have pictures of our first outings together, band nights where I would sit and watch in awe at my man's musical abilities, vacations together, and our wedding. So many happy memories made. So many smiles. Coming from a first marriage that ended quite bitterly, I never thought I was worthy of being loved like this. How wrong I was!!! All the pictures displayed are awesome reminders of how much we enjoy each other's company, how we enjoy being together, how in love we are.

I've often seen the image above floating around Facebook, some people using it as a 'get out of jail free card' for their negative way of living, their negative attitudes, their 'right' to be a self proclaimed 'b*tch' towards others and still feel as though they deserve the princess crown. Not me. First of all, this is the first time EVER I've used this quote on social media, because it doesn't give me the power to be the hard to love woman as much as it validates the idea that my husband and I share a true love for one another.....one in which he is able to truly love me at my worst. And my worst was truly bad. I put the man I love through hell years ago. In the early part of our relationship, I pushed him away, pulled back all the love I wanted to give him, ignored him, gave the cold shoulder.....totally unsure I was ready to walk completely away from a former life into something new (and at the time a bit scary). Did he walk away? Did he cast me out? Absolutely not. Could he have? Absolutely. I remember well him saying to me, "Go and do what it is you feel you need to do, but remember when it all crumbles apart again, I will be right here waiting for you, to love you as I have been loving you all along." I often think of that and I am reassured by those words. A man who puts up with the bullshit I've dealt sincerely deserves a medal of honor and I don't think I truly deserve him and his love as much as he deserves to be loved by me. He truly deserves me at my best, but my best is just that BECAUSE of him....because of what he has brought into my life, how he changed me.

There are moments we are together that I feel childish for always emphasizing to him how much he means to me, how much I love him. Sometimes I feel it is my penance for what I put him through those many years ago. There are times I feel as though no amount of 'I love you's' are enough for him to truly know what a difference he's made in my life. And as I sit here writing, I can't help but be moved to tears that someone as amazing as my husband, loves ME the way he does. Completely. Unconditionally. Through thick and thin.

I feel as though I am living my best life right now. Happy. Content. Positive. Thankful. My hope is that you are, too. 

Until tomorrow, my friends......

Think Thankfully.

I am here to live out loud!

"If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I will answer you: I am here to live out loud."

~Emile Zola

Since Sunday, I’ve had a lot of time to do a lot of thinking. In the blink of an eye, a whole host of people had their lives altered forever. I cannot help but think about the mother of the girl who is still in the fight of her life….for her life. I wonder what she is thinking, what is going through her mind. And then I think about my own daughters. Do I tell them enough that I love them? Do I remember to say it each time we part from one another? When we hang up from talking to one another?  Part of me lives in fear each time my youngest daughter walks away from me toward the school in the morning. Part of me lives in fear each day with my oldest daughter living in a major city on her own. A few weeks ago, the university my oldest is doing her grad work at was on lock down due to an armed man on campus. Fear? You bet. Last week, I heard of a school shooting at a charter school in Philadelphia. Make me nervous? Absolutely, but, that being said……

…..our lives are not meant to be lived in the shadows of fear and doubt! Our lives are meant to be lived out loud! We shouldn’t be sitting quietly, waiting for things to happen (or NOT happen for that matter). We shouldn’t be living in the ‘what if’s’ and ‘should have, could have, didn’t’ mode. We cannot be sitting around wishing we had told someone how we felt about them, had gone on the trip of a lifetime (because hey! We only get one of those lifetimes, don’t we?), had taken the time to get to know someone. Our lives were meant to be LIVED OUT LOUD!

Life is happening right now. RIGHT NOW!!!  As you sit here reading today’s blog, life is ticking away, second by second. Don’t sit back and wait for opportunities to come to you! LIVE OUT LOUD! Go and take those opportunities! Make the best of what you have right now and be thankful for it! Simply because things didn’t go your way, or something bad has happened in your life, don’t put your life on hold, worried about the what if’s. Live with the possibility that something GREAT will happen at any given moment, and live your best life each and every day. No regrets, no shadows, only bold and with purpose!

To quote Garth Brooks: “Our lives, are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss, the dance.” Don’t miss that dance, my friends…..LIVE YOUR LIFE RIGHT OUT LOUD!!! Don’t let the fear of pain get in your way of being true to you, living life out loud, wearing your true self on your sleeve, and always thinking thankfully!!!

Until tomorrow,  my friends…..are you living out loud or in the shadows of fear and doubt?

Think Thankfully!!

Don't wait to express your thanks

I sat down to write yesterday, but I just didn't have it in me. It seemed like what I'd write about would make me look selfish in light of other things that were happening yesterday. I sat down to write this morning, and the same things popped into my head. When I always tell people that some days you have to dig deep, it applies to myself, too, as I sit and blog for the masses.

Yesterday, a horrific car accident occurred, which involved some of my babygirl's friends. Five teens. Two of those children are in pretty serious shape in the hospital. I learned real quickly yesterday to stop harping on my babygirl for not wanting to drive. Sure she has her permit, but she has no real interest in learning how to drive. I now understand why.

As I sit here this morning, I am thankful for so many things that right now, feel so wrong. I'm thankful that my babygirl is such a homebody. I'm thankful that she is relatively healthy. I'm thankful she isn't comfortable being behind the wheel of a car. I'm thankful that I could hug her and kiss her last night. I'm thankful...... and seeing it written out doesn't make me feel any better. I still feel quite wrong for putting it into words.

My heart aches for the parents of the two teens who are fighting a fierce battle with major injuries sustained in the accident. My heart aches for the parents of the three other teens who will live with the images of the accident for years to come. My heart aches for all parties involved. My prayers are lifted for each and every person affected by this accident.

Today.....stop and say a prayer of healing and of strength. Tomorrow is never promised to any of us. Heck, our days and minutes are counted. We may not make it through today......I feel the compelling need to thank you all for being in my life, for taking this journey with me, for being my friend. I may have never met you, we may not 'know' one another, but I am thankful you are in my life. Until tomorrow, my friends.....don't wait to tell the people in your life you are thankful for them. Reach out and do it now....tomorrow is promised to no one.

Think Thankfully

Take time to enjoy the simple things!

Some people may read this blog today and think, "Man is she a shallow person." Au contraire, mon frère!!!! (Gotta love attempting to write a new language, huh???? Are you impressed??!!) I am farthest thing from a shallow person, if I do say so myself, but it was while I was sitting in the chair at the nail salon this morning, that the inspiration for this blog entry hit me!

I thoroughly enjoy my 'alone' time at the nail salon. I enjoy being pampered a little bit. Quite honestly, it is the only real thing I do for myself and it only happens once every three weeks or so (depending on time and finances). This morning, I woke up to snow on the ground and the idea that I really had to go get my nails done. It had been since before Christmas, they were growing out, and way too long. They were in desperate need of an overhauling. So, I got up, got ready and headed out the door.

As I was sitting there, being pampered by a very sweet Asian lady, who had the most gentle touch I have EVER encountered while getting the nails done, I couldn't help but be utterly thankful for the moment. I was so thankful that I had made the effort and the time to go this morning. After the week I had, I needed someone to just sit and pamper me for a little bit. I was thankful that this particular nail tech had the most gentle of touches. I barely knew she was working on my nails. I was thankful I have a car that is great in the yucky weather, because I had no fear about driving with the slushy mix on the roadways. I was thankful I had the time to myself.

While I was sitting there, I got a notification of a tweet sent my way. It just so happened my 'nephew' (see, he isn't REALLY my nephew, but rather my cousin's son, but even my cousins' children refer to me as Auntie Ally, which I absolutely LOVE), Z, wondered about the basketball games that would be consuming my afternoon. What time did they start, he wondered. Graciously, I answered him (while I knew what was coming next, I let him ask it anyway). Feel like picking a nephew up? At that moment, I was incredibly thankful that my extended family refers to me as Auntie Ally and I was even more thankful that he reached out and asked. My response....in all caps.....ABSOLUTELY! Love love love the moments I spend with all my 'kids'.

So, while it may seem shallow that I am one of THOSE gals who enjoys having my nails done, the experience today really made me appreciate the little things in life. The time spent alone with my thoughts really offered me the opportunity to sit and realize that sometimes I do take for granted the little things in life that I should be a bit more thankful for. I do believe that happens to us all at some point in our lives. We are so used to things we do, we are able to do, or we are about to do that we forget that others might not have those opportunities and we should be thankful for EVERY little moment, no matter how little it may be.

As I sat there today, counting the little things in that brief hour, I realized I was thankful for: the quiet time to get my nails done, the fact that I quit biting my nails and now have beautiful ones, a great car to get me from point A to point B in yucky weather, the money to get my nails done and put gas in my car, a fabulous family, and simply the gift of a new day in which to do as much as possible to spread happiness and the idea of being more thankful!

Until tomorrow, my friends....take time each day to enjoy the simple things in life.

Think Thankfully!!

Make today RIDICULOUSLY amazing!

To say that this week was great would be such a false statement. It was not that great. In fact, this week was pretty long and drawn out. Between issues in the classroom and basketball AND being alone from after work til 6-7 in the evening, my solid foundation; my solid rock core has been shaking a bit this week. It's been a trying week. However........

.....today is a new day and I plan to make today ridiculously amazing. At least I will make every effort and attempt to do so! Not saying it will end up that way, but I woke up with this attitude today and therefore I am pretty sure that I can accomplish this! It's all in the attitude!!!

My husband is a very optimistic and positive person by nature. I am pretty sure that is one of the things that attracted me to him in the first place (well, that and his incredible smile and cute cute dimples!). He rarely lets things rattle him. He believes in the idea of being positive and not putting an ounce of energy into worrying about petty little things. It's taken me awhile, but I've learned to adopt this method of thinking, this way of going about my day. It does work.

Lately, I have had a lot of reasons to smile as I check my phone, peruse my book of Faces, and simply go about my day. I see more and more positive, uplifting posts on my newsfeed. I get incredibly positive texts from friends, and I see and hear more and more positive things during my days. People are truly setting out to make each and every day an amazing one. People are starting to find the good in each of their days. People are smiling more and tolerating negativity less!!  Our Think Thankfully Facebook page is over halfway in our Journey to a Thousand Thankful Hearts! Yes, as I count my blessings at 6:50 am, I realize that already, my day is in prime condition to be amazing!!

Regardless of the pitfalls and speed bumps in your day today, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE THIS DAY UTTERLY AMAZING! Did you hear that? YOU HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE THIS DAY UTTERLY AMAZING! What are you waiting for? Finish reading the blog and then go out and MAKE YOUR DAY AMAZING! Smile at a stranger, hold the door for the next guy, perhaps pay for someone's coffee. All these things create happiness and happiness creates more happiness! How can you go wrong? When you genuinely give, it comes back tenfold. If you do this with the expectation to get something in return, that is not true giving! Just spread happiness and it will be there for the taking!!!

Until tomorrow, my friends.......MAKE TODAY RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING! I know you can do it!

Think Thankfully!!!

Take what you need.....make it a great day!

It's a new day! Sure is! Time to start fresh! Time to put yesterday where it belongs.....in the past. Sure we can take a peek backward and say, "Yesterday was rough." but today....today is a day to say, "I have a new opportunity to make today the best day yet!".

Today is a new day, in which you can do as the image above says. TAKE WHAT YOU NEED. Each day, this image is available as a reminder that you can take exactly what you need to help you through your day! Do you need love? Hope? Faith? Paitence? Courage? Understanding? Peace? Passion? Healing? Strength? Beauty? Freedom? Whatever your greatest needs are for the day, each day brings a brand new opportunity and a refreshed list for the taking.

Today, I know I'll need patience. I'm struggling through a trying time at work with one particular wee one and each day he is there, my patience is tested to ultimate limits. For today, I will take the strip of paper that says Patience. Today that is mine. I am super thankful that I can walk away from a bad day at work and know that tomorrow starts fresh. The troubles of the previous day do not HAVE to haunt me. I walk in the classroom door ready, willing, and able to do what I have to with fresh eyes and a renewed spirit.

Until tomorrow, my friends.....take what YOU need to help YOU have the best day yet!!!

Think Thankfully!!!

Say something.....

I rarely watch music video television (MTV, VH1, CMT) anymore. Just don't like that it isn't really MUSIC television as I remember it in my younger days. HOWEVER, this morning, my daughter was sitting on the couch next to me and didn't like what I had on the TV. She asked if she could see what else was on, to which I, of course, obliged. She turned on VH1. What happened next was almost like a religious experience for me.

On the screen, there was a kind of goofy looking guy (my apologies to the singer....it was my first impression) playing a piano on a darkened but spotlighted stage and singing, followed by singing from a female. I am listening to the song (because if you read my blog the other day, I truly do listen to the lyrics) and watching the video (which was intensely amazing) and the tears just started to flow. And flow. And flow some more. It was the most amazingly beautiful song I have heard in a long time, accompanied by a very well produced video as well. I am sitting here, many minutes after hearing this song and watching the video, with tears still in my eyes. My hands grabbed my phone and I instantly text messaged my BFF (because he has the same appreciation for music and lyrics as I do). In the back and forth, I realized I needed to blog about this song and what it meant to me.

First of all, I need to give a HUGE thank you to A Great Big World for writing such a masterpiece. The song Say Something is amazing. I truly think many people need to hear this song. And I don't just mean listen to it, I mean HEAR it. Let it speak to you. It is simply awesome. For me, this whole song is about really letting go, of many different things in life. It's kind of the story of my life to this point. Troubled relationships, my straying from the path I was on, the strings of motherhood (to a degree mind you), the hurt and anger I felt when my grandma passed away……letting go of the negatives in my life. It is soooooooo much about realizing what our true worth really is in this great big world (pun intended based on the name of the band - cute, I know!). I’ve spoken so much about the idea that you really have to love yourself and be happy with who YOU are and then understanding that to truly and honestly love someone else (or be loved by someone else for that matter) it requires loving yourself first and foremost. Love yourself first. Shall I repeat that? Love yourself first  Don't let anyone take you for granted. 

I’m not sure if it is this whole getting back in touch with my faith that really made this song speak to me the way it did, if it was the final release of all the negative forces that tried to bring me down this week, or if it is because I can honestly say I experienced this in my past, but something…..SOMETHING….reached out and touched my heart as I listened to the words, beautifully put to music, in this song.

from YouTube - The official video for Say Something

Please take the time to really HEAR this song.....hopefully it will speak to you as it did me. And if the band A Great Big World (or Christina Aguilera) ever see this.....consider this entire blog my GREAT BIG THANK YOU.

I am, once again, thankful that I learned true music appreciation. I am thankful that I learned to truly HEAR a song and not just listen to it. I am thankful I am able to get my feelings down on paper (or on screen) and let go! I'm thankful my daughter had on VH1 today and I am thankful I sat and watched with her. I'm thankful this song came across my path today.

Until tomorrow, my friends.....say something to those you love.......to those who mean the most to you. Don't let them walk away as if they never mattered to you.

Think Thankfully!

Happy to see this week come to an end......

This has been a whirlwind week to say the very least! This morning, I was up, checked the phone app for any weather delays or closings, trudged to the bathroom, and started my morning routines. As I was ready to turn off the shower, my phone alerts me to a phone call. The school district calling to say there was a 2 hour delay! UGH! So, now, here I sit at 6:30am, ready to go to school and I don't have to be there for another three and a half hours, really. So, what do I decide to do with this time? Of course, I turn to the blog!!

I am ever so thankful that today is Friday. While this week seemed to blow by, it was not a week without a ton of stress and discombobulated schedules. I am thankful to be putting an end to this week, ready to start fresh on Monday with a new work week I do believe I need to wrap my head around some things and really dig deep for answers to some questions that ponder my mind. There are days I still feel as though I am being called to do something MORE with this life of mine.

This thankful journey I am on is a constantly evolving journey. I know that there is no end point in traveling on this road. Being a more thankful person isn't something that just happens, it has taken me two years to even remotely be here. Every day I work at finding the good, spreading a smile, being kind, etc. Some days I feel like no matter all the good I see, the happiness I feel, the smiles I spread, it is NEVER enough. There are days when I feel like I've been slapped in the face by the very people who, I've learned, pretend to be my friend. Recently, I've been more disappointed in the actions and words of people who I thought were my friends than I have ever been. Some days the journey is lonely and I feel like I walk it very alone. And then......

.....my phone might light up with a text from someone reaching out to see if I am ok. I receive a Facebook message from someone just checking in. One of my wee ones wraps their arms around me in a tight little hug and it just makes the world feel ok again, even if for a little while. Will it stop me? No way!

This year will be a year of cleansing for me. I will not hold onto negativity in any form in my life any more. I will release more of my worries to the One who already knows how those worries play out. I will continue to become closer to my faith. I will keep living with the attitude of THINK THANKFULLY!  I am DEDICATED to this passion. DEDICATED to reaching 1,000 followers on my page. DEDICATED to helping others see that there is always, always, ALWAYS something to be thankful for!

Until tomorrow........................

Think Thankfully!!!!

I Forgive You

As I sat on the couch, enjoying the last hour of a two hour delay, I decided to open up  my devotionals and work through them. One thing I am going to try to do better is to focus on those devotionals a little more each day. I downloaded a Daily Wisdom for Women devotional (for free of course) for the month of January and today, when I opened the Kindle and it led me to the page, I couldn't help but, once again, be in awe of how striking they are for my current situations.

I Forgive You. The title of today's devotional jumped out at me and nearly knocked my snowflake socks right off my feet. I Forgive You. Three very powerful words. I Forgive You. The focus verse for this devotional was Proverbs 19:11 "Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget."  Wow.

Through this particular devotional, I was reminded that Jesus, himself, taught his disciples to pray and in that prayer we ask: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Powerful, huh? As much as we must forgive ourselves, we MUST forgive others in order to fully heal from the hurt and pain associated with the deed. When we hold that grudge, remain angry, do not forgive, we are only hurting ourselves in the end, because we are not allowing ourselves to come closer to God.

In the idea of being a more thankful person, one filled with more positive than negative, I have found it is easier to forgive people for their wrongdoings or their hurt placed upon me than it used to be. I've forgiven my ex-husband for his cheating ways. I've forgiven the woman whom he cheated with. I've forgiven a friend who treated me very poorly. I've forgiven MYSELF for my indiscretions. I believe that has truly been the pivotal key to my being a far more happier, lighter person. I no longer hold grudges and I truly do not care to carry the burden of anger within myself any longer. My relationships have grown, my friendships more solid, and my life much happier. This is how I want my days to be. I Forgive You.

In forgiving people for their trespasses against us, we are opening the door for ALL the goodness that is out there waiting for us. It is amazing how much easier our days become when we walk with a smile, filled with light and love rather than darkness and despair, anger and hurt. Thankfully, this is another way in which we can CHANGE as people. We do not need to hold on to the hurt. We do not need to carry the grudge. It serves no purpose in our lives. I Forgive You. Three very powerful words that have the insane capability of changing your life!

Until tomorrow, my friends.....focus on those words, I Forgive You. Dig deep and find out who you need to forgive today. Start with yourself. Forgive yourself first. Take that step. I Forgive You.

Think Thankfully.