Rest in Peace – Molly’s Movement

My heartfelt sadness goes out to Joey Daley as his mom Molly passed away recently.  If you are a caregiver or have a loved one with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, please take a few moments to watch the video below and listen to Joey.  Molly had Lewy Body Dementia for ten years and through Joey’s chronicles, he has shown us Molly’s true courage and his as well.

There are so many inspiring people in our world.  Thank you Joey and Molly for being you!  A mother’s love and support never die and they stay with us forever.

Shine On!

xo

Make Time For People

Sometimes we need to drop everything and pay attention to the people around us.  Cleaning can be done at any time, but people, when in need, need us now, not when it’s more convenient.  Have you ever had a friend just call to chat because they needed a kind listener, but you’ve got plans to fix up your home, clean out your closets or such and you’re torn between getting done what’s on your list or connecting with them?

You know what the heartfelt decision is, right?

People first.

Did I even need to tell you that?  Or did you already innately know the answer? 

I think we get so caught up in our lives that we don’t make time for those who may need us, but don’t want to bother anyone with their feelings of sadness.  That tentative, I’m just calling to say hi, can sometimes be a disguise to a more needy version of help me, I’m falling apart.  It is with discretion that we need to answer those types of calls because we never know what someone else is going through in their lives.

Sadness can be masked in so many different ways.  Superwomen/Supermen that we are, we don’t share when times get tough for fear of gossip or being seen as weak or worrying what someone will think when sharing our deepest secrets.  But there comes a time when we need to share with a trusted friend.

There was a saying going around on Facebook recently.  Due to a recent suicide in our community, it went like this:

My door is always open. My house is safe. Coffee can be on in minutes, and the kitchen table is a place of peace and non-judgment. Anyone who needs to chat is welcome anytime. It’s no good suffering in silence. I have food in the fridge, coffee and tea in the cabinet, and something stronger if you need it. Listening ears, and shoulders to cry on. I will always be available…you are always welcome!! This is an old value that has been lost to technology…a text, facetime, or emoji is not the equivalent! (but can still help/is better than not reaching out at all),  You are never really alone and suicide is never the answer.
please copy and re-post
#SuicideAwareness #MentalHealthAwareness
1-800-273-8255

There’s something touching with this post that I read countless times.  I just hope for heaven’s sake that people just aren’t copying/pasting and not meaning what they say.  For there are times in all of our lives when we just need a friend to lean on.

We recently had a young person pass away by suicide which rocked the community.  Love and support filled post after post which made my heart sad because I wished he had been able to get help from someone.  I know that sometimes there is not enough help for certain situations, but being me, I always hope for healing, for peace and for love.  And I know you do too.

So the next time you get an inconvenient offer for coffee or a drink or a walk, please say yes.  There are many hours in the day to get your list checked off, but you may be the much needed missing piece for healing in someone else’s day.

Shine On!

xo

 

 

 

When You’re Feeling Like the Only One

There are times in life when you just feel like you’re the only one who is enduring (insert whatever it is that you are experiencing).  You may feel as if nobody understands your situation.  You may even feel alone, untethered and grieving.  It happens to all of us.  It is a normal part of the ebb and flow in life.

But to reach beyond and out of the moment is where your lessons in life school challenge you to search within and to look up and all around you to connect with yourself, God, the Divine Universe and with others of like-mindedness.  To find the positivity in any situation, to allow yourself to be present with the pain/hurt/disappointment and to find a sense of peace even while chaos swirls in one of life’s lessons is the key.  It is in human eagerness the need to smooth the rough edges, to bypass the grief at all costs, to hide away the disconnect from ourselves and others and to make everything okay as soon as possible.  Sure, wallowing in sadness cannot be limitless, but to experience what we are feeling, as we are feeling it and to connect with whatever we are feeling is beneficial.  The choice to move beyond that to a place of peace no matter the circumstances is the lesson here.  And as you know, for we have all had our trials and tribulations, it is not an easy task at times.

But it is possible…and it is your choice for you have free will.

Cloistered in self-pity, does not serve you, nor the world.  It isolates people, disconnects them from reality and from those who want to help.  But it takes courage to connect with others and to connect with our own hearts.  It takes trust in the soul’s knowing that we can open up and be with whatever is happening.  That’s the tough part which many of us find distasteful as we lack the trust within ourselves and therefore, lack trust in the Universal Truths of Life.

I have been there dear friends.  I understand how you feel no matter if our circumstances are not the same.  The bare fact is that the similar feelings join us in ways unbeknownst to most of us.  Universal Healing happens when we connect through hearts and souls on this life path.  The simple act of connecting with another soul, hearing and feeling that someone else understands, makes all the difference in the world.

So today, no matter what you are enduring, please know that I have my hand here for you hold.   My heart is here to connect with yours and my understanding is available to help you to continue on this life path of healing.  I have learned that in reaching out, we also benefit in our own healing and through connecting, we raise our vibrations, enthusiastically joining and reverberating peace throughout the world.

Shine your heartlights.  Join together in peaceful presence.  I see you shining!

Shine On!

xo

Rainy Days and Mondays…

My heartfelt gratitude to all of you who stopped by my blog to send hugs yesterday.  I truly appreciated all of the kindness and love that you showered over me.  Like the rain which has been falling, your loving gestures wrapped me in a blanket of love and gratitude for our connections.  Near and far, you helped me immensely by caring ~ and isn’t that what life is all about?  Sharing, caring and loving connections?

I think sometimes we feel alone and get into our heads that we have to forge ahead, doing it ourselves.  When we get overwhelmed with life’s experiences, we huddle in our aloneness and the story that we have to shoulder it all by ourselves.  Perhaps we view asking for help as weakness, when in fact, I believe, it shows strength.  There is strength in vulnerability.  There is strength in kindness.  There is strength in knowing that you need a hug (virtual or otherwise) now and again.

Sometimes people misunderstand a loving heart and see it as a weakness.  They view caring as being vulnerable and not being strong.  But in fact, I believe, that in being a loving heart and caring, connecting and reaching out to others with our whole selves is a strength for it is not always easy to be the one who prefers peace, love and understanding in their life.

Some find it’s easier to rant, rave and bulldoze to get your own way instead of taking the time to be with life situations with a loving heart.  Loving hearts may get broken easier, but the payoff is priceless and precious to know you love from your heart.  Superficial love is easier to manage because you can walk away.  Real love is doing the work to stay connected even when it’s hard.  I’m not saying that there aren’t times which warrant walking away because I believe there are.  Nor do I blame those that do, for it is every individual’s right to choose their life path.  Sometimes we need to walk away to clear our heads and see from the observer’s point of view and then we can make the right decision for ourselves.

Bottom line, I am thankful for all of the hugs sent my way and as promised, I send double the loving hugs back to you and out into the world.  I hope you understand that I just needed a hug, a connection, a bit of kindness and your response was so generously loving that I actually felt your love-filled umbrella on a rainy day (hence the photo today).  You made a difference.  ♥

Snuggled down on another dreary day, my strength increases again thanks to you.  My smile widens, my heart feels fuller and peace fills in the empty spaces.  It’s just that there are times when we all simply need a hug…

My heartfelt hugs to all of you, always.

Shine On!

xo

 

 

Your Guardian Angels

Guardian Angels.

October 2nd is the Feast of Guardian Angels.  May your Guardian Angels be with you always and may you feel their healing presence in your life today and everyday.  You are loved.

Shine On!

xo

Let’s Fire Up Your Life!

Anything that is worth having is worth working for.

Good morning!  I’m reblogging a post from Open Your Journey ~ Create the life you’ll love to live ~ as I think it’s an excellent way for us to kick off IHU (Inner Hotshot University) and hopefully get you moving and grooving!  Start thinking about what you want to try to do as your personal stretch out of your comfort zone goal for the week.  It doesn’t have to be big, it just has to be something that makes you take that baby step!  I think we’ll start on Friday so start thinking what you’re going to try to do!  Remember we’re all here together to connect and to help each other succeed!  I believe in you and I know we can do it together!

I’m thinking that we can also connect via my FB The Presents of Presence Click here!  There we could communicate on a more immediate basis!  What do you think?  When you need a bit of applause, we could all gather there as well on a daily basis!  Stop by when you get a chance!  I post inspirational tidbits and giggles to brighten the day!

I hope that you get fired up below and hop on over to Bobbi’s blog when you get a moment!  She’s a life coach and has some great ideas ~ and if you’re interested, she can be your life coach as well!

Let’s Find Your Old Spark To Fire-Up Your Life!

“Fire-Up, you say?” with tears at the ready edge of the thought of adding anything to this never-ending, overstuffed schedule called life. I can hear you protesting from the depth of your unfulfilled soul, “But, I’m exhausted! I do everything for everybody, all day, every day, except for me, and there’s simply no time left over!”

Well, I hear you, and I truly empathize. I was that woman scattered in every direction, every day like a hamster in his little pretend merry-go-round wheel. In fact, sometimes, on a low day, I just wanted to jump off that merry-go-round because it just wasn’t that merry anymore, and I sadly resented feeling locked into it. I loved my family, and I loved my career, and I loved all the friends and neighbors, and causes, etc., but my plate was simply too full. And I’m not saying I really, really wanted to run away (though I occasionally dreamt about being on a desert island quite happily), but I couldn’t see a way to make the exhausting repetition and expectations stop. I didn’t know how to carve out room for me. My energy was drained and there was no time for that, so then came the colds…basically this was my “dis-ease” time in my life.

So, having been there, I feel for you, and I feel for so many people I know right now. Friends I once knew as happy and productive people, now have lives completely driven by the daily saucer-juggling that fills and evaporates their every day. The only sense of calm they have is their feeling of “not-too-far behind” as they collapse on their pillows, night after exhausting night. And now that they have lost their spark, they have lost their joy. Happiness, for them now, is the occasional vacation, but with just a different to-do list and almost not worth it.

Okay, so remember back when you felt alive, energized by new ideas and creativity, and you felt free to try new things and embrace life? Try hard, now, you know there was a time! Maybe you have to go as far back when you were a teenager, but I know you can remember having a zest for life somewhere in your history. That’s what you want back. You want a fire in your belly…sparked by a passion…a reason to feel alive and participating…making a difference…connecting with what you’re here to embrace. And the path to that old spark is becoming re-acquainted with your worthiness. My guess is you forgot you deserve to be giving your excitement and gifts to the world. You only need to go inside of you to your deepest and safest sanctuary to remember your inner voice. Listen. It says you are here for a reason. This lifetime isn’t a practice, so you can and should be exploring, creating, teaching, learning, giving, growing, and making a difference in the wholeness of your existence! All in little steps starting with believing you could…believing you should…believing you can…believing you will…and then reaching for what inspires you to go for your joy.

How about you take a baby step today? Start with a belief that you deserve to have a life that includes your happiness, too. (Okay, so maybe that’s a giant step for you? I don’t know, but, you have to admit, it’s not unrealistic.) Add to that a little brainstorming and some creative planning with someone who believes in you and can keep you on your “I-deserve-it” track. And voila! Your spark will be back! Just imagine that…I mean really, really imagine yourself…energized, fired-up, and happy! Will it be worth it? You better believe it! So why are you waiting?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shine On!

xo

Enlighten, Guide and Motivate

Daily Prompt: Mentor Me

Have you ever had a mentor?

What was the greatest lesson you learned from him or her?

Whew…this daily prompt is a loaded question in my life because I have been blessed with many mentors who come into my life as angels dressed in human form.  I have had so many sweet helpers along my life’s journey that I simply cannot choose one because each one has been instrumental in helping me to be where I am right now.  If even one of those mentors were not to have done their job, I wouldn’t be who I am today, nor would I have experienced all that I have endured in order to write to you.

I am blessed to say I’ve had many mentors in my life and they continue to show up almost daily for me!  You see, each of us can help others simply by being ourselves, by reaching out to connect with another person, to hold their hand and to care enough to be instrumental in their lives.  I have been blessed with some miraculous people in my life who continue to be there for me (and I for them) for years and years.  So please know that the small list below in no particular order, is just a few of my longest running mentors!

KAngel ~ Since age 9, we have been inseparable and I can’t thank you enough for being my best friend forever!  There’s nothing like knowing you have a friend with whom you share love and understanding always. xo

BAngel ~ I met you at age 10, you were my teacher then and you continue to guide me even now.  I love that our connection is so indescribable.  It’s as if we play leapfrog and help each other along the way.  You changed my life in so many ways.  I am so very grateful to connect with you. xo

LAngel/BAngel ~Our connection is such a delightful mixture of mom/dad/daughter/friend for which I am eternally grateful.  Your love and support have been immeasurable in my life.  Having known you since I was 18, you’ve been role models, inspirations, comforters and advisers for so many years.  You are always in my heart even when we are separated by miles.  xo

HAngel ~ By my age 14, you saved me, you nurtured me and you led the way for my breast cancer recovery.  Our mom/daughter/friend connection continues to thrive even when health issues occur.  It’s that understanding without words that binds us and for which I’m grateful. xo

AAngel ~ Getting it when it comes to dysfunctional family dynamic, only a sister can be there for you, to mentor you when you just don’t understand and to comfort you when you need love and understanding.  I am blessed with a sister such as this for which I’m grateful. xo

MAngel ~ Mom, your love shines in my life and I am blessed to be your daughter.  xo

DAngel ~ Dad, you taught me forgiveness even when I didn’t want to learn the lesson.  I am blessed to be at peace. xo

NAngel ~ My breast cancer friend who lead me down my journey a year ahead with her diagnosis, holding my hand the entire way.  Even now 11 years later, our bonds are never broken.  For sharing your journey and experiences with me and for allowing me to open up to you, I am so grateful. xo

BAngel ~ You taught me what love truly is, through sickness and in health and I most certainly would not be here if it weren’t for your steadfast support, love and guidance.  Without you holding my hand for the past almost 18 years of marriage, my life would have been so empty. xo

Have you been blessed with a mentor in your life?

Have you ever been a mentor to another?

Please share and…Shine On!

xo

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/daily-prompt-mentor/

A Free Way to Support Breast Cancer!

What Will YOU Do to End Breast Cancer?.

Please click on the link above to check it out!

I’m reblogging this because it doesn’t cost you anything except your time…

Thanks for your time!

xo

The Law of Prosperity 2

The Law of Prosperity

Ready to explore chapter 2 a bit?  Hang on…you’re in for a bit of a ride!

You get what you believe you deserve.  How’s that for frustration?  Or have you learned to transcend the limits of your mind?  Well, Florence, yes, I think we’re now on a first name basis with the author of The Game of Life (click on the book and you can get it for your Kindle) has made the Law of Prosperity easy to understand and easy to apply to your life!

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 2!

Getting into the spiritual swing of things is no easy matter for the average person. The adverse thoughts of doubt and fear surge from the subconscious. They are the “army of the aliens” which must be put to flight. This explains why it is so often, “darkest before the dawn.”

A big demonstration is usually preceded by tormenting thoughts.   Having made a statement of high spiritual truth one challenges the old beliefs in the subconscious, and “error is exposed” to be put out.  This is the time when one must make his affirmations of truth repeatedly, and rejoice and give thanks that he has already received. “Before ye call I shall answer.” This means that “every good and perfect gift” is already man’s awaiting his recognition.

Man can only receive what he sees himself receiving.   A keen observer of life once said, “no man can fail, if some one person sees him successful.” Such is the power of the vision, and many a great man has owed his success to a wife, or sister, or a friend who “believed in him” and held without wavering to the perfect pattern.

So…to all of my readers, I want you to know that I BELIEVE IN YOU! 

I will hold that vision of your perfection in my mind…

Now go forth and prosper!  You deserve it!  So enjoy!!

xo

Sunshine

Sunshine

I’m back on sunshine mode…can’t help it really…I figure I’m on the 7 day countdown to my next surgery so I’ve got to spend each day as happily as I can before I go under the knife again.  So, indulge me please.

My story is not uncommon you know…many people have surgery these days for all sorts of issues.  This next one is a typical sports injury ~ torn meniscus.  Of course, I had to go off and tear it vertically and horizontally because that’s what I do!  I do it to the MAX as the Valley Girls used to say!  Oops…did I just age myself?  Who am I kidding!  I am happy to say that this is the first surgery in 10 years that has nothing to do with breast cancer!  Woo Hoo!  Who knew that I’d be whooping it up for such a silly thing.  But hey, I just continue to be grateful for every dawn and dusk that I’m here.  Know what I mean? 🙂

One of the things that help when you’re homebound after any surgery is hearing from a friend.  Sometimes phonecalls are too taxing though because pain meds can make you very sleepy.  Texts and emails are good when you are feeling like you want to communicate and dive back into the cyber world.

However, cards…yes I know I’ve said it before, but cards are the easy answer…takes 2 minutes, a guarantee smile deliverer to the recipient and if you’re feeling frisky, a few Mrs. Field’s brownies, or a small token of thoughtfulness or a gift card for when the patient is up and around is always a nice way to make someone’s day.

As a frequent patient, I can attest to the fact that the mailbox can be a friend or foe.  Medical bills and confusing EOB’s come through that familiar rectangle and junk mail also seems to increase when you’re stuck at home.  Lucky for me, I have a family of friends who know the sheer delight I get when I open the mailbox to find an envelope with my name on it which isn’t a bill, isn’t junk mail and doesn’t require anything else but a smile from me!

I’ve also shared my secret with them that makes it easier on the pocketbook or murse if you’re a man.  It doesn’t require you to change out of your pjs, get off of your computer nor open your wallet each and every time you do it!  You can even schedule your cards up to a year in advance so you can be ready for my next one in October!

I attached a video I just made from a few of the gratitude cards ~ just thought I’d send some love to all of you!  Pick the thank you card that fits you best and know that if I had your address, I’d send you a real one…and if you want, email me and I will…but if you don’t want to share that info with me, just enjoy a little bit of music and some cards to brighten your day, to thank you for reading my blog and to bring you…

SUNSHINE!

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Happy Monday to YOU!

xo