TIME FOR A REVIEW. THERE WILL BE A TEST, CLASS....

I haven’t blogged in forever. It’s not that I gave it up, it’s just that life happens. We get caught up in the daily grind. I am a spontaneous writer—when I get an idea, I have to write it then, or it is lost. I have done some deep thinking this week as we have lost Chuck’s sister very unexpectedly with a brain aneursym. A little "life review", as it were.  First we lost his Dad, Ted, in August, then our brother-in-law Tom in October. They were both ill, which doesn’t make it any easier, but I had a little time to prepare myself for their passing. Christie’s passing was a shock. She was my age (which I prefer to think is not all that old), and in a blink she was gone. Looking back at her life made me look back at mine. What have I done in this life? Am I where I want to be? If I go tomorrow, what is my legacy?  With that in mind, I am laying out what I feel is important:

Love one another. Don’t judge one another. We are all just slogging along, trying to get through this life the best way we know how. And yes, there are those out there who don’t share your beliefs, morals, hygiene, or (Lord help us) fashion sense.  Jesus tells us over and over to love them anyway, and it’s not your job to judge them. For the most part, it is useless to try to change anyone’s mind.  Just love them.

Smile. Be kind. You never know when that grouchy hateful person might just need one.  Help people who need helping. Open doors, carry a bag, whatever. Throw a wink in with that smile. Maybe that person will pass your kindness on. Or the smile.

Be accountable. I struggle with this one. There are always excuses,”the sun was in my eyes”,“the dog ate my homework” or“I was going to come over, but the ShamWow infomercial came on TV and I lost track of time”. If you screw up, own it.

Tell those closest to you that you care. Why is it that we tend to not tell our husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, children, parents, etc, that we love and treasure them? Like they should just know it? Does the fact that we are still hanging around picking up their shoes and cooking a meal once in awhile mean that we love them?  We all like to hear we are loved and valued.

Reach out to people. As you all know, I am a social networking fan. Facebook sucks up more of my time than it should, but I enjoy keeping up with friends. I don’t accept friend requests from someone I have not met. While I may not chat with all of them often, I love to look at their photos of their kids, grandkids, cats, dogs, and goofy videos.  I read their comments, "like" their posts, and watch their journey through life. I laugh at them, pray with them, and poke them occasionally. I post what is going on my end, and post all my random silly pictures and jokes in the hopes of giving away a few smiles—if I can make a couple of people laugh, I have done my job. Not everyone shares my twisted, wacky sense of humor, and if they get tired of my posts, they are welcome to unfollow me. If they disagree with my beliefs and lifestyle, they are welcome to unfriend me. Mostly, I have found people just like to complain about it, but they are still on Facebook looking at my crap.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Ask yourself, "will I remember this in 5 years?" If the answer is no, cut it loose. Mop up the mess, wipe yourself off, and get back to it. Life's too short to nitpick.

Listen to some music. Whatever your preference is, it soothes us, lifts our mood, and for me, takes me to places only music can. Get up and dance once in a while. It is a real stress reliever, and in my case, provides comic relief to anyone close by.

Take care of yourself. Remember that we are not bodies that have souls, we are souls that have bodies. Our body has to carry us through this life, and our soul carries on through the next one. Nourish both.

For me, I try to approach life like I do driving--with reckless abandon.  Peace, friends.