.What I Know For Sure.

2/13/10

What I know for sure:

Hard days come....special days, anniversaries, holidays, and random days when you really just wish this hadn't happened to you....and it's okay to be sad...take it one minute at a time....never rush into plans or be afraid to go if you have to...and always try to remember the times that made you laugh.

I will never again have what I lost. Knowing that and accepting that are two very different things. Nothing fills that void. That's okay too....so feeling the sadness and pain are part of the process.

It is necessary, sometimes, to bring yourself joy again. People do it in different ways. I got a puppy who makes me laugh and smile and loves me-happy or sad-and has filled my heart with a desire to go home...he's filled my home with an infectious laugh...and he's brought more joy to my life (and Maya's) than I knew could happen again. (Currently he is waving his tug in front of Maya to get her to play)

It is so important to do what makes you happy now instead of telling yourself you'll have the time later. If you don't have it now--it is likely that 10 minutes from now or 10 years from now won't matter much and you'll find you've spent your whole life waiting for the right time to come....and sometimes you'll have missed it all together.

Change is necessary. It is a part of life. It doesn't mean it's easy....but it's natural that it hurts sometimes and that you're not always sure if this is the right path to be on. The beauty of it all is that, at any point, you can make a choice and change it....for yourself. Even when it's not our choice that change has happened, it's always our choice in the way we choose to react to the situation. Sometimes character is built on your reactions rather than what actually happens to you.

It's okay to be sad if you also try every day to happy.

Singing is always good for the heart. Off key, right in pitch, an octave too high, however it works for you. Your spirit smiles when you sing.

It's good to re-prioritize your life every now and again. Healthy even.

Dreaming is important...even rearranging them when need be.

Prayer....it's healing...it's comforting...and it's always there.

Your family comes through for you when you need it most. You will never know how blessed you are until you realize all they do when you need them the most.

Your friends, the one who stay when it gets really bad, are the ones who will always be there...at three in the morning...at your best moments...in your life always.

You learn as you go...it's not always easy but you try your best. It's not perfect...it never will be. You learn to just keep swimming....it becomes a necessity.

I've learned this is your one life. This is all you've got. There are ups, there are downs...there's everything in between. Nothing is certain or permanent...and when you get too comfortable, sometimes the rug comes out from beneath you....but when that happens, stand back up, dust yourself off....and try again....always try again.