Words to Live by

A friend of mine, who recently retired from teaching, sent me a little “ditty” that came complete with some colorful balloons. The message was precise, logical, and yet thought provoking. The words are ones I’ve heard before, yet I really concentrated on their true meaning. I hope you find them inspiring as well.

“Life is too short to wake up with regrets”. What perfect advice this is, after all, it’s so easy to blame yourself if you are the parent of a disabled child and play the “blame game” of “What if”…. What if I hadn’t met my first husband and we never got married? What if I decided to wait a little longer to have kids? These thoughts can be very self-destructive and a waste of time and energy, so that’s why I particularly agree with this “fortune cookie” piece of advice.

“If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it.” I love this sage observation. Part of the time, you have to know when that second chance is coming around the corner so you can be ready for it. Most of the time it’s like swatting at a fly or catching a curve ball. It’s part luck and part anticipation and also faith that you WILL indeed get another chance and most importantly, that you DESERVE to get a second try. Carpe diem as they say!

“Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.” I’m not really sure who the “they” is supposed to be, but I like to think of life as an exciting challenge with all the hurdles and speed bumps, and freight trains that stand in your way, and the feeling of sheer bliss and triumph when you can scale that insurmountable mountain and know that you did the best job you’re capable of and you were able to conquer it. Sometimes you have to “expect the unexpected” and revel in your victory. Just keep your eyes and ears peeled for instantaneous opportunities and don’t get so overwhelmed by life that you refuse to peek around the corner or concentrate on that light at the end of the tunnel that becomes brighter and clearer with a more enticing future.

Along the way, don’t forget about your friends, as Bette Midler sang, “You Gotta Have Friends..” because they’re like balloons; once you let them go, you can’t get them back again. Tie them to your heart and tug on the string every so often to remind yourself they’re there. A true friend will be a shield for you, a “knight in shining armor”, a psychiatrist, occasional mother image who doles out sage advice or lends you their shoulder to sob or just lean on, and won’t care if you are having a bad hair day. Trust them, tell them what they mean to you, and thank your lucky stars they came into your life.