Oh What We Do With the Stories We Tell

Happy Friday all you guys and gals!  I'm back with another one!  Today's post has been inspired by moi.  I don't know what it is, but lately, I haven't been observing anyone other than me.  But that's a good thing because I'm getting to know myself in ways I never knew before.  So any ole way, I hope you  not only enjoy this one, but that you share this with others (if you feel so inclined to).  Whatever resonates with you, take it (in my Diddy voice) Take that, take that, take that!  And whatever doesn't, leave it be.

So it's a beautiful day, it's the weekend, so go out and enjoy it.  After you watch this and share it that is! 

I Love You, But Damn You Make Me Sick!

Happy Happy Friday!  I've been in a little bit of a funk this week.  I've had insomnia for 3 weeks and I think the fact that Sunday is Father's Day has been weighing on me.  When I have managed to get some sleep, I've had some of the most disturbing dreams I've ever had.  All of that funk-i-ness I've been feeling has had me being quite snippy--with others and myself.  I've been especially snippy with my baby girl.  And I don't mean to be, it's just my tiredness and sadness has me unable to give the compassion and patience that I am usually able to give to her.  So it got me to thinking about how we feel about the people we love.  If you know me (and now if you don't), you know that my daughter is the love of my life.  But she can pinch that very last nerve of mine like nobody else!  The only person who surpassed her ability was my father.  And that doesn't mean I don't love her, or that I didn't love him.  I actually like that she does.  It lets me know I'm not a robot and I'm not some emotionally crippled human being who doesn't know how to express the full spectrum of my feelings.  I love the scene in "Grown Ups" where Joyce Van Patten, who plays Gloria, says something to the effect of "There's a lot of hostility that comes with love".  And she is so right.  I  mean we even treat ourselves--the ones we should love the most--hostile.  So why would we expect that we wouldn't do the same to the others we love?  The love is still there, but all great love brings up some of the other stuff and that's good.  It means we're growing.  Whenever there is growth, all that other garbage tends to come up for us so we can toss it.  I like that I get the chance to do some soul cleaning. Hope you do too. Have a fantastic weekend!

Love Don't Love Nobody . . . Or Does It?

Happy, Happy Friday to you! And Happy 1st Day of June!  Not sure if that really means anything, but for a lot of us it's a sign that summer is right around the corner so that seems like cause for celebration.  An-t-way . . .  I don't know where you are, but here in the Windy City known as Chicago, it's kind of cool and dreary.  It's been raining for the past 2 days and for this little ole insomniac right here, this is nothing but the perfect sleeping weather.  Yet for some strange reason, sleep keeps eluding me.  Yawn.  Oh well, what's a girl to do?  Once upon a time, when I would find myself suffering from insomnia, I would be pretty damn depressed and cranky.  Now because I consider y'all family, I'll admit to you that I am just a wee bit cranky, but gratefully, I'm not depressed.  Oddly enough, instead of feeling depressed, I feel especially grateful.  I'm even more aware of all the good things that I have going in my life.  And for me, one of the--if not the greatest--things I have in my life is Love.  I was once a girl who focused so much on the Love I felt I wasn't getting, that it caused me to miss out on the Love that was already there.  I have since matured and learned that you can't get what you are not giving.  I wasn't even Loving myself, so how in the heck could I expect anyone else to Love me?  Glad you asked, makes it easy for me to give you the answer without seeming presumptuous.  Well the simple truth is that I couldn't.  So I was just this sad, lonely, depressing little thing attracting no good ninjas into my hemisphere, allowing them to hurt me (and repeatedly at that); then lamenting over my sorrows; talking about how I hated Love cause Love hated me.  And guess what?  Love didn't hate me!  Never did, never will.  It was I who hated myself.  So I just kept inviting other folks into my space to treat me the way I thought I deserved to be treated.  And guess what?  It wasn't them either!  It was all me!  How do you like them apples?  (I prefer mine stewed, but that's another topic).  Now that I get that School House Rock lesson, all those ninjas who didn't mean me any good have dissipated and a greater batch of Love warriors have entered my plane.  And like Tony, Toni, Tone sang some years ago, it feels good!

So that's my share for the day.  And it ties into what today's video is about.  Love is surrounding you every moment of every day of your life.  If you get hurt by someone, please understand that it wasn't Love who did it to you, it was just another soul wandering this human plane trying to figure things out just as you.  Just loose that person and go on with the business of loving yourself so you can receive the Love you know you want.  So what say you?  Do you have a love or hate relationship with Love? Have you been badly hurt and now you're like poor little Bobby from the Wedding Singer wrecking other folks receptions singing "Love Stinks"?  Tell me all about it, cause you know, sharing is caring.