Excerpt From Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis De Bernieres

"Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your root was so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion that is just being in love, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two."

Just a reading from a wedding I attended this weekend that I really liked.

The Choice

"I choose to live and to grow, take and give and to move, learn and love and to cry, kill and die and to be paranoid and to lie, hate and fear and to do what it takes to move through."

Just a little something I found that I like.....

You can be fully satisfied with where you are, understanding that you're eternally evolving. When you get into that place of feeling appreciation of where you are and of who you are, and appreciation of what you are, and you accept that you are never-ending, always unfolding Being, then you can stand in that delicate balance of being optimistic about what is to come, without being unhappy about where you stand. Find a way of eagerly anticipating future changes, while at the same time you are in love and satisfied with who, what, where and how you are. You're never going to get to any final place. And so, I want to remind you to relax and start having fun on the way. There is nothing for you to go back and live over, or fix, or feel regret about now. Every part of your life has unfolded just right. and so--now--knowing all that you know from where you now stand, now what do you want? The answers are now coming forth to you. Go forth in joy, and get on with it!

A view of life......

If you want to be miserable, then get yourself around other people who are miserable. If you wish to be joyful, successful and fulfilled, put yourself around those who live with positive purpose. The more energy you put into complaining about how bad things are, the more things you'll have to complain about. The more intensely you visualize how good things can be, the better they will become. You are naturally drawn to whatever you focus upon. You will see precisely the opportunities and possibilities that you prepare yourself to see.
Each day is filled with so many choices and directions that you cannot possibly connect to them all.The ones you do connect with are the ones that most closely resonate with your view of life. Fortunately, you can choose to view life in whatever way you wish. Those who find the best in life are those who continually remind themselves that all the good and valuable things are most certainly there. See your life as a grand opportunity for love and joy, achievement and fulfillment. And that's exactly what it will be.
-Ralph Marston

Me on the Gift of Love......

It's amazing, the places that you find love, the people that you never expect. It's amazing what you will do for that love once you have found it. It is important to remember that God sent you the love that you found. The package is just as special and enduring as the love that it contains, weather or not it is what you were looking for or what you thought you always wanted, God gave it to you, it is what you need, so to change this gift, weather it be the package or the content, is to reject a present from God. Who are you to send back or exchange a gift from your maker?

Time

To realize the value of 10 years:
Ask a newly divorced couple.

To realize the value of 4 years:
Ask a new high school graduate.

To realize the value of one year:
Ask a student who has failed a final exam.

To realize the value of 9 months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a still born.

To realize the value of 1 month:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of 1 week:
Ask the editor of a weekly paper.

To realize the value of 1 hour:
As two lovers that are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of 1 minute:
Ask a person that just missed the train, bus, or plane.

To realize the value of one millisecond:
Ask the silver medal winner at the Olympic games.

TIME waits for no one!

I'd Pick More Daisies

I’d Pick More Daisies

If I had my life to live over

I’d try to make more mistakes next time.

I would relax. I would limber up.

I would be sillier than I have been on this trip.

I would be crazier, I would be less hygienic.

I know of very few things I would take seriously.

I would take more chances. I would take more trips. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers, and watch more sunsets.

I would burn more gasoline.

I would eat more ice cream, less beans.

I would have more actual troubles and less imaginary ones.

You see, I am one of those sensible people who lives sensibly and sanely, hours after hour, day after day.

Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had it to do over again, I’d have more of them.

In fact, I’d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years a head each day.

I have been one of those people who never go anywhere with out a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat… If I had it to do over again I would go places and do things, and travel lighter than I have. If I had my life to live over, I would start barefooted earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall, I would play hooky more. I wouldn’t make such good grades except by accident. I would ride more merry go rounds. I’d pick more daisies.

   I found this while doing an assignment in college, I hope it too inspires you to stop and pick more daisies.

                ~Christina

An old journal.....

A little over a year ago when we moved into this house, I went through box after box while unpacking with the idea that I would eliminate clutter early by throwing out any and all junk that could possibly just sit and collect dust. I found things I couldn't explain. I had no idea why I kept them, random drawings, rocks, old awards from Elementary School, apparently at some point they meant something to me. I came across a journal that I kept in college to collect my thoughts, favorite quotes, and the few personal secrets I felt comfortable putting on paper. I went through and copied the entries I really wanted to keep before I torched the rest of it. I can't believe I ever put some of those things on paper, now they are stored safely in my mind. Oh well, the following are the few notes to myself that I find are important things for me to remember.

11/2/02 Dear Self, Please take note of the fact that if you know your doing something wrong, especially one of those wrong things that seems so right at the moment despite that little voice screaming at you from the inside, no matter how big or small it may actually be, it will come back on you double or nothing; so make sure to make he most of these moments for although they may be your best they may also lead to your worst. One things for sure, the end they will all be unforgettable!

11/11/02 Dear Self, Always look in the mirror and say that telling him how I feel was the right thing to do (NOT), Just make sure you understand that when you put your heart in the path of others it is made more than available to trample over! But never hold back, it can only make things worse. Oh Yeah, be happy for those that have what you desire, let their joy only motivate you to do whatever it takes to obtain your hearts desires.

1/4/03 Dear Self, Please refer to this memo when you feel as if your day has been lost and you should have just stayed in bed!

            “Everyday is a good day simply because you wake up!”

You need to remember that all of life is a game and if you say it enough you will eventually believe it. SO! This semester when someone asks you how are you today reply with a great or really good and that is the way it will end.

2/19/03 Dear Self, Learn to say no and prioritize. I know it is hard and although you would love to help others as much as possible, you have to stop and help your self! It is ok to let go and do something for you on occasion. Stop feeling bad for spending your cash on yourself if everything else is taken care of!

6/4/03 Dear Self, never deny yourself the love of another. If they want to give it, take it, fill yourself up to the brim with it and then share your love with them. We need to feel loved some times, like we are wanted, desired, cherished, its good for our souls. So take it all in and grow. 

8/6/03 Dear Self, You are never nor have you ever been guaranteed another day, second, min, hour, night ect. Make them most of them all. 

11/4/03 Dear Self, It is not now nor was it ever a punishment. Remind yourself this daily. It makes life easier when you can stop and just remember, you were all ready trained for this!

 3/12/04 Dear Self: You were warned that life isn’t easy. You were told that it was going to be hard. You are now sitting on the bottom, good luck climbing back up to the top! No one is going to drop you a rope so start to dig now before its too late, slow and steady at an angle is the best way up and out. Take caution to the tools that people hand you, for they are often old and rusty tricks that will only waist your time. Trust no one, not even yourself.