MEMORIAL DAY IS NOT FOR EVERYONE

Some people believe that Memorial Day is for ALL veterans.

Let's be clear. It's for the ones that lost their life. Don't walk up to a service member and say Happy Memorial Day. 

They aren't the ones you need to thank.

Did you go to the cemetery and lay some flowers? Did you go visit a family of a service member who came home 'under' the flag?

See, most people think that this day of remembrance is about having a party, grilling out or saying Thank you to the military people they pass in the street.

It's about us remembering that our freedom, our lives and our country is free because of the people that gave their lives so that we could have freedom of speech and the freedom to live as we choose.

Given that the NFL just ruled that the players are NOT FREE to kneel has upset me. 

Colin Kapernick was kneeling, not because he was disrespecting the flag. Those of you that take exception to that, missed the entire point of his kneeling.

He was kneeling because he took exception to the line in the National Anthem that said, "and justice for all." Justice, as he was protesting, isn't for all. It is for those of you, who's skin color is not dark. Justice isn't for those of us that are male, black and young. 

So Memorial Day is meant for those that gave their lives so that Colin could kneel. 

Make sure you know how to celebrate this day. 

I don't say Happy Memorial Day to my dad or my daughter. 

I say it to those that can't hear me, at Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery or Arlington National Cemetery.

MAKING THE BEST OF LIFE

Well here it is March 23rd (at the time of me writing this) and I am making the best of life.

I survived a snow storm on the second day of spring. 

I survived major surgery on Feb. 26th and I survived a severely broken ankle, foot and leg on Feb. 18th.

I'd say I have no choice but to make the best out of the life I am living.

It seems as if I have been living a nightmare for the past year. Things have gone steadily downhill, in terms of my health.

But you know what?

I'm still here; making the best out of my life.

See I could have given up, thrown in the towel and just gotten so down on life that I could have been miserable.

Now, this is not to say that I didn't.

I had my bouts with depression. 

I was on total bed rest for four (4) weeks. I had some really dedicated people in my life that shopped for me, brought me lunch and dinner and even bought my wine! They made me laugh and see how much they loved me.

I will never forgot them for making me see the sunshine when all I wanted to do was see clouds

So I started making the best of my situation.

I finished a novel! Yippee

I finished up my travel agent certification! Yippee

I even finished up my AA degree! Yippee.

It's amazing what you can do when you have time. 

I made the best out of my life and now that I am able to get out of the house. (I'm still in a cast for another four weeks) I am living life to the best of my ability.

Are you?

REFLECTING ON THE PAST YEAR

This year has been full of ups and downs. 

It started off so well and then the middle of the year happened and it all seemed to go haywire.

June 6; I will never forget. Its the day I had my first cardiac episode. You know; instead of calling it a heart attack; they (doctors) refer to it as an episode. 

Funny, it's not like an episode of my favorite TV comedy. Nor is it an episode of a docudrama. Instead it was a health 'episode' and for that I got to wear a heart monitor for 45 days. I had to adjust my eating habits AGAIN and I had to take life easy. 

I was smack dab in the middle of trying to get my tiny house money together and then this happens. 

All plans were halted and I became at the mercy of my doctors; nurses and family to help adjust my thinking, my habits and my mental attitude. 

Mind you; I didn't think I was dying but it became a thought. 

I had just turned 51; I wasn't ready to leave this earth. Besides, I had another set of twin grandchildren to wait for and I damn sure was not leaving before meeting them.

So as December continues to roll along; I have taken this opportunity to smile at all of the life lessons that happened in 2017 and can't wait to see what 2018 brings.

Hopefully my tiny house will be delivered by my birthday and I will be able to quit my full time job and just sit in my tiny (yet to be named) and write and enjoy my grand children. Until then, I hope you all are looking back on a year full of lessons and taking the time to enjoy the remaining days of 2017.