Celebrate Or Not. It's Your Choice.

90th Birthday Cake for UMW member.

It occurred to me that there have been a lot of celebrations lately. A 90th birthday among several others, the birth of a baby, graduations, bridal showers followed by two weddings....  There are more. I suppose if you look around hard enough you could always find something to celebrate or be joyful about. Not just the milestones and occasions in life.

For instance, Spring has begun again and the weather has started to be milder. This has been a beautiful week end with the temperatures in the 70s, the sun shining warmly, hardly a cloud in the sky. This is a week end that people long for.... to go outside and work in the yard, to enjoy the myriad of games that you have to take your kids to, to actually want to walk the dog. This is one of those week ends that puts a smile on every ones face.

MeehanWedding Cake with handmade flowers

Although I don't think that that is completely true. Not everyone automatically becomes happy when the sun starts to shine again. There are some, quite a few actually, that always have some degree of negativity. It doesn't matter what the circumstance, there are those that will always find something to be negative about.

Yes, some are clinically depressed and need help to find their way out.  Some seem to be stuck, focused on the dark clouds instead of seeing all the beauty around them.  But for many, it's just an attitude that needs a little adjusting.

We have become a nation of "Negative Nelly's" and blamers.  It's not my fault that my life is so bad.... it's they economy.... the Democrats/Republicans or Congress in general.... the boss.... the ex.... the Muslims/Christians/Jews....  You name it, people can find something, someone to blame or be negative about.  The media is a barrage of blame, polarization, and divisions. It covers all areas from celebrity news to politics and the world at large.  Even if you wanted to, there is no way to get away from it. (Except maybe to simply turn it off, but becoming a nation of hermits isn't the answer either.) We feed into it every time we turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper or magazine. We spend so much time hating or blaming others, that we don't stop to see whats really good in our lives. 

My Christening Day with family.

Don't get me wrong, it isn't that easy.  You can't just snap your fingers and suddenly you are laughing with joy. Most people don't become depressed in the blink of an eye either.  And we don't have to have a big grin to be happy; or just because we don't have that big grin doesn't mean that we are sad. You have to make it a conscious effort, remind yourself to find the beauty in the world.

I try to find joy in quite places. When I go on a beach vacation I enjoy waking up early (which isn't me at all) to walk on the beach and take photos, or just sit on the porch with a cup of coffee as the sun rises. I also love to go on a MINI Cooper Rally with my friend. She's a great driver, so when we get on those back roads that twist and turn, it can feel like a roller coaster. There are Sunday afternoons with a good book, dinner or drinks with friends, a cuddle with my purring kitty. And so much more.

Joy or happiness isn't going to be the same for everyone. It might be getting out there and seeing all the wonderful colors that are emerging with the spring rain, or going dancing at a club with friends, or watching your child connect bat and ball for the first time. You choose. Find your bliss. It could be anything. It will probably be many things.

All you have to do is make that first step.  Celebrate!

Half: One woman's journey...

HALF: One woman's journey to lose weight

Julia Kozerski's Website
Originally found  on Facebook.com from www.mamamia.com

‘While I genuinely believed that my hard work and dedication would transform me into that “perfect” person of my dreams, the reality of what has resulted is quite the opposite. My experience contradicts what the media tends to portray. While it is easy to celebrate and appreciate the dramatic physical results of such an endeavor, underneath the layers of clothing and behind closed doors, quite a different reality exists.’  J Kozerski


This series of photographs struck me on so many levels that it makes it hard to find a direction to start.

First:  It's Thanksgiving 2012, which means that many Americans across the country just stuffed themselves to the point of bursting.   The Holiday Mecca for over-eaters everywhere that starts today and goes through the New Year.  We are a nation of indulgers.  I include myself in this as well; I have too many things, need to lose weight, etc...  It's no wonder that our children are increasingly becoming more obese.  Ah, but this can be a rant for another day.  So our indulgences led this woman (and many other) to have the need to lose weight, which produced this series of photos on her blog.

Second:  So many of us think that we need to be perfect.  We strive to have perfect bodies, perfect grades, perfect homes, perfect family....  Because we want people to like us, love us even.  Because we think that everyone else has a perfect life.  So we do things like buy the nicest house, lose weight, send our kids to the best schools...., to make everyone else think that our life is perfect.  All the while, popular culture, the media, advertisements tell us that we should be perfect, that we can be, that we want to be.  If we only do this, buy that, eat this but not that; we can obtain our desires and look like the "pretty people" we see on TV and in movies.

Lastly (and more importantly):  I found these photos to be beautiful.  In their raw honesty, we see into the soul.  We see the woman, not her weight or the wrinkles of her skin.  She shines through.  She is flawed, normal, just a woman, not particularly special, but so perfect in her own way.  She is her perfect self.  I hope that we can all achieve this, if even for only a moment.