I can’t seem to focus on a single thing today.  I keep looking out the window and seeing the bright sunshine and am so excited that this is the first time in 5 weekends that it hasn’t rained.  I know that the temperatures are suppose to be around 80 degrees for the next few days and we are now back to daylight savings time and I am just bursting with excitement and ready to head outdoors.  Next weekend, we will be attending a family wedding and Easter is just a couple of weeks away.  And the official start of Spring is just around the corner.  How can I take on any serious issue today?  Well, the fact is, I can’t.

I need to just break loose.  I feel like running until I am exhausted.  I need to enjoy all of the beauty of this day and the great outdoors before I have to return to my desk tomorrow.  And I get to think about the wedding of a mid 20’s couple who have all of the excitement of a wonderful life together right there in front of them.

Would I want to be in my mid 20’s again?  No way!  At that age, we were all still changing and evolving into the true adults that we eventually become.  As the years passed, I learned so much about life and myself.  I stopped taking everything so seriously.  I stopped worrying about every little detail about my appearance and my choices and what everyone thought about me.  When you come right down to it, nobody cares what I do or how I look, etc. because they are too busy caring about how they look and what they do and what others think.  Oh, sure, you always have some people who are so unhappy with themselves that they have to focus on what they perceive as flaws in others but why care about that?  If the purpose of each day is to spend it outside of yourself, you will never know the wonder of what it is like to really be happy and that is a sad, sad situation. 

But each of us can make our own choices about who we want to be, how we want to live and who else we want to have in our lives.  And believe me, it is a whole lot more fun and exciting and interesting to accept others for exact who and what they are than to judge them and make decisions about what they should do and be.  If those decisions about others were really something that could make a difference in our personal lives, then I could understand it.  But they don’t, so they are nothing more than a major waste of our good energy that I would rather use for something else like getting ready and heading outdoors to enjoy the beautiful day that we have been given.  So have yourselves a wonderful week and enjoy it for every great and positive moment that you can capture from it.

Share your thoughts about spring arriving.  COMMENTS

As I sit here watching the first of many pre-Oscar shows, I couldn’t help but wonder why I was drawn to this event.  I really don’t care who wins those statuettes as I think that is more important for the industry people making the decisions about who they want to hire for their next movies.  I will watch the opening for the pure enjoyment of it but from there it is the parade of the winners giving the same speeches that we have heard forever.  So then, why do I always join in to all of pre-shows leading up to the biggest red carpet of the year?  It’s the fashion.

I love all of the clothes, not that I would ever have to worry about picking out a dress like any of those on the red carpet.  I guess it is more an interest in the designs, the colors and the trends for the season.  And of course, hair and makeup provides a great preview for the coming season, as well.  For instance, I just learned that big hair is a current trend according to the show that I am now watching.  Let’s see how that actually translates to what we see on the red carpet later today.  And it is amazing to learn all of the “tricks” that we are shown to include how to make your own exfoliates for your face and lips, how to remove dark circles, how to enlarge the appearance of your breasts and how to keep your dress covering all important parts.

But I also love to watch the shows today because they give me a complete break from reality, even if it is only for a few hours.  After months and months of economic matters on our minds, the wars being waged all over the world, all of the children that keep disappearing only for us to learn that they were taken by abusers and in many cases have lost their lives and the stresses of everyday life and work, I love the break.  I love the glitz and the glamour and being able to watch the beautiful creations that will be shown as well as to see the really bad choices that some of the stars will make because it shows us that no one is perfect and we all can make mistakes, even in fashion when you have what are suppose to be the best designers in the industry creating what is suppose to be the perfect gown.

It is fun to watch the shows in my sweats or pajamas, if I choose, or go to a party with lots of friends who are also enjoying the event.  There are no rules regarding how to share or not share the award shows.  And it is always nice to know that tomorrow and all next week, we will be able to watch more programming that will feature lots of discussions regarding what each person was wearing and who were the “best dressed” and “worst dress” and see whether we are in agreement.

I am sure that everyone has their own reasons for watching or not watching the Oscars and I would really like to hear those reasons.  Share Your comments and let me know why you do or don’t tune in.  Thanks for your input as I would really like to know.

 Share your COMMENTS on your favorite fashions on this LIVE red carpet coverage.

As the closing ceremonies are now just hours away, I can’t help but continue to ponder on these Olympic games and the effect that they have had on me.  I have watched and enjoyed and appreciated the games every 4 years since I was a little girl.  But this year, things are different and in some ways so much more special and meaningful to me.  Or is it just me?

There is no doubt that every Olympian has his or her own story of sacrifice and hard work and dreams of reaching the medals’ podium and we root for our home team members.  But this year, there is “something” that has made it extra special and touching for me.  Of course, the death of an athlete before the games even began did set a unique tone for the opening ceremonies.  And then to hear about the sudden heart attack and death of the mother of one of the skaters just two days later delivered yet another message.

In the Olympics, we see some of the greatest athletes in the world who have followed their dreams.  They have worked and trained and sacrificed to reach their goals of making an Olympic team.  They have had the help of coaches and parents and families and friends, a support system of monumental proportions and even if they do not receive a medal, that does not diminish in any way the accomplishments that they have made in realizing a personal dream or goal.  And we sit here in awe of them, thinking that we could never do something like that.  Well, I disagree.

If you listen to the stories of these athletes, it doesn’t take long to realize that we have all gone through some very major events and challenges in our lives to either reach a dream or to overcome an adversity.  We have had our own support teams that have helped us through and just because we were not awarded a medal at the end of our journey doesn’t mean that it was any less special or noteworthy.  If you think about the hardships that you had to endure to reach your goals, you are no different than any Olympic athlete.  It doesn’t matter whether your fight is or was to overcome cancer, to leave an abusive situation, to finance a college education or any other project that you were pursuing, to overcome the loss of another person, etc.  You, at some point in your life, and often on more than one occasion, had to do the same things that any Olympic athlete has had to do in order to reach your goals.

So, when you are watching the Olympics or any other sporting event or political race or movie or whatever and you are admiring the accomplishments that someone else has achieved, just stop and think about yourself and understand that none of these other peoples’ accomplishments are any greater than your own.  It is all about the human spirit and fighting for those things that are most important to you personally and for those who are around you for whom you wish to fight.   And regardless of what anyone else ever accomplishes, it is never as important or of greater importance than what you personally do or accomplish and that is why we are all truly equal.

I would love for you to SHARE your favorite Olymic moment.    COMMENTS

The 2010 Olympics from the beginning have been very moving. From the death of an athlete to the death of a parent of an athlete, you can’t help but think that these games might go down as one of the more memorable ones. There is no doubt that there have been many inspirational moments that will be remembered for years to come. In this weeks show I would love for you to share the Olympic moment that has provided inspiration to you and how it will impact you in the future. CALL IN LIVE at (347) 994-1310.

Original Air Date: Saturday Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST

Share your favorite Olympic moment!

As I concluded a second Let Life Happen radio broadcast last evening on the subject about “how did you react when someone told you that they had cancer”, I wanted to thank each and every person who posted a comment or shared a story on this subject.  As we all know, that is a really hard subject with which to deal and I received such a great response that it made it necessary to do two shows on this subject in order to cover so many variations.  As I indicated in that show, I shared a marvelous piece that I used for reference and as promised, I am sharing the link here for everyone who may be interested: 

What Not to Say to Someone With Cancer

Although the title is “What Not to Say to Someone With Cancer”, it does provide suggestions of what we might say in place of our normal responses.  In addition, there were a number of comments posted with this article that also shed some great light on this issue and definitely are worth reading.  I only wish that I had had access to such an article years ago when I was responding to family and friends in the matter that I did despite my good intentions.

Over the years since I was faced with someone having cancer and trying to figure out what to do/say. I have added my grandfather, my godmother, her daughter and granddaughter along with my father, my mother, my baby brother and numerous friends to that list.  And now having been on the receiving end of cancer as well, I have learned so very much.  But, most importantly, I have learned that each person and how they choose to deal with their own cancer is as individual and different as their own cancer and treatment. 

I believe that the best thing that anyone can do for someone with cancer is to respect them.  This includes respecting how they choose to deal with their own situation, the choices that they make with regard to treatment, etc. regardless of whether you agree or disagree with those choices and what they choose to share or not share.  We are all unique because of not only our creation but also because of our own experiences.  We have been given the right to do what we feel is best for ourselves on an individual basis and no one has the right to tell us what we should do with our own lives. 

From there, if you let the cancer patient know that you are there to help them in any way that they may wish (taking them to dr. appointments, picking up food or prescriptions, bringing in a meal, helping out with children in the household, etc.), just know that the matter is now out of your hands.  You can be there to listen or just sit quietly as needed.  You can make a call to find out if there is any way in which you are able to assist and from there it is up to the patient.  Allowing the patient this type of control over their own life is the only control that they will have in this matter and it makes all of the difference in the world.  I know that it made all of the difference to me in my own battle.

Please also know that the reason for this website is for all of us to have a place where we can share our experiences, our questions and a fellowship with others who are going through their own struggles regardless of what they may be.  You are always welcome here and know that the others here feel as I do and that is that we are all in this together and that is why we are here to help each other.

As always, I love your comments.

One of the hardest thing that anyone might ever have to do is to hear that a family member or loved one or friend has cancer. It has happened to just about every single person that I know.

Although we addressed this topic last week, I wish to continue the discussion this week, but I have a particular question to which I am seeking an answer. I would love to hear from you if your response, when you heard that someone had cancer, was to turn and run away. I understand that this frequently happens and I think that I am beginning to understand why but I really would like to receive your story. Your identity will not be revealed if you wish but please know that you are certainly not alone if this was your response.

So this Saturday at 8:00 p.m. PST on Let Life Happen TALK, I would like to discuss this subject and would appreciate your input below.  If you prefer to call in to the show, the phone number is 347-994-1310. Please let me know about your reaction and why you did not feel that you were able to stay and provide support to the person with cancer. Perhaps by sharing our experiences, we may be able to help others who, in the future, have to face this situation.

In last week’s blog, I requested that you share your stories with me so that I could share them with others as a way of letting everyone know that regardless of what you have lived in your life, there are others who have shared the same experience.  In the midst of all of the stories that I received from so many different sources was the one from Lindsey, a young lady of 12 years who wrote as follows:

I am 12 years old. I am living the life I have always dreamed of, being home schooled gives me the opportunities I never thought possible. Now, I left middle school because of my indifference to those sassy 13 year olds.  They think they can do whatever they want.  No I don’t think I am a dragon warrior, I am actually quite normal but too different. 

These couple of sentences have been running through my mind all week.  I am so astounded that a young lady is living a happy life at her age and has been so appreciative of that to be able to share here story here. And the reason is obviously because she has someone in her life that cared enough to not only listen to her but also to hear what she was saying.

This brought me to memories of my days in junior high and how I always worked so hard to reach perfection but no matter what I did, it never seemed to be enough to receive the praise and attention that I really craved from my parents.  And on this Valentine’s Day, these thoughts then took me to a very special Valentine’s Day dinner that I shared with my parents many years later.  As we were discussing many things from the past, I raised the point that as I was growing up, I felt that I was pretty much ignored and did not received the attention that my older sister and younger brother had always received.  My parents actually agreed that this was true and for that, I will always be grateful so that I don’t think it was just my childish imagination.

You see, I was that middle child whose younger sibling came along only 16 months after me.  Therefore, as my parents explained, there was never time for me to be the baby.  As we grew up, I always did well in whatever I pursued so they did not need to spend the time with me that they needed to give to my sister and brother. 

I could go on and on but there is no need to do so because the message is that the most important thing that anyone can do for their children is to give time and attention to each and everyone of them in accordance with their individual needs.  Had I been recognized for my achievements along the way rather than just having my parents expect them of me and ignoring them and me as a result, I would have had a much better self image.  But when you do your best and no one ever acknowledges it, you feel like you can’t live up to your parents’ expectations and therefore, have low self-esteem, even when it isn’t justified.

So, to dear Lindsey, I want to thank you so much for sharing your story and for helping me to understand some things about myself that I had not understood before.  And hopefully Lindsey’s story will help other parents to take a second look at the interactions between themselves and their children.  If they listen to their children and hear what they are really saying, everyone will live a much happier life and have a much better relationship, one with another.

Share your COMMENTS.