How Important is a Friend?

How Important is a Friend?  How important is it to BE a friend?  What IS a friend?

Are we a rock or an island?  (I love that song)  "and a rock feels no pain and an island never cries... "  

Who would you be if you had no friends?  If you weren't a friend to someone else?

What I do know for certain is this:

I do not want to live as an island anymore.

Make Sure You Say It

This is just a little thought from Tara; 

If you care about someone, tell them.  If you think something nice about another, make sure you let them know.  If you love someone, speak the words.

It's just so simple to say those wonderful words that can make someone's day.  When you make someone's day, the amazing thing is that it travels in a circle and spreads around the world, we don't know how far it goes.  Imagine all the good that you can do by just the simple act of speaking that kind or positive word.

Let people know that they are beautiful, that they are loved and that someone cares. Let them know that they matter.

Too many times we think things and don't say it.  Put it into words.  

Make sure you say it!

The Gift of Sound

Music can lift our hearts and take us to heights that we never thought we would climb to; heights we never even knew existed!  It is that spirit of music that I wish to applaud. 

Music has always charmed me, it has been there through tough times and blissful times.  Music has been such a wonderful friend.

I would just like to honor all the sounds that have warmed my heart through the years. I love the way that music makes me feel.  I love that God gave us ears to hear so that we can enjoy the incredible gift of sound. 

  

I am so pleased that I have an understanding of the bliss that music can bring.  Music has taken me on incredible journeys, it has filled my life with so much joy and has fulfilled my life in incredible ways. 

I love to listen to the calming sounds of the river as it flows across my pathway.  I cherish the sounds of a young child laughing with so much joy that it almost brings tears to my eyes.

Doesn't it bring you joy to hear a child giggling?  Or a baby cuing? How invigorating it is to hear the clap of lightning and thunder.

I wish for everyone to find some time in their day in which to sit quietly and listen. 

Sounds can invigorate; as well as make you laugh and make you cry.  The sound of music, be it classical, popular, rock and roll soul, jazz...  whatever moves you, whatever grooves you.  It is amazing to let your mind flow and your ears hear the incredible songs of life; the music of life.

The sound of music comes in all forms and everybody has their own song to sing.  I love to sing.  I love to hear it when someone is singing from their soul, from the heights of a mountain top or the depths of a valley.  

I encourage everyone across the world to have their OWN song and to sing it loudly.

So Sing It, Baby!!!    ;)

Today's Life Lesson

This afternoon I came upon a huge life lesson that I'd like to share with you, My Readers.

I hadn't heard from one of my dearest friends for a long time and I suppose that I have had some sorry feelings about that circumstance.  You see, I'm sure that some of you would agree that it's very difficult coming through a major life change such as having a stroke or some other major life incident.  I have felt sad for myself that after having SO MANY FRIENDS all my life to after having had the stroke; now having FAR FEWER FRIENDS.  It has been a painful thing to grapple with considering that I haven't changed at all, other than the dealings of the aftermath of having a massive stroke and all that it left me with.

The good news, in fact, the great news is that I am one of the most persistent and go for it kind of chicks you might ever meet.  I am delighted to stand before you now as a very strong and capable lady who has come a thousand miles.

The lesson that I'm speaking of is that I heard from my friend and found out that the father of her child had a stroke and other complications which led to all of his limbs being amputated.  He's only 54!  And, he has no close family, other than his one daughter.  I have a lot of respect for my friend; respecting him and coming to his assistance for the benefit of his daughter, my "niece".

Isn't it interesting that we have our own crosses to bear and in looking at the situation from all sides, I realize that this man is going through an incredible crisis in his life.  It gives me warmth inside that my friend would be so kind and giving as well as my "niece" being so strong to deal with her dad going thru this crazy situation that would have most people on their knees.  

In fact at this moment I'm saying a prayer to Our God in thanks for my realization that we all have our separate painful things we must deal with and that we need to offer ourselves up to help one and all for the blessings that we get and for the strength that we can and will endure all that we need to, because this is the life he has given us.  And, we owe our thanks for all that he has done for us and will continue to do for us, until such time as we pass the baton to our children and our children's children.

What Might You Like to Hear About?

To My Dearest Audience,

Today I'm thinking hard about what it is that you My Audience might like to hear or know about.  I have so much information in my head about subject matters from it seems like soup to nuts.

You have heard me speak about the massive stroke that I endured as well as the longing for travel, I cannot wait to tell you about in future blogs.  That means that I can't wait to talk about the times in the future that I have not yet had.

I have been told by many mentors of mine that I really need to talk about those things that have been very difficult to write about, such as; the tremendous pain from my Sjogren's disease/disorder, my extremely painful nueropathy, the difficulty in coming to grips with the fact that perhaps I don't have the readership that I want to have, because perhaps no one wants to hear about my woes.  

Frankly, I would prefer to talk abut my happiest of times where I've traveled through the world having had incredibly blissful times hanging out in Greece, Florida, Italy, Paris, France, The Bahamas...

So, My Dear People Out There, Somewhere...

What is it that you want to hear about?  Know about?  As I have so much to share.  May I tell you about some of my happiest adventures?  Or shall I beckon you with my deepest and darkest secrets?  Only you can let me know.

So, please do.  Let me know.

I look forward to hearing from you.

HEY MAUI! I'M BACK!!

I guess most people that are reading this blog are aware that I had a massive stroke about 4 years ago.  There are so many things that I could say in order to express the enormity of what happened to me in this horrifically challenging time.

One of the things that happened was that I lost most of my hair due to the fact that I was moving my head from left to right, and right to left, left to right and right to left ... with great and increasing speed; so that my hair fell out in crazy clumps.  It must have looked absolutely awful!  For I am one who took a lot of pride in how she looked, with my thick, long, flowing mane.  

What I was left with as I have my earliest memories in my recovery, was a gruesome mess of hair that had been all but stripped out and looked like a sad excuse for a homeless creature.   At the time, my husband left a note on the door of my hospital room asking all people not to say anything to me about what my hair looked like.

You see, everyone knew the pride I had in my hair and my husband knew that I would be nearly destroyed if I were to find out that I was looking like such an urchin.

But that was nearly four years ago and with all of the therapy, both personal and physical; as well as having an attitude for self improvement; I am back!

The therapies I chose to do included strength conditioning, walking, a tremendous amount of lap swimming, working out with a trainer and lifting weights.   Now, I can move mountains!  

I feel very proud of what I have achieved.  Most people would have died.  The only way that I have succeeded is having the attitude of success with no other possibility.  I had nothing else but success in my mind.

As you can see from the picture on this blog; I have a HUGE head of hair, that is thick, long and blonde again.  Who woulda thunk?  ;)

HEY MAUI!  I'M BACK!!