things i've learned (in my old age)

I gotta warn you, this will be a pretty long list and rather wordy.  Everything I needed to know I did NOT learn in kindergarten....Well except for the nice stuff like love your neighbor and those who are different from you.  Be kind.  Be helpful and not mean.  Later in life I learned some lessons the hard way and learned from them.  That is valuable education right there.  Life skills.  I only wish that I had known 30 years ago what I know now.  Coulda'Shoulda' Woulda'.  So here they are in no particular order.  

1.  Own your power.  If you don't feel like being brave manifest that stuff.  There will always be somebody trying to further their agenda if you can be manipulated.  Stop that shit!  I'm not going to get into the specifics but, I've been there done there many times.

2.  Family is important.  That doesn't just apply to blood kin, but hold those close too.  I have brothers andcousins left ( plus one aunt ) who are related to me by blood, that I know of.  I know I know..family can be annoying, but you gotta' love them if you understand from whence they came.  That's the cool thing about having siblings and cousin.  We all have shared memories.  Millette can absolutely tell you that me and Debbie dressed up Tommy as Baby New Year at Gaga/s house. If I'm lying I'm dying.

3.  Nothing is forever.  That goes for good times as well as bad.  You may think that what's happening right now to you personally is huge but that will change.  There is a grieving process involved with letting go of things that hold us back.  Every time something changes the dynamics of our lives, we adapt...hopefully.  Learning to do that is a very valuable life skill.

4.  Pets are cool.  I have never NOT had a pet in my entire life except for when I was in college.  Dorms don't allow that!  I remember seeing a drunk farmer run over my beloved beagle Nosey when I was a little girl.  That taught me about when life sucks and death is hard to swallow. The scenario has been repeated over and over during my life as I continued to care for the least of these.

5.  Therapy is good.  I think each of us has to find a way to peace and there are so many ways to do that.  For me it is gardening and writing.  When I had a good camera there was photography.  Daddy and Mama called me Dick Flowers because I would creep over in the woods and take pictures. I could walk better back then,

6. God is good.  All the time.  We may not understand what the plan is but He does.  Like "every hair on your head" kind of good.  He gave us free will and we all know how that turns out.  When I try to control things instead of going with the flow, usually I fail, I can tell you exactly when I became a Christian and it was at DFUMC around Easter when Mark Locke put on a big production featuring Christ's walk on the Via Dolorosa.  Me and Daddy did that together many times.  

Today's Advent candle is lit for love ^j^