SERIOUSLY FOLKS?!

   As I write this, it is the last day of the month of August.  Never again will it be August 31, 2013.  It is still 100 degrees where I live, and although  kids have gone back to school, it still seems like summer.  Well, until I walked into my neighborhood Hobby Lobby store!  I could not believe my eyes!  I was greeted with Halloween witches and goblins, Thanksgiving turkeys and pumpkins and lo and behold, Christmas trees and ornaments!!  Are you kidding me?  And to make matters worse, I went to Costco a week later and was not only met with Christmas trees and wrapping paper but with Christmas music playing!!   Really?  Why??  What is the point of rushing life?!
   I'm a bit superstitious when it comes to planning too far ahead.  I won't even mark the days off my calendar until it's past midnight on that day and is really, truly, the next day;  not even 10 minutes before midnight.  Otherwise, I feel like I'm rushing my life away!  So, when I walked into Hobby Lobby and saw three holidays all rolled into one- two fall holidays and one winter- when it's still summer- I was a bit miffed.
   The crazy thing is, Fall is my very favorite season of all!  You'd think I couldn't wait for all of these displays, but that is not the case.  I want to celebrate Fall when it's Fall, or at least when the calendar has turned to September.  It seems as if the bottom line is money and stores want to make their quotas earlier and earlier every year.  What a shame, because then the holidays become more about that and less about traditions, family, love, togetherness, etc. etc.
   Working in this field of grief, I know that when people are sad and grieving, the holidays only make them feel worse, because they are without their loved ones.  So, altho the stores may think they're doing everyone a favor by starting early, they may be having the opposite effect.  Grievers will now start dreading the holidays when it's still summertime!  How fair is that?!
   We often complain that our lives are too busy and complicated.
Well, we can actually do something about that.  Let's slow down, enjoy each day for what it is, and realize that it will never be here again.  Capture each moment.  Hold it in your hands.  And then let it go so that you can capture the next one and the next one and the one after that.  Life is a series of moments- not days or years. Just moments.  Here.  Now.

"LET'S NOT LOSE TOUCH WITH ONE ANOTHER"!

    Lately, I've been reflecting on how many times this statement has been said to me or I've said it to others.  Alot.  The sad thing is, that the intention is always genuine.  We have strong friendships or relationships with other people that we want to remain strong, but for many reasons, mainly time and distance, those ties unravel.  I find it sad, because I really like all the people with whom I've lost touch.
   I went on a Tauck tour a couple of years ago to the Canadian Rockies.  It was fabulous!  For those of you who don't know what Tauck is, it is a wonderful travel company that puts together the most outstanding tours, with very little effort on your part. Anyway, we met the nicest people, from all over the world, several with whom we vowed to keep in touch.  We did so, with one couple from New York.  Other than that, not one person has emailed, nor I with them.  How sad!  We spent 10 days together, all day, everyday, and I genuinely liked these people.  Blink.  A moment in time.  That's all that was.
  I had a financial advisor for over 10 years that was like a friend to me- both he and his assistant.  I adored these two people.  Then, for various reasons, I had to leave them and go elsewhere.  We promised that we would all stay in touch- no hard feelings.  We tried for awhile, but it couldn't be sustained.  Poof.  Over.
My guy and I recently, mutually, ended our 12 year relationship.  I adore his family and they felt the same way about me.  So, we all vowed to never lose touch with one another, because I was like part of their family.  Our intentions were truly heartfelt.  I also know that lots of things come into play, like allegiances to the true family member and long stretches without seeing each other anymore.  We all want to act as if everything will stay the same.......but it won't......because it can't.  Without alot of effort on everyone's parts, our attachments to one another will die a slow death.  Very sad.
   There are so many kinds of relationships people have with one another, but no matter what kind they are, when they end or wane, they leave a hole in one's heart.  Thank goodness for the memories!  Happy sad tears.