Week 38: Living with No Regrets

Life is short,
Break the Rules.
Forgive quickly,
Kiss SLOWLY.
Love truly.
Laugh uncontrollably
And never regret
ANYTHING
That makes you smile
- Mark Twain

I have had the flu...the achy all over, fever, chills, sleep all day, lose my voice, bone tired FLU! For 10 days I have worked on getting well. And while I am still so very tired I am working my way back to life and am so grateful. Being sick is absolutely ZERO fun! It's nice to be back and share Week 38 of Being Me with you.

It's hard to believe this journey of ours is nearly 3/4ths of the way done. I have grown so much over the past year and know the ideas and principles I have shared throughout this course will be used time and time again. If you are new to Being Me...no worries! Just click on the 52 Weeks tab at the top of my blog...all 38 weeks are there and ready for you to work on. It looks like we are on track to finish up in Mid-May. Of course I will keep all 52 Weeks on my blog indefinitely...so you have plenty of time to work on it:) Please share with your friends and remind them it's free:)

Okay...let's get on to Week 38...it's something I've been thinking about a LOT lately...the past.

Look not at the days gone by with a forlorn heart.  They were simply the dots we can now connect with our present, to help us draw the outline of a beautiful tomorrow.  ~Dodinsky 

My son, Jackson is moving...this Sunday...far, far away...to Corpus Christi, Texas...and my heart is breaking. I mean I always knew this day would come...my kids would grow up, graduate and head out on their own. But now that it's here...I am at a loss. I don't know what to do. I feel like I can't breathe. What am I going to do?? Jackson is the kind of kid that brightens peoples days. I mean I can be having the worse possible day and in he will march, all Jim Carrey like, saying something completely ludicrous, making me laugh so hard I almost pee my pants. We like the same things...sitting on the couch watching old "B" horror flicks, Dr. Phil and goofy comedies. We play games, go out to eat and just enjoy hanging out together. He is my first child and ever since he was a little guy...he has had my heart.

The thought of saying good bye is totally ripping my heart out....I find myself replaying moments from his childhood over and over again in my mind. "Why didn't I spend more time with him?"...is all I keep asking myself. "If only I knew it would all go so fast...I would have spent more time with him!!"

The other day I spent an hour walking in our neighborhood, reminiscing about things we used to do together and crying because it's all over. The day was overcast but as I got closer to home, the sun started to come out, lifting my spirits a little. As I walked up a long hill, face down with tears flowing a thought crossed my mind. "I can either spend this week crying and living in the past for what was OR I can embrace the wonderful young man Jackson is becoming and ENJOY him NOW."  

I made a decision right then and there to be thankful for all those times we spent together but now it was time for him to go out in the world, see what it's like and fly on his own. I realized in that moment that I was living in the past, beating myself up for not making the absolute most of everything...at least that's what I was telling myself...that I hadn't been the best Mom. That I hadn't been enough.

Girls, we can't live our lives in the present with joy in our hearts if we are so stuck in the past, wishing it back...thinking life was so perfect back then. The Truth is...Life is pretty amazing right now...even though Jackson is moving and I won't get to see him everyday...I KNOW he'll be back. I KNOW we will go see him. I KNOW everything will be ok.

I am tired of living today with regrets. I want TODAY to be JOY FILLED!!!

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.  ~Jan Glidewell

Girls, this week I want you to think about something that is holding you in the past. What is it that you wish you would have done differently? Or better? Do you spend your days obsessing over something that happened a very long time ago? It's TIME to set yourself free! Memories are beautiful things but the NOW, TODAY...that's what matters. The people in our lives at this very moment...they matter. Love your kids, your family and KNOW that Today is the Day. Today is the Time you get to spend with them!!

Create a journal page celebrating the here and now. The beauty of TODAY.