Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Part 8.

"Be sure to drink your Ovaltine. Ovaltine?

A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!"

~Ralphie

Part 8 is dedicated to love. Love comes in so many different forms, it may be hard to come up with a short quip for this post, so forgive me if this goes astray and gets a bit long winded.  And yes, I realize the quote may not be directly relative to love, but Ralphie soooo looked forward to getting his Little Orphan Annie Secret Society Decoder Pin in the mail for weeks and his excitement when it first arrived (prior to cracking the secret code) was what drew me to use this  quote.

Love is such a powerful feeling, an emotion that fills you with joy and excitement!  When you find yourself in love you never want it to to end. You want to keep it, forever.  Many say nothing lasts forever, promises are meant to be broken, blah, blah, blah ... yea, I know, sad, right? I am that dreamer who believes in love at first sight, fairy tales lives and fate.  I will never give up on those things, because I still believe, despite everything I've gone through over the years, that a love that is cherished and respected does last forever and promises need not be made just to make another happy.

I've had a rough stint with love though. Now, I'm not saying that I'm not to blame for any of it, I am. I can say that because I had lessons to learn to become who I am today. Failed relationship after failed relationship, it probably seems like years wasted to most people, but not to me.  I have learned that you have to take the good out of every situation, even the ones that bring you down to your complete rock bottom.

So here we are and it's Christmas time.  I hit my rock bottom this year in March, but since August, I can't remember a time in my adult life when I have been any happier in love.  After a breakup from a very toxic relationship, I gave up hope on finding someone who would be a part of my happily ever after.  Then, I met someone, who, at the time I didn't realize would be anything more then a friend, until August. Everything changed in August with a few simple words.  Ya see, I'm a simple girl, all I really want is a man who will take care of me, who will be there for me when I need to bitch and complain, someone who will make me feel as beautiful as he tells me I am ... and mean it.  Yea, I got that. And OMG! if I could have ever imagined it would feel THIS good, I would have thought I was over-rating it.  It feels sooo AMAZING to be given back the same amount of love that you give out, to be with someone who shows you that he loves you, not just says it.  Someone, who with a simple smile, makes your heart melt!!!!  Love should never be taken for granted, ignored or under appreciated.  It should be embraced and held in such a high regard, so if the road does ever get a bit rough, you know, with every ounce of your being, that you will get through it ... together, and that you will be stronger because of it.  

So what's this got to do with bringing the magic back to Christmas????  Well, everything. Love is the leading ruler of this world, aside from war, anyways.  Marriages end in divorce because people don't take their vows seriously enough to fight for what they thought they once wanted. Prejudice and judging others seems to be a wave of the future again, rather then a death of the past and causes our children, the future leaders of this world, to grow up with hate rather then love, judgments of who they SHOULD be  rather then endorsements for who they WANT to be, and the worst of all, the media, of all kinds, helps this get along further then any feel good news that would actually show mankind that there is still good in this world, rather then all of the drama, hate and despair that goes around.  I believe that we need to make changes in how we show this world to our children.  John Lennon had it right in his song "Imagine" ... yes he was a dreamer, but so am I ... but I don't have the dream of a world of peace, that is impossible, war is inevitable, HOWEVER, if we can live our own lives with peace, love and harmony, perhaps we would have stronger family bonds, friendships and other partnerships, which, in turn, would provide for a world of a stronger humanity.  

So, here's my unasked for advice ... if you have someone in your life who makes you his or her everything, loves you with their entire heart and soul and would take a bullet for you, and not only tells you but shows and proves it to you as much as humanly possible ... show your appreciation for that, because it can be gone, in an instant, leaving you with your heart in a billion pieces because you didn't take the time to slow down, respect a TRUE love and give it back the way it is given to you.  Love is something that you should cherish EVERYDAY, not just when it suits you.  Love should never be taken for granted, it should be respected and given back threefold.  Make memories together and laugh often.  Share emotions, secrets and scars that make you who you are, don't hide them or try to forget that they are there ... why would you want to cover up YOU? 

"LOVE" Statue in Philadelphia, PA

Have you found YOUR ever lasting love? 

Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine
http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Quote of the day ... Nov. 15, 2012

“Broken hearts and dirty windows make life 

difficult to see, that's why last night and this 

morning always look the same to me”

~John Prine

I find it best to always start the day with a fresh set of eyes.  A broken heart hurts, and each time it is broken it seems to get harder and harder to allow ourselves to be that vulnerable again.  You begin to wonder if it is possible for your heart to ever fully mend.  I have recently discovered that the secret to mending a broken heart is to love again, or rather, to allow yourself to love again.  Keeping the pain and hurt attached to your heartache causes your "heart-windows" to become dirty.  The only way to remove dirt from a window is to cleanse it, right?  Well, your heart needs the same cleansing (just don't drink the window cleaner LOL), it requires a fresh start, a new chance at loving again.  If you find yourself living day to day with nothing but pain in your heart, start to look within to see what you can do to cleanse your "heart-windows" to be able to see clearly through them again.  

Love will wait for you. The person worthy, may not.

http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Quote of the day ... Nov. 5, 2012

"There's something liberating about not pretending.

Dare to embarrass yourself. Risk."

~Drew Barrymore

Dare to challenge yourself ... by being yourself.  Speak your opinions, live by the advice you give and love like there is no tomorrow.  Take a risk on life.  There are no guarantees in life, you may not get a second chance to tell that special someone "I Love You."  You may not get a second chance to tell someone "I'm Sorry" or "I'm here if you need me." So don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today.  Try to keep your heart free from regret and let go of past grudges that may be dampening your spirit.  

Dare to be YOU.  Even if it means standing alone. You will shine no matter what. 

Quote of the day ... Oct. 31, 2012

"Only one book is worth reading: the heart."

~Ajahn Chah

Ever get a feeling that just seems to radiate from your insides out?  That gut instinct that you just cannot ignore?  What do you do with it?  Do you question and second guess yourself? Or do you just go with and it trust that everything will work out?  

I always follow my gut. There has been very few times when I have decided to go against my gut instinct only to have it blow up in my face and I end up going the way of my gut.  I may not always understand the reasoning for my instinct or know the exact outcome, but I always know that no matter what my gut instinct will never lead me astray. 

Whenever people come to me and ask me what I think or what I think they should do .... my advice is always: Trust your heart.  Always.  Follow it thru and see where you end up. 

http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Quote of the day ... Oct. 16, 2012

"Love is the difficult realization that something other than oneself is real."

~Iris Murdoch

Love is my favorite thing. The feeling it sends through every inch of your being is simply amazing.  Love is not enough though. It may be patient, it may be kind, but it's not enough. 

Love needs to be embraced with understanding, communication, willingness to do whatever it takes to get through.  Love requires patience and kindness.  Love knows no wrong. Love can see how a past can make a person who they are today, and does not judge based on a place where one no longer lives.  Love can help you hold onto a future.

In my mind there is a clear difference between loving someone and being IN love with someone.  I have heard many people say that the part of being IN love fades to simply loving someone.  I do not believe this to be true.  I believe that in real love, it is imperative to find a way to fall IN love constantly.  Take Lucy and Ricky, no matter how crazy Lucy made him, you could always tell that Ricky was IN love with her.  It's all in the eyes and the body language.

Finding someone to spend a lifetime of falling IN love with may not seem realistic to many, but you know when you see those really cute old couples walking down the street or in the mall or at Target still holding hands and gazing at each other ... they have it. They are the ones that have held onto the fact that true love exists and gives the rest of us hope that we will find that same thing.  I believe that anyone can find this, it's all in how you grow together. More times then not, people get comfortable and without even realizing it, start to take their true love for granted, this is when I believe falling IN love fades into simply loving someone.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have that feeling you had back in the beginning when everything felt good, there was nothing to fight over, nothing to complain about, and you missed the person the minute you were no longer with them? You can have it again, and you don't even need to find someone new.  You just need to do something different.  You need to vocalize your thankfulness for that person being in your life.  Remember all the things that made you fall IN love in the first place, and find those things again. 

Sometimes we have to stomp on the grapes to make the wine, but the end result is always worth it. Go for it! I encourage you to find yourself being IN love again! 

http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Quote of the day ... Oct. 8, 2012

"After all is said and done, a lot more 

will have been said than done."

~Author Unknown

Do actions speak louder then words? I believe the answer is yes.  When someone says they will do something, we all carry a small shred of doubt until the action is completed.  The biggest fallacy I've ever heard is "If you need ANYTHING, please let me know."  How often do you say this and hope and pray the person never cashes in?  I make it a point to never say this unless I fully intend on keeping my end of the bargain.  I mean, let's face it, there are some people, that, even tho you feel bad for the situation they are involved in, you honestly just do not want to have any part of.  If this is the case, why offer yourself as a strength? I find it better to simply offer your condolences and move on.  

When you do offer yourself as a strength in any given situation be sure you have committed yourself 110%.  Only by doing will you be trusted as someone who stands by their words.   

Think about it, how many people in your life would you absolutely put everything else aside and be there 110%.  Kind of puts things into perspective when you really think about who you'd really be that person for, and chances are, those select few would also be there for you in a time of need.

Open your heart and receive the love that surrounds you, and give it to those who truly deserve it. 

http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com