His eyes had sinister charm and I was drawn to him. He was precisely my type. I was pleased to meet him but he would be like the others. No names were exchanged.
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“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” ~ A.A. Milne
~
I write this post through swollen eyes and saturated shirt sleeves. Tonight while watching a scripted episode of a television show I witnessed a group of friends bid farewell to, not only a fellow cast member but, a confidant, a lover and a friend. And although it was scripted, it was a heart-wrenching hour that brought any of the goodbyes I have ever experienced bubbling to the surface of my emotions because it was a genuine farewell to a person who will no longer be in their day-to-day realities. The poignant words of the writing team were presented with a deep honesty because the melancholy was sincere and the pain was palpable.
Anyone who has lost someone can relate to the despair I am currently feeling. Memories of the anguish I felt in the moments of my own losses came flooding back and I envisioned the struggle I endured to force myself to change the definition of those bonds. I cried for their pain and I cried for my own pain. The most difficult part of saying goodbye is knowing that you had something remarkable in your life and it was taken away before you were ready to part ways.
Living through a loss is inevitable. We can never fully prepare ourselves for the roller coaster of emotion that follows that loss. Death is hardest on those left here to endure the sadness. It is a closed door that can never be opened again but I hold strong to the faith that what lies beyond that closed door is filled with happy memories and moments that can be cherished by watching the movie of the life they lived.
The bonds we have with those who have left us still remain. The parameters of that relationship may have been vastly altered but the connections we have still exist. We have memories to cherish and, in time, reminiscing will make that goodbye a little less painful and allow the happy memories to outweigh the grief.
Working in a team environment every day should make you realize that you are only as good as the team you have surrounding you. Being in a leadership role, no matter how confident you are, will only take you so far without acknowledging the many people who follow your lead and give their all for that team.
I am fortunate to work with a great group of people. Their true dedication to performing their jobs to the best of their ability makes my job that much easier. Sure we all have days that we would prefer to be anywhere else but the struggles we face, we face together. And that common bond makes us that much stronger of a team.
We face the hardships together, we jump in where we are needed and we all seem to strive for the same goal. Those things alone would be enough of a recipe for success but we are fortunate to enjoy a sense of camaraderie along the way and infuses our day with laughter and a true sense of friendship. Some days are more of a struggle than others to keep our heads above water and come out at the end of the day with a smile on our faces but somehow we bounce back.
I salute my team members – each and every one of them. Your true dedication through a crazy hospitality season is something to be admired and you make it easy for me to come to work every day.
I hope that everyone reading this takes the time to thank the people who contribute to the success of their daily life, whether it be co-workers, friends or family. A team is team regardless of its inception. Take the time to thank the people who live, support or work with you and make sure that their efforts do not go unrecognized. It is the combination of the team effort that measures the height of the level of success.
“Golf can best be defined as an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle.” ~ Author unknown
(image credit: therockgolf.com)
After an almost two-year hiatus, I have begun to reintroduce myself to the game of golf over the last couple of weeks. The hiatus was unintentional – my life was a roller coaster and reality seemed to keep getting in the way.
Before my absence on the course, every day off was spent chasing that little white ball around for four hours. The thing I truly enjoy about golf, apart from the breathtaking scenery and communion with nature is the fact that the only real competition on the course is myself. Sure, there may be some side bets with my golf partners, but the only thing I am really trying to beat is my last score.
Last week I put the clubs in the car and met up with some friends. We went to the course by boat and the day was stunning. The picture above couldn’t be a better indication of what we experienced since that is the course we played. (I birdied this hole yesterday!)
Although my game is not as proficient as it was two years ago, my muscle memory is making it easier to pick up where I left off. Each time I swing a club it feels more familiar and comfortable than the swing before.
Being back in the office today and looking at another gorgeous day through the window is tough, but at least I know I’ll have a few more games before the snow flies. Why didn’t I start this in the spring?
The most unlikely friends. Each of them thought they needed something they already had. We always seek the things we are afraid to see in ourselves. Be brave, be clever, have a heart.
(image credit: doctormacro.com)
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Written for this weekend’s Trifextra Challenge:
This weekend we’re asking for 33 of your own words about a famous trio. The trio could be from literature, from history or from pop culture. Just make it yours and have fun with it. Good luck! – See more at: http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/#sthash.y3vJUsW9.dpuf
The last time I checked, I still have all of the parts of the female anatomy I was blessed with at birth but being a woman never guaranteed that I would be feminine. Sure, there are moments when I can fool people into believing I am a lady but, thankfully for me, those needed moments are few and far between.
(photo credit: frumanista.blogspot.com)
I grew up a tomboy and it is a trait I never outgrew. I enjoy hanging out with the boys – it’s my comfort zone because I don’t ever feel like I’m trying to fit in, to be something I’m not. Somehow, I just belong and I like it that way.
My rounds of golf usually include 3 guys – and me, poker nights are usually 7 guys – and me. During dinners or parties I generally gravitate towards the cloud of testosterone in the room and don’t ever feel like I stick out like a sore thumb. It’s just my nature to be one of the boys.
I also enjoy time with my girlfriends, but those girlfriends, like me, are not as concerned with fashion and make up. Not one in the bunch of us are girly-girls. While we appreciate those Über-feminine women for their stylish and fashion-forward choices, we are not wired to think the same way. If I had to wear any sort of spiked heel I would resemble the video below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0eINGyJHz8
I will never regret being the way I am. I embrace my tomboyish charm and the fact that I can blend in so easily with my guy friends. If you can’t reach me on a Sunday it’s because I’m in front of an NFL game releasing expletives similar to a missile-like battalion of bees shooting out from an angry hive.
Ask me to put on make-up and high heels and I will break out in a cold sweat – ask me to grab the pigskin and throw a perfect spiral, I’m in!!
Yesterday was my first day off in a couple of weeks. My house is covered in dog hair, my laundry is slowly crawling across my bedroom floor looking for a means of escape and the collection dirty dishes is beginning to outweigh the number of clean dishes, but yesterday I didn’t care.
Being able to leave those chores behind is something I am unaccustomed to – I like having a clean, orderly house and it bothers me when things go unattended. After having worked a copious amount of hours over the last two weeks I wanted nothing more than to restore some order under my roof, but that didn’t happen.
I hit the driving range in the morning and soaked up some sunshine in the process. And then something even better happened. I was invited out for a boat ride, something I haven’t done in over a decade even though my town is surrounded by three lakes! It was glorious and possibly the best thing about being in the open air and catching some more rays is the fact that I didn’t let my mind become consumed by thoughts of the jobs that were waiting for me at home.
The boat ride was fantastic. We cruised around the lake, had a few cocktails (if the police are reading this, they were actually Ginger Ale) and pushed the throttle forward to make the last few minutes of the ride home a little quicker. I was like a dog holding its head out the car window, minus the tongue hanging out. My feet were firmly planted on the floor, two hands clutching the windshield and air rushing towards my face at great speed.
The boat ride turned into a great dinner with lots of laughs and when I returned home I didn’t even notice the dishes that await my attention. Instead of being lost in mundane tasks, I allowed myself the opportunity to seize the day, to make great memories and enjoy life rather than letting my life control me.
Today I am playing my first round of golf in two years. The dishes will still be here when I return and the laundry will continue to tie itself together to create an escape ladder, but I have given myself the nod of approval to seize yet another day. I’m going to add a little more life to my life and enjoy every minute of it. Perhaps the dish fairy will arrive in the interim and surprise me with clean dishes but even if they are still in the same place on the counter, I don’t care. This day is mine!
Carpe diem – seize the day!!
We all have those moments where life’s proverbial bullies gang up on us and we shrivel into a ball and feel sorry for ourselves. We become so overwhelmed with negative things that our mechanism for coping pops a few springs and lays useless at our feet. But self pity is like a rocking chair…..it gives you something to do, but it really gets you nowhere. (Thank you, Van Wilder, for that gem of wisdom)
Still, sometimes it is difficult to pull ourselves out of that funk and move into a more positive realm. Self pity can be all-encompassing. Once we let it into our mind, it takes root and wraps itself deeply into the soil of our emotions. When something comes along to crush our spirit, every bad thing that follows seems to compound that helpless feeling and we begin to lose our buoyancy in a churning sea of despair.
We tend to be pessimistic and convince ourselves that more bad karma will follow when instead we should be sending out positive thoughts to get back that affirming energy. We need to rethink the whole picture and realize that the small obstacles that have presented themselves do not define the rest of our lives. Our emotions become exaggerated and self-indulgent and we tend to ignore the rest of the world still revolving around us.
We need to make a pact with ourselves to not indulge in that obsessive behaviour. Gratitude and self-pity are bitter enemies. If we take time from our “pity party” to think about all the things we should be grateful for, eventually the affirmations of all the good in our lives will counter-balance the scales.
Every negative occurrence in our lives can be seen as an opportunity to learn from that experience. Instead of wallowing in a mire of self-pity, step back for a moment and realize that the positive things in your life far outweigh the negative aspects. Put an end to that pity party, get a good night’s sleep, and start the next day with a new outlook. You’ll be amazed what a new attitude will bring.
For reasons unbeknownst to me, I have been receiving a number of butt-dials and butt-texts lately. Morse code messages appear on my phone and I am challenged to decipher the hidden meaning. I almost wish I had a decoder ring to help figure out what your butt is trying to text to me.
The butt-dials are always more interesting. Conversations I should not be privy to are carried on by the owner of the butt and one or more people who are completely unaware that an extra set of ears is following their banter. Usually I feel guilty and hang up fairly quickly, but on some occasions I linger to see if anything ground-breaking is being discussed.
(image credit: Ace Ventura, Pet Detective)
We are all familiar with the phrase “talking out of your ass”, but your butt is taking this to a whole new level. I should feel flattered that I am the one your butt chose to call, however your gluteal region is not making any clear statement when it calls. It merely teases me with a conversation bubble and doesn’t allow me to participate.
If you could have a cheeks-to-cheeks discussion with your butt and find out why your booty is so anxious to talk to me, I would appreciate it. And if you do find out what your butt is trying to say, please leave it in the comments below.
Intuition is a perplexing thing. Our body is a natural conduit for energy and that energy has an odd but effective way of giving us warning signs that danger is lurking. The witches in Macbeth described the feeling as a pricking in their thumbs. We may feel it when the hair on the nape of our neck stands at attention but the premise is the same. Our gut is sending a message that our brain cannot ignore.
Usually we can’t understand the visceral reaction to a certain circumstance but we have to put our faith in its validity. That little voice gets very vocal when it feels imminent danger and usually that voice is spot on. Everyone is born with the gift of intuition but it is how we heed the wisdom of that instinctive feeling that is of great benefit to us.
That moment when something wicked does actually come may be completely averted by listening to those nagging doubts in our mind. Those doubts exist for a reason. There is a power far beyond some people’s belief or comfort level that aids in our self-preservation. That terse glance over our shoulder, the quickening of our step while walking in the dark – both may feel cryptic and unnecessary but listening to those pestering whispers may help us avoid an uncomfortable situation.
That intuition may also have altruistic applications. The stirring in our senses does not always represent peril but could also put us on the path to good fortune. The Yin and Yang of those intuitive forces can also help us make decisions for our benefit and not just our physical longevity. Our lives are based on choices and that same power of perception can guide us through those choices and help us discover the best path for our journey.
My thumbs do not become prickly, nor does the hair stand up on my neck. I get goosebumps, and that chicken skin that was once my flesh has never steered me wrong. Hopefully when something wicked this way really does come, I will be the human version of Foghorn Leghorn, plucked and covered with a road map of goose-flesh to guide me to safety.
polysyllabic profundities 