That kinda says it all. I  am never going to allow life to get me down. If I fall down, and in my lifetime I have many times, I always get right back up and start over again! 

It's like when you are building a sand castle. Just when you think it's perfect ... along come those darn waves washing ashore and attacking your handiwork. As long as you remembered to put some small rocks around the base to make the foundation solid  the water damage can almost always be repaired. At the very worst, you just have to start building all over again. When you rebuild, if you have learned from the mistakes made during the construction of the original structure, and remember to avoid those pitfalls with your reconstruction, you build a brand new, much more sturdy, and  more beautiful edifice the next time around. 

 The secret is .. you never, ever give up and stop building or believing in yourself. One thing I have found to be very true during my lifetime is that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends, not on our circumstances, but on our dispositions. 

As the wonderfully zany Roger Miller once said ..." Some people walk in the rain, others get wet ... and some people sing and dance."  Dancing has always been one of my very favourite things and I most certainly do not plan on ever giving it up. Hey, don't knock it till you try it.  Have you ever danced in the rain ? It's an absolutely marvelous feeling ! 

Why is it that we all take time so very much for granted? And that so many things which are really irrelevant in the over all scheme of things take on such importance as we go about our daily lives. If I could pass only one message along to those I love perhaps it would quite simply be ... " Above all else ...  Remember to Live. " 

The following article was written by the late Erma Bombeck. Her message is one that really hits home, and is one which I believe bears repeating. 

I would have talked less and listened more. 

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded. 

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. 

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. 

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. 

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. 

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about  grass stains. 

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life. 

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband. 

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. 

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. 

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished  every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. 

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said,  "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." 

There would have been more "I love you's" ... more "I'm sorry's" ... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute ... look at it and really see it ... live it ... and never give it back. 

Stop sweating the small stuff. Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who DO love us. Let's think about what we HAVE, and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually. 

Life is too short to let it pass you by. We only have one shot at this and then it's gone. 

I hope you all have a blessed day. 

Why does it have to be that when we are actually faced with the reality that the final act has begun of this play of which we have been a part throughout our lifetime, and only when we realize that there will be no encores or curtain calls when that final curtain descends, only then do we actually gain the wisdom to put things in their proper perspective. 

All of us who live in cities should do ourselves the favour to visit, as often as possible, the fields of the countryside far from the hustle and bustle of the city. I promise you, a walk through a field, a stroll by a seashore, or a hike across a meadow sprinkled with daisies will definitely brush away your cares and cause your heart to beat with new joy and hope. 

 Have you ever risen early, climbed a hill, and watched God make a morning ? 

The dull gray landscape gives way as the sun pushes toward the horizon, and then the tints and hues of every colour begin to blend into one perfect light as the full sun suddenly bursts into view flooding the earth with glorious light. Witnessing a sunrise truly does make one glad to be alive and fills you with positive thoughts with which to greet the new day which is upon you. 

It is so much easier to sing your worries away than it is to reason them away. Why not sing in the morning? Think of the birds ... they are the first to sing each day and they have fewer worries than anything else in creation.  We absolutely cannot help but be happy if we sing, even if only quietly to ourselves. Children somehow seem to instinctively know these things. It is only when adulthood overtakes them that they forget and allow the burdens of life to rob them of this joy.

Is it any wonder that I say ... When I grow up ... I want to be a little girl ? 

To paraphrase the words of Eleanor Roosevelt ... "always keep in mind, yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, but today is a precious gift." From sunrise to sunset try to make it the best day of your life. If the day brings only dull skies and clouds, your attitude and approach to the day's events can still make that cloudy day seem brighter. Because it's very true you know ... Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. 

Thank you for allowing me to share with you my outlook on life as I see it today. Please give some thought to my suggestions. They come from a lifetime of experiences and a whole bunch of regrets that I wasn't wise enough at an earlier age to do myself the favour of counting my blessings as I do today.