A Poem for My Son-"Maturation"

Maturation

By Positive Lulu

~Of the first our eyes fell upon you,

We knew the wide world you would pursue

~You are smart, unique and absorb all knowledge,

Our pride you raise for deciding on college

~Through this transition and growth to maturity,

Our support, advice and guidance again you’ll see

~So go forth and achieve your dreams of animation,

But first let’s enjoy the day of your graduation!

*I wrote this poem for my son who will be graduating High School this week! 

Every Day Is Your Birthday!

Yesterday was my birthday!  I remember when I was growing up as a child I was always so excited to have a birthday.  I was the type of girl who would rather have a party which included family and friends instead of getting presents.  There were always balloons, decorations, food, family, friends and music.  I didn't like to be singled out but enjoyed everyone playing games and having fun.

As I got into my late 20s that seemed to change.  I didn't want to party as much and then in my 30s I started to cringe when anyone mentioned my birthday coming up.  I am not sure why I felt that way.  It could have been that I saw some grays in my hair or wrinkles on my face that made me sort of fear each year I got older. One year, on my birthday, I spent the whole day in bed trying to avoid anyone celebrating my birthday.

Yesterday was different.  In the weeks leading up to my birthday I ended up in the hospital a few days for observation and it was hell.  You ever try to get some rest in the hospital?  It is impossible! Every hour it seemed someone was coming into my sardine can sized room to take blood, blood pressure, check pulse, temperature, check to see how much urine was in the little specimen hats they put on the toilet.  Long story short all is well with my health but that time I spent in the tiny room gave me some time to appreciate all my Blessings!  I have so many things to be positive about and a birthday is definitely one of them!

So Yesterday I jumped up and out of bed and ran around the house singing, "It's my birthday! It's my birthday! Happy Birthday to ME!  It felt good  and right. I don't want to deny my birthday anymore. That is such a waste! I want to enjoy every minute of my life.  Take the bull by the horns, seize the day, live every day like it's my last and every positive saying I can think of! 

It's funny because today I did the same thing.  I jumped up and out of bed and ran around and said "It's my birthday today!"  My husband promptly corrected me and said "No, yesterday was your birthday.  It is Sunday today."  I smiled and thought to myself, "nope, today is my birthday too!"

I want to live every day like that from now on.  I want to live like every day is my birthday.  Happy, grateful, with joy and a positive outlook on life! 

Have a Positively Happy Birthday!

Let It Go

The air was cool and crisp as I watched the leaves fall from the neighbors pecan tree and into our pool this morning.  Autumn is finally in the air, which is unusual for Georgia. Normally we are still hold up in our home with the air conditioner full blast. Not today though.  I welcome the brisk air, it helps you to forget how stifling the past heat was.  Isn't it strange how a sound, smell or the site of something brings you instantly back to moments in your life, both good and bad?

Autumn always makes me nostalgic. It makes me think of things long past....the good things....the bad things.  Like the leaves changing up north, going to the fair, growing up, school days, Halloween as a child.  I of course like to remember only the good positive times but with reliving the past come the negative experiences too.

I used to really let the past negatives affect me but as I have gotten older I have learned to use experiences as lessons learned.  That is what I try to do anyway.  It wasn't always that way of course...but you have to start somewhere. 

Not long ago I would react to situations by bringing up the past to remind those who upset me that they had once hurt me the same way before.  I felt, at the time, that I was right to throw this back in their faces. What it really did was keep me from moving forward in my life.  Nothing good ever comes from reliving the past.  It has been a difficult journey for me, one that still continues. Forgiving those who have  trespassed against me has been a chore but I continue to work towards that goal.  Of course I relapse and get so upset  sometimes that I even cry, that is how I react to things that upset me. I usually talk myself through these times and remind myself that it is the past and I need to move forward.  When you let the past get to you that means that your joy is being taken away from you.  Don't ever let anyone or anything take your JOY away!

I feel that anything that seeks to take away your JOY is negative and evil.  This can come in the form of a person, words, emotions, experiences anything animate or inanimate.  Evil and negativity can transform itself into any form.  That is why I make sure to surround myself with only positive, happy, Good vibes, feelings and memories.  You have to let go of those sad, bad, mad, evil memories and things from your life.

If you continue to dwell on the negative, evil things you can't move on and forward.  They will consume you and pull you back and keep you in the negative revolving door.  You will be spinning around in the circle of hate, betrayal and evil.  It will suck the life out of you until you are spent, depressed and despondent. Don't let it!

Take a step back from the evil that keeps you prisoner! Look at it for what it is.  Evil doesn't want you to succeed or be happy. So turn your back on it!  It wants to keep you down in the depths of despair and keep you it's prisoner.  Take your life back! Pray for strength and guidance and you will receive it!  As hard as it is, forgive those who have forsaken and thrown stones at you, for only then will you be able to turn away from the evil and regain happiness and success!

It won't be easy and you will have to constantly remind yourself to be positive, forgive, love and be loved. Embrace the small things in life! You can do it!  You just have to make the commitment that you will turn things around in your life and have a plan to do it.  Start off small and work your way up.

What do I mean by having a plan and starting off small?  To get the ball rolling in changing your life for the positive you may want to  write down the first thing you could do to change things.  One of the changes I made recently is to plan and put together this blog. I had always enjoyed writing and considered doing a blog.  I never thought I could.  It was an unknown for me and it scared me to try. I haven't done all the things I have always wanted to do and I decided I was going to start.  It wasn't easy for me to get out of my comfort zone but in order to change I would have to face my fear.  Without leaving your comfort zone there can't be change.

Still I don't expect this blog to become popular or make a difference to millions.  I just wanted to make a change in my life and try something new and I have.  I have other things on my list now that I want to accomplish.  Some are small and some are very large but they are the goals I have set for myself to get to the positive happy, feelings I am seeking.  I know it is going to be a long road but I am looking forward to accomplishing them.  In accomplishing them I feel I will be able to let go of the things and negative memories that hold me back.

Trying new things is just a beginning for me.  I still have to work out the big things that hold me back. Forgiveness is one of them.  I need to forgive someone and then let Go of the negative memories in order to move on.  This is a hard one for me.  I know I will be able to do it............but it is just a matter of time.  It can't all happen at once, I am realistic of course.  I keep praying and asking for guidance and strength.  I know one day it will happen and then another door of positivity will open up to me.

As I look out my kitchen window the  daylight is gone now and I can't see anything in the pitch black of night except the green glow of my sunpowered night lanterns situated in my prayer garden.  I say a prayer through my window......"Please give me strength, help me to forgive and help me to Let It Go......Amen."

Have a Positively Blessed Night!

Live As Though You Were a Child Again!

This time of year always gets my creative juices flowing.  I LOVE fall because it brings my favorite day to be carefree and act like a child again.  Well really I kind of act goofy every day of the year but on this day I have and Excuse to act silly and childish!  So what is my favorite day in fall?  HALLOWEEN!!!

So why do I like Halloween so much?  Well first let me tell you that I am not a witch, I don't worship the devil, I don't perform seances on Halloween because the spirits are more powerful on that day or whatever evil things people think are done on that day.  I just like it because it reminds me of having fun, enjoying life, good times, friends, candy and being something you wish to be for one day besides just being Me!

Ever since I could remember my mother (love that I am like her. She is funny, creative and wacky)  would ask us every year what we wanted to be on Halloween and she would find a way (since we didn't have much money for things other than necessities) to make the costume or find different pieces to put the costume together.  She would start checking the closet, shopping the second hand shops and looking through the Salvation Army Store to see how she was going to make our costume come to life.

I remember one instance when my sister didn't have a costume to wear.  It was amazing how my Mother would look at an old Grandma Plaid Skirt and Suit Jacket for five dollars and immediately a light bulb would go off in her head for an idea for a costume.   I witnessed this first hand this same year since  my sister had no idea what costume she was going to wear that evening for the local church Halloween Party.  It was only hours away from beginning and here my Mother was grabbing the suit, finding an old straw grandma hat,( it reminding me of the one Aunt Bea wore on the Andy Griffith Show), a granny hand bag with a giant clasp, pointy buckled church lady shoes and a rickety cane. Wow that was all found in less than twenty minutes flat! She definitely had a picture in her mind of the costume!

Upon completion of her twenty minute and under ten dollar shopping spree, my Mother instructed my sister to run and grab one of her taupe stockings out of her dresser drawer and start putting them on.  In the meantime I was to run and grab hair pins, baby powder, pressed face powder, red lipstick and some hard candy.....OKAY then.

As soon as all the components were gathered my Mother went to work on my sister.  She teased my sisters hair and put it in a loose bun on the top of her head, she powdered her face with the white face powder and used brown eye pencil to draw on some wrinkles. On went the bright red lipstick. She squeezed the baby powder on top of my sisters hair and it looked like it was snowing all over our bedroom. Next the straw hat was pinned to her bun. My sister then was then dressed in the granny suit with the shoes and hat. WOW is all I could say when my Mom was through. It was insane that my Mom could make my sister look so old in such a short period of time!

After a few short pointers on walking like an older person and being a sassy granny my sister was given her cane and handbag filled with candy and Tada! Her last minute costume was complete!  I guess I failed to mention that I was another reason for my sisters last minute costume too!  I had monopolized my Moms time with my costume.  She had been making my from scratch without the aid of a pattern and it was not that easy.  I had wanted to be Bat girl with her tight outfit and mask with ears.  Of course I was totally the best Bat Girl ever sincy my Mom had finished my costume that morning.  I was soo happy.

Anyway we all headed over to the Halloween Party and enjoyed the fun times with our friends.  Then it was time for the Costume Contest.  I tell you what, I strutted my Bat Girl stuff when it was my turn but guess who really stole the show?  My Sister that's who!  She was sooooo hilarious when she hobbled out and did a comical old lady interpretation, but she didn't stop there!  She started girating, and laughing and jumping around all exited. She put her hand on her  heart when she felt that she overexcited hereself and then to top it all off she started hitting on one of the young guys that was there!  OMG she had everyone bending over laughing.  She was a hit, a talk of the town! 

During the costume awards I recieved third place for my costume.  Second place went to a set of triplets who were dressed in some cute little baby costumes and the First Place trophy went to.......MY SISTER THE DIRTY OLD LADY!!! YAAAAAAY!!!

That was the best Halloween ever!  My mom was so proud and we were proud too!  She was proud of us, but we were so proud to have such a creative person who loved us and wanted us to enjoy life.  To this day I never forget how my Mom instilled the joy of Halloween, sewing, creativity, fun, frugality, laughter and friendship.  I try to instill that into my own family life with my husband and children.

Even today I hear from some people that say that Halloween is evil and I just tell them that is not what I take from the day.  I just feel that it is the one day a year that brings me back to those days where life was about having innocent and childlike fun.  It was a simpler time with precious moments that should never be forgotten.  This is how I get the joy back for one day a year, I dress up like Frankensteins Bride, Princess Lea, a Flamenco dancer, a Mouseketeer, Octomom or Marie Antoinnette and spend that whole day non-stop living that day as someone else!

So now you see how this time of year makes my thoughts conjure up the most fun costumes I can think of as I run to the fabric store to pick out my costume pattern for this years day fabulous fun and frolick! Now I never reveal what my costume is until everyone sees me on Halloween! So this is to be continued until October 31st when I will post a picture of my costume!!!

Now if living one day as though you were that young child again dreaming of Halloween and acting out your dreams through a costume doesn't make you feel good and Positive.......then I don't know what will!

I wish you a Positively Blessed Day!

Lola as "The Octomom"

Earth Quakes, Nerves Shake

Sometime after 2 pm eastern time this afternoon I was taking a minute to surf the cable channels on the TV and I  happened upon the unfolding stories of the Virginia Earthquake.   I was taken aback, as most people probably were, to hear this happened  in Virginia.  After my initial shock my thoughts immediately leaped to my family and friends in Virginia,North Carolina,D.C., New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York .  After saying a prayer that everyone was OK,  I attempted to call my relatives in Virginia........"sorry all lines are busy, please try your call again later"....OMG WHAT!!!??   I am sure this happened to everyone who has anyone they care about in the vicinity of the earthquake. It is only human  to react this way.   I tried to keep telling myself "stay positive and have faith that the Lord will watch over all our loved ones. I kept calling as I received messages from other family members asking if I heard there was an earthquake.  Finally after two hours I got through to a nephew.  It was a relief to hear everyone was safe.  I am sure this played over and over in every state by many families today.  Hopefully everyone who made the calls got quick answers to their calls and all loved ones were safe and sound.  It was a blessing that no one lost their lives in the earthquake, as far as we know.  When things like this happen it always makes you think about all the blessings in your life and that we should truly be grateful for all we have.  As the days progress and the whole story of how the earthquake affected all I pray that everyone will keep themselves as positive as possible.  We can't let loss of property and possessions keep us from looking forward, building anew and smiling at one another.  Let us be hopeful,  have faith and be inspired to help one another through this time! Have a positively blessed day!