Accepting Life. No returns, no refunds.

Each one of us is given a life. That life is like a block of wood waiting to be carved. Everything that happens, good and bad, takes a small shaving off. We don't know what we end up with, but must accept the shape that it takes.

-Me

When things go terribly, horribly wrong in our lives, we have a habit of asking "Why me?". Knowing that we didn't deserve something this bad to happen. We've done good, we volunteer, we help our neighbors, pay our taxes, so why do bad things happen to good people?

The shaping of character comes from not only the good things in life, but also the bad. But I only know of a hand full of people that will stop when everything is well and ask "Why me?". There's a lot more people out there who only find faith, hope and strength in times of need. Only when in a desperate hour to they call on friends and family. We tend to ignore life when it is good and curse it when it is bad. This all occurred to me about 3 weeks ago listening to the Travis Smiley (i think) show on NPR. I just caught a few moments of it, he had said "At the end of each and every day, we must ask ourselves 'What's the lessin and what's the blessin?'." The 'each day' struck me.

I realized that I had become really good at looking at the not-so-great moments of my life and picking the positive out, then moving on. Finding that diamond in a dung hill and letting the other crap go. But what about my good days? Was I seeking out positive reinforcement on those days? Was I reading my motivational books then? Not really. I was waiting until things started to go awry until I sought out an uplifting message.

This all reverted me back to Deep Practice. We must be thankful at the end of each day. Good and bad. We must practice on our good days to be thankful so that on our bad days it comes to us easier. We need to stop looking to the Heaven's asking "Why me?". We need to look to the Heaven's and say "Thank You." and then look within and say "Why not me?"

When the truly tragic happens, would you be willing to push all that sorrow onto someone else? Would you be willing to crush a complete stranger's life to make your's easier? I thought about these questions for a long, long time. And I say No. Even though I would love to have my friends, family and loved ones back. I would not give up the hurt and sorrow that filled me when they passed. It shaped me. Everything I have ever done has shaped me, and if I gave or pushed out any of the good or the bad things that had happened I wouldn't be me. And that would be a tragedy in and of itself.

Enjoy life, enjoy each other. Accept what you have been given, be thank full for the good and the bad. We should not presume to know what life lessons are in store for us, or how they will shape them. Just know that one step at a time, one breath at a time, we get through this life, together.

Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com

http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings
http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

Death, Life and Change

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

-W.H. Auden

As much as I would like to take yesterday and erase it, it would do no good. With life comes death. With death comes rebirth. It is not good or bad, it is just change. We can weep for our loss of those we love and rejoice in the memories of those who touched our lives. At 10pm on June 30th, Ethan Iverson, Age 8 passed away. He had been fighting cancer for a year. It is tragic when anyone passes, especially when it is one so young. We can all have faith that he is in a place without pain where he can just be a kid again. He was loved in life and will be missed.


Out of the ashes of this loss comes an amazing sense of community and mutual love. I watched dozens of police officers go by all morning long and well into the afternoon to pay their respects to the family. I watched many families pull together to provide support to the Iverson Family. Our local community and business owners are fantastic. Never before have I seen so many come together in such a short time for a common cause. Thank you to each and every individual who showed up, participated in, donated and supported all of the fundraisers. You all deserve a standing ovation.



I can also hope that the love and gratitude showed towards our children will continue. There was an atmosphere of clinging to our healthy children and thanking God that we have them. Spending more time with our families, thankful just to be with them. As sad as it is that it takes a situation like this one to bring out this kind of love, I have faith that it will continue.



Please take time today to show your love and appreciation to each other. I know that I say it a lot, because it needs to be said. Don't wait until it is too late... love one another unabashedly, life is too short for regrets.

Let me come in where you are weeping, friend,

and let me take your hand.

I, who have known a sorry such as yours,

can understand.

Let me come in-I would be very still

beside you in your grief.

I would not bid you cease your weeping, Friend;

tears bring relief.

Let me come in-I would only breathe a prayer,

and hold your hand.

For I have known a sorrow such as yours,

and understand.

-Grace Noll Crowell

Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4u@Gmail.com