My Mind Forgets to Remind Me

Recently I have become a big fan of country music, a phenomenon I owe to two of my children.  I am a music lover in general. I am most obsessed with lyrics and thoroughly enjoy the single lines in songs that smack me in the head with reality - my reality not the lyricists.

Case in point from a popular Taylor Swift song in which she sings, “My mind forgets to remind me you’re a bad idea”. Now I know she is singing about love and some boy but I like to put my “mature woman” twist on the meaning. 

For me I sing this line every time I indulge in one too many cookies, pieces of cake, cupcakes and/or glasses of something alcoholic; like the third chocolate martini I drank last night at my friend’s super bowl party.

Another example is the aptly titled “Storm Warning”, by cuter than a button Hunter Hayes. The line in the song goes, “I’m gonna wish I had a storm warning, gonna wish I had a sign.” Well, this is a daily wish for me. I wish I knew when one of my kids was going to be in one of their moods, or my husband has had a bad day, or the dog…well you get the picture.  Just a little sign and I would head in the other direction.

And then there is my favorite, Zac Brown Band, whose new song, “Keep Me in Mind”, has a great line in the opening. “Life’s to easy to be so damn complicated.” I love this line and try to apply it to everything. And if I am successful my mind won’t forget to remind me and if it does I hope I get a warning before the next storm so I can get out of the way, "Like a Bat Out of Hell".

Thanks for reading!
Magda

Random Things I have Learned From the Internet

1. Talking babies are way cuter than cats.
2. How to shuck on ear of corn using a microwave
3. From "friending" my kids on Facebook I have reconnected with my own friends.
4. I may or nor may not be suffering from an array of illnesses which have all been self diagnosed on WebMD.
5. It's a good idea to think it through before posting, downloading, sending, liking, replying all or scannning.
6. It's always a good time to earn an online degree.
7. I am really lucky because I am frequently the 1,000,000 person to visit web sites. Seriously!
8. When to celebrate World Nutella Day. (It's February 5th)

What have you learned?
Magda

When I First Understood the Meaning of Love: A Lesson I Learned From my Mother

My mother turned 91 not too long ago and she has lived an amazing, interesting and unique life.  She now lives the simple life of a woman suffering from dementia surrounded by the love and in the care of my oldest sister.

The terms of my mother’s illness have made me stop and reflect on our relationship and what I have learned from her and her life.  I keep coming back to one thing – my mom taught me the meaning of love.

I can almost pinpoint it to an exact moment in time.  It was 1977.  My mom and I were riding the Metrobus from Georgetown to our home near the Washington National Cathedral.  I was 14 years old.  At the time my mother and I were not close. We were never on the same page, literally did not speak the same language and were more than generations apart. But there we were sitting next to each other, in stone silence, on the bus.

At one of the stops three teenagers got on the bus.  They were Punk Rockers with purple hair mohawks, spiked dog collars, torn tights and clothes, straight from Commander Salamander. After they walked past I turned to my mother and stated, “Aren’t you glad I don’t dress like them?” Her response was quick. “So what if you did? Do you think I would love you any less?” I was stunned.

I was thinking she would say that she was relieved and happy I was normal. At that time in my life I was trying so hard to get her to love me by trying to be good, by conforming, by being normal. What I did not know at the time was she did love me deeply and she always would. Her response taught me to be less judgmental of others and to believe in myself because she believed in me and always would no matter how I looked or what I did.

What I also learned at that moment was how my mother loved me. Her love was beautiful, supportive and consistent. Most of all it was unconditional.

I wish I could say we stopped disagreeing and became closer after that bus ride but this is real life and I was still a teenager.  I can say that my mother never wavered from her course in the love she showed me. Once I grew up enough to understand the lesson of that moment I knew I had experienced the true meaning of love and that the gift of unconditional love was one the greatest things my mother ever gave to me.

So now I try to give the gift back to her. She doesn’t always remember who I am and I don’t spend as much time with her as I wish I could but when we are together I try to repay the love she showed me all my life by helping her through simple daily tasks unconditionally and with pleasure. In true form my mother thanks me for it all, another gift:  An unconditional thank you for an unconditional gesture of gratitude.


Thanks Mom!
Magda

Looking For a Little Inspiration

So lately I have been looking for a little inspiration.  Not the life changing kind but maybe the getting life back on track kind. I have been to the usual places, like church, the beach, Oprah (even though I can't really get into the OWN Channel) Anyway, NOTHING! I know, sad, right?  Admittingly I have felt a little like the Republican Primaries - Can't quite choose a front runner that I can stick with. 

But today, and for me right now that is Sunday at 2:48 am, I have found my inspiration and I have today's youth to thank!  I have been profoundly inspired by the youth I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by and by youth I mean the young adults who are out in the world trying to make it theirs, despite the sad state that some older adults have managed to put it in.

I will not name them by name but I thank them all the same.  I thank them for their exuberance and drive to embrace life and make it theirs.  There are young people out there brave enough to jump out of their comfort zones and take on new adventures. In following one particular youth I came across a website with this as their mantra - "What would you dare to accomplish if you knew the only possible outcome was success"  Hello Inspiration!

Yes I know every experience does not always lead to success, or does it?  As my wonderful friend and walking partner continues to remind me, it's not about the experience per se it's about what we do with each experience that matters. The success is in our hands if we only choose to see it that way.  Every experience, good or bad, can be successful if we are just brave enough to jump out of our comfort zones, no matter our age.

Keep shining!
Magda