My lovely daughter chose my blog topic for this week.  In return for an Amazon gift card so that she could buy one of Sylvia Day's books instead of mine...lol...does anyone else want to get in on the gift card reward and pick a blog topic?  If so, head over to my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TeresaAKeefer and find the post...

Without any further delay, let me jump right in here and talk about the things that I miss...

First of all...I miss my parents...and all that went with them.  The unexpected visits on Sunday morning when I really wanted to sleep in.  The holiday dinners with everyone at the table.  The smell of my dad's pipe tobacco or the sight of my mom wearing my dad's socks (which he frequently complained about).  Hearing my dad sing "You are My Sunshine" even though it was occasionally off key.  Not having them to talk to when something goes wrong and especially being the most senior adult in the family now.  I miss dad's conservative ways and my mom's liberal opinions but I really miss being able to pick up the phone and hear their voice on the other end.

I miss the little fights that my daughters used to get into when they were younger.  The kind that were easily fixed.  Because these days, the fights are bigger and the time between getting them resolved is longer and I hate my girls being at odds with each other.  I'll take a fight over the bathroom or who's going to do the dishes any day to the rifts that I get stuck in the middle of these days.  I miss arguing over homework and dirty bedrooms and the stupid boys that they thought they should be able to date.  And as hectic as it was, I miss volleyball games, swim meets, choir concerts, and 4H fair week...which was a nightmare all in its own.

I miss the late night and early morning conversations with my best friend.  Real phone conversations where you could actually hear each other's voice and know what kind of emotion was attached to the conversation.  I hate the text messages and the one letter responses that really don't say much other than "I don't have time for you right now".  I miss sharing what was going on in each other's lives and knowing that I was either going to end my day or start my day talking to my best friend.  And I miss hanging around drinking wine and laughing over stupid stuff or traveling together and enjoying the company. 

I miss how people used to treat each other.  How they used to treat themselves with respect.  How they used to use their minds to think for themselves instead of listening and believing all the crazy stuff that they hear on the media.  I miss being able to speak your mind without being labeled or accused of being politically incorrect.  I miss seeing people take advantage of the American dream and working hard to be successful and prosperous instead of standing with their hand out in front of every social service agency that they can find. 

Call me old fashioned or stuck in my ways.  That's fine.  I understand that things change with the times and that's fine.  But one thing that change has taught me is that we each need to make sure that we cherish all those moments that seem little and unimportant at the time because when you sit back and reflect like I have for this blog entry...it was those little things that were the most important things in my life.

I recently posted on my Facebook page a list of items that I thought would be great ideas for blog topics.  As part of my posting, I asked for my readers to pick the number that they would like me to write about on my weekly blog.  In return, I am offering a $5 Amazon gift card for the first person who suggests a topic by number during the week that I use that topic.  One topic per person and only one topic per week.  So head on over to my page at www.facebook.com/TeresaAKeefer to jump on the bandwagon!

This week's topic was A QUOTE YOU TRY TO LIVE BY.  Nothing like starting off with one that really made me think!  But thank you Melissa Graham for getting the ball rolling!

I have had a couple of days to really think about whether there was one specific quote that I could call my own and discovered that there wasn't.  But there were three that really stood out for me...

The first one is about learning lessons.  One of the philosophies that I used when my children were growing up was "the best lessons learned are the ones learned the hard way".  The bottom line is that 'some lessons just cannot be taught, they have to be learned.'  In order for the lesson to sink in.  As I've matured and grown spiritually, I've come to believe that when we are born we come with a set of lessons we need to learn that we didn't learn in our last incarnation as a human being.  Because of this, we are constantly learning lessons.  Some of them are harder than others but if we look at them as a means to grow, they don't end up being quite so painful.  We make choices in this life and each choice comes with a reward or consequence and when you think about it, no matter what the end result we have learned a lesson.  Correct?   I'd sure be interested to hear your thoughts on that topic...

The next quote has to do with living in the present.  And this is one that I struggle with on a daily basis.  As an introvert, I have a tendency to overthink things.  It's what introverts do, right?  So, I may sit and dwell on what shoulda, coulda, woulda happened or changed in the past or I may sit and daydream on what I want my future to look like.  And what does that do but waste the precious time that I have today?  When I find myself overthinking the past or over wishing the future, I tell myself 'Yesterday is history...Tomorrow is a mystery...Today is a gift...That is why it is called the present' 
Now, with that being said, it certainly doesn't mean that I don't make plans or goals for what I want to accomplish in the future but I don't spend near as much time sitting and daydreaming about what I think my life should be like.  Instead, I try to get out and LIVE it as if tomorrow may not happen.  And when you think about it, you never know.  You only have the moment that you have because tomorrow is never promised.  In the famous words of Tim McGraw...'Live like you were dying...'  Just do it!

My last one is really an Irish Blessing...

I am a believer in karma.  I also believe that what you put out in this life is what comes back to you.  I'm a dreamer...what writer isn't?  And what would be more powerful than a dream with intent and action?  YOU have the power to make your dreams come true.  You just have to want them to.  I don't know if anyone has read The Secret but I have...and I've watched the movie...and I have to believe that if you want something bad enough and take the actions to make it happen...it's going to happen...you just have to be patient enough to keep on moving forward even when you run into roadblocks.  I also believe that if you give kindness, you receive kindness.  You get what you put out.  Everything is a reflection of your own actions.  And being kind doesn't always mean doing something for others, it also means doing things for yourself.  Because if you don't take care of yourself...if you aren't kind to yourself...you cannot be kind to others because you won't have anything to give.  I always try to be kind...and I'm learning each day that sometimes being honest is the kindest thing that you can do even if it's not the message that the person wants to hear right then. 

So...today's blog gave a bit of insight into my life philosophy...I hope that you enjoyed reading today and don't forget, if you would like to pick an upcoming blog topic head over to www.facebook.com/TeresaAKeefer and let me know what you want me to write about next!

Have a safe and wonderful week!