2011 In Retrospect

2011........

What a Year, where to start, what to remember and what to forget.......

We started the new year the way we ended the last, with my Mom's illness and ultimate Death in February.  Interestingly, I have always said ...Her Passing....but it was a Death......My Mom Died.  The life she lived with so much Zeal, ended with a few years of confusion, frustration and illness but years filled with Defiance, Stubbornness and a Will to Keep on Keeping on.

The next few months were filled with a lifetime of memories rekindled. A house....A Home... was boxed up and sold, the good and bad side of a family were revealed, a chapter in life was closed and another opened. The months were filled with emotions ranging from sadness, to anger, to grief, to depression, to a body and mind aching with pain, to a sigh of relief and loss......to surviving. It became an accumulation of the last six years funneled down into a place where we could finally stop, take a breath and rest a while. Years not forgotten but finally having some closure, some perspective and written in the history books of the minds of each of those who participated with their own twist, circumstances, pride and misgivings.

The year ended with an adventure that had been talked about and longed for, for years, as the final chapter, the closing event, the end of an era and the beginning of a new fork in the road of life. It was an adventure of a lifetime and started a yearning for more and more adventures, a breath of fresh air in a life that had been clouded in darkness way too long.

2011.......

A year I would not want to re live but a year that taught so many life lessons. It was a year that gave life a reality check but showed there is light at the end of the tunnel.  It showed that the mind and body are stronger than we think and truly are a gift from God.  Even though the struggles beat us up, tear us down, drain our strength to the very core and make us fill like we can't go on.......We Keep On Going On.....and On.....and On......

So we say goodbye to 2011 and keep in our hearts and minds what we learned from it.  We cherish the life we have and we cherish those who have come into our lives and make the world a better place. We look to 2012 with anticipation of the wonder and possibilities beyond our dreams and pray for God's Blessing along the way.  We look for the Best in a world where even the small things can bring us Happiness.  We look to a world where sadness and grief can become Victory and Joy, where the Warmth and Love of those around us shines a Light that will overcome any obstacles along the way. We Trust and Hope and Live.........

and the Journey Continues........

My Struggles

A friend asked me this week how I continue to keep pushing with my mind struggling from the last few years of stress. How do I keep going with my body struggling when my cancer wants to try and show it's ugly face, demanding the cancer drugs and maintenance chemo from time to time. How do I push through the days, which are many, that I have to struggle to fight the depression, fight the struggle to get out of bed, and fight to keep going through the day when my body says..No..Not Now.  How could I make it through all the that I did when I was taking my trip, though incredible, a feat that took it's toll on me with a vengeance.

The answer....hmmmmm.......
I've got to keep a good attitude as so many have as they fight any kind of struggle or physical problem.  I know that when I push myself, I will suffer the consequences and I do, but I can't let that stop me from getting the most out of my life, stop me from making as much of a difference in this world that I can.

Some ask why I don't smile as much.......
I would tell them it's because of that struggle that I go through everyday.

Some keep telling me that I'm the strong one, I'm the organized one, I'm the one that can do it when no one else can.  Sometimes it's hard living up to what so many expect when I struggle in so many ways.  Sure I try to work on my music when I can, try to snap some pictures when I can, try to share on this blog when I can, try to smile when I can....but....that in itself can be a struggle....that in itself can wear on my mind and body everyday.

So what do I do.......

I keep pushing on and on and on as long as my mind and body will let me...
I keep trying to find that joy in the small thing as well as the big things....
I keep trying not to let the attitude of others pull me down...

I keep trying not to let My Struggles take away from My Joy of Life, even though that is a struggle in itself.....

I keep on....keeping on.....

and the Journey Continues......

East Coast Adventure: Part 6, Perfect Timing....The Finale

My East Coast Adventure was truly blessed with Perfect Timing even before I left town.

Stopping at a convenience store to pick up some oil for the trip, I opened the back of the pickup bed cover I had gotten the week before and found that it was way of it's axes. I just happened to be right beside the GMC dealership that I purchased it from and the man who put it on just happened to be there and was able to fix the problem in just a couple of turns of a wrench.......Wow....

The timing for my trip out of town could not have been more perfect as the autumn leaves were in full bloom and the weather was beautiful. As I was returning home, the cold front had passed through and all the leaves were gone.....Wow....

Deciding to go to NYC first and let Keith recuperate from his hospital stay allowed me to get there just in time to visit with Lin.  We thought he was leaving Saturday for Haiti but he was leaving the next morning, so the timing was perfect, allowing us time for a special visit.....Wow....

As my GPS took me through NYC, it took me past the Brooklyn Bridge (at least I think it was), the battleship Intrepid as well as other NYC landmarks and gave me the perfect view of the Empire State Building, adding to my excitement with each turn....Wow....

Deciding to head on to Pennsylvania when I did and with Keith having a few good days, allowed us time to have an incredible adventure in DC....Wow.....

The weather could not have been more perfect for the time walking through NYC and DC, day and night.....Wow....

The cold front coming through on my last day there gave me a special moment as the leaves danced around my feet in such a way I had never experienced before....Wow.....

Again, what may seem like simple things and everyday life for some, gave me an adventure I had waited for, for several years, giving me memories to last a lifetime and excitement and hope to return to the East Coast again someday soon. Every time I see NYC and DC now on TV, brings back so many of those memories and experiences and the excitement that they brought to this small town Texas boy who finally made it to the Big Apple.

There is no way I could ever share all the incredible experiences of my East Coast Adventure but as I sought after every new moment, both large and small, it reminded me that I need to look for those adventures everyday, where ever I am and realize that God's Perfect Timing reveals itself in every detail of our lives.  We just have to open our eyes to see.....REALLY SEE.....the Wonder Around Us......

Thank You God for a Trip Blessed With Perfect Timing.......

And The Journey Continues........