Be a blessing, be a friend, make a difference

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.  Today is a blank canvas upon which you have the delightful opportunity to create.  At this moment you are standing at the beginning of an impressive adventure, with the very real and present opportunity to shape the upcoming years into the happiest ones ever. Start now, take the initiative, and…  If you want to awaken happiness in the world around you, start by living a life that makes you happy, and then radiate your happiness outward.  If you want to eliminate suffering in the world, start by eliminating the dark and negative parts of yourself, and then radiate your positivity outward.  Truly, the greatest power you have in this world is the power of your own self-transformation.  It starts with the one in the mirror.  Today will never come again.  Be a blessing.  Be a friend.  Make a difference.  Take time to care.  Tell someone how special they are.  Do something that encourages a smile and a brighter day.  By doing so, you will not only help those around you, you will help yourself too.  Because when you seek to inspire happiness in all people, you will not only find it, you will become it.

A Poem

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die.

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
written in 1932 by Mary Elizabeth Frye

Love, and you will be loved

The world around you is a reflection, a mirror showing you the person you are. 

To change your world, you must change yourself. 

To blame and complain will only make matters worse. 

Whatever you care about, is your responsibility.

What you see in others, shows you yourself. 

See the best in others, and you will be your best.  

Give to others, and you give to yourself. 

Appreciate beauty, and you will be beautiful. 

Admire creativity, and you will be creative. 

Love, and you will be loved. 

Seek to understand, and you will be understood.

The good you find in others, is in you too. 

The faults you find in others, are your faults as well. 

After all, to recognize something you must know it.

The possibilities you see in others, are possible for you as well. 

The beauty you see around you, is your beauty.

Listen, and your voice will be heard. 

Teach, and you will learn. 

Show your best face to the mirror,  and you'll be happy with the face looking back at you.

You have a lot to be thankful for

1. View every challenge as an educational assignment. – Ask yourself:  “What is this situation meant to teach me?”  Every situation in our lives has a lesson to teach us.  Some of these lessons include:  To become stronger.  To communicate more clearly.  To trust your instincts.  To express your love.  To forgive.  To know when to let go.  To try something new.
2. Things change, but the sun always rises the next day. – The bad news: nothing is permanent. The good news: nothing is permanent.
3. Giving up and moving on are two very different things. – There comes a point when you get tired of chasing everyone and trying to fix everything, but it’s not giving up, and it’s not the end.  It’s a new beginning.  It’s realizing, finally, that you don’t need certain people and things and the drama they bring.
4. Distance yourself from negative people. – Every time you subtract negative from your life you make room for more positive.  Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  Let go of negative people, for they are the greatest destroyers of self confidence and self esteem.  Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you.
5. Perfect relationships don’t exist. – There’s no such thing as a perfect, ideal relationship.  It’s how two people deal with the imperfections of a relationship that make it ideal.  
6. You must love yourself too. – One of the most painful things in life is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  When was the last time someone told you that they loved you just the way you are, and that what you think and how you feel matters?  When was the last time someone told you that you did a good job, or took you someplace, simply because they know you feel happy when you’re there?  When was the last time that ‘someone’ was YOU?
7. Don’t let others make decisions for you. – Sometimes you just have to live not caring what they think of you, shake off the drama, and prove to YOURSELF that you’re better than they think you are.
8. Resentment hurts you, not them. – Always forgive people and move on, even if they never ask for your forgiveness.  Don’t do it for them – do it for you.  Grudges are a waste of happiness.  Get that unnecessary stress out of your life right now.
9. You’re not alone.  Everyone has problems. – To lose sleep worrying about a friend.  To have trouble picking yourself up after someone lets you down.  To feel like less because someone didn’t love you enough to stay.  To be afraid to try something new for fear you’ll fail.  None of this means you’re dysfunctional or crazy.  It just means you’re human, and that you need a little time to right yourself.  You are not alone.  No matter how embarrassed or pathetic you feel about your own situation, there are others out there experiencing the same emotions.  When you hear yourself say, “I am all alone,” it is your mind trying to sell you a lie.

Sharon Gammell

My dear beloved friend Sharon Gammell is dying.

I wish I didn't have to type that.

I wish that it were not true.

It is true, though.

The last time I talked to Sharon was in October, and she gave me some advise when I emailed her for help. She did for me quite frequently.

After my sweet Rommy bear died, she was there for me and made the days easier for me.

Sharon sold Thayer's Historic Bed & Breakfast last year. At the time I was a little surprised at her decision. Now though, I think I understand.

Sharon moved to Belgrade, Minnesota, where she primarily focused on doing psychic readings from her website.

Around the last week in October, early November, I had a bad feeling about her and went to post on her facebook wall. Then a friend of hers that she had an appointment for a psychic reading for emailed me, concerned because Sharon missed their appointment, and she wasn't answering her phone. That is NOT like Sharon at all, and so I tried calling her too. She didn't answer me either.

I then contacted Sharon's sister in law, Misty - thinking she'd know what was happening, or who I could call or check with to see what was going on.

It was then I found out that Sharon (who lives alone), had fallen, and was unable to get up.  She layed where she fell for over 13 hours before someone found her.

She spent a month in the hospital. It was then discovered that Sharon has been quite ill for some time and told no one. It is unclear if she was receiving a doctors care or not, but its looking like she hasn't been.

Her kidneys had begun to fail. That is now under control.

Her liver is failing. She needs a transplant. She has Cirrhosis of the Liver.

She was recently moved to a nursing home to rehab so she could go home.

Friday I heard that Sharon had become incoherent and was refusing to take the medication.

I asked her sister if Sharon had any type of Medical Directive or Living Will.

She didn't know.

I asked if Sharon had a lawyer.

She didn't know that either, Sharon refused to answer any of their questions on the topic.

Sharon's late husband Warren Gammell did have a son, Brad, who is an attorney. No one had contacted him or thought to do so, probably because they were all so upset.

So I took it upon myself to find the guy.

Found  him in Texas, and he has his own law office.

I contacted him, and put him in touch with Sharon's brother.

By Friday night, he had taken the first plane from Texas to Minnesota.

I then contacted Patricia and Corey, two ladies John and I acted with in the Murder Mysteries that Sharon use to host. They were very grateful to know what was happening also.

Sharon didn't want to make anyone upset, worry or panic. Which is evidently why she told no one of how she was doing.

The only thing keeping Sharon alive is dialysis.

Should she pull through this the doctors give her no more than 6 months to live.

She is back in ICU at St. Cloud hospital in Minnesota.

I love her so much and have been so blessed having her in my life for the last 10 years.