Since I love to write, my daughter gave me a wonderful gift called Story Worth. I have been sorely lacking in keeping up with it the past few months. But now that I’m done taking time off from life, I’m getting back into it and have enjoyed writing quite a bit lately. The concept is, each week I am sent a question of her choosing and then I write about it. Normally, the answers are sent back and shared with just her, but today I wanted to share one with you since I think it’s a great idea for each of us to think about what we teach our youth and be conscious of the legacy we want to leave behind.

The question: What advice would you give your great-grandchildren?

My answer: I pray I am on this earth long enough to know my great-grandchildren! There are so many things I want to share with them! The first and foremost is the same advice my mom gave me; love and trust in God. It makes everything else in life more bearable. 

I want to tell my greats and grands and kids as well to just be yourself. It sounds so simple but it makes life so much easier. Don’t worry about being like everyone or anyone else.  Or being LIKED by everyone or anyone else, because no matter what you do, not everyone will like you. You are perfectly made even with every flaw you choose to see. You may think there are others prettier, more handsome, smarter or whatever else you want to plug in there and you will be right!! There will always be someone who is more than you in some way. But they aren’t you. There is no one else now or ever will be that is just like you. The world needs your uniqueness and nothing and no one can ever take your place. Your difference is what makes you special! Embrace your quirks and allow someone else to love them. Accept others for who they are and let them be themselves as well. That might mean finding out some people aren’t meant to be in your life, and that’s ok. It doesn’t make them the enemy.

Next, do the right thing/stand up for what is right, even if you stand alone. Even if everything else is taken from you, you will still have your integrity intact, and your integrity can take you far. As the saying goes, “a clear conscience makes for a soft pillow”.

Embrace your heritage/culture. It is who you are. Don’t let anyone tell you that where you come from is bad or makes you less than anyone else (or that you’re better or more deserving because of it either). Learn from your elders and practice traditions. Get to know other people’s cultures and traditions as well and you will both be richer for it.

Travel, often, or as much as you can even if it’s semi locally.  

Be forgiving of yourself and others. The burden of unforgiveness is one you carry alone. And it’s incredibly heavy.

Love. It really does cover a multitude of sins.

And as I was recently reminded by a friend and someone I admire, don’t take yourself too seriously.

Today is my birthday…LOL!

Oh yes, it’s been a while, and there are so many reasons for it that I will get to in upcoming writings, but this one is more focused on the present.

Today was different than any other birthday for a lot of reasons. Last year was officially the first birthday I had without my mom. But with her passing being just days before my birthday, I was still pretty foggy and not sure I comprehended it all. Honestly, all of the holidays last year were a blur. So, this year I’m feeling it all a little more. I woke up thinking about how she and my dad  ( and just her after my dad passed) would call and sing Happy Birthday to me. My mom had a beautiful voice, and when she and my dad harmonized…wow. Maybe with it having been a year, even with me being more aware of the reality of her being gone, it was more bitter-sweet than just bitter. I can remember things like her singing with a smile on my face instead of just tears.

This birthday has been one of all kinds of new beginnings. I’m starting a new job soon. The same type of job I’ve had for years, but in a different industry. I think it’ll be good and hopefully less stressful. Work/life balance has become a much bigger player in my career choice.

An old friend contacted me that I hadn’t spoken with for years. We texted for hours and made amends of what was at one time a very close connection that I thought was irretrievably broken.

I received a ton of happy birthday posts on FB and texts but two simple messages stood out above the rest. A text from my new son-in-law saying “Happy Birthday, Mom” and one from my daughter-in-love that said “Happy Birthday, Beautiful.” They mean so much because my son-in-law lost his mother at a young age, and I am honored to be considered a mother figure to this most extraordinary young man. And for my daughter-in-love to call me beautiful means so much because I know she isn’t talking about anything having to do with my looks. I am so blessed to have these two amazing people who love my two most splendid gifts, my children.

So many people fear getting older. And I get it. Our bodies change and sometimes hurt, but with age comes so many excellent gifts like grace, understanding, forgiveness, and wisdom.

Thank you to everyone that made today (and all my past birthdays) special and memorable. You mean more to me than you will ever know.

Whoo! So…hey friends! What’s good today?

I know it’s been a hot minute since I posted anything here. To be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve written at all. And since I’m being honest, it’s time also to get real.

Next month will be two years since my entire life changed. It was the day I packed up my life and moved 1,556 (door to door) miles away.

Anyone who knows me knows that 12 has always been my favorite number and when the first blow came on April 12th, 2018, I thought I would have to abandon that number that had marked all kinds of important things in my life.

Then came May 24th  (the day before my move), and the second blow came. My life was so upside down that a shaken snow globe had less chaos than my soul. Losing two people I was so close to, shut me down.

Some might say I ran away and looking back now, I can’t say that’s a total lie.

I worked so hard to move on with my life that I forced myself to become numb to everything in it. I focused solely on work and not even to get ahead! It was only so I didn’t have time to think about anything else.

I was on autopilot. I was even just functioning through my faith.  I had to ask others to pray for me because when I tried to pray, it was just words. Thank you God, for never forsaking me. Like the perfect Father that you are, you waited patiently. It’s not like I went in the wrong direction. I just ceased to be me or feel anything.

In the past two years, I have changed jobs, changed addresses, experienced life, and experienced death. I lost one best friend to circumstance, one to suicide, I have laid in a hospital bed and held my dying mother, I have cradled my constant companion Nordy in my arms as he struggled to cling to life, only to see God restore both of them and give them more time. You don’t go through that without it changing you.

Fast forward almost two years as I sit in my home office in the house I love, and I can say finally, I don’t regret it.

But oh, what a process getting to this point. There was a while that I could honestly say I lost myself.

Slowly over the last nine months or so, I’ve started to open myself back up to life, but I am very particular what I let in. I’m still me, but at the same time, I’m not. I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense to anyone reading this, but you can’t go through deep pain without gaining some scars. And now that I’m emerging on the other side of it, I don’t think I even knew how much it changes you.

I have found as I am restoring myself that I am still me at the core, but the blocks that I am using to rebuild are carefully chosen. Even the music I listen to is different.

I wake up each morning and can feel that I am stronger in ways I’ve never experienced before. I can no longer tolerate anything that drains me, and as soon as it starts to, it has to go. That includes jobs, people, heck, even movies.

I’m not saying I won’t or can’t go through tough times and keep grinding, but my time is precious, and I’m done wasting it on things that won’t matter six months from now.

Going through all of this by myself I now truly understand the saying, “I know what I bring to the table so trust me when I say I’m not afraid to eat alone,” without fear.  Because I learned through all of this that the ones that matter will ALWAYS be there.

I know this wasn’t some long profound post, but I just wanted to reach out and let you all know I’m still here…and there…LOL! I’ve missed you, and I’ve missed me, and I’m working on coming back.

Stay safe friends, and let’s get together again soon. Until that time, remember to be kind.

I’m sorry for the extended absence again but I’ll be back soon with an article. Just please keep in mind, as we enter the last days before Thanksgiving, don’t forget to be thankful for the hard times as well as the easy. They teach us things we otherwise wouldn’t learn.
#thankful #grateful #godisgreaterthanthehighsandlows #lessons #blessings #grace #mercy #strength #growth

Good morning friends! What’s good today?

So, last Friday was my last day of training. I have to tell you, I’ve been through a lot of corporate training in my life, but this one was the best one I’ve had.

The instructor was engaging, funny, real, and yet even with all the information being shoved at us every minute of the day, she managed to get us all to retain it and learn something! It was great!

We all came in on Thursday morning, and she was really tired and explained to us why. She told us she has an immense love of karaoke and that she had been doing it the night before and stayed up later than normal. We all started asking her questions about it and come to find out that before she was a corporate trainer, she was a school teacher! No wonder why she knew how to make learning fun! But, not only was she a school teacher, she was a music teacher. Now the love of karaoke was making more sense.

After almost two weeks of intense training, we were all getting a little squirrely and tired of sitting in class, so she made us a deal. If we all did really well on our last test, she would sing us a song.

DEAL!

The test was handed out, and we all sighed (like a bunch of children) but got into it so we could get it done. It was a longer test than the prior ones we had earlier in the week, so it took some time. But, once the last person turned theirs in, we realized we still had to wait for them to be graded before she’d come through on her promise.

Oh, the waiting!

We passed the time discussing what kinds of music we liked, asked her what she liked to sing, and started to get to know each other on a little more personal level since we had nothing but free time.

Finally, near the end of the day, after everything was complete, she agreed to do a song, which also meant we all did great on our tests, BTW.

We made suggestions but ultimately let her pick what she felt like singing, and as she brought up the karaoke version on the overhead of what she was going to sing, the class chatter grew pretty quiet.

We saw who the artist was.

Adele.

And she wasn’t going to sing just any Adele song, but she was going to sing THAT song. You know the one.

The music starts, she opens her mouth, and we all gasp.

From this little, almost cherub looking, brilliant woman, with her long, messy hair clasped to the back of her head, came a voice that shut us all up quickly. And then it started…

“I heard that you’re settled down
That you found a girl and you’re married now

I heard that your dreams came true
I guess she gave you things
I didn’t give to you”.

And before you knew it, what I am going to refer to as “The Adele effect” took over. The lady next to me was casually trying to wipe away tears, some of the men were clearing their throats and finding the ceiling very interesting, and me? Oh, I was suddenly organizing the papers in front of me better than Marie Kondo.

For a moment, titles and positions didn’t exist because when it was over, almost everyone in that room looked like their heart was freshly broken. I came to find out for a few it really wasn’t that long ago. For others, it had been a while. But, it just goes to show that no matter how long it’s been, the painful scars within us may be less pronounced over time, but they never truly leave us.

Prestige doesn’t cushion it. Gender doesn’t shield it. Money can’t buy it away.

Not all our reasons were or are the same, but heartache is a common bond shared by all of humankind.

Who knew corporate training could be so personally enlightening?

Just another day in the odd life of me.

Have a blessed week friends, and remember to be kind and gentle with one another.

**I do not own the rights to this song**

Hi friends! I’m sorry I missed last week, but you know, life.

I started my new job two weeks ago, and so far I really like it! For the first time in I can’t remember when I feel like I am contributing to something bigger and better and have a purpose. It feels great knowing I’m not watching the clock and dying to rush out the door with everyone else at 5 pm. Then again, I normally can’t rush out then, and if I did, I would simply be bringing more work home, but honestly, I don’t mind! At some point I will have a lead and mentor under me so that will help A LOT! But until then…it’s me. So, because of that and the fact that I am actually participating in life, I have been thinking about doing Nordy’s Garage maybe every other week instead of trying for every week.

Let’s be honest; I haven’t been that good about getting it out every week anyway with as busy as I’ve been. And I don’t ever want this to feel like it’s something I HAVE to do or squeeze in. This odd little page means a lot to me, and I want it to continue being fun.

I’ve taken a lot of notes on my phone this week of things I wanted to write about and maybe one day I will, but none of them felt like what I wanted to say today. And one day I will write a book with the details of what caused all of this (Nordy’s Garage) and continuing events that have kept me writing. But for now, you get the drive-by version of those things. One day I’ll be brave enough to lay it all bare.

You know, I thought when I moved to Texas that I had done a lot of changing and it was coming to an end and I was settling into “me” but I’m finding the metamorphosis continues.

There have been a lot of people who have encouraged me in all kinds of ways along my journey, but there is one person who I don’t think is aware of how much of an influence she has been.

Her name is Abby, and she has no idea what she’s done, which in itself is a testimony to me. It makes a person realize that they never know who they are influencing in any way, at any time.

Abby and I have known each other for over 20 years. Our (ex) husbands were stationed at the same base and we met when our kids were in kindergarten together. We weren’t close at that time. We were both busy moms.

But we came across each other again many years later and found we both were in the same boat. This time not busy moms but, divorced. We started chatting again, sharing battlefield stories of dating and the scars we wore from it.

And in time, we bonded. Over laughter, tears, chats, and Jesus…on Facebook. We were states apart but our hearts were growing closer. We talked about the men in our lives, pets, work, and kids. We shared our fears and frustrations in life, going through breakups and breakdowns, both finding our way through life and supporting each other when we could.

But she didn’t know how much I was paying attention. As I was working hard and becoming who my job and life needed me to be, she was becoming more herself.

Then one day I noticed a man being talked about on her page and before I knew it, she was engaged, then married!!

She is a dedicated nurse at a VA hospital and then suddenly decided to also become a LimeLife beauty guide! Again, I watched as this once fairly quiet lady bloomed and became one of the most real women I have ever known.

This once shy person (who thought she was too imperfect to stand out) is now doing live video tutorials, sans make-up, wet hair sometimes, in the middle of the night/early mornings as she is getting off shift, or before she goes in to work for the night, sharing her love of The Father and empowering women and encouraging everyone. She is there, online, even if she thinks no one is watching just in case someone needs it.

But I was watching. Not every night. But I was watching the transformation of this tender heart become vulnerable so other women could be brave too.

It is partly because of this woman’s transformation that I am where I am today.

I saw this woman almost personally dare me to be legitimately me again. Not the version that a potential employer might want was my career was growing. Not the face that the public might want to see. But me. The real me. She has encouraged me to be true to myself and my needs, and I can’t tell you what a difference it has made in my life.

She has cemented in me that when I am genuinely myself, I will attract what is good for me. It caused me to be completely transparent when I interviewed for my current position. It has helped me to remember not to compromise when buying my house, no matter what anyone else thinks is good for me, because I am the one living there and I want it to be my sanctuary. And to not think I have to be perfect because people who really love me will love my imperfections (uniqueness) the most.

So, Abby, this one is for you. Thank you, my friend, my sister in heart. Keep on being genuinely you and making the world a better place everywhere you shine. I owe some of my success to you!!

Friends, remember to be YOU, everyone else is taken. 😊

You can check out my beautiful friend at https://www.facebook.com/abbyneumann24

Hi Friends!! What’s good?

As most of you know, I just got back from vacation. It was long overdue, and I had such a wonderful time! The condo was almost perfect and decorated as if Chip and Joanna had been there personally. It was so relaxing to get up in the morning and have coffee in the sunroom overlooking the pool after climbing out of the overstuffed, pillow-topped bed I had slept in the night before while surrounded by ultra-soft king-sized pillows.

A lot of the trip was spent eating at “must try” locations and having so many new and exciting experiences.  I got to enjoy a town that was so eclectic that it honestly surprised me! I know for myself and a for a lot of people the thought of a vacation is a luxury and something that doesn’t happen very often, so I tried to soak in as much as possible. But it didn’t hit me how much of a luxury it was until the last day.

I was eating at the final “must try” stop on the trip and was thinking about how much food was on the table and how much food I was leaving behind to get thrown away, and I was even taking food home with me! At that moment it struck me how THAT is the epitome of luxury. To be able to waste food. There are millions of people in this world who won’t have as much food in a month as I had on that table yesterday. The person who cleaned off my table most likely threw away more food than some will have in a week. And the tip that I left could have fed a family for days in some parts of the world. But I do not feel guilty about it nor should I. I feel very blessed to be allowed to have the life that I do. But looking at it from the perspective that I did yesterday helped to make me much more aware so that I can make changes and do better in the future regarding helping in ways I hadn’t thought of before.

For many years I have been in survival mode and it caused me to be singularly focused. I took chances a lot of other people would never have taken in order make opportunities for myself. I have been called brave and I have been called crazy for some of it, but I will not be made to feel ashamed for enjoying the fruits of my hard work. However, I will admit I need to do better at recognizing what a blessing it is to now be able to help others more.

And on that thought…For those who have encouraged me to keep on when I felt like quitting, for those who gave Nordy and I a place to lay our heads as we traveled or moved, for those that fed me, let me cry, prayed for and with me, and for those who gave a reference that allowed me to get the job that I am starting on Monday morning, I am beyond grateful! I would not be where I am without you!

This position is the next step of a new life for myself (and The Nord of course). It will allow me to be in a place of (very small) influence that I need to use with grace and the promise to uplift as many as I can along the way and to share God’s blessings and love. Also, to help others reach their potential, and for me to be more involved in making my community a better one.

I have so many ideas in my mind of things I want to do. I feel like the ball is just now starting to roll. My dream is growing and I have those who love me to thank. Please keep the prayers and encouragement coming so that I can do all that God would have for me to do while I am able!

Have a great week, friends!! Let’s keep the momentum going!