Spread the message, and be one together

A few days ago, I wrote about the message a friend wrote on her blog just a few days before she passed away.  Her message was powerful, inspiring and one of deep love of people and happiness. She wished for all to make this a better world.

Tonight, I learned of the passing of a good friends brother.  I did not know Bjorn's brother, but I could sense what a special person he was through the heartache I felt in Bjorn's messages and post.  Specifically, this post is about the message Bjorn wrote after his brother's passing.  With his permission, I'm sharing it with you.  I hope you are able to take time to reflect and then take action to help make this world a better place to live, while we have the opportunity, one act at a time.

From Bjorn's Facebook post, September 6th....

I have lost my beloved brother…

Through grief and pain, there is joyful remembrance. We were blessed with time for sharing memories, tears, laughs, love, thanks, hugs and goodbyes. Family and friendships, distant and close, connected in ways we could have never imagined…

This morning I enjoyed a most amazing sunrise and sparkling presence in the Rocky Mountain wilderness, and I was one with life... and spirit.

I now take a moment to express my appreciation and love to friends here on FB! Let’s live life well! Let’s love, laugh, do good things, and have a great time together while we can. Look around you and you are sure to find endless opportunity for friendship, synergy and love. In the end, that’s what it’s all about my friend.

Brother and sister, come walk with me. Spread the message, and be one together. Let’s make this incredible world of ours the best it can be!

Thank you!


Swedish:

Jag har förlorat min käre broder…

Genom sorg och smärta, finner jag god ihågkomst. Vi var välsignade med tid för att dela minnen, tårar, skratt, kärlek, tack, kramar och farväl. Familj och vänner, när och fjärran, kopplades samman på sätt som vi aldrig kunnat drömma om...

Denna morgon fick jag uppleva den mest fantastiska soluppgång och sprudlande närvaro i Rocky Mountain vildmark, och jag var ett med liv och ande.

Nu tar jag ett ögonblick att uttrycka min tacksamhet och kärlek till vänner här på FB! Låt oss leva livet väl! Låt oss älska, skratta, göra goda ting, och ha det gott tillsammans medan vi kan. Se dig omkring, och du kommer finna oändliga möjligheter till vänskap, helhet och kärlek. I slutet, så är det just vad det handlar om min gode vän.

Broder och syster, kom gå med mig. Sprid meddelandet, och bli ett tillsammans. Låt oss forma denna vår otroliga värld vi lever i till det bästa den kan vara!

Tack!

I urge you do walk with Bjorn and I; make a concious decision each day to do something different that you might have in the past...  try little random acts of kindness and we'll all be in a better place.

Taking a minute for me... Wow!

I can't remember the last time I just took some time for me. Sitting back, not doing anything special... Drinking coffee (which I could stand to quit drinking) and having a bowl of soup. Not that Panera Bread is a bad place, it's not, but sitting on a deck overlooking a fresh water lake seems like it would be nicer.

The cool thing about being at Panera is many fold. Tyler worked here before leaving for colege... They loved him. He did a great job and was recognized for it many times. He received many Panera bucks while receiving the pats on the back. Since the bucks were only good in the New England stores, dad became the receipent. Tonight, Travis is working... and more or less cooked dinner for me. Using Tyler's Panera bucks, he bought dinner for me. This is the way it should be.

Well, almost, would be better not sitting here alone... but all is good.  Not sure what I like best...  the cherry pasty in the picture or lightly toasted cinnimon crunch bagles with butter....  yuuummmmmmmm.

Heading off into the next chapter...

This has been quite a week..  busy in every aspect.  Tyler has left for college!  Where has the time gone?  Being busy began while car shopping with him.  Typical car shopping experience...  oh come visit us so we can test drive and talk.  What amazed me was the unwillingness of the dealers to negotiate.  In some cases, they had brand new 2011 and 2012 vehicles sitting next to each other and wanted full sticker on both.  Tried telling us there was no difference.  Well Curry; Balise and the others we visited and test drove, you all lost a sale.

Tyler is very happy with his Nissan Versa.  The hardest point for me was him driving out on Saturday morning on his way to college.  Maybe seeing him miss the driveway and drive out across the lawn made me wonder if he had enough driving experience to drive to Georgia!!!  Actually, he drove right up to the front door to load his loot, not unheard of around here to shorten the number of steps we need to take to get to the car.  He's actually on his way to Maryland for a few days with his brother and mother.  Later this week he and his mother will drive to Savannah and get him moved into his new digs for the next 4 years (minus vacation time).  He's wanted to study 3D animation for as long as I can remember.  I always thought he wanted to work on Toy Story 4...  but I guess he really wants to work on new projects.  Best of luck Tyler on reaching for the stars. (Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks - take note of him...  he's good and will need an outstanding job at the end of 4 years to pay off his college mortgage).

Sad Day... Happy Day... Good Ending

Today was one of those days.  Started out on a sad note as I attended Heidi's funeral.  Very touching service... I could only wish so many people would attend my services after my demise. Very emotional messages as one would expect, some crying, some laughter as we celebrated the memory of Heidi.  I thought it was especially touching when a female funeral director came forward to read a message from Heidi's husband David, who is deaf.  I don't think there was a dry eye in the house as even she broke down.

There were emotions in the middle of the day, but completely different.  Frustration, contempt, dismay, wrongdoing, incompetence, fraud, deceitful and a handful of other terms come to mind.  It is hard to be among a group of good people doing what they should be yet be infiltrated with people of the kind I was first thinking.  I hate being a part of that!

Then things turned better.  I hooked up with my son who has been stressing out because I have not been doing the things he has hoped for in the time frame he wanted.  I understand that...  I'm trying to be better.  The important thing is that we jot the job done today and got him a new, well, almost new car.  He was smiling from ear to ear.  We had an appointment with Rosaleen at UMass Five College Federal Credit Union at 4:00... she leaves for the day at 4:30.  After getting hing up at the office, we got there at 4:20.  Bless you Rosaleen for staying late and taking care of things for Tyler.  You are the best.  I know I can say that because she does it time after time... I know from personal experience.  Got to Nicky D's by 5:30 and Tyler paid for his car.  Now he is waiting until tomorrow afternoon...  I hope they had it ready for him.  Tomorrow will be a good day for him!

The day is coming to a close on yet another happy note as we close out the Scentsy Spring/Summer catalog for 2011.  It was nice helping 3 new people get there orders in before the midnight deadline!  WooHoo!  Great month.  Did not quite reach the goal of $2,000 in sales, but tripled the sponsoring goal.  Sales are for today, sponsoring is for life.  I'm happy and the end of the tunnel is getting closer for the next magical ride.  Come join me!

There's A Saying....

John Maxwell once said “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  I'd like to borrow that concept and say "People won't know how much you love them until you show them how much you care."  Life is too short for all the drama; focus on what matters and be in as much happiness as possible each and every day of our life.  Hopefully they will accept us for who we are.

The lady pictured in this post is someone I'd like to consider as a friend, probably an acquaintance at best... the mom of one of my son's former hockey teammates, is who I wrote about a few days ago that gave me a wake up call. Early yesterday morning, August 28th,  Heidi's courageous battle with cancer came to an end.  As she wished, she was at home with those she loved.  Heidi found Caring Bridge a comforting way to communicate with all of us who called her a friend.  I was not really close personal friends with Heidi or her husband David or their children for that matter"; we were just hockey parents with a common interest between us. 

What Heidi shared with and reminded us of over the past few years is how important life, family and friends really are.  How positive whe was during her entire battle. We are all different people and all have different likes, wants and desires...  what Heidi reminded me to do is not to wait until it is too late to share those precious thoughts with those you love and care about, whether or not it is returned... it is how life should be. I only hope I could be that person.

Rest in Peace Heidi...  you have some good company up there... too many to name.

Tequila and Salt - Reality Check Follow-up

My last post was probably depressing and maybe did not paint a pretty of me...  you might have thought, damn, no wonder he is alone and sad!  This post is the outside layer of me doing what is right to motivate and help others feel better.  I don't know who the original author is, it was not me.  I apss this along to anyone else out there that needs to understand.

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day.

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone,even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10.  When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

Those that know me understand that I try to make a joke of everything.... so, in the spirit of being me, consider the following:

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
   Who the hell would do that and WHY for me???  You can be done with me!!!
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
   It's the "some way" that concerns me.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
   LOL, more than one Dan in the world... OMG!
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
   Well good for them
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep. 
   Hmmm, nightmare or something better???
6. You mean the world to someone. 
   Obviously they don't know me well enough yet...  but it is a nice thought that I really could mean the world to someone, for better or worse, richer or poorer yada, yada
7. You are special and unique.
   Oh, I am unique
8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you. 
   Again, LOL, tell me who!
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
   That "is" how I try to look at everything... gets you through the day.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look. 
    I'm tryin
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
    So true, easier said than done...  we are a people that thrive on negatives.  Remember Rule #6

Dan's out

Another Reality Check... unfortunately

It was three years ago this past week that I lost my dad. I think that has been one of the most significant times in my life... an event that aches at my heart even today.  I changed because of it, which is not good, because the change I feel is eating me up inside.  The loss of my dad followed the loss of friends like Mike...  much younger than my dad, who lost his battle with cancer and the loss of one of my most beloved co-workers, Mary.  I remember the day she came to me and told me she planned on retiring in a year so I had a year to find a new Security Manager to replace her (she was not replaceable as a person).  A month later we cried in my office when she returned from a doctors visit and told me she had just been diagnosed with cancer... then I remember the day several months later I put her on a plane back to Boseman to be with her mom and the sparkle of her eye, grandson Max.  She died a week later.

As much as I try, I am devastated by the loses in my life... death is the ultimate loss.  However, loses whether at the hands of death, divorce, separation or being transferred around the county are taking their toll on me.  I've had my fill.  I work hard to smile...  to do good... to do what is necessary.... but I have lost energy, I'm running out of the ability to remain positive.  I am alone.

Today, I have just read a message from yet another friend who has been in full battle mode since 2009.  She writes on her blog at CaringBridge:

"Very sad news yesterday. My sister in law lost her battle with cancer. She has been very very sick. MY love goes out to my brother and the boys..


It also brings us to not such good news or me either.. I am know receiveing blood and platlet infusion 3 times a week. This is all the is keeping me alive. The doctor are giving me just a couple of weeks then they are going to suggest I stop receiving the treatment. I rarely get out of bed. Only sit up with the kids are a few hours is lucky then I am back in bed. Barely eat anyhting, At least I haven't vomited in a few days and the fever, rigors, sweats and exhaustion are setting in. That's why I haveN't written It is a real chore to come into the basement to use the computer. My vision is reallly blurry. And I can't reallly see what I am typing.

So because I have no idea when something could happen I want to let everyone know just how much I love you. I have been trying to find some majic words to write to all of you but I don't have them. I am scared, really sick, frustrated and at my emotional end.

Each and everyone of you has meant something special to me.Please remember me with a big smile, hearty laugh and open arms.


Live well, love more. Thank you for loving me and all your support during my battle."

How can I complain, this wonderful mother has acknowledged she is about to pay the ultimate price.
 
Life is too short.  Life can be happy, life can be sad.  There is no reason to be alone and sad.