Friendship - Quote of the Day

Life, Death and Everything in Between

The New Year is a time to think about life – past, present and future.   Tonight, the first night of the New Year - I am reflecting, crying, thinking, smiling and writing.  Racing through my head are years, moments, people, places, love, loss, choice, change, regret, hopes, memories, dreams….

The sum of these thoughts racing through my head is life – my life.  The good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, the happy, the sad, the right, the wrong – it is the story of my life.

As I think about my life, I also think about my death.  I think of it not as the end – but as the grand finale of the most amazing story I could possibly write. 

You know you’ve thought about it – your funeral - who will be there, how many people will be there, what will they say, what stories will they tell, will there be laughter, will there be tears, will there be a song, will there be pictures, what will it be like?

I live with intention and purpose; I am motivated by love not fear; guided by light not darkness.  I hold my friends close, my family closer and I never stop working on my relationship with myself.

I open my eyes to see the miracle that is life, I open my heart to feel the lowest of lows and the highest of highs, I open my mind with understanding and compassion knowing that we come in all colors, shapes and sizes and life has no instructions.

When my time comes, when my eulogy is read, there will be no shortage of stories – stories of laughter, happiness, strength, courage and love.  How do I know this – because I’m writing it – each and every day of my life.  This life was handed to me – but the way I choose to live it is all up to me, I am the only one in control – and I am going to live inspired.

I will leave you with this:

• It’s your life, make the most of it, make it good, make it real, make it memorable, make it magical and own it! 
• If you have the opportunity and ability – spread the love.
• Eulogize the living – don’t wait until they are the only one in the room that can’t hear you – for goodness sake they are the ones that would appreciate your words the most.

I love the song Amazing Grace, by Aaron Neville.  It is soul stirring and the perfect song for reflection.  Listen and listen.

Much Love,

Megan

My Story - My Life

I held it in my hand – knowing what the answer would be – one line appeared and then there were 2.  

I am pregnant.

I lay on the table in Planned Parenthood – “Do you want to see the image, do you want to know if it’s twins?” – I answer with a definitive no.

I am pregnant.

I sit alone – the last to be called – watching as 1 by 1 – 2 become 1.

I am pregnant.

I did the only thing I could bring myself to do – I cry hysterically as I drive away.

I am pregnant.

I cradle my stomach, I picture her face, I smile.

I am pregnant.

I see the signs - I wake up with confirmation – I tell myself that everything happens for a reason.

I am not pregnant. 

It’s been a long time since I wrote.  At times I can’t translate my life experiences, thoughts and emotions into words.  This is one of those times.  I have so much to say, but could never begin to say it all.  I have stripped it down to the facts.  I will elaborate, when the time is right. 

I tell my story, I tell it despite the critics, despite the judgement, despite it all – because it is my story to tell and it is what I came here to do.

Xoxo,
Megan

I Wouldn’t Need a Second Chance

I don’t want a second chance.  A second chance means I hurt you – possibly beyond repair.  A second chance means I broke your trust – possibly beyond repair.   A second chance means I was willing to give you up.  A second chance means I took you for granted.  A second chance means I made a choice at your expense.   A second chance sets a precedent – you can now hurt me as much as I hurt you; then you will expect me to forgive you.  A second chance means – somewhere in my future – maybe when I least expect it – I will reap what I sow.

I want a relationship where there are no second chances.  I want the first chance to be all we need.  I want to love and to be loved.  I want to choose you and to be chosen.  I never want to take you for granted or be taken for granted.  I don’t want to have to lose you to know how much I love you.  I don’t ever want to let you go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJycDeZqtdc

-Megan

Give Me Your Forever

"He loved her, of course, but better than that, he chose her, day after day.  Choice: that was the thing. ~Sherman Alexie

I’ve got chills…I get them every time I read this sentence.  I came across it some time ago, saved it to my desktop and knew it would become a blog post someday.

Relationships are about love and choices.  You can love someone and make the right choices or you can love someone and make the wrong choices.  One of the saddest experiences in life is when you do love someone and you make the wrong choices.  Some of you may think: how do you love someone and make the wrong choices?  Some of you may assume that means you don’t love someone.  I think you can absolutely love someone, I think you can make the wrong choices and with those choices I think you can hurt yourself more than you have ever hurt anyone else.

Life is full of choices, opportunity and temptation.  That’s why the sentence above speaks to me.  It’s not enough just to love someone.  I tried to emphasize this in my “Show Me the Love” post from December.  You must love someone, you must show them you love them through your actions, you must prove you love them through your choices.

He loved her, he chose her, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year until they were each other’s forever.  I want to be someone's forever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHzAVDg4m1Q

Choose Love,

-Meg

Every Heart Has a Story to Tell

Once upon a time…nearly 33 years ago…a baby girl was born.  They called her Megan and so her story began.  Her life has been full of love, burdened with hate, blessed with births, lightened by laughter, pierced with pain, eased by forgiveness, but most of all it has been real, it has been true and it has been her own.

Each of us has a story, an epic autobiography, made up of all of our life experiences.  Some of us share our stories while others prefer to keep them quiet.  I have discovered that the more I share the more I learn and the more I learn the more I share.  My learning is twofold.  One, when I verbalize my feelings and share my story, I almost always learn something about myself.  This is critical to self-understanding, growth, and happiness.  Two, when I verbalize my feelings and share my story, I almost always learn something about someone else.  This is critical to understanding, compassion and empathy for others.

Everyone we meet has a story.  They may be standing in front of you today, disrespecting you for no apparent reason, but yesterday they may have held their loved one while they took their last breath.  Give people the benefit of the doubt, share, listen, learn and love.  Every heart has a story to tell.

XOXO,

Megan

Show Me The Love

As I read through my notes from “The Happiness Project” this quote jumped out at me.

“There is no love; there are only proofs of love.  

Whatever love I might feel in my heart, others will see only my actions.”

-Pierre Reverdy

It is so important to align our actions with our feelings.  That is the only way others will truly understand how we feel.  Our inner feelings must be translated outwardly through our interactions with others and the way we choose to conduct ourselves in our day to day lives.

Throughout my lifetime I have looked into people’s eyes and listened to them pour there heart out, or at least what they claimed was in their heart, only to turn around and act in a way that clearly conflicted with their words.

 

This leaves me with many questions.  Does that person love me?  Does that person just say they love me?  What do their actions say about how they feel?  These are hard questions to answer.

Alignment is key to our happiness.  We must align our life with our faith, morals and values.  We must align our actions with our feelings.  To be misaligned hurts others, especially the ones you love.  But more importantly it hurts yourself, because if you can’t be true to yourself you will never be true to someone else, and you will rob yourself of the deepest, truest emotions and connections.

I wrote a post, "To Thine Own Self Be True", which is the foundation of being true to others.  I will do my best to make sure the ones I love know just how much.  I will hope that the ones that love me show me just how much.

As you live your life, think about the fact that nobody else can truly know how you feel, unless you show them.  Shape your actions, interactions, and words around your heart.

Much Love,

Megan  

No One is Born Racist!

I started this post several weeks ago, but I did not finish it.  In honor of Nelson Mandela, in honor of the season I think this piece is timely.

No one is born racist, homophobic, liberal, conservative or full of hate.  Each and every one of us is a blank slate.  However our beliefs are quickly influenced by the people around us, specifically the people closest to us.

 

Some of the most sad, frustrating and infuriating experiences for me are seeing the beautiful, open and loving minds of children being taught to hate.  The hate being taught is not a gift – it is a burden.  These children are not being saved from future hurt by some faceless “bad person”, they are simply learning that entire groups of people are bad and should be categorized as such.  Children’s worlds are narrowed with the thoughts that certain people are innately bad or good, based solely on the color or their skin, their sexual preference or their political or religious beliefs.

 

It is so important to teach our children to love.  They will be happier if they see the good in people.  They will be stronger if they can connect with people.  They will be healthier if they are full of love, not hate.

Be love.  Be kindness.  Be understanding.  Be compassionate.  Be generous.  Be thoughtful.  Be the person you hope your children to become.  That is the greatest gift you could possibly give them.

XOXO,

Megs

Laughter, Suspicion and Deerbras!

We’ve all heard or read about the importance of smiling and laughing, something like laughter is the best medicine or a smile a day keeps the doctor away…or maybe that’s an apple.

 

Today I want to talk about something EVEN BETTER!  Oh my word I just love what I’m getting ready to talk about!  You know those thoughts, those sights, that just *BAM* instantly make you break out into a cheesy grin or a laugh out loud moment ALONE!  Everyone around you is staring or they become paranoid and suspicious!  HAHAHA!  Or maybe the thoughts that just turn one side of your mouth up in a little knowing grin, or they make you pee in your pants, or they make you cry from laughing so hard, or they make your face hurt, or they make your stomach hurt, or they make you snort.  Man oh man – those are the best moments!

 

Oh, oh, oh or how about the times when you ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY should not be laughing, like at church, in class, during an intense argument, when someone hurts themselves or dies or any other awkward situation where it’s completely inappropriate.  So maybe, it’s totally wrong and maybe in the moment I feel awful about it, but not too awful I suppose…because WHY DO I KEEP LAUGHING, but right now I am here to tell you that it is a blessing and something to be thankful for.  To be able to feel that genuine happiness, even if for a fleeting and wrong timed moment, is a gift.

I love to laugh, I love to make people laugh and I am not afraid to make a complete fool of myself in the process.

 

This skit makes me laugh, I just can’t help myself!  Kevin Hart is a genius.  Be forewarned it has bad language, but sit back, relax and get ready to pee in your pants!

I hope you all get one extra smile and laugh today from reading this blog then spread the love!

XOXO,

Megan

This Little Light of Mine

(I just ran across this journal entry from October of last year and I thought I'd share.)

This Little Light of Mine

October 29, 2012

Yesterday the boys and I went to church.  This may not sound monumental, but in reality it is quite significant.  It was our second week of attending church, ever.  A young girl named Grace sang a song she’d been working on to share with us.  The song is “This Little Light of Mine” by Addison Road.  Her song touched me, her song is still in my head and my heart and I want to keep it there forever.

 

Throughout the day yesterday Dallas kept singing bits and pieces of it as we went through our everyday motions.  My heart melted each and every time I heard his sweet voice singing about his little light shining.  As a mother, this is my primary focus, my biggest responsibility, my life’s purpose.  How do I keep my children’s light shining, day after day, through the ups and the downs, through the teenage years, through heartbreaks, through disappointments through all of life’s challenges?  To take it one step further, how do I keep their light shining bright enough to shed that glow on the people they touch throughout their lives?

What does this “light” mean to me?  This light is happiness, love, strong, healthy relationships, contentment, appreciation, gratitude, wonder, positive thinking, having an open mind and an open heart, striving to be the best you and having a general understanding of what’s important in life.  It’s imperative that this light guide our words, our actions and our lives.  Like Dallas, we need to be singing this song and living it out loud, so our motions are always accompanied by our guiding light.

XOXO,

Meg