There will be a time in your life when you will have to fight for something that you desire, want , need, love, or have taken for granted. You will have to go that extra mile or that extra hurdle to give back to someone that has hurt you so deeply.  Love isn't free. Love doesn't come in a bouquet of flowers , in a candy jar, and it isn't wrapped in a pretty package.  It isn't something that is granted to you because you deserve it. Love is something you fight for  because you want the other person staring back at you to be happy, to feel needed, to feel loved, to feel wanted, to feel proud again. I have always said that " If i can't have a person's whole heart, I'd rather have nothing at all."But, there will be a time in your life as well that you will only get a tiny piece of the person you love so much because somehow along the way that person grew tired of giving . You can only do one  thing . Love. You can love like there is no tomorrow. You can smile like today is your last day on earth. You can embrace all that you have and take it all in. LOVE. All you can do is love. What would life be without LOVE? 

Sandy......1-22-15 

                                         Easter Memories

     Most people have the memory of Waking up on Easter morning to find a big Easter basket filled with chocolate, peeps, and heavenly hash eggs. I on the other hand have memories that I will never get to relive with the people I love and miss. I remember piling up with my cousins  in my grandpa's truck , riding thru the cane field to where his childhood farm( house) once was,  and stopping along the way  to cut chadrons or thistles . I can still smell the red dirt, the smell of wild flowers, and see the purple martins flying in the sky. Sometimes we would stop to pick buckets full of blackberries and then dump them in a number 2 tub. Our Easter clothes would now be the color of red dirt, and later they would be the color of blackberries. 
     The Easter fun continued at home as we would clean the chadrons or thistles so we could make a salad with vinegar, salt, and pepper. The blackberries were cleaned with water , some mashed and others kept whole. Mom  and grandma would then later make blackberry dumplings. 
     I wish I could be that little girl again. The little girl with the red-dirt-stained dress eager to find a giant bush of blackberries. I wish I could relive the moment of riding in the truck with grandpa. The memory of him still lingers in my mind. I can still see him wearing his flannel shirt, the window rolled down, and his arm resting on the door of the truck. I don't know who was more excited, grandpa or us?  How wonderful life was on Easter Sunday so long ago. 

One of the hardest things we have to do in life is saying goodbye to the ones we love. We are never ready to let go. It is in that final moment of death that we realize we aren't in control, and there is something bigger and better out there somewhere. Where is heaven? Is it all around us? Is it  in that big vast, blue sky that stretches far beyond our imagination? Is it a gateway thru our hearts and minds? We are never fully prepared for the emotions when a loved one dies. We often tell ourselves that we have a memory or a picture tucked away in our minds or stored on a shelf for safe keeping. For some people, that may be enough, but for others, there is always that empty void that lingers . Then there is faith. Yes, faith!!! It is that very same strong belief that keeps so many people together and keeps so many people feeling alive inside. I hope that you have faith in something! What would life be like without faith, hope, or love? I have faith that I'll be reunited with family members one day, but remember to cherish the ones you have . Tell the people who  you love that you love them on a  daily basis!  

      Doors open........To some it is a place of hope, to many it is a place of good news,  to others it is life's final journey.... the place where people  get the message to start saying their final goodbye's, or their first time hello's. The people that  I meet have more compassion for life in one single minute than any of us will have in the next 100 years. It is a place where strangers become friends, and friends become your lifeline.
      On a regular day, life's challenge would be to awake for work, get thru the morning traffic, have a stress free day, and make it home in time for dinner, etc.......but, instead the biggest challenge is to get out of bed and have enough energy to walk to the bathroom. Will today be a nausea free day? Will today be the day that I say goodbye?
      Doors close........To some, the sky looks blue , the birds are flying high, the wind is blowing thru their hair, and the day is going to be a wonderful day, life has given them an awesome deck of cards. To others, the sky is dark, the sun is hiding behind the clouds, the birds feel the need to be set free, and life has not been on their side today. Will their be another day?
      Remeber to hold your loved one's close, remember to tell them how special they are, and last but not least ......enjoy life and don't take the simple things for granted......

Sandy

Those tender moments

I love sitting back, enjoying the very quiet and precious moments in time, the very moment when she decides to cuddle and be that little baby again. She's growing so fast, yet not further apart! She's so dear to my heart!!!!!!!! Enjoy the tender moments and make them last................time is flying fast !

Enjoy the moment

Enjoy the moment and make it last. Sometimes we have to just sit back, relax, take deep breaths, enjoy the company, and take in all of the scenery. Life isn't always about climbing to the top, but getting half way there, sitting down, and enjoying the view . 

Running hand-in-hand

Remember that where ever life takes you, you once ran together hand-in-hand, laughing and smiling, pulling each other thru many obstacles. Remember where you came from, the special bond you all have, and the love you have for one another. You are each unique in your own little way . Don't forget to look back every now and then to see if one of you needs a little help along the way. Life is not always a golden paved road, but sometimes a very rocky mountain.