Dance Slowly, for Time is Short
~ Unknown Artist
Too many people put off something that brings them joy
just because they haven't thought about it,
don't have it on their schedule,
didn't know it was coming,
or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic
who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back.
From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home
because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner
until after something had been thawed?
Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?
 How often have your kids dropped in to talkand sat in silence
while you watched Jeopardy on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said,
"How about going to lunch in a half hour?"
She would gasp and stammer,
"I can't. I have clothes on the line...
My hair is dirty…
I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast…
It looks like it’s raining..."
And my personal favorite: "It's Monday."
She died a few years ago.
We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives,
we tend to schedule our headaches.
We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves
when all the conditions are perfect.

We'll go back and visit the grandparents
when we get Stevie toilet-trained…
We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet…
We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college…

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older.
The days get shorter and the list of promises gets longer.
Every morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is
a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my “seize the moment” friend,
she is open to adventure and available for trips.
She keeps an open mind on new ideas.
Her enthusiasm for life is contagious.
You talk with her for five minutes,
and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of roller blades
and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years.  I love ice cream.
It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my hips with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process.  The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker.
If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now, go on and have a nice day.
Do something you WANT to...
Not something on your SHOULD DO list.

If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make,
who would you call and what would you say?
And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry-go-round
or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?  Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.  Don't dance so fast.  Time is short.  The music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask, "How are you?" do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed
with the next hundred chores running through your head?
Ever told your child, “We'll do it tomorrow,"
and in your haste not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch; let a good friendship die?  Just call to say "Hi"?

You'd better slow down.  Don't dance so fast.  Time is short.  The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift...thrown away...

Life is not a race.  Take it slower.  Hear the music before the song is over.

Thank You For Being You
~ Kim Anderson; poetry by Paula Finn

One of the greatest gifts of our relationship is the comfort of knowing
I can always be myself with you, and you will accept me for being just that.
With you, I never have to laugh when I feel like crying,
Or be quiet when I need to talk,
Or stay calm when I feel like getting upset,
Or sound positive when I need to complain.
The greatest comfort is the knowledge that when I need a friend...
I never have to be alone.
In sharing our fears, we become bolder.
In sharing our losses, we become richer.
In sharing our mistakes, we become wiser.
In sharing ourselves, we become closer.
Our lives were meant to be shared.
It's so comforting to share the events of my day with you-
The little things I know you'll find funny, or touching, or interesting,
Only because they happened to me.
You know when I need your help or advice,
And when I just need to know that you care.
It's not often that we feel safe enough with another person to shed our defenses,
And to risk being completely ourselves-
To show them they are important in our life,
And that we would be so much less without them.
I NEED YOU...
And I trust you enough to tell you.
You listen to me without judging,
You support me without pressuring,
You appreciate me as I am without comparing me to what I am not.
You encourage me in my goals and dreams,
And validate my struggles to fulfill them...
You are so easy to talk to so easy to feel close to,
And so easy to love.
Your support has deepened my self-confidence,
Your humor has brightened my outlook,
And your encouragement has brought me closer than ever to my dreams.
Always, you've been there to listen, to understand...
And to help me grow.
Your support adds so much to my life.
You share my joy as if it were your own.
You feel my pain and you cry with me.
Thank you for understanding me, accepting me, and loving me as I am.
It sounds so simple but it means so much to say-
I feel comfortable with you.
I don't have to worry about how I look to you,
Or sound to you,
Or what you're going to think about me when I'm not around.
I don't have to rehearse or analyze our conversations-
When we talk, I can relax.
I feel comfortable around you.
It sounds so simple...but it means so much.
You know when I want to be serious;
You know when I need to be playful.
When I'm with you I am free to express my true mood.
If I am not feeling happy, or positive, or energetic,
I don't have to act or pretend that I am.
You support my goals, while accepting my faults.
You love the person I am.
Your accepting nature has helped me to treat others and myself more gently.
You concentrate on my good points while overlooking my flaws,
And you can always find something in me to praise.
You are so thoughtful.
You give me much more than is expected,
And you expect much less than you deserve.
You are strong enough to admit your weaknesses,
Brave enough to express your fears,
Free enough to laugh and human enough to cry.
My life is enriched in so many ways by your presence,
For in you I have found the friend I've always wanted...
And the love I'll always need.
Together, we've laughed and cried,
Shared sunshine and storms...
We've celebrated carefree days,
And helped each other through the long troubled nights.
Your support has made my triumphs more meaningful,
And my losses easier to bear.
I will praise you when you win,
And share your pain if you lose...
Always, I will accept you for who you are
And not for how much or little you achieve.
I will strive to bring out the best in you while forgiving your faults.
I won't expect perfection in either of us.
In the tomorrows we share,
I pray that I can be sensitive to your needs,
Understanding of your concerns,
Patient with your mistakes,
And comforting of your pain...
That I can give as much of myself as you need...
And all the love that you deserve.
With you life is exciting.
With you I can be myself.
With you I feel appreciated.
With you I have fun.
With you I am happier than I have ever been.
Thank you for being you.

Heaven Is a Place Nearby
~ Unknown Artist

...I watched your rorging fire/fight.
I hardly knew the pain was smaller than what I could bare
Still I hear your last words to me...

Heaven is a place nearby
So I won't be so far away
And if you try and look for me
Maybe you'll find me someday
Heaven is a place nearby
So there's no need to say good-bye
I'll ask you not to cry
I'll always be by your side.

You just faded away
You spread your wings, you have flown
Away to something unknown
Wish I could bring you back
You were the sun of mine
I'm about to tear myself apart
You have your special place in my heart
Always

Heaven is a place nearby
So I won't be so far away
And if you try and look for me
Maybe you'll find me someday
Heaven is a place nearby
So there's no need to say good-bye
I'll ask you not to cry
I'll always be by your side.

And even when I go to sleep
I still can hear your voice
And these words, I never will forget:

Heaven is a place nearby
So I won't be so far away
And if you try and look for me
Maybe you'll find me someday
Heaven is a place nearby
So there's no need to say good-bye
I'll ask you not to cry
I'll always be by your side.