After almost a 6 month hiatus from my writing, I am back to make “Today” and the future Todays magnificent and special.
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An impactful life event has occurred Today, I became an Orphan! Both of my parents are no longer physically with me. That special parental confidant resource is gone. What remains, however, are wonderful memories and what has been engrained within me over the years.

For those of us who are intentional in looking at life events, there is the opportunity for each life event to move the needle of who we are and how we decide to live our lives. To decide how we are going to engage those around us in a meaningful way.

I continue to be reminded that life events can be either positive or negative depending on how we choose to outwardly be impacted. Impacted not only by the event, but impacted by how we choose to react. Personal behaviors we exhibit are our responsibility, how we respond to life events are our responsibility, behavior and personal brand is our personal responsibility. They are all choices we make. With these responsibilities and choices, we make mistakes, hit the golf ball out of bounds or unintentionally stray from our core. I have discovered this in my life and in observations of others that being human exposes us to human mistakes, at times the choices we make are superb, and others we wish there was a mulligan.

If we are intentional and committed for the future as to how we live, our choices give us an opportunity to learn, change and grow.

I am not sure who to credit for this, it was on FB so I am taking the liberty to use. I found this so true and to the point:

As I said to my sister following the death of our mother, “enjoy time with family as life is both fragile and magnificent”. This struck me when I was at the cabin recently and watched Christopher Robin and Whiney the Pooh. (Yes, I watched!) There were many aspects of the movie that struck me, but nothing more than Whiney commented to Piglet as they walked and as illustrated in this photo!

Make today your favorite day, a day to fully embrace

I am still learning! Aren’t we all? Life events give us the opportunity to teach us what it means to have a meaningful life and the impact and the power of friends, family, faith and relationships in life. Maybe I have become more receptive, more open minded, and more intentional in how I am choosing to live? How about you?

How we react to life events to a large degree is being intentional in understanding ourselves and having the honesty, self-confidence and civility to accept our weaknesses and embrace help from others. I have found that embracing life by having grace in focusing on the positive in others and understand that we all, even ourselves, have our own respective flaws.

This has been especially reinforced in a daily dose of grounding as I read Terry Esau’s Book, “Be the Surprise”, In a short text exchange between Terry and I after writing to Terry that his book is one of my consistent surprises each morning , Terry responded;

“Sometimes ‘being the surprise’ feels like a selfish act in that doing good for others makes us feel so good about ourselves, that in turn inclines people to treat us with great kindness. Maybe God intended it to work that way. ‘What goes around comes around.’ Good begets good. Love fosters love. Maybe that’s as close to heaven as we get on this side”

Yes good begets good, however that circle can only start with someone demonstrating kindness first for the shear fact that it is who they are.

Getting back to my Orphan Statius, what have I learned this past month?

• Death makes people uncomfortable.
• Honoring those who have died should be celebrated as no one gets out of here alive!
• The emotions of the death of a loved one is hard to empathize in words of condolences, so just be present!
• People are clumsy, not intentionally, but out of “not really knowing what to say” in expressing their feelings for our loss.
• Despite death, some remain entrenched in lack of forgiveness and remain selfish in actions and engagement. Death does not change some people.
• Life continues to those left behind and we need to embrace life going forward out of honor to those who have passed.
• Letting go is not an action of lack of love, but instead part of the honor that those who have passed would want for us.
• Embrace the magnificence of life ahead while at the same time honor with love and never ending memories of our past.
• To not take life for granted as it is so incredible fragile and magnificent.
• Surround yourself with friends and family for support and work on building and growing your faith and relationship with God.

Remember to Embrace “TODAY!”