Life...

A very special member of my family recently moved away to see if life would be better for her out in the great unknown...I'm hoping and assuming that this afternoon, she returned to our little corner of the world after finding that the grass isn't always greener.

I'm blogging about this because I'm sad at the moment. Maybe blogging isn't the avenue that I should be taking, but at this moment, it seems like a good idea. I've talked over the last few weeks to this member of my family and tried to understand why she felt the need to get away from it all. She said that she just couldn't take it anymore and needed to get away. Then, I tried to explain that basically there is always going to be something in life that isn't going to go our way...that the odds are usually going to seem to be stacked against us. The human tendency IS to run the other direction...to get away from the problem...but as we get older and have more and more troubles, we find that the mess usually follows us around until we confront it. Now, I am not the person to lecture on confrontation....I absolutely HATE confrontation! I will do anything to avoid it if at all possible, and during confrontation, I have the tendency to bawl like a baby! (Not too pretty!) However, I have found that in the end, usually the only thing that will set your heart at ease is to get whatever it is out on the table. Lay it out there and let things go whichever way that they will. At least, then, it's all out there, and you don't have it all crammed up inside of your head anymore. If someone's hurt you, Tell Them! If you've hurt someone, Appologize! If you've left something undone, Finish It! If you've left something unsaid, Say It! So simple, yet so hard to do..

Just remember, Friends and Family are the closest people to us. They know us inside and out. They are the ones we run to when we have GREAT news or horrible news. They are also the ones that we get upset with when they have differing views than we have. Our friends and family don't suddenly hate us when we do or say something that is unexpected...they just see that something is wrong, or may go wrong and they don't want us harmed in any way. We are often loved by MANY who have their own advice to give us based on their own choices ~ bad or good. When we are younger, we think that we know exactly how to live and run our own lives. "It's my own life, isn't it? Why can't everyone just leave me alone and let me make my own mistakes?" So we push away anyone and everyone who has an opinion and we are left alone to make those decisions. Left alone to reap the consequences ~ good or bad.

One bad decision can affect the rest of your life for the entire REST of your life. You don't see it at the time, but later on, down the road, you see exactly how, where, and when you got off the "right path" and went down the wrong one. Ususally, by the time you realize the mess you're in, there's no going back. The wheels are set in motion, and nothing will ever be the same again. Regret is one of the worst things to have to live with. One of the most painful things. You suddenly see how life could have been or should have been...you see the hurt you've caused others every time you look in their eyes. No matter how much time goes by, your loved ones will always remember "When". No matter what you do, it's very rare to be able to "fix" the wrong choices that were made.

Just remember when your loved ones offer up advice...really listen...no matter what the advice is...just listen with your whole heart. You're most likely talking to someone who has made decisions that have caused great pain and regret. Don't write off all us older people as "not knowing what we're talking about". We know...we've been there and we don't want you to have to go there to experience the same pain.

Soooo....I guess what I'm saying is this...Stop running...face your demons and PRAY like you've never prayed before. God never leaves us....we are the ones who leave him and then hopefully find our ways back. We are NEVER alone in this crazy world. There is always hope and there will always be someone out there who loves you who is praying for you and your happiness.

You alone are loved more by God than anyone here on Earth will ever be able to love you. But we earthlings try really hard to come in a close second!