Today, I decided to live!

 DAY ONE of 365 Days of Living!

Two days ago, I celebrated my birthday.  It was a tough day to celebrate because I had been sick all week and still wasn't quite over it.  We had a good day.  I couldn't think of any THING I wanted for my birthday, except this Burberry purse, that I don't think they make anymore:)--Because I wasn't feeling well, I had a lot of time to think about my 39 years of life.

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching a Tyler Perry movie with the family--I forget which one--but the woman in the movie asked--"Am I living or existing?"  What a simple, yet profound question!  Well, it seems that the most humble of questions can't quite escape my mind.  It has literally kept me up a portion of each night since I saw it...and to make matters worse, I got hit with another line from Shawshank Redemption a couple of weeks later--"Get busy living or get busy dying!"

I have a great family and a great life, but every now and then, we have to ask ourselves if we are doing all the things in life that we can--to actually LIVE.  I think that it becomes so easy to get caught up in a routine and lose sight of the fact that there's so much out there that we haven't experienced--so much more that this world offers...

The last couple of years have brought about so much change.  Close family and friends have been diagnosed with cancer and some have perished as a result of it.  I've seen people who I never expected their lives to go the way that they have gone--end up behind bars and I have witnessed all around me, many failed marriages....And I can't stop thinking about one of my 35 year old groomsmen, Andrew, who died of a heart attack about a month ago--leaving a wife and three children behind.  I have witnessed many great things this year, but it's the sad stuff that I can't seem to get off my mind lately.

Perhaps, it is because I am getting older...I think that the thought of my own mortality for the first time in my life, feels real.  No, there's nothing wrong with me, nothing wrong with my family and I'm not expecting to leave here any time soon; I am just reminded of the fact that life is not promised--that life is PRECIOUS!  I primarily realize that at the end of the day, I want to be remembered for giving more than I have given, for doing more than I have done...and for LIVING....

So, here's my revelation!  As that great line from Invictus reads, "I am the Master of my fate, I am the Captain of my soul!   I am presenting myself with the ultimate challenge--a challenge like no other that I have taken!  365 days of LIVING!  I hope you will follow me, encourage me,  join me and inspire me to learn new things, go new places and meet new people.  I hope that you will make suggestions along the way and inform me of your favorite things to do, to see, to eat, etc...I will take plenty of pictures and share each and every day of my adventure over the next year!  And we will celebrate 365 days of living and my 40th birthday in some fabulous way next year!:) 


Yesterday was day ONE of my journey.  I guess that for the past 6 months or so, I've been mentioning that one of the things I've gotten away from--that I used to love was rollerblading!  I didn't realize how long I'd been saying that I wanted to buy some, but had never made it to the store to get them.  My poor seven year old daughter was apparently tired of hearing about it and put  a bug in my husband's ear that roller blades would make a great birthday gift.  She was right!  With my new birthday gift and that nagging:) question of whether I am living or existing--in my head, I decided to give my new kicks a try.  The problem is that it's been 17 years since I skated on rollerblades.

Let's just say that it wasn't what I remembered.  I couldn't zip through the streets like I used to--I even wiped out within minutes.  Maybe it wasn't so smart to attempt a quick turn even if I had perfected it 17 years ago!  But it wasn't the end of the world, I got back up and managed to do just fine...and what a workout it was!  I felt good and am excited to put them on again today:)  Enjoy a couple of pictures from DAY ONE!  

Looking forward to living Day Two!