My last blog post was written on July 20 which in truth seems like a lifetime ago. And what an incredible testament to Allison's impact on people was proven by the sheer numbers who read a little post about an amazing and beautiful person. My blog usually renders about 200-550 reads a post. The post about Allison reached over 1500 reads. That to me said so much about the person she was. I am forever grateful to have known you, my friend.
Since my last post, my friend, Tim, passed away from cancer. The same cancer that McCain and Kennedy experienced. His services were on Friday and I was very upset to miss them. He was a man I had deep respect for and he was a true gentleman in the real sense of the word. As my friend Doris said, he was one of the good guys and there aren't a ton of good guys in the world. It breaks my heart that he has left this world too young because the world was a better place with him in it. And I am so incredibly appreciative that I knew you, Tim, because you taught me a great deal about what is important in life and what it means to be a good person.
So, of course, these kinds of life events give me pause. They make me think about the world and about struggles we all face in life. It makes me think about the balance of thinking about life and analyzing life versus just living it. Just being. The balance of letting things fall off your shoulders versus holding them inside. The balance of letting emotions land inside and stick there, feeling powerless to control. The feelings of being numb because if you start allowing the emotions in, will they ever leave. The balance of wanting to connect with the community through social media and understanding the image that is being presented in that space. Balancing seeing in those many forums the image of the perfect life and what you are missing out on because you weren't included or were not there and being happy for the people that they are able to have that experience. Those feelings affect people of all ages.
Going back to the balance of analyzing life versus living it. That is a tough one. It is tough to realize your role in your own happiness because sometimes you feel out of control of your own emotions. They control you instead of you controlling them. And that can be incredibly overwhelming and even make you feel very alone and foggy. They can make you feel like you are just going through the motions of life instead of truly living it. From experience, I know this. And it is very difficult to then figure out how to take back that control. To think outward instead of inward and to realize you aren't alone and that everyone struggles. Sometimes the seemingly happiest people are the ones that struggle the most. To grasp that life is a real gift is something we all take for granted at some point in our lives. To grasp that life can change in a single instant and to appreciate all that is here, good and bad, is so important and yet so challenging at times. To be able to gain perspective of yourself as being your spine and your center and that the pressures can create tension and pain but that you need to breathe. You need to give yourself space. You need to feel the emotions but then understand them and step outside of yourself and watch them pass by, leaving you lighter.
I think of the image of teenagers in high school and college whose image was of a kid with angst and drama and figuring themselves out yet their shoulders were relaxed because they weren't dealing with "real life" yet. Young adults being all emotion but enjoying the extreme highs along with the extreme lows. Freedom from real life and real responsibility so emotions are more raw and unbridled. I think that that reality has changed over time. I think that shoulders and backs are a bit more heavy. Pressures can be more pronounced and kids feel things a lot more deeply now, earlier than ever. I think that is very sad and I wish I could take that away. Kids can also be awful to each other in a way that cuts to the core and we hold onto those experiences as adults. Whether you were the person hurting or the person being hurt. Adults have the upper hand because we have the life experience and the ability to see the big picture over time. Kids are stuck in the moment. Compassion and tenderness for all goes a long way in this world yet I think that is the first thing we all forget.
Sometimes I wish we could all just be...…..Appreciate and just be. Together.
Put on Monster by Mumford and Sons and let's get cooking.
I went to my friend's house for dinner a few weeks ago and had a shrimp dish that I quietly (or not so quietly) became completely obsessed with throughout the course of the night. So obsessed that I made it the following week and pretty much ate the entire thing by myself.
Simple Marinated Shrimp, Taste of Home
Ingredients
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2 pounds cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
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1 medium red onion, sliced and separated into rings
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2 medium lemons, cut into slices
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1 cup pitted ripe olives, drained
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1/2 cup olive oil
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1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
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3 tablespoons lemon juice
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3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
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1 garlic clove, minced
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1 bay leaf
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1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
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1 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon ground mustard
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1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a 3-qt glass serving bowl, combine the shrimp, onion, lemons and olives. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake well. Pour over shrimp mixture and stir gently to coat,
Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf before serving.
Enjoy and have a happy day, everyone.
