Welcome back to SOLO at SIXTY!
One of my readers told me she was giving up Facebook for Lent this year (begins March 6th), and was worried she would miss my blogs as she gets them through Facebook. Told her, and now you, that she could sign up to have each new blog post emailed to her weekly. Did you know that? Join the other 200+ followers that have the blog delivered right to their “mailbox” each week by signing up on the right side of this blog. Or just go to soloatsixty.com to read the current and past posts. Did you know that last week’s blog had readers from 10 different countries! WOW, that blew my mind! How cool is that!?! I never know who is reading the blog, but can track the numbers and the countries where it is read. Also, if you are on Facebook, please “like” the SOLO AT SIXTY page to get a daily (week days only) dose of inspiration.
Speaking of Facebook, you know those “memories” that pop up on your feed, reminding you of posts “on this day”? These memories may be as recent as last year, or from many years ago. Seeing these “memories” pop up reminds me that I have come a l-o-n-g way. Looking into the past used to feel like a stab in the heart, but now I am able to look at those posts and think to myself, “yes, those were good times, but I am so thankful to be where I am today and thankful for the memories I am making now.” I read recently that some good memories are remembered as painful over time due to changes in circumstances. And the reverse as well, some painful memories are later perceived as positive as time goes on. It’s funny about memories, the emotions evoked by old ones and more recent ones. The older ones cause me to go “ohhhh…” while the more recent ones find me thinking “awwww…” And so many recent ones include “old” friends that I have reconnected with these past 3 years which is always a lift. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of posts that I wish would not pop up, but I just move on. That was a part of my life that is now over. On with the new! My favorite posts that pop up? My kids’ birthday “baby pictures” that I post every year on their special day. These always make me smile!
“Yesterday is but today’s memory, and tomorrow is today’s dream.”
The weekend before last, when I met my son and his girlfriend in Winston-Salem to see my mom, he had picked up a quilt I had commissioned for my older daughter from the same wonderful quilter, Ellen Dewey, in Charlotte who made the quilt for my son last year. This quilt was made from her college sorority t-shirts. Trust me, she had a TON of really cute t-shirts for every sorority event from Rush to Hayride to Lazy Afternoon to Bar Golf plus one for every formal (always at the Carolina Inn). What to do with these memorable shirts? Make a quilt out of them! Since my older daughter could not go with us to Winston-Salem, I decided I would surprise her last Friday when I knew I would see her for my son-in-law’s birthday. Did not want to upstage his special birthday dinner by surprising my daughter with the quilt, so I waited until she came home with me after dinner. She was certainly surprised, and so happy! This quilt tells the memorable and fun story of her college years. She told me about each square (t-shirt) in the quilt. And I happily re-lived these memories with her. Funny thing, so many of the events centered around parties! And alcohol! I think she left that out when she was telling me about these events while she was in college! So many memories …. Oh to be young and in college again!
“Life is a beautiful collage of priceless moments and memories, which when pieced all together creates a unique treasured masterpiece.” Melanie M. Koulouris
Speaking of making memories… Sunday afternoon, my older daughter agreed to go to a LaBlast Dance fitness class (“the most fun dance workout you’ll ever do!”) with me at our club in Short Pump (where she lives). Younger daughter said she would pass, but my older daughter said she was game. And we had fun! The class was lead by Louis Van Amstel, one of the dancers for 10 seasons on Dancing with the Stars and the creator of the class. You dance the Cha-Cha, Tango, Hustle, Salsa, all SOLO without even realizing you are dancing! And the class was PACKED. Great workout, though it was a bit hard on my darn knee. But worth it! We went for mani/pedi’s and a late lunch afterwards. Fun memories that I love making!
“The best thing about memories is making them.”
Last week’s blog on being strong really touched people in ways I never imagined! I received many comments and emails (you can also email me at soloatsixty@gmail.com) about their realizations that, hey, they really are strong because they actually looked at what they had survived. And a lot of it was NOT easy. Life is not easy. But it is good, and it’s the only one we have.
So stay strong and when hit with a painful memory, try to remember how you felt at that time. Old memories do not necessarily have to be painful, because maybe they were good at the time. And make new, happier, fun memories every day, because as we all know, none of us is promised tomorrow.
“No matter how much it hurts now, some day you’ll look back and realize your struggles changed your life for the better.”
Best,
Leslie
PS Only 49 days until SPRING!
SOLO at SIXTY 