Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Moment of Bliss
What I did get though, was about a half hour of bliss. That one little moment in time when everything seemed to be perfect in the world. Just before the reality of life hits, when all seems perfect. Here I was, laying in bed with my three boys. Percy (the smallest doggie) curled up behind my knees; Bare was being my little spoon; and Chad...laying across from me with his cute little face (I love the way his mouth is open a little when he sleeps). For as long as I could hold it - perfection was mine. Quite in the house with only the noise of a few cars on the street and a slight chill in the air. Loved it.
Then....Bare yawns, Percy moves and Chad lets out a little discontent from the noise and it's back to reality. Oh well, it'll happen again. That's why I like the early mornings. I get my cocoa, do a little reading and praying, and find my one, little, hopeful, moment of bliss.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Wee Early Hours of the Morn
We are all so busy. I was lying in bed a few minutes ago thinking (which usually gets me in trouble) that by the time I finish school I'll be almost 50. Still young, I know, but I can't help but let the thoughts in that no one is going to hire me at that age. But then I remind myself, that I've got a lot more going on than my age. I'm a hard worker with a great attitude and most of the time people think I'm really younger than I am (wonder how much longer I can pull that one off). So, I put those thoughts right out of my head.
I was talking to a friend at work last night and she was telling me about their night out. I looked at her and said, "I wish you guys would tell me when you're going out. I'd like to hang with you sometimes." Don't know where that came from, but I do miss going out with my co-workers and relaxing after work. Then I think, where in the hell am I gonna find time for that. I get up, usually around 7:30. Do some things around the house, try to study a little and then go to school. If I don't have to work that day, I come home and try to relax, watch a little TV, clean the house, do laundry. If I don't have school, I usually work a double. I'm tired people!!!! And I'm complaining about not hanging out after work anymore. I'm crazy.
I think it all comes from the fact that I used to be the ringleader of the drink all nighters and lets go, go, go!!! I don't miss those day at all. What I do miss is the comraderie that was developed between me and the rest of the staff. I was a part of them and they a part of me. I still feel this to an extent, but as to where my focus used to be Outback, Outback, Outback, it has now shifted to taking care of my family, trying to provide for our future and wanting more things than I would have ever wanted three years ago.
Thanksgiving is coming up and I have a lot to be thankful for. I just passed the 2 1/2 year mark for my sobriety. And, things have changed for the better so much. Yes, new things are springing up that try to keep me from my path, but I have the love of a strong man that keeps me grounded. He helps to remind me that I didn't do this on my own, and that maybe I've let the things that started me on the road to recovery slide a little bit. That I need to get back to basics. I keep making excuses, "I don't have the time" or "I'm tired". But the simple fact is (thanks for this one Haig), I'm scared. I've let fear rule my entire life. No matter how much I've accomplished or how far I think I've gone, I still let fear dictate some of my actions.
So back to basics it is. I need to start going to meetings again and giving back to the one thing that got me this far in the first place. I've lost my humbleness. I think I can do it all, and I can, but I need to remember to talk to about it first. So, get on my knees and pray, first thing, in the wee early hours of the morn.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Ohana
Today I've also been spending a lot of time in reflection over the past weekend. This past weekend I spent a lot of time with family. I helped my sister, Amy, move from Orlando to Knoxville and had a blast. It was great taking a road trip with her. She had never been on one before and it was great. Especially once we got into the mountains. The expressions on her face were priceless. But it was equally awesome to see the way she looked at the majesty of the mountains and trees with their brightly colored leaves. It's always an eye opener when you experience life through a different set of eyes.
I also took this trip to Tennessee to see my dad. As some of you may know, a few weeks ago he was diagnosed with Leukemia. It's been a very stressful and worrisome couple of weeks. I have to admit that when I saw him in the hospital, he looked better than I expected. Outside of a little hair loss, weight loss and being tired, he was still my dad. It was a little disconcerting to see him in that setting, but he looked good. We got good and bad news on Saturday. An early morning phone call from my step-mom told us that he was running a fever of 102. By early afternoon, the fever had broken and I went to see him. He was in good spirits and the doctor had just told him that his bone marrow test came back great and that there weren't any leukemia cells present. AWESOME!!!! He would have to stay in the hospital till his white blood cell count came back up and he regained his strength, but for the time being, he was out of the woods. The chemo had worked and now he would just have to have chemo on an outpatient basis after his release. Looks good.
I got to spend time with my brother and older sister, and even though we hadn't seen each other in a long time, we fell back into the same click that we always had. My sister the clown, my brother the serious one and me: the ever changing one. But for the first time in a long time I felt comfortable. I was me. I didn't have to try to be someone else or feel like I needed to hide anything. It didn't bother me, to just be me. And I feel great about that.
On the way to the airport that Sunday, I looked out the window at the East Tennessee countryside and for the first time ever after a visit, I wanted to stay. I wasn't bothered by the memories of all the bad things I had been through there and inflicted upon everyone else. I was able to think of the possibilities of what can come. What new future might develop and that I felt welcome to come back there at any time. I was free of the past and ready to move forward into a great tomorrow.
So....Chad, Amy, Joshua, Mike, Dawn, Mom, Dad, Connie, Courtney, Haig and all the other members of my family....immediate and extended, the Hawaiian/Samoan culture has a word for family that means all that touch and are meaningful in your life....Ohana. I love you all.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Hurricanes
Wow...dramatic huh??!!!! That's how it's been feeling. Very dramatic. Let's start with school. I talked to my nursing director about how I had planned out my nursing school career and she agreed with my timeline. The thing that sucked about it was how long I would have to wait after finishing my last pre-requisite before actually starting the program. As long as up to a year. The one good thing we did discuss (if you want to call it good) is that I qualify for a concurrent program where I can finish my AS and BS in Nursing at the same time. It will knock a year off me getting my Bachelor's degree. No problem. YEAH PROBLEM!!!!! It basically means that I have to take two classes from UCF at the same time I'm taking two from SSC. 13 credits a semester instead of 7. For anyone that knows nursing, that's a considerable amount more. Lecture in the morning, lab in the afternoon, and clinicals in the evening. Or anyway they want us to do them. Even on Saturday's. It's okay except that I wont be able to work at all.
That's where the relationship part comes in. Chad is already under a lot of stress. He found out he can graduate in December if he keeps applying himself the way he has. Shouldn't be a problem. Finish school, start work in a salon to get experience while still working at Outback, then make the big bucks and eventually own his own salon. Dreams are coming true. He can make it work, except I keep messing things up.
Me trying not to put more stress on him, is putting more stress on him. I'm trying my best to do things right and keep things on the straight and narrow and some how I keep messing it up. It isn't easy for me. After twenty-five years of doing things a certain way, and being an alcoholic. It isn't easy to change in only three years. I still have cravings. And there are days when I want to crawl back into the bottle and give up. But I don't. I handle the stress. I've got a great set of friends and an extended family that really care about me. But I still find the wall going back up. So, as my sponsor would say, time to get back to the basics. Go back to the things that knocked the wall down in the first place and get my lines of defense re-established. Keep on plugging.
Just as I get all that straightened out, I get a phone call from sister. My dad is in the hospital and has been diagnosed with leukemia. WOW!!! So he's undergoing chemotherapy-agressively-seven days on seven days off then testing to see if it's in remission. If not, then they start over. He's in great physical shape so not a problem except for his age. But, he's a fighter and can beat it. He better. There are still a lot of things I need to say to him. So many things I need to apologize for. So many amends still need to be made and I can't sleep at night knowing I may lose him before I tell him. I want him to see me graduate nursing school and actually be the son he knew I could be. I love him and I need him to see tht. Hang in there dad. I'm coming.
So, that only leaves work. Which hasn't been that bad, except that it's been slow. September is traditionally the slowest time of the year. Although I've had a great August, paying for school and buying a new car has depleted both our savings. Come on LOTTO. Anyone wanting to make a donation to the "Crafty and Chad College Fund" may do so by inquiring at www.idontwanttoeatramennoodlesforthenexttwoyears.com. The only thing I can do is pray. Give it all up to God and have faith that all things will be taken care of. We've handled worse than this and survived and I know God doesn't give us more than we can handle, but I wish it would be enough already. Also forgot to mention that September, is traditionally the worst month for .....HURRICANES.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Sliding Doors
One of my favorite movies is "Sliding Doors" with Gwenyth Paltrow. A little love story of how, by being a few seconds late and missing her train, a girls life changes drastically but we get to see how her lives play out: the girl that made the train and the girl that didn't. So, I spent a little of my day yesterday playing the game and trying to follow the lines of where I could be and how different my life could have been if I had made some different choices.
When I sat down with Tracy Kruse and Ryan Lloyd and they asked me to go to Key West as the manager, if I had said "NO" like I had a dozen other times in the past, I never would have met Chad or the friends that I have now. I would still be drinking. A million different scenarios present themselves just from that one little decision. What if I hadn't gone downtown the night Chad and I got together. Would it have still happened? Would we have still gotten together at a later date, cause I really didn't like working with him (still don't)? Tired of playing the if game.
So what am I so afraid of? I tried explaining to Chad yesterday that people sometimes hold on to the last vestiges of their past because of fear. It gives them that one last thing to pull out of their pocket in case something doesn't work out. I told him that everytime I'm on the brink of being truly happy; of getting everything I really want in life; I do something to screw it up. Like it's almost mandated from God that I'm not supposed to be happy. So I hang on to one thing that can drive a wedge between me in Chad just in case I need it as a way out. And in reality, it's that wedge that's keeping us from being happy. If I just let go and take care of the things I need to, we can be happy and there is nothing wrong with that. I want a better life for us. I want nice things with him and more that anything I want for his happiness.
So why do I hang on to this fear? Why do I feel the need to have a way out? Why do I keep myself from moving forward and not having everything I ever dreamed of? I don't know. I've come so far in a little time. To me, I've made such great strides at overcoming all the bad and negative in my life and even though it sometimes feel like a runaway train, my life is heading in the direction I've always dreamed it could. I make better and more informed decisions. I try to keep things light and funny and carefree. I try to not let the stresses of everyday life get me down and it's exhausting. I guess I just want a little praise for my efforts from those close to me every now and then. Otherwise, why do we keep trying. If we are constantly beat down and reminded of all the bad without some positive praise, what's the motivation to try and be better? Personal satisfaction isn't always enough.
Today, I'm registering for next semester and going to an information meeting for the nursing program. In 2 1/2 years from now, I'll be an RN (hopefully) and well on my way to getting everything I've ever wanted in life. I just have to watch out for those sliding doors.
Friday, July 29, 2011
The Little Things
I look up to the sky and say Thank you God for leading me in the right direction and knowing that all the pain I put others in my life through, has finally managed to turn into something solid, good, nice and appreciated more than I can say. That was probably the biggest run on sentence in the world, but, who cares.
I am Happy!!!! Shout it....Scream it....Love it!!!!
Most of you know it wasn't always that way. All I can say is this: God never gives us more than we can handle. Doesn't mean He doesn't test the water sometimes to see if we sink or swim. But He's there to pull you out if you need it. You just have to grab hold and see that the life being offered is a much better one than the one you want to leave behind. Now, that being said...the want to change your life should be enough motivation for most to see the errors of their ways and move on. Sometimes (as in my case) a bigger kick in the butt is needed. Use it.
Well, I had typed two more paragraphs but my internet went out for a minute and I lost it. It was really profound too. Any way, the last line that I remember said..."Don't sweat the small things, and they are all little things." Til next time. Love ya.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Karma
A little funny story about Karma. Chad is always going around calling "Karma". Basically, watch out or karma will kick you in the butt.
This past weekend, at our little family vacation, Karma was running rampant. Chad and I got there first and since we were sharing a three bedroom suite with his two sisters and their significant other, we got first choice. Of course, we picked the big,master suite with the huge bed with a large ornate wooden crane and big bathroom with walk-in shower and big tub. It also connected to the balcony that had the awesome view.
I walk into the bedroom and stub my toe on the bedframe. No big deal. I'm walking around unpacking-stub the same toe again. Chad starts laughing. A few minutes go by and I scrape my leg on the large ornate frame with the overhang. Chad laughs more.
While he's doubled over with slaughter, he stubs his toe on the same leg of the bed. KARMA!!!!!!
So know I'm laughing and saying "HaHa. Karma bitch!"
I stub the same toe again. You'll be happy to know the swelling and bruising have finally gone away.
Thanks Karma!!