Beyond Words

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.” I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou

Dates.  Not the kind you go on with the opposite sex.  Not the type you eat.  I’m talking about those numbers on a calendar; particularly the ones that mean something.  Dates, you see, are often anything but trivial.  Many even have widely popular and Webster-worthy names.   Blind dates.  First dates.  Travel dates.  Game dates.  Dates with destiny.

 Dates are magical numbers in our lives.  In posting my previous blog, my very first one, I noticed it was on June 9, a somewhat surprising memorable day for me.  You see, June 9 was our daughter’s due date.  For nearly nine months that was “the” day for me, as everything revolved around it.  Now, 19 years later, I still remember it and find it somewhat prophetic that this empty nester’s first blog was posted on that very date…all by coincidence.  The reason I find it surprisingly memorable is because June 9 is not my daughter Kristen’s birthday.  No, she decided to come 3 ½ weeks early on May 16.  Still, June 9 will forever hold a special place in my memory bank.

We all have our own “June 9’s,” or what I like to call distinctive dates.  Birthdays.  Anniversaries.  The day you won the lottery.  These, you might say, are the happy, celebratory ones.  We also, however, have more somber dates etched in our minds.  The day a loved one passed away, the day of a personal tragic event and, of course, September 11, a date that will never be the same for most of us. 

Future dates are also significant.  Our smart phones and laptops are filled with them.  We use them to plan our lives and sometimes even those of others. We boast of target dates, holy dates, and dates that we promise to start something new or achieve something grand.  But, “a goal without a date is just a dream,” (Milton H. Erickson), so choose your dates wisely.  Literally!   

 I recently saw a cute idea called “The Dates Our Lives Were Forever Changed” on Pinterest via etsy to commemorate special dates.   It’s a framed print of dates of your choice.  It got me thinking:  what dates would I include on it?  How about you, what dates would you use?  Do you have one that’s personally unique or one the rest of us haven’t thought of?  Do share!

 In the end, today may not be a “special” date for you, but make it special anyway and, as Annette Funicello once said, “life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

 Have a wonderful day!

I start this blog with a plan in mind and, at the very same time, with no plan in mind.   As my blog title claims, I’m a wordsmith.  I’m also a woman entering a new phase of life:  empty nesting.  What to do, what to do?

Writing has always come easy for me and I’m inspired by exceptional and creative writing.  I get great pleasure from reading both words of wisdom and humor.  I scatter them around my home, I find them on Pinterest, I receive them in blogs and emails, I post them on Facebook, and I read them everywhere I can. 

I also am a collector.  A collector of quips and quotes, ideas and inspiration, tips and trends.  I can’t ever get enough of them and yet have never known just what to do with them.  Until now.  So, that’s what this collection from carlawordsmith is.  Quiet wisdom and quick wit.  Style tips and random thoughts.

I don’t know where I’m going with it but I do hope you will enjoy it.  Along the way I hope to add photos and fun features.  Most of all, I want you to be both entertained and maybe even educated by my posts, whether they be a simple quote, a tip of the day, or a more lengthy personal observation.  Until then, I’m learning and I look forward to your input!

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Happy blogging!