Two posts today - I thought I would share my favourite poem

This poem has lived on every fridge in every home I have had for many, many years. It is a powerful poem, it struck me in many ways and everytime I read it I feel better. I thought I'd share:

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer (A Native American Elder)

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking the fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your sorrow, if you have been opened up by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let ecstacy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can betray another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not a pretty day.

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't matter who you are, or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

Can you?

I Wish I Had Never Met You.

I Wish I had Never Met You. I guess that line has been hurled at as many people as have been told the lie, "I love you."

You know that ridiculously sweet song that Garth Brooks wrote - "The Dance" where he basically says that he could have missed the pain, but then he'd have had to miss the dance.

Total bullshit.

Among other things ... work and some other annoying life things ..... someone I care very much about hit me with the biggest Mack Truck they could find and then forgot to turn around and apologize. I suspect that if given a chance this person would throw it into reverse and run me over again. Just because it is possible to do so. I suspect I've become an easy target.

Why do people treat each other the way they do? I used to be this ball of fire that fought any fight that came my way. I decided years ago that that wasn't working for me and decided that I needed to make some changes. I decided that more flies with honey... or some such other crap... and I have tried to lead my life trying to be as good as possible to the people around me (sadly, i'm not always successful, lets just say I'm a work in progress). I would never want to do or say something horrible to someone I care about and then have that be the last thing that is said or done to them by me. I just wish that certain people in my life felt the same way.

Maybe its time to cut the worst offender loose? Does unconditional love only go so far?

Today I am feeling like maybe I have taken the idea of 'forgiveness' and 'unconditional love' a little too far and have not looked after myself properly. *Thanks for that lesson.* I kept thinking if you work hard, be there for the people you love, try not to judge too much, love fiercely, protect the ones you love as much as you can and forgive the people around you for their mistakes (they are only human, as you are - and you want to be forgiven for your mistakes) that not only will you be able to wake up every morning and like what you see in the mirror but that people will treat you with the same kind of respect. Um, not so much.

Today I am feeling walked on. And disappointed. And not quite sure what to do with that. *Again, thanks for that lesson.*

PS. Thank you to Mom and Mandy for taking my miserable butt out on Sunday. I needed it. Thank goodness for family that are willing to put up with a grumpy girl.

Naked Neighbour!

The door next to me clicks open Monday night... my new neighbour, Clem, is peeking his head out the door. Cute guy ladies, blond hair, devilish smile ... anyways ... half his body is hidden behind the door and the other half is out and obviously NAKED...

"Hey Neighbour". "Oh, hey Clem... thanks for cleaning the foyer, it looks awesome!... I'd come check out what you've done with the place... but um ... you dont seem to have any clothes on!" "Ok, Kell, maybe some other time."

Note: This post is intended to encourage my girlfriends to visit me more often... enticing them with man eye candy!!!! Clem is the one with the white hat.... and remember Darren? He is the one on the right in the blue shirt... really have absolutely no idea who the other guys is!

I'm PERFECT the way I am?!?!?

So it’s the eve of my 37th Birthday! Now I’m not one of those women who worries about her age or getting older too much… Of course, I’d like everything on my body to be where it was ten years ago, but whatever. What my birthday does bring around is the question of “What has changed since last year?” Am I in a rut, have any of my goals been met? Am I happy? Do I have new goals, ideas, ambitions???? Am I a better person than I was last year at this time? Have I been more patient, have I loved my family and friends and been there for them? Lots of things pop into my head. I guess most people do this at New Years, but for me the birthday has usually spurred me into making changes. I’m going to think about this over the next few days and come up with a list. Or maybe I’ll just figure out that I am perfect the way I am! =)

Adam Sandler!

Happy rainy Wednesday. I saw this quote today from Adam Sandler... love him! This is cheesy and cliche but true, true, TRUE!

"Hug them, kiss them and tell them that you love them. Don't miss the chances that life is giving you to spend with people you love. There are no rewinds."--Adam Sandler

And Chico strikes again... =)

What phone? Who needs a phone??

SOMEBODY REALLY NEEDS A SPANKING

I know this is an unpopular sentiment these days but I think we need to go back to the days where our kids got a smack on the bum now and again! Ok, I'll slow down and start over. This morning I was still feeling the remainder of a head cold so instead of walking to work I took the bus. I guess my new cellphone slipped out of my bag onto the seat of the bus and I didnt notice. Long story short the person who found it texted one of my friends and said that he had it. They arranged for me by text to pick up the phone at the Vancouver Film School at noon. Yippee, I thought, good person returning my phone. NOT.

He handed me the phone smashed into a million pieces.

Ok, deep breath, there are definately worse things in the world, but what an ass!

Thank you

to Chico for trying to make me feel better today by sending me a pic of one of my favourite t.v. stars... I'm at work with a very sore throat and a FEVER! This helped though....

Thought I'd share her with you...

A great quote from a great new friend

My new friend Agnes said something to me over brunch a few weeks ago. It popped into my mind again today. The quote is actually something her father said to her. It stuck with me.

"When someone shows you who they are - believe them."

Take it anyway you want. I know the meaning has changed for me a few times.

Bye!

The People in Your Life

There are different kinds of people that travel with you in life. First there are the ones that stick. You know, the ones that are there for a lifetime of love, laughter, tears, encouragement, fun and craziness. They may come and go but are always there for the moments you truly need them. These people nurture your life and are there to provide growth, watch your growth or let you in on their growth. I am this incredibly lucky person who has these people in my life that love, nurture and encourage me. They know me well enough to know the entire story and I know their stories. Then there are the people that come into your life, for moments, and teach you an incredible lesson or give you an amazing trip and then move on. I am thankful for them too. With some of them it took a long time to understand why they were there but now that I realize, I thank you. Then there are the ones that find you, whip you around, stir everything up and teach you the lessons that change you and make you look at the world differently. Usually these are the hard, painful lessons. I am thankful for these ones too as they have taught me the lessons that have created change in my life. There are also, continually, new friends - ones that I am just discovering, that have these incredible stories to tell. I am looking forward to each and every one of their stories. And finally, there are those ones that came in, connected, left and I am still wondering ... I am looking forward to that moment where I go THAT'S IT! I understand now why you were here.

Make sense? Probably not, doesn't have to. This one was for me.