Do You Have Any Regrets in Life? A Personal Diary Entry
Here on ReviewThisReviews, I've made several personal diary entries. My latest entry was "Everything Will Be OK." Today I'm wondering whether you have regrets in life?
I'll Go First - Do I Have Any Regrets in Life?
Yes. I have regrets. Inside, I'm a happy person; no matter the obstacles I've faced, I have been able to maintain a peaceful soul. I've had to deal with being let down multiple times by someone close to me. It hasn't been easy. I'm not one to whine, so I hope this doesn't come across as whining - I don't mean to sound like a whiner. I accept full responsibility for where I am in life. Every decision has led me here, so I'm equally responsible for the good and the bad.
There have been good days and bad days in my life - just like everyone else on earth - however, I've tolerated a lot in my life. I've been disappointed and treated without regard at times. I've gotten through it, and I've held onto myself through the drama and disrespect.
The way I've gotten through my hurt is to not become that which I rail against. Fortunately, I'm not a vengeful person or one who seeks revenge. Thank goodness for that! I know a few vindictive people, and I honestly believe that's an unhealthy way to live. However, who am I to judge. For me, I need to get as far away in behavior from the behavior that hurt me. I don't want to become that person who intentionally hurts others out of revenge.
A friend of mine once relayed this quote to me, "hurt people, hurt people." That's not who I want to be. That's not who I am.
So What Do I Do With This Regret? - What Do You Do With Yours, If You Have Any?
To say I don't struggle with it would be a lie. However, I turn the pain and the regret into something constructive. I focus on the good, and I focus on love. I know this sounds too simple, but for now, that's what I do.
We can't fix other people. They have to step up. What I've learned over the years is that I can't make that happen - the person who does the hurting has to take responsibility and, God willing, change. I'm at the point where I don't expect change and don't try to make it happen. I work on myself and send love.
If I Could Go Back in Time and Change My Destiny, Would I? Would You?
I don't know. Part of me says yes I would, then another part of me reflects on who I have become "inside," and I'm really very proud of the person I am today; strong, tenacious, forgiving, filled with love despite the hurt, compassionate, tolerate and I like to think that I'm kind. Sorry, I don't mean to toot my own horn, lol - I'm just expressing what all this pain has taught me. So I'm not sure about whether I would change my stars. Some days it's a blatant yes, but for the most part, I'm not sure.
How about you?
I've written poetry for over 50 years and put my life out there for everyone to read. My book, We Will Have Morning Smiles, is available on Amazon. I started to write at eight years old and continued through my entire life. The writing process, as those of you who write know, is therapeutic. My whole life is on display, via poems, in that book.
Here's a video poem that reflects one of the poems in my book - I think this one speaks to the topic of this article. If you're reading this via mobile, you can see it here.
Remember Who I Am - A Video Poem
In the end, I hope for the best, plan for the worst, but always hold onto who I am and keep my heart filled with love. How about you?
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Do you remember the fun you had as a child when you got given a new colouring in book? I'm sure that is part of the appeal of colouring in books for adults. The other part is that colouring in can be a fun way to alleviate stress.
Our state called a snap 3-day lockdown a couple of months ago and I was in a local discount store on that day looking for something when I noticed the printed stretched canvases waiting to be coloured in. The next thing you know they were in my shopping basket along with some felt tip pens.
As it happens the lockdown wasn't extended past the three days so I didn't need to have lots of things to keep me busy. The 3 days were long enough for me to find that I really enjoyed the colouring in.
As it happened a few things happened in the following week that I found very frustrating and that is when I discovered that colouring in was very calming for me. I started to spend a few minutes every day doing a little colouring in. For me, I felt it was like other's feel when practicing meditation (my mind doesn't like to quiet itself during meditation, but it does during colouring!).
I started to do a little colouring in every day and I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I can't find the exact canvases that I did online. I went back to the store where I got my two canvases and the remaining ones are clearly designed for children and I found the same lack of printed canvases for adults when I looked online.
Feeling a little frustrated that perhaps my colouring in activities was going to have to change to a book or be replaced by something else I discovered another option in an unusual place - Facebook!
As I'm sure you're aware there are groups for just about anything on Facebook and I belong to quite a few of them. One group that I belong to is dedicated to a popular store here in Australia and in this group, I came across a really cool idea.
This store sells amazing black and white printed canvases with images like koalas, kookaburras, zebras, elephants and more. One day a lady in the group showed off one of the black and white koala canvases - she had coloured in the background and added some details. It was amazing.
This thread soon exploded with a plethora of images from different people across the country who had taken these prints and added colour - sometimes colouring in the images, sometimes just the background. Basically, adult colouring in just turned into designer art pieces for the home!
Allowing a little creativity into your life is a great way of balancing out the stresses in the world while having fun and I think colouring in is a great way of doing this.
Of course, if you don't feel up to tackling an entire canvas by yourself you could always look at one of the amazing colouring books for adults that are available.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
As a special treat for Halloween a few years ago, I gave my all-time favorite
trick or treater (my son) the Lego Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion. He loves
it!
Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred & Velma have been the source of
entertainment for many years in our household. All ages seem to adore them,
laugh with them, sing along with the intro music, and even call out the
question "Scooby-Doo, where are you?"
We are also fans of haunted houses! Therefore, the Scooby-Doo Mystery
Mansion was a perfect "treat" choice. Not only does the set come with
members of the Scooby-Doo gang, it also includes a ghost & a
vampire. However, there is one notable missing character and I have
given the information below on how to buy him separately.
One very unique feature of this set is the "man" eating plant, reminiscent
of the
Venus Fly Trap plant
recently reviewed by our own contributor, Raintree Annie. (You can
read her Venus Fly Trap review by
clicking here.)
This fabulous set has 860 pieces and would be a fun project for the family
on Halloween, or any time. Over the years, I have been blessed many
times by our son sitting at the dining room table, letting me sort out
pieces for him into like piles, while we talk and he builds the set. These
are memories that I cherish and I know you will too. I highly
recommend taking the time to sit with your Lego builder while he or she
works. You will discover a totally different reason to love Legos!
Lego Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion Kit #75904
The mansion alone is awesome with it's clock tower and adjoining rooms, but
when you add the Halloween pumpkins, the black knight, a vampire, a ghost,
and the Scooby gang, you have perfection!
The set also includes a motorbike with a sidecar, the fabulous man-eating
plant with a snapping mouth, and a bunch of additional accessories including
food for our always hungry friends.
When completed, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion is 14" tall, 12" wide, &
5" deep.
This Lego set is retired, therefore, you will need to search for the set on
Amazon,
Ebay or a different
secondary market. If you don't see it today, check again on a later
date. Sellers frequently add new items on Ebay. It is one of my
favorite source for retired Lego sets!
(links for Mystery Mansion (shown above) on Amazon or on Ebay)
Oddly enough, Fred was not included in this set. He can be pretty
expensive when
sold separately, so
I would recommend pairing the Mystery Mansion Lego set with the Lego
Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine Set #75902. (The following words are links to the Mystery Machine on Amazon
or
on Ebay)
The images below are linked to the sets available on Amazon.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
This was another book I downloaded from Amazon Prime and I was absolutely
captivated from page one. In this book the author, Barbara Davis, weaves
a wonderful tale of two woman decades apart whose lives are very
similar. Both have a fiance' who is missing and they fear they have
lost. Both are devastated by their tragedies and at first have trouble finding
the strength to continue on with their lives.
Soline
Soline Roussel has learned the bridal industry from her family. For
generations the family has had a bridal shop in Paris where they are well
known for the magic in their dresses that bring happy endings to the brides
who wear them. The dresses are all hand made and beautiful and Soline
learns to carefully stitch the dresses. All is well till the war comes
to Paris along with the German occupation. Dresses are no longer in
demand and Soline is pulled in many directions including working with the
resistance. Heartbreak and grief lead her to America where she starts
a new life.
Rory
Decades later Rory comes in contact with Soline when she leases Soline's
old bridal shop for a gallery for unknown artists. Rory has a tragedy
herself in a missing fiance' and a domineering mother. She is torn
between hiding and moving forward. I would love to tell more of the
story but do not want to spoil the surprise and twists and turns of the
story. Let us just say that the two women meeting will become a
turning point in both of their lives.
Other Books by this Author
I first read a book by Barbara Davis when it was an Amazon Prime
first read last year. The Last of the Moon Girls was another
book the captivated me right from the beginning. Here is a review I
wrote about it.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
October is the month that most people know is dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness, but it is NOT the only disorder we should be aware of.
Every year beginning on the First of October, you will start to see ads and lots of references on Social Media about Breast Cancer and getting your mammograms done. For the women out there who have not done so yet, there is still time to book your screening before the end of the month. Prevention starts with getting that mammogram done.
I have several friends that over the years have had Breast Cancer or are still dealing with this cancer. Some, unfortunately, have also died from this disease! Do whatever you can to help prevent Breast Cancer from invading your life or that of someone you love. Encourage your gal pals to get their screening done every year! We have enough statistics already and no one wants their friends or family to join that long list.
October is also SUDEP Action Month. SUDEP is the acronym for Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. Most unexplained deaths are subject to autopsy and when someone presents with this type of death, no other reason can be found for their demise, it is called SUDEP. Epilepsy affects 50 million people around the world. I have a young nephew who has been diagnosed with epilepsy. With medication he is living a life that is normal in most ways. He loves everything, plays sports, swims and hikes just like any other child!
Awareness and action are needed to make this neurological disorder better understood and you can also learn how to reduce your risks. If you want to know more about this here is the official website dedicated to teach everyone about this disorder!
And while we are at it, October is for SUDEP and November which is just around the corner is the official month to make people aware of Epilepsy as this disorder continues to affect many people young and old.
More October Awareness Days
October is also the month where DOMESTIC VIOLENCE is brought to the forefront. There are so many people that are suffering from violence within the home. Some is physical, while other forms of this violence might not be as noticeable. I'm talking about the mental and verbal abuse that can happen within a family.
I'm sure that there are many of us that can say we personally know someone who is in this situation. We need to encourage those who find themselves in the cycle of abuse to come out and find the help they need. Quite often friends and family of someone in a domestic abuse situation will try to help, but find themselves hitting the proverbial brick wall. When you try to help, the couple all of a sudden stand together in trying to make people believe there is no problem. Worse yet, if you step into that situation, you yourself could become the target of the violence.
Most often Domestic Abuse has the wife/mother as the recipient of the abuse, but there are also signs that Men can be abused as well. Domestic Violence in either form is not acceptable.
Domestic Abuse, especially if it involves children, cannot be tolerated, and our efforts should go to finding safe places for moms and children to be. There are websites that strive to help anyone who finds themselves in a position where violence seems to be the answer to every problem. Children as especially vulnerable to the ravages of domestic violence and there are places to get help for them too.
https://ncadv.org/2021DVAM is a great place to start your search for yourself or someone you love or know needs help. Many hospitals will have information for you as well. Don't wait to get help, it is there if you need it. In Canada you can visit the website : https://endingviolencecanada.org/about-us/
During this month of October, let us become more involved in a cause that can help so many people. If you cannot help this month, maybe making a Christmas donation to one of these causes would be something you could do. If everyone helps we can move mountains!
May you enjoy the rest of October and remember those fighting Epilepsy in November too!
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
