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| FIRST: hair in a pony...all day long! didn't even shower. |
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| SECOND: sweatpants & slippers! (again...all day long!) |
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| THIRD: made (& ate) a crap-ton of christmas cookies with Sadie! 96 cookies! |
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| FOURTH: sat by the fire and played on my computer.... wasted time. it was delightful! |
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| FIFTH: dinner in the front room with my best friend! breakfast for dinner...scrumptious! |
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| SIXTH: ate ALL the left over tater tots... BAM! |
OK, but really...today got me thinking about how many once in a lifetime experiences I've really had. My memory sucks, but the ones that affected me most I will never forget....
* My friend, Lisa Hoj, passed away when she was 36 years old. She suffered from breast cancer, which spread to her bones. Her struggle lasted 2 1/2 years. She will not be the last friend I have that will pass away, but we were young and she was beautiful with a cute little family. It was the first time in my life I watched someone lose there hair to chemo, become excruciatingly thin from testing and medication and uncomfortably bloated from the same. Mood swings and emotional instability challenged her on the daily, and she was just so tired. One day I visited her, she was asleep, and I just sat holding her hand for 30 minutes. Lisa's life and death was a 'once in a lifetime' for me because it was a shock I had never felt and will never feel again. I learned how to give true service and what unconditional friendship means. That's a lesson I cherish.
* I've been to New Zealand! I'm not so sure I'll ever have the chance to go back. The other side of the earth...that's far! I will always remember how relaxed and kind the people were, how bad the food sucked, glow worms, the US dollar was double it's value there, children going to their first day of school with no shoes on, deep sea fishing (and puking!), mist...not rain...mist, driving on the wrong side of the road and the green beauty of it all. I love a good cultural experience, this was definitely in my top 3!
* Flying on a float plane into Knights Inlet, Canada to spend a week salmon fishing. I've never experienced a more pristine place in my whole life. The mountains literally plunged into the ocean. The water was clear and clean. I watched seals follow our boats, lemon sharks swim underneath our boats and I caught a large salmon. However, the real story is...I caught a massive ling cod! It took me 45 minutes to real in and it took ALL my muscle power to do it. Our guide was a fantastic man, tough as the forest he lived in and as honest as they come. So, he didn't offer one bit of help in reeling that sucker in...and I'm so glad he didn't. I hooked the cod in the middle of it's back, which made reeling it up to the boat super difficult. I can't explain it, it was SO hard. When I finally got a good glimpse of it, I could have sworn it was a sea monster...ugliest thing I ever saw! But, I did it...I reeled it in, all by my lonesome and I was so proud! I still love that guide for not assisting me in any way, had to do it all on my own...great lesson.
* Putting my faithful, most beloved and stubborn Axl boy to sleep. I've had close family and friends pass away, but none broke my heart like my dog Axl did. I can honestly say I had never felt a TRUE broken heart until that day, Sunday, September 30, 2012. I cried so hard I couldn't breathe, open my eyes or talk. I stayed with him until the very last second and then some. The kind vet gave me plenty of time alone with him. I was so grateful for that. I cried for days. I still cry. I miss him badly. It's weird the affect a pet can have on a human being. I'm sure I will experience real heart brake again (although, I don't really want to), but Axl was a once in a lifetime kind of dog and showed me the meaning of unconditional love and devotion. I have goofy Tom now, who is up in Canada doing some duck training, and I love him. He won't replace Axl and I don't want him to. But, at least when I have to say that heart ripping goodbye to Tom, I will know what to expect.
* Tumors. The removal of tumors. Head surgery and the agony of it. Death like feelings, trauma and internal rage. It's already been made clear, the details of my surgery on October 1, 2013, so I'm not about to say anymore...except, I really hope that it was all a once in a lifetime experience. SO MANY lessons learned; how glorious and miraculous things can come from agonizing circumstances, realizing my own human strength, the clarity of faith, the blessing of true love, learning how to receive gifts and service, what raw fear feels like, and last - but not least - I absolutely know I will NEVER wish that painful anguish on even the worst of my enemies. To suffer is smothering. But...in the same breath, at the end of the suffering is a whole lot of fresh air!
Once in a lifetime experiences are the best! They make a person stronger, happier, amazed and so on. I'm grateful for each 'once in a lifetime' I've lived. A favorite saying of mine (which I speak often) is "You Live and You Learn!" I hope I prod myself to always learn from every experience I encounter. Then, I hope I never forget the lessons I've learned.
Peaceful 12 * 13 * 14!
Lisa Lucille
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