Hit the Road and Don't You Come Back No More...

We ushered 2009 in rather quietly. We spent the evening with four of our closest friends. We ate too much, drank very little and played games. If you haven't played Mad Gab yet I strongly recommend that you try it soon. Laughter guaranteed! At midnight our host set off some fabulous fireworks. We aahed, oohed and all felt a sense of the excitement, the promise that the New Year holds. The old year was tarnished and had its share of defects and we were ready to replace it with this shiny new model.

My husband and I are self-employed in the world of real estate. And like many professions, when life is good, it is very good. And when life is bad, it can be very bad. We have been on this ride before and I truly hoped that we wouldn't have to venture down this road again but here we are. I will not bore you with details. That is not the purpose of this post. The purpose of this post is to tell you about an unwelcome visit into our lives, a visitor that I am kicking out - today.

My husband and I are both emotional, passionate people. When we work, we work hard. When we play, we play hard. When we dance, we dance hard. When we panic, we panic hard. So during the past few months, we have had to work to remain focused and positive. We are both believers in the power of having a positive attitude. But sometimes we lose our focus and that is when the uninvited guest sneaks in.

This particular guest is invisible yet an aura of darkness surrounds him. I refer to the guest as a male because he is strong and heavy. When he pushes down on my shoulders it can be difficult to remove him. He sits on my husband's chest, making it hard for him to breath. He sucks the oxygen out of the room. He blocks the sunshine from entering the room.

Well, guess what, Mr. Uninvited Guest ~ your visit here in my home, in my workplace, in my body , in my husband's body is over. Pack your bags! You have picked the wrong woman to mess with. I am a Taurus and stubborn is a key component of my personality. So Mr. Bully, my size seven foot is now planted firmly on your backside and I am kicking you out via the front door. Good-bye Fear!

I know what we need to do and we are going to do it. Think positive talk. Focus on positive thoughts. Act in a positive way. Be mindful of moments. Exercise. Communicate. Work hard. Surround ourselves with friends and family. Appreciate the small stuff. Keep a 'happy' journal. Laugh. Dance. Hug. Kiss. Snuggle. Watch Ellen Degeneres. I will stick my chin out and stand tall.

I have been here before and I know that we will survive. I am a fighter from way back. I also know that life could be SO much worse. I will not wallow in self-pity. I will reach out to others in need. I will make the most of each day and cherish each moment. We will survive.

And now I am going to go out into the snowstorm and make a snow angel! Enjoy.