Words to Live By

Image @ bergeronsflowers.com

When I got up this morning, Aunt Mattie was with me while I was making breakfast, doing my hair and starting the laundry. She was whispering, "Go make things right with your father, bluebird." I ignored her for most of the morning, but then finally I relented because I know that unless I do what she thinks I ought to, she'll continue to press me until I give in. This is what happens when a ghost is your directional North, they can and will hound you relentlessly! I'm very glad I did, as the conversation with my daddy was a total life-changer.

When she was alive, Aunt Mattie used to tell me, "Don't send flowers to people when they're dead. That's a silly thing to do. If you love someone, send those flowers while they're alive because once they're gone, the opportunity to do it is, too." She didn't mean just flowers, she meant make peace with people in your life, clear the air, do stuff with them and put yourself out there. You might get hurt, but that's all part of living! The rewards for apologizing when you've done something wrong and making amends with that person, professing your love (accompanied by lots of hugs), and building strong bonds with others is worth the cost, the "sometimes" heartache, and the possibility of rejection.

Words to live by has also been on my mind all day. I was reading an article earlier and it was addressing the topic of your "words to live by" and the first thing I thought was, usually the measure of a person for me has less to do with their words and much more to do with their deeds. Actions are far better indicators of who people are, what they mean and how they feel than any of the words they utter. That being said, however, there are times when the words very much matter! The words I live by the MOST, the ones at the very top of my list can best be expressed in the song "Say" by John Mayer. Those words hit the "Amy" nail right on the head. I hope some of you, all of you will share with me your own words to live by after you've read mine. And in the end, I think we should all "say what we need to say."

Say by John Mayer
Take all of your wasted honor
Every little past frustration
Take all your so called problems
Better put them in quotations

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Walkin' like a one man army
Fightin' with the shadows in your head
Livin' up the same old moment
Knowin' youd be better off instead
If you could only

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Have no fear for givin' in
Have no fear for givin' over
You better know that in the end
It's better to say too much
Than to never to say what you need to say again

Even if your hands are shakin'
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closin'
Do it with a heart wide open

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

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Image @ karmabody.wordpress.com