To Date or Not To Date...

that is the question.

And let me just say that in the last few months I have done lots of dating, chatting, and hanging out. Below are the results from the last three dating experiences:

Guy #1 – Said he would call on two different occasions and didn’t. First time he needed time alone to think…um okay. Second time he was just too busy. So when he did call I was less than friendly. I felt as though the tone of my level of importance was already set.

Guy #2 – Amazingly sweet, romantic, smart guy. I wanted to fall in love with him. I really did. And I tried. But you can’t force feelings. He had the most awesome dog too. Why can’t our heads rule our hearts?

Guy #3 – Started out as good friends and knew we had amazing chemistry. Learned he was a relationship addict. Moved from one relationship to the next. Also learned his current relationship wasn’t completely over…definitely a deal breaker.

I have been frustrated, exhausted and sad from hurting people’s feelings so I recently decided to swear off dating for awhile. That is until I realized maybe it is all just bad timing.

We never pick who we fall in love with or when…it just happens. And if I give up on my search for real love I could be missing out on so many things – fun, friends, learning, and laughs – all the things that occur when you open yourself up to world of dating.

Dating is scary. It can be discouraging. But it can also be fun. And who knows this week, next month or next year just might be my time to find real, lasting love.

An Inspiration in Pink

She blew into the salon like a breath of fresh air. Her smile was bright. Her hair and make-up were flawless. She wore tight fittin’ jeans that would turn men’s head. High heel boots only made the spring in her step more visible. And she was wearing the most gorgeous pink sweater.

Rose, my hair stylist, excused herself to hug her neck and take the load of pink sweaters from her arms. They laughed and giggled about various things and off the lady in pink went.

When Rose came back I asked to see one of the pink sweaters that she was holding. As soon as I felt the sweater, I knew I had to have one. The material felt like a soft, warm robe that you would want to bundle up in every chance you got.

Rose explained she was selling more than just a pink sweater. The proceeds from all the sweaters go to the Sharon L Bassett fund, a breast cancer foundation. Rose had lost her own mother to breast cancer and I wasn’t surprised she was willing to support this special foundation.

What shocked me was the story behind the Sharon L Bassett fund. The lady in pink, the one I thought was the breath of fresh air, had breast cancer. She looked like she had life by the strings yet still was undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

But Rose explained she was a survivor. She had chosen to fight and make a difference with the discouraging hand life had dealt her.

The Sharon L Bassett fund helps provide transportation to breast cancer treatments for low-income women. And Sharon herself was one of the women providing the transportation. She was sharing her struggle and fight with women who were dealing with the same battle. And she did this with a huge smile on her face that made you believe life was good.

I sat through the rest of my hair appointment thinking about Sharon and how her choice to make a difference has influenced and inspired so many.

Of course I left the salon with a soft, beautiful pink sweater. But I also left with the reminder that one person can make a difference. And every time I see that pink sweater in my closet or wear it, it humbles me that I am blessed with so much and it reminds me to find ways to help other people.

I challenge you to find ways to help others regardless of your situation.

The opportunities to give are unlimited:

• A warm embrace

• A prayer

• A listening ear

• A donation to a local charity

• A hand-written note

• Your time

• Volunteering at your local shelter

And I hope you receive your own pink sweater, a special something to remind you that you can indeed make a difference!

p.s. To learn more about Sharon L Bassett’s foundation, visit www.pusmcf.com/subhtml/sharon_bassett_fund.asp

A Few of My Favorite Things

Do you ever have something happen that you forgot you loved?

That happened to me yesterday afternoon. I was having a lazy Sunday afternoon that was instantly brightened with a forehead kiss. I adore forehead kisses…they are sweet, gentle and enduring.

The forehead kiss led me to think about other things I love and I began to develop a list of my favorite things.

I couldn’t quit smiling when I was finished making my list and strongly encourage you to make a list of your own. It can be used to cheer you up on a bad day and/or remind you to be grateful for the little things.

Below is my partial list (hope you enjoy!):

• Getting a card for no reason

• My niece’s giggle

• Rain while I nap

• The smell of a cigar (reminds me of my granddaddy)

• A new episode of Grey’s anatomy

• Flip- flops and high heels

• Hearing someone with an accent like mine

• Dancing all night

• Crushed ice

• Singing karaoke in my room

• Crushed ice in a Styrofoam cup

• An elderly couple holding hands

• Sweet tea with crushed ice in a Styrofoam cup

• Petting a dog

• Hearing my parents say they are proud of me

• Chapstick that tingles on my lips

• My t-shirt quilt

• The Alabama the Beautiful sign when I cross the state line

An Oscar Speech to Remember

I confess to being an Oscar junkie. I love to see what the stars are wearing on the red carpet. I also enjoy hearing the acceptance speeches when an Oscar is given. Majority of celebrities are very gracious when they win.

But I always have my ears open for the one acceptance speech that helps me connect with the actor, the one speech that makes a celebrity seem more “real.” Reese Witherspoon made my Oscar wish come true when she accepted her award for Best Actress.

Reese quoted the character she played in Walk the Line, June Carter, in her speech. “Whenever people would ask June how she was doing she would say, I’m just trying to matter. And I know what she means you know. I am just trying to matter and live a good life and do work that matters to somebody.”

Although we are not celebrities, we can still choose to live a life that matters.