Celebrating me...and more

Spa Night at Terie's

I think it's really strange that while I was going to school, had a schedule packed with reading and writing and caring for the family I had time or took time to write.  Now that I'm done with school I can't seem to fit in any time to write and I really enjoy writing about everything.

Throughout the day I will have many stories written if only I could sending via ESP to my computer.  Maybe insert a little disk in my head and download all that's roaming inside there.  But such is life.  I have been so incredibly absent from my favorite blog, I actually miss sharing and reading what my followers have to say so I'm trying to get the ball rolling here.

An early morning peace moment in Guantanamo Bay it is.  Today, in the aftermath of my celebratory Spa party during which my girlfriends received a mini massage, smeared on some delicious chocolate face mask, ex-foliated their feet and hands and had a fantastic night.  I am so happy today, that everyone had a great time.

I was celebrating ME.  Yes, I threw myself a big bash party with the girls - no hubbies, no kids.  In fact, now that I think about it, the only man in the house was the Masseuse, Willi.  He's an older guy from the Philippines.  He's probably very happy that he chose to become a masseuse because only in this field do you get to rub so many women and have them pay you... ha ha ha!! But seriously, Willi was great and worked very hard to earn his keep. Everyone enjoyed their massage.

Back to ME.  I was celebrating the fact that I finished college and now have a B.S. in Social Studies and Humanities.  I am celebrating that I've been married to the same guy for 20 years.  I am celebrating my 43rd birthday and feeling more like 34!  I am also celebrating all the women who choose to NOT be co-dependant of anyone but themselves, women who choose to grow, love, laugh, and even break lose and do something wild.  I am celebrating perseverance, accomplishments, success, friendships, LIFE!!

I think the message was clear during the Spa party.  I shared with just about everyone how important it is to let go of negative feelings, to appreciate life and our short time together here in Guantanamo.  Holding grudges can often be debilitating and drag us down, depressing and viciously takes away precious moments in life.  So we learn to let go and move on.  Be happy.

Cheers to all my precious friends who shared in celebrating us!

Terie

You get what you need

There are often times when we (people) look at what others have and wished we had it ourselves.  Don't say not me, everybody has something they wished was different about themselves. Height, weight, hair, material possessions, relationships, etc. etc. the list goes on.  I believe there is nothing wrong with that... with wanting something.  I think it's natural to want things.  It's not OK to destroy what one has in an effort to get what one wants.

Let me explain this mess because I think right about now my Spanish to English mental translation is getting the better of me.

I have a good friend who is the most organized person I have ever met. Everything has a place, not a speck of dirt anywhere, laundry always done and put away, dishes always done, etc... I often wished I could be more like her. I even tried to be more like her.  I was exhausted by the end of the week and felt like a slave to my home and a maid to my children.  I'm not saying that she is any of these things but whatever she's doing, she has been doing for a long time and therefore this is not a struggle for or a job.  For me it wasn't just a change in how I handled daily chores, it was the constant need to change myself, my way of thinking and seeing life through the eyes of another person. I could not understand at the time, why I couldn't keep up the way she did, but soon I gave up the idea and went back to doing what I knew.

There was another time that I envied my cousin's hair.  We come from the same family line but she has what some in my family call "good hair" and I did not.  That just meant that someone should have taken the time learn and then teach me how to manage my own tresses.  I think this is where it all began.  People comparing me to my peers formed a person who felt inferior to others either because of looks, abilities or possessions.  Thankfully, I educated myself and learned quite a bit about people, behavior, personalities and how to avoid going down a path of self destruction.

I've learned that the grass is really always greener on the other side.  I remember people would say that to me and I never really knew how to translate that to make any sense to me.  My brain was always thinking "I grew up in the city, we didn't have much grass to talk about" or "what grass?"  Anyway, I figured it out, eventually.

Everybody has their issues. Everybody wants something they can't have. No one is completely happy all the time.  But most of us learn to deal with our issues, we learn to be OK with the want and content with what we have, and most important, we learn to strive to be happy and make others happy 100% of the time.

I am content with what I have, what I have accomplished and most of all, with the family that I can call my own.  I could not ask for a better husband (yes, there are times that I do ask for the impossible), I have beautiful, healthy, intelligent kids (let me brag, they're mine, all mine) and while I do admire what others have, how well they keep their home, and how easy it is for them to excel in their area of talent, I can honestly say that I am happy to be who I am today. Life would be so boring if we were always getting what we wanted.

You can't always get what  you want

But if you try sometimes, you just might find,

You get what you need! (Rolling Stones)

Who are you giving a "time out" to?

Today, I'm giving myself a "time-out" and the weather is perfect for this.

It rarely rains here in Guantanamo, Cuba but for the last two weeks we've had these clouds looming in the distance, dropping water by the buckets over the mountains and on the other side of the bay.  Now it's our turn. It has been raining for 2 days, on and off, but enough to give the trees, grass, and flowers a nice start for the summer.

I personally love the rain and rainy days, especially if I don't have to go anywhere or do anything.  It's one of those days perfect for reading, catching up on emails, writing, and relaxing.  The house is quiet, the kids are in school and the chores are just about all done.

So today, while I can, I will just take time out to do only what I WANT to do.  I'm on "time out" from chores, responsibilities, and school work and I am going to enjoy every quiet minute I have to spend with ME.

Try it.

Terie

Prompt is courtesy of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.  Stop by and start your own :-)