Thought for Valentine's Day

Love is not blind - it sees more and not less, but because it sees more -  it is willing to see less.

~Will Moss 

Thought for Today

Marriage is not a ritual or an end.
It is a long, intricate,
intimate dance together
and nothing matters more
than your own sense of balance
and your choice of partner.

~Amy Bloom 

THE CHASE

by Tamara Yakovich

My youngest child turned seven months old yesterday. They grow so quickly, don't they? His development is bittersweet, I can't wait for him to reach that next stage, but then again I want him to stay little! He is at that point where he is about to crawl - but can't quite do it yet. That doesn't stop him from moving around and getting where he needs to go though! He scoots around this house as fast as he can, dragging his little body with chubby arms. I love that 'army crawl'!

His favorite adventure the past few days has been 'chasing the bouncy blue ball'. I watched this closely today, and this is what I saw. His whole face lights up as soon as he sees the ball, and 'the chase' is on! He scoots after the ball - almost gets it in his grasp - and it slips away. No matter, he squeals with delight and chases it again. He catches it the next time, rolls over on his back, and holds on tight. He uses both hands and feet to keep the ball where he wants it while he 'hugs and kisses' the ball. He is so happy to have caught it, finally!

Then he lets the ball go, he watches it roll away, perhaps wondering where it will end up, or where it will take him next. He flips himself over and takes off after it again with a big smile on his face. He could do this all day long.

Chase the ball, catch the ball, hold it and play with it joyfully for a while, then watch it roll away once more. Does he get a little frustrated when the ball rolls away for the tenth time? Maybe a little, but he knows that half the fun, maybe even MOST of the fun, is in the chase!

How many times have you 'almost' had your DREAM or your GOAL in your grasp, just to watch it slip away? Do you stop the chase? Do you sit down and give up? Or - like the small child - do you realize that the fun is in 'the chase'? Worse yet - do you 'catch' your dream or your goal and then hold on to it so tightly that you stop moving?

Lessons learned:

1. The FUN is in the chase!

2. If your dream/goal slips away - keep after it - you never know where 'the chase' might take you!

3. Once you have your dream/goal in your grasp - set a new one and start chasing again!

4. Remember - the FUN is in the chase!

Now - go out there and 'squeal with delight' as you chase after your dreams with a smile on your face! If you do it this way, no one will ever know that you don't already have your dreams in your grasp!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Tamara D Yakovich is a single, WAHM to four beautiful children, ages 17, 5, 3 and 7 months. She is an in-home childcare provider by day and 'Spa Girl' by night. She loves all of her 'jobs', but loves being a full-time mommy the most. It is her goal to help women realize their potential and live the lives they love. She intends to reach as many women as possible through her BeautiControl spa business and writing short stories and words of inspiration. She has been a subscriber to MyDailyInsights for couple of years and looks forward to her 'daily dose'! You can contact her attamaras_beauticontrol@yahoo.com

Thought for Today

Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.

~George S. Patton

I PLOWED FORWARD

By Michael T. Smith

 

Through the snow and ice-covered windows of our office, I watched a car slide around a corner, swerve and gain control, before moving cautiously down the street. The twin beams of its headlights penetrated the swirling snow, like two lighthouses on a foggy night. Two people, probably from a local bar that closed early, used the pole of a street light for support, as they waited for a gust of wind to subside. When it did, they continued their slippery journey up the sidewalk that climbed the hill beside our building.

 

I turned back to my console. The red LED's of the clock read 11:45 PM. I had a little over an hour before my relief arrived, and I could go home. A blast of wind rattled ice pellets and snow flakes against the window behind me. A plow rumbled by. The wind lifted the snow disturbed by the blade. The flakes spiraled in circles at the back of the plow before being carried off into the frigid night. The flashing lights of the plow disappeared from view. In a few minutes the road was covered with snow again.

 

It had been snowing since the early afternoon. The weatherman said we'd had twelve inches with another six to fall before morning. I stood in front of the window again. The only movement was the snow. Big flakes flew horizontally passed the street lights. "Hey, Mike!"

 

I jumped and turned. It was my relief. "You scared me half to death, Richard."  I started to breath again. "You're early."

 

"I thought you'd want to get out of here. It's getting nasty out there?"

 

"Getting? What do you mean getting? Will I be able to find my car?"

 

"There's a big white lump in the parking lot. I figure that must be it." Helaughed.

 

"Not funny!" I gathered my book and lunch bag, stuffed them into mybackpack. "Thanks for coming in early, Richard. I was ready to spend the night in the lunchroom." I looked out the window again. "This is not going to be a fun drive."

 

I held the railing and waded through the snow covering the steps leading to our building. It was a slope of smooth snow. I placed my feet carefully, let them sink into the snow, and felt for the next step. On the other side of the steps, Richard's tracks were already half filled with snow.

 

A plow had cleaned the parking lot an hour before. At the back of the lot was a large white lump - my Chevrolet Chevette. I opened the door and sat in the driver's seat.  The covering of snow blocked all sound. It was an icy tomb. When I turned the key, I barely heard the engine cough, sputter, and stall. On the third attempt, it started. While it warmed up, I cleaned the snow and ice off my car and cleared away the bank of snow the plow had left in front.

 

Back in the driver's seat, I blew on my hands, and switched on the lights. Itook a deep breath and put the car into drive. My struggled up the hill, tires spinning, out of the parking lot and onto the street.

 

I crawled through the empty city streets - two narrow, snow-covered lanes, where there used to be four. I was alone but for a few taxis, plows and emergency vehicles.

 

Thirty minutes later, I left the city behind and turned onto the Trans-Canada highway, which is the equivalent of an interstate highway in the USA. Back in 1987, that part of the Trans-Canada hadn't been twinned yet. It was only two wide lanes.  The only light came from my own feeble headlights. They did little to penetrate the falling snow. The snow on the highway was untouched. It was obvious, no plow or car had passed through for several hours. I was alone. The snow scraped the bottom of mycar, as I plowed forward. Ahead of me were nothing but swirling flakes of snow. My headlights penetrated only a few car lengths. My only guide were the dark trees that lined the side of the highway and the flat white expanse in front of me. I steered to the center of the highway and used the darkness of the trees as my guide.

 

I gripped the steering wheel with fear. Sweat formed on my face and dripped from my chin. I opened my window and reached out. When mywiper blade came within reach, I grabbed, lifted, and let it slap against the windshield, to beat the caked ice from it.

 

"I should have stayed at the office." I whispered to myself. I switched on the radio. The announcer said the plows had been pulled off the highway until conditions improved. The wind blew the falling snow over the crusted surface like twisting snakes crawling on sand.

 

I plowed forward, keeping a steady pace. If I slowed or stopped, I'd be stuck.  The only thing to do was move forward. I'd made my decision. There was no turning back.

 

In the distance I saw a glow. It was the streetlight above my exit. The swirling snow looked worse in its brightness. I pulled onto my exit, bounced over a buried ridge of ice and snow an earlier plow had created. No cars approached, as I rolled through the stop sign.

 

After more than two hours and twenty miles, I walked through the door, beat the snow from my boots and with shaky hands, poured myself a stiff drink. With my drink in my hand, I sat in my chair, and tried to relax. I'd made a stupid mistake. The roads had been terrible. I shouldn't have left the office. Once I was on that road, there was no turning back. It was an area where help was miles away. If I'd attempted to turn around or even stop, the deep snow would have held me tight.

 

"How many times have I found myself in similar situations?" I asked myself. Iknew the answer - too many times. I'd make a dumb decision, find myself in deep snow, and have no way of turning it around. The only thing to do was plow blindly forward and steer away from the darkness on each side.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael now lives in Caldwell. Idaho with his loving wife Ginny. He works as a project manager in the telecommunications industry during the day. In his spare time, Michael writes stories for a collection to be called, "From MyHeart to Yours." To send Michael a note, email msmith4@nj.rr.com

Thought for Today

It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, “Always do what you are afraid to do.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thought for Today

Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.

~ Groucho Marx