Today is the first day of summer, or summer solstice, and it came at the right time I'd say, reaching almost 100 degrees today. June is also Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness month and so I'm thinking about my mom, who I lost way too early, 7 1/2 years ago, to Alzheimer's Disease. Luckily, she didn't have to endure the disease in its entirety because she also had a weakened heart from rheumatic fever she had as a child. Instead of doing major heart surgery, the family opted to let her heart run its course naturally because her Alzheimer's was starting to ravage her mind. It was such a hard thing to do. She suffered a bit at the end because she refused to take her medications because she thought they were bad for her. It was hard to see her forget some of the names of her children or leave the house on a walk and get hopelessly lost. I remember she still tried to make meals, but eventually my dad took over because it was hard for her to blend the correct ingredients.
I believe she had early-onset Alzheimers because even in her fifties she was a little slow about making decisions, getting things done, or recounting experiences. But she was so wise! I relied on her advice so much.
Sometimes I wonder if I will come down with the disease, since I am her daughter and it is hereditary. However, I learned that less than 10% of Alzheimer's cases are from heredity.
That's so life!---We can be fighting battles to succeed, have goals and dreams of what life will be like. But there is never a guarantee that it will be the dreamed-about ending. I'm going out on a limb and saying that it almost never is.
That is why the journey is so important, and learning and enjoying it while you go! If you forget to enjoy the things that you experience while you are on the journey, it may be that when you reach the end, you'll have lived a lesser life. I think that is why my philosophy is to learn and grow, with as many resources as possible. But growing to the point that you are not instilling self-imposed suffering. I say, be kind to yourself, as well as to others. Life is too short for bad vibes!!
Yes, my mom was so dear to me and I learned so much through her example. We lost her too soon, however. I know she made my journey brighter. May we live each day to appreciate our journey! Who do you know and appreciate who enjoys the journey and makes your life better through knowing them?
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| Image - Gavin Schofield |
Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care
to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to
Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain! I, for one,
love to
explore other sites for original, non-sponsored posts, tips,
pictures and videos! Sponsored posts are great and I appreciate the
information from well-written and authentic sponsored posts, I write
them myself! But this linky is for non-sponsored
posts because they are all about what the writer thinks, believes, and
knows. It's not about a specific brand and what it compensates the
blogger to promote! If
I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up
and share
it with you
here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag! It's like
being featured! I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!
So, in addition,
if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too! I'll visit your
site, comment, promote and publicize! Remember, any link to your posts
helps your blog numbers
increase! (Affiliate links welcome!)
This week I took some time to learn about a woman who was and is groundbreaking for women. Her career is still going at 83 year's old. She is a fashion icon and has much wisdom for those who are interested in succeeding in fashion, acting, art, or just living in a big city! Her name is Carmen Dell'Orefice.
I thought if anyone could talk to us about a career in fashion, it would be her! The definition of living has changed since when she began her career--for instance, it was safe for a young girl of 10 to go by herself on the subway in the city and be alone all day, and since she was one of the first fashion models, not much competition but everything was groundbreaking. She has a lot of things to share that are wise and pertinent to today's world because she is still very much relevant with her ongoing career, made necessary because of Bernie Madoff and his huge panze scheme that affected millions of people, robbing them of their total life savings. She was taught by many of the European expatriates, like Alexander Lieberman, and Erwin Blumenfeld, who immigrated to America after WWII. She had a chance to pick up their sense of style. She talks about how today's young models don't get the chance to be educated and tutored in the art of modeling because now, there are so many of them, and companies can just throw them away at will after they are finished with them, unless they can find someone who is really knowledgeable and willing to mentor them. She talks about learning how to deal with a changing body and the choice to take care of it! I learned that age doesn't have to hold you back! You just need to re-invent yourself! See her full interview here. It
was very interesting to me as someone who is interested in fashion and
the history of fashion. Her story is something I pursued because I
wanted to know more. I had to leave some other things, hence this post on Tuesday rather than Monday! But...
I definitely stopped and enjoyed the journey! Time to get started again!
Today
is Motivating Monday! We all need a little motivation! I, for one,
love to
explore other sites for motivating, mostly non-sponsored posts, tips,
pictures and videos! If
I happen to find a great one, I'll link it up and share it with you
here and on Twitter via the #MotivatingMonday hashtag! It's like
being featured! I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to! So, in addition,
if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too! I'll visit your
site, comment, promote and publicize! Don't be shy--I'm really very
supportive! Remember, any link to your posts helps your blog numbers
increase!
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