The Rainbow Bridge and Diesel

I just read an article about the Rainbow Bridge.  I was researching pet loss.  It is hard for me to believe that dogs do not have souls.  And I believe my friends will meet me one day on that Rainbow Bridge.

My dog Diesel has had diabetes for about a year. We manage the injections and special diet.  This week the vet diagnosed him with congestive heart failure.  It can't be fixed.

So we will diligently take the medications and do all we can to comfort Diesel.  It will hurt when it happens.

I hurt already.

Who WIll Do Your Job?

I found out last night about an acquaintance's son who just died unexpectedly.  Not sure the background story. All I know is he was seventeen years old.

I attended a funeral last week for a family friend.  She had a long life and was eighty five.  Just a few weeks ago I had a friend pass unexpectedly. He was only fifty six years old.  Out of nowhere, he was gone.

In December it was my uncle who passed away at age seventy seven.  While that seems young, genetically it was a very long life in our family for a male.

None of us are guaranteed anything beyond this very moment.

Will your job matter tomorrow? Maybe yes, if you are still around.  Likely no, if you are gone.

Who will do your job if you are gone?  Someone. Who? It doesn't matter.

Who will fill your spot in your family and circle of friends?  No one.

Where will you be missed most? 

If the answer is your job then examine your priorities.  If by your family then focus your energy on the things that matter most.

Every Day is Special

My grandson turned seven months old on Christmas Day.  Benjamin is named after my great-grandfather, Benjamin Raleigh Waters.  Well, his middle name is different.

He is a fighter. He had his first surgery when he was three months old.  He has another in a couple of weeks.

Last month my Uncle passed away. He was seventy-seven years old and had been married fifty-eight years.  Among the males in our family he had lived the longest of any I have ever known.  Still, seventy-seven is not a long life by today's standards.

Then last week I had a friend pass away unexpectedly. He was only fifty-six years old.  The shock really hit me because he was five years younger than I.  He had not been sick.

Life is to be cherished every day.  Whether one is a newborn (or newborn at heart), has already celebrated a golden wedding anniversary or just barely (almost) qualified for AARP membership.

One is usually never remembered for the job they do. 

No one is ever remembered for the fortune (or not) they amassed. 

No, people are remembered for the good things they have done, for the relationships they have developed, for the love they have shared...

so live today like every day is special.

A Note to Post Election #TrumpProtest Folks....

To paraphrase the Serenity Prayer "Change the things you can, accept the things you can't."  This came to mind this morning as I watched reports of protesters dissatisfied with the election results.

And to those college students skipping class...the rest of goes like  "and wisdom to know the difference."

Hurry back to class.

There have been 15 presidential elections in my lifetime.  I was not old enough to vote in all of them but I have ever since I became of age.

Relax, boys and girls.   After every one of those elections the sun came out.  

And it will tomorrow as well.

Election Day Means More of the Same....

Today is Yesterday was election day.  I voted.  The unfortunate thing is not everyone eligible to vote will voted.  In the end not much will change. My prognostication...

• The Senate will remain Republican.  
• The  House remains Republican and 
• White House remains crooked has hope.

If I am wrong about anything I hope it is the title....

Being Positive Is a Choice

Being optimistic is not a choice for me.  It is a way of life. 

When I think of Saturday Night Live one of my favorite skits was the Doug and Wendy Whiner and their constant forays into negativism.   It was funny watching this but observing such in real life is not funny.

More importantly, living a life with this behavior is not funny!

I have always been a glass is half full sort of person.  Regardless of what challenges we face today, remain hopeful.

What does it cost to be otherwise?   Put another way...

² When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. 

Isaiah 43:2Living Bible (TLB)

Business Mirrors Life

It is all about focus.  It is all about attitude.  Yesterday's activity will lead to results weeks and months down the road.  

Those words are similar to comments I make to newer real estate agents.  That is the real estate business.

The real estate business mirrors life. 

It is what you do today, tomorrow and next week that impacts the results you receive next month, next year and sometimes, years down the road.

Another way the real estate business mirrors life... It is not always about success. 

Sometimes there are roadblocks.   Sometimes there are slow periods.  Sometimes deals fall through.  Sometimes people are less than honest with you.  But that is OK. 

Because tomorrow is another day.