You're alive ...

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-15-2010
You're alive ...
5
Thu, 05-20-2010 - 7:42pm

Hell All,

I am walking this indescribably painful path - and I know how difficult it can be.

But we're alive.

Do you know how lucky we are?

Seriously, do you really know?

I forget this sometimes.

And I am not running for cover in Iraq. I am not being raped in the Congo. I have food in my fridge - even if it isn't full. I won't have to walk miles for water. I won't be rationing rice tonight for my kids. I won''t be covering their ears so they don't hear distant screams in the night.

I am getting over an A.

I am alive.

And today, that's good enough for me.

***

So damn easy to say that life's so hard,
Everybody's got their share of battle scars,
as for me I'd like to thank my lucky stars
that I'm alive and well

It'd be easy to add up all the pain,
and all the dreams you've sat and watched go up in flames,
dwell on the wreckage as it smolders in the rain
but not me - I'm alive.

And today you know that's good enough for me.
Breathing in and out's a blessing can't you see.
Today's the first day of the rest of my life,
and I'm alive and well.
Yeah I'm alive, and well.

Stars are dancing on the water here tonight,
It's good for the soul and there's not a soul in sight.
This boat has caught it's wind and brought me back to life.
Now I'm alive and well.

And today you know that's good enough for me,
Breathing in and out's a blessing can't you see,
Today's the first day of the rest of my life,
and I'm alive and well.
Yeah I'm alive and well.

Dave Matthews & Kenny Chesney

here is the link to this beautiful song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bynMis1h_8U

Enjoy,

TU.

LC/NC since April 14, 2010
LC/NC since April 14, 2010

"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it."
— Maya Angelou
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-17-2010
Thu, 05-20-2010 - 10:06pm

Love this TU!

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-02-2010
Fri, 05-21-2010 - 8:59am

Amen TU... amen. Life is too short to lose another day in self pity. So we continue to wake up each day, face the world and capitalize on this new opportunity to change ourselves... and thank our lucky stars that we are alive to do so.


Jane
NC/LC since January 28, 2010
http://secretlifeofjane.wordpress.com/
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-20-2009
Fri, 05-21-2010 - 10:07am

TU,
Excellent post. Reminding us that an Attitude of Gratitude is the path to happiness. "you're alive" wow. After 7 months post-A, I look back now in what might be close to 20/20 clarity, and I have concluded that having an A (for me) was like a form of suicide. I have experienced two closely related suicides and had to learn to forgive those who did this to themselves and those who loved them -- I learned so much about the death fog of depression and how it makes one viciously selfish and unable to empathize with the pain of others. Their overwhelming need to 'escape' their pain, their inability to appreciate the blessings and worth of the good things in their lives, their willingness to put themselves and their ending their pain above the sure-to-be devastation and eternal suffering of those they leave behind..... and ultimately, their willingness to destroy themselves.
Hello! that was ME! my pain was about missing and longing for what I perceived to be 'missing' from my life - I couldn't appreciate what I had, not in the way it deserved - I was unable to see that I was tying my entire family (the very heart and soul of my existence) on the train tracks, with my crazy-train A was barreling down on them with knocked out brakes. Trying to escape my pain, I engaged in behaviors that (almost) destroyed every trait or quality I ever held in regard about myself. Complete soul assignation. I was killing myself off in little insidious chunks. I became my own worst enemy, and _this_ after I thought my mantra was, "only YOU will always have your back, so love yourself and be your best friend."

Luckily this was a failed suicide attempt. Maybe just my inner-self's cry for help. A wake up call that I needed to again be best friends with myself and give 'her' a chance at a happy and fulfilled life. I AM ALIVE. I am so sososososososo thankful for my second chance. I am so grateful for my life -- which isn't perfect, by any stretch, but it doesn't _have_ to be! It's MY life, and I love it. I love that I have this second chance to be _truly_ fabulous. Be that really wise, experienced, happy, illuminated person I'm able to be. This level of fabulousness doesn't come easily; it takes a lot of hard work - and anyone who tells you otherwise is full of sh*t. I mean, look at what we did to ourselves? We're all amazing women, so how is it that we let ourselves get into this mess? It's because, imho, we didn't do the work to nurture ourselves to achieve outrageous and breathtaking Fabulousness. We phoned it in. Crap in, crap out. ykwim?

So, I have this second chance to do all that hard work and YOU do too. Isn't that amazing?!

Stayin' alive, stayin' alive ah ah ah ahhhhhhhh, stayin' aliiiiiivehiiiihaiiiiive. (little Bee Gees for the older gals ;)

Have a joyful day,
Dee

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-24-2010
Fri, 05-21-2010 - 10:22am

Good morning, all : TU....such a great, uplifting post.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-08-2009
Fri, 05-21-2010 - 11:01am