“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does — that makes you a winner right there.”
– Venus Williams, Olympic gold medalist in tennis
Believe in Yourself
The Secret to Lasting Love
Okay, so that got your attention. Everyone wants to find a love that will last, right? Well the truth is there really is no secret, just the reality that you have to work at it.
Bob and I have been married for 26 years now. Not really such a big deal when you consider our ages. We both had other relationships, including marriages that did not turn out the way we would have wished. But apparently today 26 years is a long time for a relationship to last.
Like any marriage ours has had its ups and downs, good times and bad, joys and sorrows. It has definitely been a learning experience and at times an endurance test. The words of the marriage vows are easy to say if you have never experienced the worse, sickness and poorer side. When those things happen, and they will, you learn what those promises you made really mean.
There are a few things we do that I think contribute to the health of our relationship.
- We say “I love you.” At least once every day.
- We thank each other. Bob still thanks me for driving him into town and cooking dinner.
- We are a team and we are at our best when we are working together.
- We hold hands. Aww that’s so cute — I know. We get that all the time. We have always held hands, but now with Bob’s vision problems, it is an even greater reminder to us of our dedication to each other as I help him navigate the world — literally.
- We enjoy each others company and we talk to each other — a lot. What do we talk about? Everything. Serious stuff, funny stuff, deep intellectual stuff, mundane daily life stuff, spiritual stuff, current events — you name it we talk about it.
- When hard times come and they do we always end up saying “we’ll get through this” and we always do.
- And finally our faith and conviction that we were brought together for a reason helps keep us together.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
What are some of the ways you work at building a love that will last?
The Price of Hating
“The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less.”
– Eldridge Cleaver, American writer, political activist, early leader of the Black Panther Party
We Must Still Dare to Hope
“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.”
– Michael Jackson, American Singer, Songwriter and Dancer
We are the Change
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
– Barack Obama, First African American U.S. President
Knowing Where we Have Been
“For Africa to me… is more than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.”
– Dr. Maya Angelou, author and poet
The Power of Dreams
“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.”
– Wilma Rudolph, U.S. track and field athlete
When is it Time to do What is Right?
“The time is always right to do what is right.”
– Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Pastor, Civil Rights Activist
Walking with God
God is in all and through all. In Him we live and move and have our being. This means we actually walk with God every minute of every day of our lives. Most of the time we are not even consciously aware of the presence that is never an absence.
But those times when we focus on the present moment and really tune in, those are special indeed. This often happens for me on my morning walks. Three days a week I have a walking buddy and we really clip it off chattering all the way. But on the other days I really slow it down and connect.
One cool fall morning I went down to the water hoping to sit on the dock, but someone was practicing Tai Chi so I sat down beside the water to meditate. Sitting on the ground is something we need to do from time to time to connect to the earth. I closed my eyes and did a grounding mediation. Then I just sat and listened to the water, and the cars driving on the main road, feeling the cool, gentle breeze.
Next I thanked our Mother earth for supporting us and sustaining us and apologized for the many times we do not do the same for her. Finally I focused on the wind blowing through my hair and thanked Spirit, the giver of life for the energy flowing through my body and my breath.
When I had finished I found myself drawn to the swings on the children’s playground and spent a little time flying through the air. Finally I continued on my walk. Toward the end I stopped to talk to my friend Marge who swept me away on her golf cart to show me the two persimmon trees on the grounds. We picked up persimmons and ate a few talking about my grandma’s persimmon pudding. I promised Marge if I could collect enough I would make some persimmon pudding and share it with her.
You see when we spend time in conscious awareness of our connection to God we also become more aware of our connection to the earth and to our fellow travelers through this life. How much easier and more peaceful our lives would be if we would only remember we walk with God all the time, we just need to stop and tune in.
Faces of Heart Disease
This is a photo of my late mother Donzella Boldman, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, cousin, friend and member of a close-knit church family. It is also a photo of one of the many faces of heart disease. Does this surprise you?
Would you be surprised to know the #1 cause of death for women is heart disease? It kills about 12 times more women annually than breast cancer. For years we believed heart disease was a “guy thing.” Now we know better.
Unfortunately, the medical profession has been slow in providing up to date, accurate information on heart attack symptoms in women. Our symptoms are different.
It often takes longer for women to be diagnosed. We may have symptoms we and even our doctors do not recognize as a heart attack. Learn the symptoms of heart attack in women. If you are having symptoms of a heart attack call 911 and say “I am having symptoms of a heart attack.”
After losing my mother to heart disease this has become an important issue for me. During this American Heart month let’s dedicate ourselves to spreading the word about women’s heart health as well as promoting research and awareness.
Remember heart disease is not just a “guy thing.” Take good care of your heart and encourage the women in your life to do the same. We talk to each other about breast cancer, now it’s time to start talking about heart disease as well.
More information including symptoms of heart attack in women:
espirational.com 