For years I wondered why my grandmother always looked so sad in pictures! I wondered why a smile was devoid of her face more times than I can count! One day, I asked her to smile in the midst of taking her picture and she refused! I asked her why and she replied that she didn't like her smile! Years later, I realized that I was very similar in thinking! I've always hated my smile! I feel like it makes me look foolish and gummy!! However, when I do smile I look 10 years younger. Now at 39, I'm starting to smile more as a way of holding on to that youth haha! But smiling is more than just grasping the youth rope it's about letting your inner soul shine bright! Smiling is such a simple gesture and its impact can be felt well beyond the person who is viewing it in the moment!! The picture attached to this blog note was taken on my last night in Nashville! I was walking back to my room and pulled out the camera! I took pictures of the statues and the greenery! I took pictures of the walkways and the pathways! And I took a picture of me! I really like it hahaha. Looking at me smiling makes me smile and remember the good times! Life is too short to go around with a frown even if its unintentional. I'm gonna make a concerted effort to smile more! Besides if I start looking 29 all the time in my pictures then the smile lift is working!!
In the past couple of weeks my family has seen the passing of two integral members. We have reminisced, we have laughed, we have looked at pictures and we have weeped. As hard as it has been, the truth is, that our dearly departed loved ones are in a much better place than we are! Yes, we are sad that they are no longer here in the physical. However, rejoicing about the fact that they are no longer struggling through immense pain ought to give us gratification and peace of mind! Yes, it hurts now. Yes, some of us are going through the questioning of God as to why. Yes for some of us anger has replaced our feelings of sympathy! But know that God understands our hearts and has a hand on our shoulder! Our loves ones will be with us always through the smiles on the faces of their offspring, through the photos that stand the test of time and through the memories of the words that remain in our thoughts! It may be difficult now, but as we all know "God will never give us more than we can handle"! God Loves You and So Do I!!!! Last night, I decided to sit in the bar and watch the Spurs Vs. Heat basketball game. As I made my way to my room, I was extremely tired and didn't think the 6 am breakfast crowd would see me. I'm an early riser, and there is a time difference but at the end of the day, I was simply tired as crap. When I got to my room and prepared to say my nightly prayers I was reminded of the blessings that God has bestowed upon me. I spent months even years in pursuit of job and after many prayers I was blessed with the opportunity to work for an amazing company. A company that accommodated me and provided me with a comfortable room close to our daily meetings. A company, that flew me and hundreds of others down to Nashville to celebrate and educate us. A company that gives me the best healthcare I've ever had (hearing aid coverage would be nice). A company that prides itself on being an active voice and participant in the lives of it's local and global community. So, yes sleeping in and skipping the morning sessions was something my body was urging me to do. But at the end of the day, slapping a gift and blessing in the face is not my style. So I'm off to eat and consume as much knowledge as I can albeit a bit late....but I'll rest on the flight home :-) Happy Friday!!! Many of us have experienced moments where we wanted to completely cut off various family members. Moments where our hurt was so great that the only reasonable option could be found in no longer having a relationship with the people we love more than anyone. Many have gone days, weeks, months and even years without speaking to the person that patted us on the back, cleaned a scraped up knee or held us as a baby. We've turned our backs on the person we proclaimed was our heart. We've named people outside of our family, as sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts and etc..only to fill the whole that the true members of our family left vacant. Think twice when you decide to take that step and or utter those words proclaiming that this one or that one is no longer your family. Or you cut off a relative and say they are meaningless to your life...remember that the reason that caused you to feel that way may not be for your benefit. Maybe just maybe, the actions they committed were not meant for you to turn your back on them. The actions could have quite possibly been for you to open your heart even bigger, for you to show true compassion. For you to profess your love even in times of pain. For you to show what forgiveness looks like. Maybe just maybe that's what Family is. |
AuthorMy name is Tamieka Blair and I live on Long Island in New York. I write, I read, I write, I work, I write, I support..I WRITE!!! Archives
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Please note that the viewpoints expressed in this blog are solely my views and do not necessarily represent those of any employer or company associated with Tamieka Blair.
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