The Strength You Gave Me

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200 words, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, family, growing up, lessons, life, Life's like that, living in the moment, Margot Schwenk, mistakes, Mom, Mother's Day, parents, Relationships, strength, strong, Stuff my parents used to say and do

Margot with Diana

The more a daughter knows the details of her mother’s life […] the stronger the daughter.

― Anita Diamant, The Red Tent

On Mother’s Day I think of you. Of all the things you gave me. All the things you taught me. All the ways you sacrificed so I could have a good childhood.

And I did mom. So much better than the life you had as a child. I know you sometimes recount all the mistakes you think you made with us. But don’t you know that you gave so much more than you could ever have dreamt for yourself when you were a child? Don’t you know that you broke the cycle of alcoholism and abuse allowing your children to never have to know that torment?

And your strength, even now. Even in this time when you face the harsh reality you never dreamed would happen alone, instead of the plans you had with dad for your golden years, even now I see that strength. That strength you taught me in deed and in word. The strength that I have inside me because of you.

Thanks for that Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

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You’ve Made a Mistake

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After all, tomorrow is another day.

Scarlet O’Hara

So you’ve made a mistake. So what?

You’ve locked your keys in your car. You didn’t call your mom on her birthday, or remember your wedding anniversary, or left the restaurant without paying your bill. You snapped at your best friend, child, boss, student, lady behind the counter at the gas station. You overslept.

You forgot and missed an appointment. You’ve burnt your supper in the pot. You accused someone innocent of wrong-doing. You didn’t think before you spoke or acted and hurt someone’s feelings, started a huge argument, started a vicious rumour. You spilt your milk.

You broke a promise to take your kid for ice-cream, visit a sick friend, help someone move, or paint, or harvest their garden. Maybe you’ve caused harm intentionally and immediately regretted it, wished you hadn’t said that, didn’t do that, didn’t sink so low. You can’t look at yourself in the mirror.

You made a mistake. So what? Tomorrow is another day. You can fix it, apologize for it, make amends for it, pay for it, take responsibility for it, learn from it, forgive yourself for it and move on…

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

What To Do When You’re Wrong

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“Swallow your pride occasionally… it’s non-fattening!” ~Unknown

Upon the realization that you were wrong, you could continue to argue your point and hope that the individual who is right will just give up.

Or when it dawns on you that your neglect or malicious actions have done another harm, you could just continue to act as if you harmed no one, as if you are free from blame, as if it is the harmed one who is to blame, the one who ruined everything.

You could that, and maybe others will believe you, but you won’t find lasting peace that way.

Why not acknowledge the egg on your face. Own up to what you’ve done. Eat crow if you must. Lay in the bed you’ve made. Pay the piper. Take your licks.

You aren’t the first human to mess up, and you won’t be the last. I mean it’s not like everybody doesn’t already know. Your denial doesn’t make it go away.

So say sorry when you’re wrong. Seek forgiveness. Make amends if you can. And if there’s a price to pay for what you did, then pay it.

Swallow your pride occasionally…it’s non fattening!

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

The Last Chance

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200 words, change, choice, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, Do the right thing, forgiveness, learning, lessons, life, Life's like that, living in the moment, mistakes, second chance, wrong

We never really learn from the first mistake or the second or third. It only hits us when we’re given the last chance. ~ unattributed

I’d like to think that I when I make a mistake, I recognize I’ve done so right away and at the very least, I do not repeat it ever again.

But is that what really happens? For me? You?

When the above quote appeared on my twitter feed, it stopped me in my tracks.

I can think of specific examples when I said or did something, and immediately I’d wished I hadn’t done it. I tell myself I will never do that again and before I know it, I find myself in a similar situation and I DO IT AGAIN!

What is wrong with me?!

It’s as if I’m programmed to do it. Usually it takes several instances before I can commit fully to I-will-never-do-that-again.

Then there are those times when I am not aware that what I am doing is a mistake, or not the best choice I can make until I’m given one last chance or it’s just too late. period.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Can you relate? What has your experience been?

Falling Short

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200 words, being right, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, growing up, happy, health, life, mistakes, peace

 

“If you treat every situation as a life and death matter, you’ll die a lot of times.” – Dean Smith

Have you ever made a mistake?

And every time you think back on it, you feel shame, “Oh man, that was stupid, I can’t believe I did that.”

And even though it’s long since worked out, you just can’t get past it.

Or can you remember a time when you felt strongly that something very specific, done your way was the only solution to an issue or everything would just fall apart at the seams?

But you lost that argument, and it didn’t go your way, yet oddly enough the world did not end.

Sometimes, especially when you’ve got a lot going on, your day can become a series of things you need to rush through so you can get to the next item.

And as you let the pressure mount, these items become a matter life or death, even though they’re not, and you die a little each time you think you’ve fallen short.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Do you fret about past mistakes or decisions you’ve made? Or do you learn from them and move on?

Celebrate Joy and Grow Through Sorrow

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When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate, when life is bitter, say thank you and grow. ~ unknown

What an amazing journey we’re on!

Life is a gift.

Its ebbs and flows.

Its highs and lows.

The connections we make and break.

The joys and sorrows we experience.

Each one of our paths; unique

a combination of choice and circumstance.

Sometimes courageously following our dreams. Inspiring and encouraging others to follow theirs. Take hold of ‘moments of joy’ – treasure them in your heart. They will carry you through the hard times.

Other times we are paralyzed by fear. Making us empathetic and patient with others who are afraid. Embrace every part of who you are.

Rippling effects that change the course of our path, that teach us if we let them. Or haunt us until we are teachable.

Life is a gift.

A beautiful and precious gift.

Don’t squander it.

Don’t take it for granted.

Be grateful for every opportunity given.

Even our mistakes have meaning when viewing our lives in this way.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate, when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.

You Know What’s Boring?

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“Show us a man who never makes a mistake and we will show you a man who never makes anything.” ~ H. L. Wayland

“I love you mom.”

“You know what’s boring?”  I asked not hearing what my daughter said.

“When someone loves you back?”  she replied sarcastically.

“What?!”

“I just said I love you! And YOU asked about what’s boring.”

We burst out laughing. Both my daughter and I are slightly ADD, it’s not unusual for either one of us to get lost in our thoughts and not hear what the other said.

“So…what’s boring mom?”

“Perfection,”  I replied, still laughing, wiping the tears away.

~

Imagine a world where everything is perfect, a world without flaws, no touch-ups needed, no mistakes, no learning, no room to grow, no reason to strive for anything, no appreciation and bewildered joy when something beautiful happens.

And yet we are obsessed with doing everything right the first time. So we work toward perfection, afraid to implement until every i is dotted and every t is crossed before we act, often not acting at all. And then we teach our children to do the same.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~