Oprah and I Have Never Been Best Friends

Oprah and I have never been best friends.  

She possessed my TV. Haunting the (what is now referred to as) "OWN" channel.  I don't even know how many shows this woman needs or has, but she just seemed a little full of herself.  Who needs a whole TV station named after 'em?! Really. Psh.

So we've had this on-going battle of "watchmeI'monyourTV" vs. "umnothanks".

Today I gave in.  (Probably just for the fact that I was bored and didn't feel the best.)

You win, Oprah.

So, this little show called, "Oprahs Lifeclass", was on.  Fine. I'll give it a whirl.  

The show was on Anger & Forgiveness.  Both things I have been trying to conquer lately.  

Oprah begins to describe what it ultimately feels like to completely forgive.  

Complete forgiveness isn't just an, "I'm sorry."  It's a completely heart changing experience.  Its about accepting what has happened.  Understanding that you cannot go back and change it.  Changing your heart to accept it.  And letting go.

It's about knowing that your anger and bitterness in no way hurts the others involved.  It only hurts you, your spirit, and your own happiness.  By holding on to anger, you allow yourself to be completely closed off to the goodness that can come into your life.  You allow yourself to be completely immersed in this pool of darkness for ever, until you learn to forgive.  

"Forgiveness is giving up hope that the past could be any different." --my bff Oprah.

Anger is rooted in the past.  Something happened. Something or someone was bad.  Now I'm angry.

Forgiveness is rooted in acceptance.  I accept that this happened.  I understand why.  And this is how I can forgive and move forward.  

Once we understand this concept, our heart opens up to forgiving, and our life can move forward. 

.....Just a 'lil sumthin' sumthin' I learned today.  Hope you enjoyed <3 

I Met A Man in Disneyworld

My trip to Disney (although nearly a month ago) was exhausting.  My girlfriends and I were on the go all day, every day..even on our "day of rest".

So on this "day of rest", we shopped...because that seems to be what women find relaxing.  As we entered the World of Disney store, I had my little heart set on buying a huge, blinged-out snow globe.  Surrounded by all of the Disney characters. Played music.  Had moving parts. HUGE I say. You get the picture.

Boom. Found it.

...Tackiest thing ever.

Moving on.

I settle for a classic snow globe.  No Disney characters.  Doesn't move.  Just the castle.  It does play "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" though! It's a classy lil thing.

Before you get bored with this post and hit the big "X" on your screen.. wait. I have a point.

So I walk over to the check out counter where a nice Asian intern is working.  I'm patiently waiting as a man in a wheelchair pulls up to the counter and says, "next!"

He was a man, maybe in his late 50s, whose voice was low and words were slightly slurred.  He sat contently in his wheelchair with two nearly immobile arms, an amputated leg, and a crippled leg. 

He took my snow globe (along with some other souvenirs) and slowly began to ring up my findings with his one working hand.  I stood quietly, not because I was uncomfortable, but because I wanted to know his story...but didn't know the right words to say.

I'm an extremely curious person who loves to learn about everything and everyone, if you didn't know.  So, probably 15 minutes into ringing up my souvenirs and wrapping them up for me, I saw on his name tag that he was from New York.  Wondering how he had worked his way down to Orlando, I asked. 

The story I received what unexpected and heart wrenching.

He had been a retired veteran for severla years.  Over 7 years before coming to Orlando, he had needed a heart transplant.  He waited anxiously for a new heart, when a donor finally became available.  As he was on the table getting a new heart inserted into his body, he had a double heart attack.  After he had woken up from surgery, he had a massive brain aneurysm that had caused the crippling and slowed speech. 

He had been in physical therapy for years, trying to regain his life when he contacted Disney, hoping for an opportunity.  They said if he finished college, he could work for them.  He received a Disney scholarship, finished college, got a job with Disney, and is thriving.

After telling me his story, a tear in my eye and a heavy heart, he looked at me and said, "Life is good.  Life is so so good." 

This man made me look at life completely differently.  Maybe that's why this post is so late from when I actually met him.  I'm still digesting the information he gave me and translating that into my own terms for my own life. 

I take advantage of life.  In a positive and negative way.

Ever since I had my little scare in January, I have said "Yes" to opportunities that I otherwise would not have.  I am taking risks and chances that most people never will.  I have realized that I only have this one life.  And it's getting shorter by the minute, as scary as that is. 

On the negative side, I take advantage of my life.  I have this one life, and I live it selfishly.  I sometimes sit back for the ride instead of taking life by the horns. I may sound completely contradictory, but that's only because I contradict myself daily. 

Everyone has a story. A past. A future. 
I wanted to share this one in hopes of opening your eyes to people who God puts right in front of you, for good reason.  You just have to figure out exactly what that reason is.  Maybe it's to learn.  Maybe it's to befriend someone you otherwise wouldn't be friends with.  Maybe its to grow as a human being. 

The point is, life IS good.  Always. 

Like this quote says, "It may be a bad day, but it's not a bad life."


Much love,
AmyJo