People are strange….

Jim Morrison, of The Doors, couldn’t have said it more accurately.

 

…PEOPLE ARE STRANGE…

I have always considered myself to be a spot on judge of character.  Others that know me pretty well have often said the same of me.  It’s something that I simply can’t explain.  Upon meeting someone, within the first few minutes I get a sense of the kind of person they are.  I know I am not perfect and can’t always be right.  Believe me, I have sure made a few poor judgement calls over the years, especially in my younger days.  Some of those indiscretions I attribute to being young and naive, when I just simply didn’t know any better. 

Walking to the beat of my own drum…Part 2

And the beat goes on…

In my last post I shared my 1st and 2nd top 15 album lists which included more current artists as well as iconic classics.  I consider my taste in music to be very eclectic and ever-growing.  While I have my all time favorite “go-to” tunes in my library, I am on a continuous search for up and coming artists and also find excitement in discovering established artists that I haven’t been exposed to previously.  There is no genre that is off-limits; no artist I’ll exclude; giving each song or artist a try at least 3 times before I can truly wrap my brain around its significance or insignificance in my world. 

Walking to the beat of my own drum….

 

Recently I received a note on Facebook to create a list of the first 15 albums that come to mind, spending no more than 15 minutes creating your list.  I was done in under 5 minutes…

The “problem” I have with this, if it can even be classified as a problem, is that there are truly too many influential albums to choose from!  Since posting the list of 15 last night, my mind has been running rampant with albums I should have or could have listed.  After looking back and reviewing the 15, I am compelled to continue on with this list…not for any other reason but my own obsessive compulsiveness in such an area as music.  I am such a music junkie

…::Words of Another #2::…

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the words of another speak for me when I cannot find words myself.  Words of another inspire, motivate, console and calm.  No matter the mood, the words of another replace the bits and pieces that are floating endlessly in my mind and help complete the puzzle that can sometimes consume you.  Whether the words are put to music or stand alone, they serve a purpose in my life. 

In My Life, The Beatles

This song speaks to me on many levels. It serves as a reminder of all the loved ones in my life; some that guide, guard and protect from above; others that are present in my everyday existence;  and other still that played an important role in my life at one time or another and remain here on this Earth, but ar

…Any Way You Look At It…Nothing Easy About It…

The Elephant in the Room…

Death in general is not a pleasant subject that one chooses to think about unless faced with it head-on.  Death does not discriminate…age, gender, race, or ethnicity; we all have experienced it in one way or another.  Everyone deals in their own way…crying, laughing, silence, reminiscing, in the embrace of others sharing in the grief or in the solitude of our own hearts, thoughts and minds.    No matter how many times one faces the death of a loved one, it just simply does not get any easier.  Oftentimes a sense of emptiness or a void is present; an aching in your heart lingering as you sort through every emotion an individual has the capacity to tolerate.  A sense of comfort exists knowing that one is at peace at last.

You search through your memories from the past, relishing in moments of recent days, clinging to the every second of an individual’s life.  Death is not something we choose to think about during the day-to-day.  However, the truth is, it happens whether we choose to acknowledge it or not; whether we face it head on or hide behind insecurities, wonder of uncertainties, dwell in regrets and what-ifs.  The time and place are unknown, out of our hands, in the time of Another’s choosing.  The true challenge, something we have sole control over,  is choosing to celebrate the life lived versus lost.

There’s just something about her…

The “spunkiest” person I have ever known to walk this earth.  There is no other single word that describes the Matriarch of the Conley Clan in a more appropriate manner than this.  From the very first moment, when my mom surprised Lynn by inviting his mom over for a birthday celebration, I knew she was something special. Up until that point, I had only answered the phone when she was calling for Lynn.  She was sweet and warm, funny and witty.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I was soon to find out that I gained a new Grandma, calling her Mrs. Conley very few times before being welcomed into her brood.  From the very beginning, she treated Lindsay and me as members of the family; including us just as she did every other grandchild.  She loved past the ties of blood, enveloping us in her heartstrings, including us in the warmth of her embrace.    One would never have known there was a “step” before granddaughter.  There was no need to clarify this difference; in her eyes, as well as in my own, we were and are family.   No need to explain or decipher any further than this…she was Grandma and I her granddaughter.

She was a woman of great character.  Holding strong to her beliefs and staying true to her words.  She practiced what she preached; teaching us all to be strong and have faith in ourselves and in others through her everyday example.  She enjoyed life and those in it.  She was always up for a good time and great laughs, even when they were at her expense.  She raised an amazing bunch of Conley’s who continue her legacy of faith, hope and love; strength, devotion and honor; humor, wit, and sarcasm.

Life Lived…

In her 90 years on this beautiful Earth, I can only imagine the ups and downs, tears and laughs, heartaches and triumphs, she had experienced.  She seemed to deal with things in her own way; her “spunkiness” carrying her through.  She was one of the toughest little women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, honor of loving.  Her unconditional love for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren was insurmountable…I was lucky enough to be included in that exclusive club.

Time standing still …

Hearing the words, “she is gone”…time stands still.   I knew it was coming…we all did.  That didn’t make the loss of her life any easier to accept.  For me, and I am assuming the same for many of us, accepting Grandma’s passing from this world to the next was only made easier knowing that she lived a long, happy and full life and can now be with her 2 sons and husband.  They are now together, happy, healthy, and rejoicing in their forever home together.  As we remember, l strive not to be sad in the loss of her life here on this Earth.  But instead celebrate the laughter she enjoyed with us; the strength she shared with us; the values she instilled in us; the family she created for us.

Her spunk carried her through up until the very end of her time with us; I can only hope to make her proud and keep the spunk alive by cherishing the moments, and relishing in these thoughts until we meet again.

Thelma Conley

December 1, 1919 – August 1, 2010