Movers and Shakers

Some may think diet, exercise, medication, and good clean living keep us alive and kicking. Ok, so I will relent those elements may play a part. But it goes much deeper, don’t you think?
 
My vote lies defiantly in the belief that friends and memories are the treasures that keep us both young at heart and vibrant of mind. Not a single day passes that a beautiful friend, or a funny, touching, or poignant memory does not lift my spirits and unburden my heart. Lord knows I am rich with both.
                                                                              
The brilliance of this concept is that many of our best thoughts and memories come directly from friends. It is a win-win proposition as long as you take the time to bathe these treasures in a sea of positivity.
 
My best friend and I became family in elementary school – the 5th grade to be exact. While there are memories I would not dare share in a public forum, thoughts of adventures yet to come give me the most joy.
 
She has always said she wants to be remembered as the little old lady comfortable in a bright purple hat, with a billowy striped top, flowered Capri pants, and bling-encrusted flip-flops – in other words, a classy human incarnation of the cartoon character Maxine.
 
She has earned every right to put a flamboyant stamp on her retirement freedom and I not only applaud her individualism but will gladly join her. How fun would it be to celebrate our elder years as quirky movers and shakers that no one could possibly forget?
 
And while friendships are the cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle, think about how strangers enhance our lives too. Every time we open a video on the internet and find ourselves belly laughing and giggling at some kind of nonsense, we boost our immune system and strengthen our heartbeat. It is a known fact. Find a way to laugh and sunshine will follow you all day.
 
The human spirit is amazingly resilient, isn’t it? No matter how devastating the loss, the failure, or the disappointment, we as a species eventually just grab the reins of life and move along.
 
For many, that step forward is easy; for others it is hard. Some find strength in the divine; some find strength from within; some just flounder until it gets better.

Personally? I think it is life’s imbalance that balances us. Emotional pendulums do sway but in a syncopated rhythm.
 
Even in the throes of discomfort, we continue to grow. And lately, it seems I have been growing a lot…

My advice for the day is to make friends, make memories, laugh at yourself, and repeat. Add a cup of coffee, a fruit smoothie, a Bloody Mary, or a glass or two of wine, and let your innermost sunshine wash away all the shadows.
 
Hmmm? Could it be I follow that advice a little too much? Ah, but that is fodder for yet another rant.

Share your thoughts!  Click the word Comments below and tell me what you think!
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