How to Live a Beautiful Life: Lasting love

How to Live a Beautiful Life: Lasting love: "My husband and I have been married for 25 years. It is a second marriage for both of us. We have wonderful children, and are pre..."

Lasting love

My husband and I have been married for 25 years.  It is a second marriage for both of us.  We have wonderful children, and are pretty happy with the life we have built for ourselves. 

Of course we have had our ups & downs over the years, just like every couple.  And, I must say that the last couple of years have not been very easy with lots of financial adjustments to make.

But this past Valentine's Day, my dear husband reminded me just what it was that had made me fall in love with him so long ago.  He not only gave me a beautiful card, but he wrote me a love letter.  In this age of tweets and emails, it is not often that people lay pen to paper.  He used to write me little poems and leave them on my windshield.
He used to give me riddles to find a gift, always one he had given alot of thought to.

I want to remind everyone in this fast paced world, just slow down.  Take the time to appreciate each other.  Do something special.  All it is going to cost is time...which I know is a precious commodity.

Treat your spouse with the kindness and respect you would give a stranger.  That sounds strange, but think about it.  Sometimes it is so true that we listen closer to someone else than those close to us.  We think, I'm busy now.  It will wait.  But that is where you are wrong.  Life is short.  Carpe diem....love the one you're with.

I wish you the best in all of your relationships.  Treat them as if they were your most precious possessions, because they are.

Evolution

photo by Diane Gardner Williams

Like these baby birds, when I first started working on the computer with my business, I needed someone else to take care of my needs.

Then one day, my assistant left at my request.  After a few hours, I realized that all of my business info was 'on the computer' and I did not know the first thing about accessing it.  Bad business practice on my part.  However, that was long ago, and I have come a long way since then.  It surprises me now when someone asks me how to do something on the computer.

When I was on the design board of IDS, a very savvy designer insisted that we put everything on computer.  It seemed so unneccessary to me, and I am afraid that I was a bit resistant.  But thanks to Davetta Moore's insistance, I dove into the unknown and have not looked back since.

Doing things that seem hard to us, keeps our brains functioning.  It keeps us current with progress. It expands our horizons. 

I am proud to say that I have muddled my way to creating a website, 2 blogs, and my professional LinkedIn page.  It keeps getting easier.

So don't give up.  When it seems overwhelming, just take a small step at a time.  You'll get there!

Childhood

"It's never too late to have a second childhood, but the second one is up to you"....unknown

Like most people, at the start of the new year I sit down and analyze my life, finances, goals and make some adjustments.

It has occured to me that I want to simplify my life.  Go back to some of those simpler times in my early youth.
Let go of the clutter in all of the areas of my life.

So I have been clearing out the things that I have not used in the past couple of years.  Clothing, home accessories, files of clients that I have not heard from in a long while.

It is a good feeling to purge some of those things.  I donated and gave them away.  Giving great shoes that were gently worn to younger girls at work brought pleasure to all!

I have been a designer for the last 40 years.  It has been a career that I have always been passionate about.  But, I have to admit that the last few years have been a real struggle.  Because of it, I have gotten a job as a clothing specialist at a dept store.
I still have the joy of helping people find what they like and what suits them.  It is still all about style.  And, I am enjoying it more than I expected to.  Dressing my manequins is like playing dolls!

But, it has been a big juggling act to do both, and do them both well.  I have found myself worn out and tired at times.  Maybe my career is the next thing to simplify.  My husband thinks I should just retire, but after being cooped up with a few days of snow, I know I am not ready for that!

It is something I will have to mull over in my mind for awhile.  It will be my next new chapter...stay tuned for future happenings.

Any advise from someone in the same place in their life???