Live Like You Were Dying

Inspired by Daline's birthday joy-giving, I have been thinking of how I can give joy and get back into the whole "Best Year of Your Life" thing I'm doing. It's funny because I have these printed labels that say "This is the best year of your life!" around my house and I looked and I was like, bleh, this is not the best year... (though it has had some highlights!)

So as I soaked in my bath-by-candlelight I thought, well there are 2 weeks left in the year, how can I make these 2 weeks the best two weeks of my life? I saw a preview for a movie with Queen Latifah where she finds out she has 2 weeks to live and she goes all out and has a blast doing all kinds of things. Well financially I can't do that but I can stop using money as a limiting excuse. I was kinda making the kids feel bad by telling them they aren't going to get much for Christmas etc & I decided to heck with that - I'm going to tell them they are going to have the Most Marvelous Christmas Ever!

So I have been thinking besides the utter necessities, I am not going to slave away day and night on work on my computer like usual (I do love working!). I sent off my proposal today, so that is a huge sigh of relief - woohoo!!! So I am going to teach my class, finish my couple of assignments, and then do things that will usher in a grand new year: a Budget, and Decluttering and Simplifying.

And besides that, I'm going to spend time doing holiday fun things with the kids: making a gingerbread house, baking cookies and giving them away, making a popcorn-cranberry garland, making ornaments, decorating the house in the most elaborate beautiful way ever, maybe Christmas caroling with our church.

There is this little book I got last year, "Live Like You Were Dying" which was inspired by Tim McGraw's song (which I have not heard because I don't listen to country music) but I love the book. It as some beautiful poetic passages, and I decided one day during the holidays with the kids and/or Daline I am going to go out and spread joy by giving away little fortune-cookie sayings from that book. Maybe with a flower or chocolate. We need to do something to make people laugh. Joy. Give some away today!