Life is Short...take the trip, buy the shoes, eat the chocolate cake

You'll find this is a common theme for me. My mantra, one might say. I work in an ER. I have seen, way too many times, life cut short or changed forever without warning. My Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 70. Ten years later, she's still here. If by here you mean living in a shell of a body and unable to communicate in any appreciable way. So, here's my advice. Fell free to take it or just laugh. The choice is yours.

Take the trip! People who know me are always laughing at the fact that I am either on vacation or planning the next one. It's true. Guilty! But I don't apologize. Because tomorrow is not guaranteed. As I write this, I am up North visiting family and friends. This is a week long road trip with Thing 1, my 16yo daughter. In the blink of an eye, she went from baby to rising high school Junior who drives. Soon, she'll be off at school somewhere and living her own life. So, I took the trip.

Buy the shoes! In my case, they would be flip flops of course. The point is, within reason, to treat yourself. Even when it's going well, life is rough. Each day we are pulled in a hundred directions: work, family, writing, doctor's appointments, mortgage to pay, etc. As a working Mom, I can attest to this. So, if a pair of new flip flops makes me happy, so be it!

Eat the chocolate cake! Again, within moderation. I have made a conscious decision to eat healthier...too bad it's about 40 years too late. But I am doing well, losing weight and being generally healthier. My doctor is happy, so who am I to argue? What this means for me is that I literally think about everything I eat, weighing (pardon the pun) each decision

. Last night, after her grueling 2 hour soccer practice (she is playing in a soccer tournament while we are up North), we grabbed a late dinner. I asked her if she could have anything at all for dessert what would it be. Being the Mini Me, she asked for chocolate cake. So, at 10PM, in a hotel room, we split a piece of cake. Was it the healthiest choice? No, of course not. Life would never be that easy. But, no one died. And we made a wonderful memory. Priceless!!

The point to my rambling is that life passes in the blink of an eye. Otherwise, I'd still be in my twenties. So, be kind to yourself. Give yourself a break. Take the trip. Buy the flip flops. Eat the chocolate cake (or whichever dessert you prefer).