Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013

Every day of our lives, we learn from our mistakes and our victories, the important thing is that we live something new every day. May we live intensely every moment, the New Year that begins tonight, with peace and hope, for life is a gift and every moment is a blessing from God. Happy 2013!

This is my message to everyone today December 31^st. 2012 is leaving and 2013 is knocking on our doors. Many New Year’s resolutions are being formed as well as the old ones are being checked up on to see how many were achieved. Isn’t this something that we do every December 31^st?

Overall 2012 was not such a bad year although I heard from a lot of people that they were anxious for the year to end. This has always been an intriguing fact for me. If you think about it, every morning a new day is born and you can change your lifestyle at any moment. So what is the magic of January 1^st? Indeed, it is a magical day.

January 1^st is the beginning of new plans: more exercise, lose weight, be a better person, travel more, read more, work less, make more money, help people etc. It seems like we overload January 1^st, doesn’t it? You can do all of this every morning.

Anyhow, let’s reflect about my 2012.

Yesterday at church the Pastor asked us to think about our year and asked to think about the people that we have left positive marks in their hearts and a list of people who have left them in ours. As soon as he said this I started thinking. It was not an easy list to make, but I tried.

I have made a difference in the lives of a few people as a few have made a difference in mine. Even if it was just one person, it was worth it. If you think about it, we do not do anything alone. You need people in your life.

Reflecting about my year, I have a lot to be grateful for. I was able to return to work after nine-month tough battle with an unknown disease that took away my ability to walk. I still have to deal with the pain that I feel on a daily bases, but at least I can get up and go; I have gone back to walking at my own pace and carefully.

My friends and I have gotten closer and the few moments spent together are rich and filled with growth and happiness. Despite the fact that some people have left my life, they have left positive marks in my heart although there was a lot of pain that came along with the loss. People come and go and the earlier we accept this, the easier it is to deal with loss.

Moneywise, well well, that was a real challenge. Life is not easy here in South America although the media shows the opposite or people are spending more money and traveling more. Food prices go up on a daily basis and because of my diet restrictions, my food bill is quite pricey; however, as if magically, the money that I need has always been in my bank account. I know it is not magic, but God.

I believe that faith is my biggest achievement in 2012. My faith is stronger and I live by it. I know that God is taking care of me and supporting me in every decision that I make and every step I take. For this I am grateful. Up until now, I have been given life. So whenever little things try to bring me down, I remember that I have been given the gift of life and that is not to be wasted.

My blog is also a great achievement for me. I have written 70 posts and it has been viewed by 1818 people up to now. 70 moments of creativity, inspiration based on people that I have met or just seen on the streets of Sao Paulo and other places that I have travelled to. It has been a way to get rid of my thoughts and my stress; an escape valve. By the number of the stories viewed I know which stories are appealing to my readers and those that are not so much. I have four followers who I know may not understand everything I write, but are there to support me.

I am happy at where I am right now and I hope that in 2013 continue on this path of experience and growth.

Thank you for reading and may 2013 be a filled with daily blessings in our lives J

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( written Decemebr 31st, 2012)
copyright ©2012 - Todos os direitos reservados a Meire Marion.

At the Checkout Line

It was a typical Saturday morning for two women who were on their way to the supermarket with their mom. Mildred and Martha look forward to taking the car and driving to the big supermarket near their house although it was summer and they knew that on the drive home there would be a rain storm for sure. That’s the way it was in this city located in a tropical country.

Mildred was named after Charlie Chaplin’s first wife Mildred Harris. He mom simply adored him and enjoyed watching his movies over and over again. If she had given birth to a boy, he would have been called Charlie, but then again, she ended up having two girls.

Martha was named after the American journalist Martha Gellhorn. You see the mother enjoyed reading about people and when she read about Mrs. Gellhorn she fell in love with her life. However, if you looked at the mother, you’d think she could barely read at all. Life had been cruel to her and her body had aged quite a lot.

Mildred was older than Martha, however, Martha looked older. Because she had the same body shape as her mother, she shared he clothes. She wore her mother’s dresses which were made for older women. Mildred on the other hand, was thinner and liked to keep in shape.

People thought Martha was much prettier than Mildred but it was Mildred who was seen in the neighborhood getting friendly with the males. Martha had never been with a man although she would be celebrating her 31^st birthday in a few weeks. She worked as a clerk at a shoe store near her home and when she wasn’t at work she was at home watching TV and keeping her mother company.

Mildred was 3 years older than Martha, wore glasses and liked to wear miniskirts and really short shorts in the summer time. She was the only person in the family who drove and she worked as an editor for a local publisher. She worked a lot in the office and when she wasn’t at work, she was hanging out with her friends at the bars in the neighborhood. She loved to drink and make out. However, she didn’t want to get involved with anyone seriously. People used to say that she was too easy therefore it was not that she didn’t want a serious relationship, it was the opposite; no one wanted to marry her.

The mother was well aware of the situation of her two daughters. She loved them dearly and was very grateful to have them around despite not knowing what she could do to help them.

At the supermarket each of them filled that cart with what they needed for that week. The mother worried about getting the rice, beans, potatoes, meat and pasta while each of the girls got snacks and other things to their taste. Of course, Martha didn’t read the labels and was not worried about her health or her shape whereas Mildred read all the labels and only got low-cal, low-carbs, low-salt, and low-sugar goodies.

They had made it to the checkout counter before the downpour. While Martha and her mom were placing the items on the belt, Mildred had gone to the lingerie section to grab a pair of new panties; one never knows what can happen on a Saturday night.

-          “250 reais” said the checkout girl.

Martha placed her bank card in the slot and told the checkout girl that she was paying for half. Then Mildred paid for the other half. They never talked about how unfair this was or not. Sometimes Mildred tried to mention the fact on their way home from the supermarket. But after a few unsuccessful tries she just gave up. Nonetheless, what her mother did with her pension money always crossed her mind. Perhaps she would find out when the inheritance came about.

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(Written December 29, 2012 – all of this came to mind at the checkout counter at the supermarket this afternoon as I observed the three women in front of me.)

copyright ©2012 - Todos os direitos reservados a Meire Marion.