Dance To The Music

Music is a world within itself, With a language we all understand. With an equal opportunity,  For all to sing, dance and clap their hands. Sir Duke by the one and only Stevie Wonder. How incredibly powerful Music is. It penetrates to our Core. Our Soul. What a  Powerful part of The Wonderment of Life it is...

My parents had a jukebox that I don't even recall, however; once they no longer had it, the 45's remained. Hours were spent listening to the roaring tunes of yesteryears.   Regardless the genre, it was Music and it was an incredible aroma that filled our home.  Now this many years later, I cannot carry a note, or play any known instrument. However, I come alive when Music is played. It is played as often as possible. And as loud too! Just as my Mother had her different genres which she would introduce me to such as The Great Boots Randolph or by playing George Beverly Shea in the mornings my favorite was Open Up your Heart and Let the Sunshine In. By doing this she taught me to be open and that has been one of the best things she passed on to me and I in turn am passing along as well. I have saturated my daughter with it all. I always say, even if you don't prefer this genre, appreciate it. She will go with me to an Opera Rehearsal as I have sat on their board, or to the twangiest of Country, and now the latest, the introduction of Prince. I believe this will take her far in her journey in The Wonderment Of Life, to be open and appreciate the different forms of Music...

I use music for all aspects. When I am frustrated or upset, there are those tunes, if I need motivating, there's another. You name the driving force of where you are going and BAM just like that there is a song that will help lift you up and usher you to where you are to be. As we are pursuing our dreams, living our lives, allow the beautiful force of Music to come in and move you. I have taught my daughter by allowing Music to be such a part of her that now when you think of her, you just cannot think of her without the  love of music. I used to take her to a Mommy and Me group some of you probably have even attended with us, Kinder Music. But living it at home is the most crucial in my opinion. When she was younger one of her favorite shows had a song that had a video and it would randomly come on as we left our televisions on her channel anyway. AH, we would pine away waiting for that song to come on. We would bait one another to be ready, be ready. See, it was a rule in our home that no matter when that song came on, regardless of who was there, or what was going on. We stopped. And we danced....even though she is too cool for that one now, there are many others that are going on and those that are yet to happen. And I cannot wait. But that song is still on her music list in her iPod and it DOES still get played surprisingly enough from time to time, as to let me know as she gets that Twinkle in her eyes and says, "hey Mama, you ready?" Then she will play it just long enough to suddenly feel one of my Most beautiful Wonderments As her Mother, then its gone. Oh, but how incredibly thankful I am that the Memory is still alive in my Heart; and its churning inside of me to strive to find more "Boinga" Memories.  See, even though certain seasons have passed,  allow those moments to perpetuate. We cannot forget where we have been if we are ever gonna get to where we are intended to be. 

I have a home video, yes I know, I know. It was filmed by my 9 year old, you will clearly be able to tell, but try to see what I see if you can...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4FQgc3afPI&feature=youtu.be

Let me tell you what I see with that video, my Mother's brothers doing what they have been doing since I can remember. This is a classic in the Lewis Clan. There is always music, there is always singing and there is always Laughter...what else do you want? 

This Happy New Year's Card came after Camille lost her two front teeth on Christmas Night, dancing and singing as she bumped into Hannah, Kassie and Sydney in their dance off and it went down in history!

Life is meant to be lived with all the zest and gusto you can muster up if you ask me. As I try to emulate our families Christmas' and get together's now -  for my daughter to be able to pass on too; there is our Family Legacy that really matters. It's what has always set us apart from the rest of the Jones' and caused us to be something more. We all have it, we just need to utilize it.  We need to bloom where we are planted while we make a difference there I truly believe it will open the door to endless possibilities....

Be Curious

I read that" CURIOSITY is the Compass that Leads Us to Our Passions. Follow it and you won't be disappointed. The future belongs to The Curious." I kind of relate Curious to Childlike. When I find myself Curious, I feel playful, energized.  When I am curious, I find I am in a state of searching or waiting to see what will become. It can be exciting, discovering the newness of something or the fulfillment of another. Children show us best how to take in this Big Ole World we live in. They are busy! They are everywhere. Exploring. Asking questions. And of course... The Why's. It is sometimes harder for us adults to stop and allow ourselves to explore. Explore our thoughts, desires, Dreams, life around us. We always hear stop and smell the roses; yet how little time do we really allow ourselves to breathe in and bask, drinking in Life around us until we are intoxicated by its beauty?

One of my favorite things about Life is; it is always changing. Always moving. I like to relate this to working out with my trainer; I am almost in tears because of what he has me doing for this certain set but I know that it will pass as soon as I complete this  and there will be something else. So I seem to find the stamina needed to move past that which I find most unpleasant so I can get to what is bearable or pleasing. So it is with life. 

I want you to call to mind, wherever life finds you NOW as you are reading this. It is not too late to go after those Passions, those Dreams. Allow yourself to be Curious. There is more than meets the eye EVERYWHERE. I like this by Will Smith from The Pursuit of Happiness, "Don't ever let someone tell you that you can't do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can't do something themselves, they're gonna tell you that you can't do it.You want something, go get it. Period." 

Curiosity killed the cat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the metaphor. For other uses, see Curiosity killed the cat (disambiguation).

"Curiosity killed the cat" is a metaphor used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation. A less frequently-seen rejoinder to "curiosity killed the cat" is "but, satisfaction brought it back".^[1]

The original form of the metaphor, now little used, was "Care killed the cat". In this instance, "care" was defined as "worry" or "sorrow."

Here is the poem, Curiosity killed the cat, Satisfaction brought it back. Safe and sound, from head to ground, from head to ground, It was safe and sound.

After all, aren't we all wanting to be Satisfied? It seems to me, Curiosity is a large part of The Wonderment of Life... Queen sang it best, Don't Stop Me Now enjoy this video and let its words recharge your battery and get after what you are to do! I can't wait to share what I find - I hope you will join me~ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWMySZa0TzQ#t=12

The Little Things

I just have to say it. It's The Little Things that make such a difference in our lives. That moment that someone just did something that made you smile, or touch your heart in such a way to move you. At the end of the day, you remember them. Sometimes it isn't something that was done for or to you, just something you encountered or were part of in some mere way. 

I am approaching fifty in the next couple of years, maybe THIS is my midlife crisis! However, I truly do not feel it is a "crisis" at all. I read this Tweet today from one of my favorite preachers. Rick Godwin tweeted, "Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years; people grow old only by deserting their dreams!" #livebold Are you kidding me?? This is Fab to the ulous!!! I want to stop and reflect on this. What dreams have I forgotten about or put aside due to life and or the lack of confidence to see those dreams come about????

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqJ2jYumJJo

May we all find The Little Things each day. May we also be the one who does for another to help them in some way and be the Wonderment of their day or their thing they smile of as they drift off to sleep at night.

So many dreams I have had for my own life I am happy to say have come true; however NOT in the way that I might have expected. Example, I always wanted to be a Mom. Always. Well as happy as I am to say that ONLY 38 and 39 years later it came true! ha! And if that weren't enough, my second child was diagnosed with Trisomy 18 in the womb and wasn't expected to make it full term. She did and I was able to be her Mommy for 8 weeks! What curve balls these were. But I am determined to take it ALL in and say how does this help determine the destiny of those dreams? How is this preparing me for other dreams I have or yet to have or to even  help others with their dreams? 

What I want to say is we all have had or are having or are going to have those Curve Balls thrown. But let us not allow them to call us out of the game, moreover; let us have them be what helps us make that home run! This my friends is truly The Wonderment Of Life~

There Will Never Be .....

Fill in the blank; There will never be ______________. WOW, those options are many!! At least for me I can say that changes with almost each passing thought I have! But then I stop and ask myself, what is the blank that I am the most passionate about? At the end of the day in all of the things that happened, all the people I encountered, tasks that were left undone and the things that were accomplished, what is that ONE thing that stands out?

The thing I am finding as I am "maturing" is that the sometimes most frustrating, most difficult whether  situation or circumstances or people that is the thing that seemed to stand out at the end of my day.  Sometimes the Surprise was Negative but will somehow forever change the course of this Life that I lead.  I can laugh about how I completely lost my temper at this rather frustrating individual, or smiled from ear to ear at the thoughtfulness someone showed me.  Either way from each extreme they are Wonderments. The Wonderments of Life...

Beauty is all around us and within us. Same with the Wonderments, the surprises of life the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. I read something today and it was like POW! It said, "One sees great things from the valley; Only small things from the peak." Ok,  here is a great one from one of my favorites the now Late Maya Angelou - We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely, admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. 

Life is full of Wonderments. Some of us are so busy we have to sit and reflect on each one as if it were the only  just to drink in its Awesomeness. Others are crying out for a good surprise to help sustain you through another day.  I ask you to join me and think about your day; what are the Wonderments that you almost missed? What are the ones you will never forget? And what are the ones you wish you could forget?