Standing Tall

Question? Does a person need legs to stand tall and proud? Theoretically the answer is yes, but it’s not true.

On this Memorial Day, I think of two very special men who stood so tall and proud. Both were strong and vital and beautiful specimens of the human race but finished their life races without the aid of their legs. One was my father, the other was my husband. My Dad was a double amputee from the effects of diabetes. My husband suffered from RA and his legs and feet were often so painful there were times he may have wished them gone. At the end, neither could physically stand alone, yet both stood very, very tall.

Life with them made it clear standing tall really has nothing to do with legs. It has to do with humbleness and dignity and grace. It has to do with kindness. It has to do with acceptance.

Today is the day we honor those who fought the battles for us, tall and proud, with or without legs to stand on.

I loved a facebook entry that said, "Happy Memorial Day!(y)" A daily dose of rememberance might just be what the balance Dr. ordered. Have a great one.

Last Lash Standing

A few weeks ago after having a long leisurely lunch with a friend, we went to the mall to pick up her daughter. The topic of eyelashes came up and in the blink of an eye we were all lined up at the Aveda counter having teenzy tiny clumps of false lashes glued on to our own. I felt a bit threatened because smearing glue all over my fairly decent eyelashes was not a particularly comforting thought. But no glue no glory and I let the glue flow. We left with lashes so long I imagined looking like we were sporting swim fins on our eyelids.

All went well for a few days until the morning I saw a mini clump in the sink. After that, more fallen clumps began to appear. But as luck would (not) have it, some continued to hang on for dear life. A half fallen out set of fake eyelashes isn't a great look especially right before an upcoming week of birthday celebrations. My attempts to gently remove the remaining lashes with hot water, eye makeup remover and Vaseline failed. Nothing but time and glue wardrobe failure was going to budge the rest of the thinned out clumpies on my lids.

As of today I am left with one last remaining clump...middle of right eye and now seems long enough to braid. But what fun it was to be a glam for a few days! Realistically, I probably could have passed for Marilyn Monroe's great grandmother.

They say beauty is only skin deep and since the beginning of time we girls have been trying to pull beautiful rabbits out of beautiful hats. However, we must remember to keep our inner beauties glammed up, too. I don't know about any of you, but I think I'll give all my little inner beauties full permission to beat the living crapola out of every fat cell, cellulite curd and age spot that comes near. And that, my friends, is inner beauty at it's best. Sticking up for what sticks out!

Power to the people....inside and out!

At the Movies

I ran the gamut this weekend in the movie room as I watched the funny and very sexually explicit 'The Hangover' followed by 'My Sister's Keeper.' Talk about going from the ridiculous to the sublime.

Both movies hit nerves of tension and compassion in completely different ways. For those who haven't seen 'Hangover', the story is of 4 friends who lie about where they are going for their bachelor party. They go to Las Vegas and end up losing the groom. Through 48 hours of panic, they finally find him, clean him up the best they can and arrive at the wedding 2 minutes before the bride is ready to call it off due to a MIA groom. Funny, stupid, very racy and now just a bad memory.

On the other hand, I will think about 'My Sister's Keeper' for quite awhile. The story is about a sister who was created in a petri dish for the specific purpose of helping her older sister battle Leukemia. While the reasoning was sound, the DNA designed sibling was used and somewhat abused during a lifetime of contributing stem cells, white blood cells, bone marrow, etc. She felt loved, loved her older sister, but wanted medical emancipation. It is a heart wrenching account of where parental panic of the impending loss of a child might lead.

It made me think back to the times we got threatening news of one of Paul's illnesses. I would vow to find the answer to the cure. It was as if not only his life depended on it but mine as well. Love and selfish dependency so intertwined it was impossible to see the painful forest for the trees and/or nature taking its course. Objectivity completely lost. The mother in the story didn't let go because it never occurred to her to do so. In her never ending quest to save her daughter she lost sight of the harm it was doing to her entire family.

Very thought provoking story. How far would you go to try to save your child's life? Let me know what you think. Blog back!!

So there you have it from the critic's corner. Sex, lies and laughter to pain, suffering and death all in one short weekend. (note to self: this is the Adventures of the NEW Carol...stick with the comedys.)

And today is the first day of the rest of my life with Netflix. Let me know if you want to watch a movie...order early today, here tomorrow!

My First Blog

It took 60 years and a week, but as of today, I am an official blogger. Leave it to wonderful niece Jamie to drag me into the 21st cyber century. She seems to be my biggest cheerleader...and more power to her. Since my industrious creative writing class last year, I have hardly written a word and she's been on me about it. "Don't waste a college education," sayeth she.

Anyway, here I go.. jumping into the blog end of the pool with, hopefully, worthwhile information, or, worthless information, who knows? We'll see how this goes.

Here's to world peace.

The new Carol