The Last Super Bowl

My friend came up from Florida this weekend.  She moved there eight years ago.  Just like her visit four years ago, it was as if I had seen her only the day before and the years that punctuated her visits seem to vanish within minutes of her arrival. It was great to catch up and enjoy a glass of wine together, indulge in our love of ethnic foods and visit our old haunts.

But this was not the carefree visit of four years ago.  This trip was bittersweet.  The primary purpose of this trip was to see a dear friend who was told 14 months ago that she only had twelve months to live.  My friend was able to spend some time visiting with her friend and I joined them for lunch on Friday.  After hearing the most up-to-date report on her cancer, I was pleasantly surprised how good she looked and was somehow comforted that she still had her great sense of humor, even if she joked too much about death for my friend's liking. We had a great time together. We talked candidly about her illness and then, in the next minute, laughed and joked as if we didn't have a care in the world.  It was a good time and a special moment for us.

It was at lunch that I learned that my friend from Florida would be spending Sunday evening at her friend's house for a Super Bowl party. It bothered my friend a great deal that she was referring to it as her Last Super Bowl, but I guess she was just being honest and of course, she was joking about it.

My friend reported that the party was a great time.  Her friend made a nice dinner and then shuffled everyone into game watching position.  She handled out beads and pom-poms.  In an effort to reverse the Steeler's luck, she ordered everyone to remove the necklaces (because that had worked once before). She was totally into it, waving her pom-poms and cursing bad plays.  She quipped that the Steelers could have at least WON her Last Super Bowl.

After hearing all about the party, I thought about how someone could be full of life yet still be dying.  I thought about how she managed to be so funny and spirited while facing so much uncertainty. Does she look at every day past the 12 month prognosis as a freebie or is she listening for the other shoe to drop?  I see a quiet strength in her that gets her through the aches, discomforts, side-effects and hassles of chemo to put a smile on each day.  Or maybe it's having that ability to still smile and laugh that gives her strength.  Either way, she is a wonderful person and she awes me.

In the end, it didn't really matter if the Steelers won or lost.  The Last Super Bowl was still a success.  It brought two dear friends together for what could be the last time and showed how important it is, despite adversity, to put on the beads, shake those pom-poms and live in the moment because no one really knows when it's going to be the Last Super Bowl.

MLK Day

Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.  MLK Jr. 


We should honor his legacy by promoting kindness, understanding and civility.

Can't you just be happy?

Interesting question...Can you JUST be HAPPY?  Can you simply turn up your personal happiness dial?  Is it simply a state of mind?  Pop psychology leads us to think that we're just in need of a paradigm shift or that we need to adopt a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude).  Is you glass half empty or half full?  And who's in charge of pouring that glass anyway?  Is it really that simple?  Can you just wake up one morning decide to be happy?

One thing that I've noticed in my 45 years is that there seems to be little correlation to the cards life deals you and your happiness.  I know people who have lost spouses, had financial ruin, endured serious illnesses or have children who have complicated issues, yet these people continue to greet each day with their best face forward and serve as an inspiration to others.  What gives?  Does heartbreak and misfortune cause you to appreciate the good things in your life more?  And why is it that there are people who appear to "have it all" who are miserable and complain about the slightest things?  On the surface, it doesn't compute.

What separates those who let life's obstacles roll of their backs from those who grow bitter?  Why are some people able to see themselves as a survivor of misfortune rather than a victim?  Maybe it's simply a refusal to be taken down without a fight.  Maybe, instead of focusing on what's not working in their lives, they see what IS working.  Maybe something restores their faith, gives them hope or brings them inspiration.  Maybe something inside of them tells them that tomorrow's a new day, with new possibilities.

If we can, in fact, engineer our own happiness, how do we do it?  Maybe the answer is different for everyone, but it's something to think about.  Maybe it comes down to deciding what's important and what's not worth worrying about.  Maybe it's learning to make the best of a given situation, taking the high road or just forgetting about the petty stuff that doesn't mater.  Maybe it's putting the needs of others before your own.  Maybe it's a commitment to make the world better.  What's going to bog you down tomorrow?  What is going to raise you up? How are you going to taking a step forward towards your life's goals and creating your happiness?  Only you can decide.  Have a good week.

The beginning of the blog....

People have suggested that I start a blog, but I never really thought too much about it.  But here we are on MLK weekend (January 16, 2011), in the recent aftermath of the Arizona tragedy, and I can't help but be dismayed at what is going on on our nation right now.  This blog name, Live Life Liberally, is not only a nod to my political stance, but also a reminder to live life fully and be a positive influence on the world around you.  I think a little more focus on the positive and less on the negative would go a long way right to heal our nation's wounds and make us all feel a little happier.


Please allow me some time to get used to this.  This is all very new to me.  I hope to keep things positive and leave my readers with something to think about during their day, perhaps a quote, an observation or an inspirational story.  I've told you a little about me on the side bar and will share more in future posts.  I'll also pass along anything that I come across that will help you to live life fully and take in all of life's joys--more liberally.


I hope you enjoy it. Here goes....