Category: Writing

Let your no mean no.

No!

I will no longer:

Put myself, laugh.

Put myself, down.

Put myself, off.

Because everyone else was:

More, important.

More, necessary.

More, loveable.

No!

I will no longer:

Think my dreams, any less, worthy.

Think me, any less, worthwhile.

Think, my heart, worthless.

No!

I will no longer:

Count me, last.

Count me, out.

Count me, as anything other than the priceless got I am!

No!

NO!

NO!!

Every day, I let folk know they are loved and not alone. And, every day, I ask God, I ask The Universe, if….ah, if…*sigh*

asking,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Stand up for YOUR heart, beloveds. Your time WILL come. When? I asked God for it to be today. Who knows what the day may bring?

Be encouraged. Love someone. Starting with you.

I must admit, my heart a bit heavy. I grieve for all who are waiting on love and dreams to arrive. The waiting feels interminable, at times. In the meantime, love on you. I have been enjoying some days of true peace and quiet.

I have also bewildered those who were used to me being there every second of every day. I have held to my no so I can have a bit of me solitude time.

Don’t let folk guilt you out of your me time. If they truly care, they will leave you be. If not, time to part ways. Either way, you win. I’m not suggesting kicking everyone in your life to the curb. Just suggesting you park it…lol

What do you LIKE about you?

What do you LIKE about you?

Like, not tolerate.

Like, not despise.

Like, not hide.

I’m loud. Voice wise. This, apparently, has annoyed many.

“Use your indoor voice.”

Outdoors?! Really?!🤷‍♀️🤣😉♥️

Folks said I was too loud:

In school.

Outside.

At church.

At church?!😳🥸😂🥰

Thankfully, God has always told me to just keep on being me. THIS me. This incredibly loud me.

I like this about me. I like being weird. I don’t think I’m weird at all. Weird is in the eyes of the beholder. Maybe, I think you are weird for thinking me weird…lol.

Most will think it weird that I am reaching out to a world who could care less about what I have to offer.

That’s okay. I offer, anyway. Some will enjoy it. Some won’t. I can’t worry about who will and who won’t. I just do.

What do you LIKE about you? Don’t worry that others may not like it. Be you. This world needs what only YOU can offer.

Keep sharing your weird, er, your life, with the world.

sharing my weird,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Be the amazing you that you were born to be!

Do the dumb thing.

Do the dumb thing. You know that thing that god and the universe have been trying to get you to do forever.

The dumb thing that will have you go out on a ledge.

The dumb thing that will have you vulnerable.

The dumb thing that will have you alone.

The dumb thing that will have you acting alone.

The dumb thing that can change your life forever for the good.

The dumb thing back and change your life in ways you could never imagine.

The dumb thing that leaves you breathless every time you think about doing it.

Yea, beloveds, THAT dumb thing!

I’m dumb enough to believe maybe I can. Who knows? Maybe I will!

doing the dumb thing,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Do the dumb thing with me, beloveds. Who knows what dreams we can make come true? I’m finally ready to find out. Okay, maybe not ready but willing…lol. Let’s go peeps! We got thangs to do.

One step

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being… YOU!

I have never felt more.

I have never felt more…

Alive.

I have never felt…

Alone.

I have never felt more…

???

I have never felt…

Felt?

Felt?!

I am:

Alive.

Alone.

At home.

Ah.

Aha!

Keep living, beloveds. Don’t be afraid to be alone with you. So many hide beneath distraction. In hopes of hiding from themselves.

Life is short. I’m doing my best to live in the moment.

I give myself permission to feel, to dream, to live…

For me!

feeling more,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Don’t fall for the okie doke in believing you have to come last. You don’t. Your needs matter. Yes, keep doing for others. Just don’t leave you out of the equation. You matter.

Time to focus on you.

It’s time, beloveds.

Time we focus on us.

Time for us to focus on our dreams.

We have done enough fretting about what we don’t have. We have done quite enough worrying on why the hard has been so hard.

Time for us to refocus. It’s our time. Time to do the things we have been putting off. Time to start some new and positive habits. Time to plant. Time to reap our harvest(s).

It’s Fri-yay. The work has been done, for the week. Time to focus on refilling our hearts and minds.

We have done enough, don’t you think, of carrying on about all the hard? Let’s enjoy us some us.

Speaking of which, I have some fantastic double chocolate pound cake. Who has the coffee/tea and other snacks?

focusing on me,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I have been enjoying myself. I have turned off the phone and spent hours hollering at the television. Awesome. Be sure to get some you time in there, beloveds. You are NOT the savior of the world. Speaking of which, Jesus said to say ‘hey’…lol. I have been praying for each and every one of my fellow loud ones.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Add some ‘So What’ to your diet(day).

I have been out of sorts, this year. ALL year, so far. Abnormally so.

Sooooooooooooooooo, I got to scrounging around, within my heart, to find the source of my anxt, my ain’ts, my wherefores, my whys, and my whynots.

Hmmm.

Aha!

It appears I have had too much of contemplating and dwelling on the hard. Normally, I tell hard, ha!, and move on about my day.

I tell hard, ‘So what!?”, and I dare to keep it moving.

For the past few weeks, beloveds, all I have allowed myself to see was the hard. I started missing, the joy. I started dismissing, my try. I started, discounting, well, everything.

Everything was just hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaarrrrrrrd, I carried on. I stopped climbing onto The Father’s Lap. I began hiding. From, Him. From, Me. Afraid. Afraid, He would be disappointed with me. Disappointed IN me.

Then, I decided I was going to sit with Him, anyway. Afraid. A disappointment. Slowly, I admitted to God, to myself, I was feeling so much I didn’t know what to feel. Or, not.

I shared how afraid I felt. I shared how afraid that I was afraid that He would be annoyed with me being and feeling so damned afraid about everything, right now. I told Him I was disappointed. With me. I felt I should ‘know better’. That, I should ‘be better’.

I’m glad God understood. He sat with me. He let me be…me. I didn’t have to perform. I didn’t have to put on a happy face. I wasn’t happy. I was:

Sad.

Mad?

Disappointed?

Afterwards, I got my ‘So what’ back.

Life was being hard.

So what?

Things were not fair.

So what?

I was a bit lonely.

So what?

So what: What are you going to DO, Cassandra?

Me: I am going to live. As best as I can.

Today, I am tired. So what? I have things to do. I am dragging my tired with me. I am making my tired do the dishes…lol.

When you are discouraged/tired/frustrated and the like, be sure to add some ‘So what’ to your diet(day).

Take care of you. You are the only you that you have.

Be encouraged and know that you are loved and not alone. I never tire of saying this to you. You are. Take care of you. You are much too precious to keep running yourself into the ground the way you do.

grateful,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Someone needs to hear from you. Someone needs to be loved by you. You need to be loved by someone(s). If you don’t have them, start with me…hehe…

Comfort: Uh, oh! Lays have returned.

Yikes!

Egads!

I have found that Lay’s have somehow made their way back onto my shopping list. Crap!

I KNEW beloveds I should have told Doritoes to kick rocks. But, I told myself I would stop at JUST Doritoes. Crappppppp, Ccccaaasssaannndra!

Now, I have to fight with bad habits. Again! Crap!!!

I promised myself I would no longer allow hard, pain and grief to give myself permission to hide in food and other things that do not serve me well. Crap!!

I have learned, though, not to best myself up when I have found myself wanting to hide in old habits.

Be encouraged. Change takes time. Life hurts at times. At times, it seems easier to give in to the distractions, to the seeming comfort of food or in the arms of folks who do not serve us well.

We can do this thing called life. Let’s all say a collective ‘ow, God’ and keep it moving…

Ow!!!

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez!

Life is good. Even when it is lonesome and hard.

hopeful/joyful/abitsad,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: My heart is ready for Spring! Let’s go, Universe! We got things to do!

Be encouraged. Try. One step. Just one. Then, Try another. You got it! I see you!

You are loved and not alone.

Broken, not broken.

Many moons ago, I broke my ankle.

Oww! 😳

I had to wear a cast. Forever. Forever, I tell you!

I grumbled.

I complained.

I complained AND grumbled.

All the while, I was healing. I couldn’t see the healing. ALL I could see and concentrate on was how heavy the cast was. How itchy! How hot! How annoying!!

It’s easy, isn’t it, to focus on the discomfort as we move towards the life we are building?

We see all the labor needed. We see our seeming lack of resources. We see the finite length of time to build with.

God, Life and The Universe just wants us to build. Build, with what we have. Ask, for help to get the job done. Believe, our efforts will NOT be in vain.

There will be times when we will break things. We will. We have to. Things get broken. They have to. Things like:

Pride.

Fear.

Apathy.

Ego.

Faith.

Anger.

Hurt.

Frustration.

Disappointment.

Disillusionment.

Things, needed things, will be broken. While other things, needed things, will be built and strengthened as WE build.

Too often, we look to God, to Life, to others to come through and fix this and that.

The Universe wants/needs for us to KNOW we are NOT victims, in life. We are:

Victors.

We shall win, at times. We shall suffer loss, many other times.

I am learning to count my loss as gain, as the Bible says. What does this mean?

Great question! Keep asking. You need to experience the answer(s) for yourself. They will mean more.

Life is not quick fix. It’s not instant. Important things takes time to build and to learn.

Give yourself the time to make as many mistakes as you can. In the meantime, understand you are NOT your mistakes. You are not a mistake.

We all need to stop this need of blaming ourselves when we fail to live up to our expectations. Our expectations, many times, are based on data from other folks experiences. How can that be accurate?

55 is kicking my tail but teaching me a world of truths. I am enjoying learning. Okay, not enjoying but 😳 embracing what I am learning.

I am learning to holler ‘ow’ and keep it moving.

Keep building, beloveds. You are building your legacy. Every day. Every choice, or lack thereof, is building onto your legacy.

Today, I am off work but writing. Why? To build on my legacy of love and encouragement.

Speaking of love:

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Be encouraged.

I’m encouraging myself. Be sure to encourage yourself. Love someone. Starting with you.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

YOU matter.

YOU matter.

You MATTER.

YOU MATTER!

When did it happen where everything seems to matter, but people?

Things matter.

Clout matters.

Cache matters.

People? Meh, not so much, the world says. The world lies!

Be encouraged, beloveds.

YOU matter. In case no one has told you:

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Letting someone KNOW they are loved and worthwhile ought never go out of style.

Love someone. Starting with you. Words are important. Speak into someone’s heart today. Starting with mine.🥰❤️‍🩹

I was telling a friend that the keeping on has been especially hard lately. Not exactly sure why.

Normally, I can tell my act right to act right. Lately, all act right wants to do is cry for her mom. I don’t wish to be a big girl. I wish…

Ah, God, I wish…

Mom, do I matter, to someone?

Ow, God, I wish…

Universe, do I matter, to someone?

Oh, God, I wish…

Life, do I matter, to someone?

asking for a friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I have one more shift to work then off for three days. I am in no hurry. Silence will greet me. Generally, I enjoy being alone. Today, alone has said she wishes we didn’t have to be alone, today…

Be encouraged. Don’t be afraid to allow your lonely to speak. Or your sad. Or your whatever you are feeling. Feelings are important. Feeling your feels, is important. Acknowledgment of your feelings is important. Just can’t allow your feels to run the show. Dumbness tends to go ride or die with our feels.🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️💯😂❤️

Real talk: If folk threaten to walk away, wish them well and let them.

Ah, beloveds. Life has been cutting up, today. ALL day.

I have been fighting, all day, with:

Missing mom.

Missing mom.

Missing mom.

Which, makes the day(s) especially tough to get through. I HATE days like today. Not the day, itself. Just the fight from having to keep on fighting. Just the stress from doing my best not to stress. Just the frustration from not allowing myself to remain frustrated due to happenings and happenstance.

I have been thinking about Justin. ALL day. Wondering if he is hanging in there. Hang in there, Justin!

I have been thinking about Britta and her lichen. I HAVE to get to her blog, tomorrow, and catch up.

I have been thinking about Silent Knight. ALL day. Wondering what he has been wondering about as not able to get to his blog in the past week. Ack!

I turned off my phone, beloveds, this past Saturday. Even, my writing phone. Yeppers. I told myself that I HAD to decompress. I have been running on empty, for weeks. For months.

I told my friends/fam I was going to go MIA. They said they understood. Ha! Soon as I made my declaration, my phone blew up with texts and calls that HAD to be taken.

Yet, for the first time, ever(!), I listened to my heart and told myself to turn off the phone. To rest. And, to not feel guilty/bad because I NEEDED a break. A friend texted and said they ‘had’ to talk to me. Right then. Immediately. I had nothing. So, I said nothing.

Today, I was confronted with my meanness in having chosen me. I was advised that this person could ‘leave just as well as they stayed’. Simply because I was not available in the instant required.

I replied:

“I wish you well. I shall keep you in prayer. You shall NOT hold our friendship hostage. You may have it”.

Care is a two way street, beloveds. STOP giving your care away to folks who place conditions upon your love and your heart. Wish them well and keep it moving. LET them go. You are:

Amazing.

Awesome.

Amazingly awesome.

There will be plenty who will love you. In the meantime, keep on loving this hard headed world. Folk need what you have. Be encouraged.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

caring anywho,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Your life is precious. You matter. Please KNOW this. You matter. Be encouraged. I love me some you.