Looking Back Over The Years

As you know I have a love-hate relationship with Remember when on Facebook. 

There are some memories that I am so glad to see and some are like yeah, I'm not going there especially with them people, memories I'd rather not see.

But this week I notice how every year going back to 12 years ago, my life has changed drastically. It reminded me of my mom's favorite saying "This too shall pass" because honestly, it always does.

As I looked back I saw that 12 years ago, my life was devastated when my mom passed away and I hit rock bottom.

But her passing made me realize that life was too short and that I needed to leave my abusive marriage.

8 years ago this week, I had already gotten divorced and 4 months later, I had gotten my own place. My life seemed to be going amazingly. I was happy, I had started a business and I was taking care of myself and my girls.

Then I met Mr. Con Artist, a high school friend. He confessed his love for me and then lied and cheated on me with not one, not two but three women and later on I found out that he also still had a wife. (Great story, btw… if you want more juicy details read my book The blessing in Disguise for the full scoop) 

Again my life was spinning out of control.

8 years ago because of all if that, I went a year without dating. I took the time to write my book and heal. At this point I had bought my home and I was filled with peace and joy. It was at this time that I decided to try to get back together with my one true love, my high school sweetheart. I was in a euphoric place at this point of my life and the only thing that was missing was someone to share it with.

When I realized that he would never leave our small home town and I could never go back there

I again was heartbroken. 

But the show must go on as they say and guess what?

It does, life does go on. 

We will have ups and downs, and we will have happiness and sadness. We will hit rock bottom and we will crawl our way out of there. This is life, did I know that I would have to go through so much pain? No, none of us do but this is what life is about and we just have to roll with it. 

I never thought I would find true love after dating 3 narcissistic, self centered, passive aggressive men, a type that I seemed to go for after my divorce. But then I met the Prince and he showed me what unconditional love looked like. That love knows no age, no color, no boundaries, that love is truly a soul connection.

But as life is, sometimes the storybook love doesn't work out and after 3 amazing years we decided to part. We were going in different directions, he wanted kids, mine were grown. So again I was heartbroken, but I knew he was put into my life for a reason. To teach me a lesson of self worth, that not all men are like my ex's, things I desperately needed to learn. After that I decided to focus on my girls and myself during that year and a half. I also stopped dating again as I needed to heal once again. 

As I look back on these remember when’s, I see how many people I loved and lost. How many times my heart was broken. How many friends that really weren't friends or even family. I see hard times, struggles and pain but I also see great times, true friends, the gift of life that I'm blessed to have.

So today my friends remember that life will take you on a rollercoaster ride. One minute you're up, the next you are speeding downhill screaming in fear. You're laughing then you're crying. You will experience horrible pain and then pure joy…This is the wonderful thing we call life and we just have to hold on until we go screeching into our graves screaming "What a frigging ride!"

So thanks Facebook for the memories.