Everything happens for a reason ...

Each day brings new adventure .. new ideas... new opportunities ... new ways to change our lives ..

We MUST remain POSITIVE .. although its quite difficult at times and through certain circumstances .. there is truly a POSITIVE no matter how NEGATIVE .. things seem to be at that moment ...  I did and it was bought to my attention ... just recently .. not even a week ago.  I was having a really "down" day .. even after always preaching positivity to everyone I meet .. somehow ..its much more difficult when its YOUR LIFE.  Just a couple of days ago a stranger walked in my store .. and as always I started to find out about them .. their visit ... their background.. where they are from ... and what they do for a living etc.  I quickly found out I was in a conversation with a known motivational speaker .. with a positive group ... connected with The Secret .. and its wonderful members .. I found out about The Secret several years ago ... It is a book and a movie .. and very interesting .. focusing on the POSITIVE .. focusing on abundance ..and that there is enough for everyone .. as there is enough for everyone .. We spoke and I quickly realized like myself .. he has a personal relationship with God and he prayed with me .. He gifted me a renewal that day... he changed and renewed my mood, attitude and mental direction.  It was really something I needed at that moment ... and that day ... I am truly focusing on the positive... through this new adventure ... God does works in mysterious ways ..We all have a special purpose in this life.. God makes NO MISTAKES .... ☺️

Everything happens for a reason

WS"Everything happens for a reason ... You hear this statement a lot ... But it is so very true ... 

Shortly after getting married pretty close to 30 years ago now ... My relationship with my mother started to deteriorate ... I didn't realize it at the time but looking back on it now ... It did start way back then .. She was very jealous, bitter and resentful .. But I kept denying it in my my mind ... brushing each incident under the rug ... making excuses ... and just trying to enjoy my new life ... It's pretty sad to admit this and it's worse to know it was my own mother .. 

Just a day or two ago ... an older woman came in my store with very basic clothing on carrying a paper bag ... and I knew by looking at her she didn't have much ... We started talking about the store and the items we carry and the she proceeded to show me her own art ... People like this come in our store all the time as we carry and support at least 40 local artists and craftsman and lots of beautiful local creations.  We buy all kinds of local creations from jewelry, paintings, body products and food items .. So our conversation went on and I really loved my new friend Marilyn's jewlery, trinkets etc.. Especially a gorgeous, very natural looking puka shell necklace and interesting round beautiful wooden box that she told me she paid a quarter for at the thrift shop and that she thought it was a really great find and loved it very much.  Shen then started to tell me a story about how she wanted to give her Granddaughter a gift but had no money.   She then created a beautiful gift for her Granddaughter using a special pendant and gave it to her with great joy and pride ... Only to find this gift in the trash a few months later ... At this point I was pretty much in tears ... knowing that she created this gift with her own two hands cause she wasn't able to buy a gift.  She also told me how she uses safety pins to drill through her shells so that she can string them ... I have created a lot of jewlery with shells and natural items and started with a hand drill and trust me it's very tedious and hard work doing this type of work without the aide of an electric tool.  Marilyn's work is very beautiful and truly creative and shows her deep talent, but more importantly her genuine love.  

Something my own mother slowly deprived me of.   I told Marilyn that I would speak to the owner to see if she would buy some of her creations so that she could make some money, especially the beautiful pukka shell necklace ... I told her I knew that she could get at least $100 for the puka necklace alone ... and if I had the extra I would surely pay her ... She was surprised and I could tell that she would ever expect to get that kind of money for her work ... She then started to pack her stuff up and put her things in her bag and little containers ... I saw her empty the round wooden box thinking she was reorganizing and put the puka shell necklace inside ... She then turned to me and handed me the box with her beautiful smile ... and told me " I want you to have this.. " I was stunned and then really started to cry telling her that she couldn't just give me this ... She said "I can do whatever I want!! and I want you to have this!!! I didn't know what to say but gave her a huge hug!! I told her then I would make her something special of my own creation !!! Oh no you don't have to do that ... I told her back " I can do whatever I want!!" Lol .... 

I gave her another hug ... and she went on her way to collect more shells ... natural Hawaiian treasures found on our beaches ... and using her beautiful God given talents .... ❤️ Marilyn's visit made my day that day ... and I am creating her something special to carry all her creations, supplies and personal belongings in ... and we are going to meet again in the next week or two ... We did share phone numbers !!! She did have a cute little flip phone and we verified our numbers by calling each other right then and there ... She also showed me some pictures of some other family in her phone ... This day I made a dear friend in just a few minutes that I felt more caring and genuine love from ... than I did from my own mother in the last almost 30 years ... not because she gave me something but because she was real and genuine .. Each day we need to remember and cherish as another special day God has given us to help one another and make each other's day !! ❤️❤️

Aloha & A Hui Hou ....

Things don't ALWAYS look the way they seem??

I have always lived in transient places.... Places where people..move to... and it takes about two years to find out if they will actually make it living there... for lack of jobs, friends or just plain homesick to move back where they came from.  For this reason their roots don't really take here and when you think you've possibly made a friend or two... in this day and age, with the lousy economy, large companies closing, the small businesses starving,hours and wages being cut, and people resorting to desperate measures just to make ends meet.... people and situations don't ALWAYS look they way they seem.  Unfortunately, these unpredictable situations are what change people and the maybe once kind and caring person... will do just about anything to a possible friend just to get ahead or avoid an expense even if it affects that other persons livelyhood.  So instead of helping one another... it seems as though we are just out there to, like Archie Bunker used to say.. "Take care of #1!!"  

It truly is very sad... and totally against how I was raised, anyway... So I'm finding through my experiences these days... that I need to have a tougher skin... rely on my instinct .. and ever faithful women's intuition.... to get me through my day whether its personal or business.  

I never thought I'd say it .. but "It sure wasn't like this in the "Olden days... "  

Thank God I still have my faith...

A Hui Hou...    we're NOT in Kansas anymore... :)   

"B F F!!!!"..

Good Friends, true blue friends...or BFF's are a very special cherished miracle of life. These Best Friends Forever (BFF) are special but a very rare species and very difficult to find. Like I always say... if you find at least one good friend through school, marriage and life... you are doing exceptionally well... good friends are the ones that stick with you through thick and thin.. help you through the rough spots, celebrate with you through the fun times and sob with you through the sad times.

I never made any lasting friendships through school... pretty much had friends at that time.. went through your typical ups and downs.. but no one really kept in touch. It always seems that, not to be proud of myself.. but I really tried to call, stay in contact, write letters... the old fashioned snail mail... but it really never seemed to stick... just lost touch. Or, maybe, THEY just never thought it was worth it. Each relationship and friend I have come to love and cherish fit together in our puzzle of life. I always tried to remember fun times and great memories... ones that I thought we could continue to share... well, alot of times this supposed lasting relationship just never materialized. I did think I had a really great friend once.. and the friendship did last for quite sometime... but it just never survived. Alot of petty things and stupid circumstances got in the way and deteriorated this friendship. Fortunately, at an older age .. I was able to make some really lasting friendships. Friends that I know now will last forever. These friends .. I made through having a wonderful daughter and met them while us Moms were going through the same things in life. Things like extreme weight gain and swollen ankles through pregnancy, Mommy and Me classes, potty training, chasing toddlers, birthday parties, homework and uniforms, dealing with school projects and out of the park teachers with crazy ideas... , family crisis, Halloween costumes... and now puberty... a very trying time, I must say myself and just plain old "what am I going to make for dinner, AGAIN... you name it.. and Moms stick together. This strong "Motherly" bond.. I think outlives any other type of "friendship bond". Its like two day old oatmeal stuck to your mug that you forgot in the car yesterday... cause you were already on the run trying to get the kids to school... work out, keep up with the housecleaning, laundry, dusting... and yes... how am I supposed to be able to get all of this done... still make a delicious economically sensible meal.. and be able to throw that black teddy on.. and still entertain the evening troops!!! Only a Mom knows ... and can really relate to another Mom on this ... soooo with this in mind.. this is why I truly believe that the Mom to Mom bond is a very unique and special bond.. In this stage of my life... with my daughter heading through the teen years.. and myself.. well lets just say she is getting on the bus and I'm definitely getting off the bus! These are very trying, tiring, stressful, fun, exciting and adventurous years.. and you definitely need good friends... its just too tough to go this alone. Don't get me wrong... our husbands are our best friends too.... another very special once in a lifetime bond... that can never be replaced. But, the Mom Bond... is a whole other ballgame entirely!!! I am truly in love with my husband... but I totally cherish my "Mom" friends. In my lifetime so far, I have only been able to make five really great Mom friends... five totally different personalities, Mom styles, backgrounds, interests and takes on life, but all five have great big hearts full of love and caring. One quality that I pride myself on as well.. I have been fortunate to have learned great things from all of them... and will always enjoy and learn every moment I spend time with each one of them and I hope they do as well with me.

Friends in life are very important.. vital part of our lives. We learn, we laugh, we love, we cry, we lean on them and they lean on us, and we have fun.. with our friends..especially these "Mom" friends... I thank God everyday.. for my friends and we all should as well as our spouses, children and family. Life is too short my friend... enjoy your life and enjoy your friends...my love to all and as always Aloha!!!