A Meme

I was just over visiting No Excuses and saw that she'd done a "Wednesday Wickedness" meme. Apparently, Wednesday Wickedness is a blog that focuses on meme questions; every Wednesday there are new quotes with questions after each quote. It looked interesting, so even though it is Sunday and not Wednesday, I think I'll play along. :)

This weeks quotes come from Oprah:

1. “I don't think you ever stop giving. I really don't. I think it's an on-going process. And it's not just about being able to write a check. It's being able to touch somebody's life.” What was the last thing that you did to help somebody’s life?

By now I think I've told you all about my mom getting her wheelchair taken away for a week because she ran into the refrigerator at her nursing home. I guess the last big thing I've done is to contact an Ombudsman to check out the legality of the nursing home's policy and hopefully get things changed there.

The last little thing I've done is get Michael some lunch. :) Both are important, don't you agree?

2. “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” How long have you ever held your breath?

I'm terrible at holding my breath, and I can't say I've ever timed myself. Give me a few seconds and I'll see....30 seconds. Okay, I stink. Oh well.

3. “As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to decide what is best for you - the first time around.” At what point do you think that you really decided who your were?

After my divorce in 1994 I realized that I'd put all of my value on being a wife and mother. I had to rebuild myself through the following year, and I've continued the process ever since.

There is nothing wrong with loving to be someone's wife or your children's mother, but it is my honest opinion that you have to be *you* first and foremost.

4. “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” At what time of the year do you think you celebrate your life the most?

Hmmmmmm. I don't think I do. Maybe I need to start!

5. “So go ahead. Fall down. The world looks different from the ground.” Are there times when you thought you had fallen down and learned something about yourself?

Absolutely. A divorce. A baby's death. Nearly dying, myself (twice actually). Learning that Michael had hydrocephalus, an oral aversion, cerebral palsy, being delayed physically and mentally. Failing at a business and having to pay the accrued debt anyway. I've had lots and lots of learning opportunities.

I've learned that I'm strong. I'm a survivor. That every milestone your child progresses to is a miracle and that nothing should ever be taken for granted.

6. “Devote today to something so daring even you can’t believe you’re doing it.” What was the last thing you did where you thought that you could not believe in what that you were doing it? (the question seemed wrong, so I changed it)

Every day I get up and continue parenting even when the night before I was ready to quit. Being a diligent parent is a very courageous thing to be.

7. “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” Do you think that you must struggle to become strong?

Absolutely. You can't expect to gain physical muscle without working out and neither can you become strong at anything without working on it.

8. “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” Do you feel that life’s experiences always prepare you for what there is to come?

I do. I think that life is very much a line-upon-line learning process.

9. “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” Can only a rich person feel this way? What do you think Oprah means by this?

I think that everyone has dreams for themselves, whether they be some big goal or lots of little ones. By having a dream, or a goal, we are working our way through life rather than letting the winds of many storms determine our destination.

10. “I do not believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.” Do you believe in failure?

I have a hard time with failure. I am a perfectionist and absolutely hate the thought of failure. I have been known to avoid things that I feel that I might fail at. I need to change this, because in theory I truly believe that we can't learn to run if we are afraid to take the first step.

That was fun! I hope that some of you will stop by Wicked Wednesday and try one for yourself. :)