Never Give Up

My mom and dad split up when I was twelve. We moved to away and since things were strained between the two of them, we lost contact. It seems this kind of thing happens quite often. The kids often get trapped in the middle without a choice.

I started actively looking for my father fifteen years ago. Many would assume that it would be easy to locate someone with the technology that is available however, if the person is not on the proverbial grid this assumption is incorrect.  For years I searched, sometimes using free people search engines online, and at times even paying for searches only to receieve outdated or incorrect information.

I even drove all the way to Holland, MI pursuing a lead from a paid search service. Although I didn't locate my father, I did find his long lost brother and his family. I am persistant, I never gave up. I continued my search using Facebook, Google searches, and www.pipl.com.

The day I completed a Google search and it yielded one result was the breakthrough I needed.  My father had taken a class at a community college and obtained his CDL.  The college had taken pictures of the graduates and posted the pictures on their website.  For the first time since I was twelve years old, I was looking at my father!  I now had the city and state that he might be living in.

I got in contact via Facebook with his nephew and I was referred to his new wife's Facebook account. Since then I have made a trip to visit him and it was wonderful.  We also went and saw Mount Rushmore for the first time in my life.  It was fantastic! We keep in contact via phone and I plan to see him on a regular basis.  So even when your goal seems impossible...Never Give Up!

Dad took his final ride in this world and passed into the next. He was at peace with life and led a very happy one with people that loved him. He made a difference to more people than he probably even knew.

He faced cancer head on for 2 years before he left. He didn't look like I remembered him laying in the bed at the hospice unit. He looked beautiful. He radiated beauty. He became a diamond.

Happiness

I was asked by someone recently if I was happy.  My first thought was "am I?" This was my answer;
Happy is as happy does. Life is the pursuit of happiness. We wake up everyday, live our life, have the will to live, because we have the hope that someday we will attain happiness. The irony is that happiness is not at the mountaintop it's in the climb. I'm happy because I chose to be. Because I appreciate small things and I'm happy because I have the pain to contrast the good from the bad.  My question to whomever reads this, are you happy? And if you aren't then why? Send me comment.

Things I'm learning. Might be simple for some but I unfortunately learn the hard way.

 1.People are complicated and rarely what you think they are.
2. You can't run from your feelings or your problems, they always catch up and t bone you.
3. Don't ever become bitter or heartless. Your only hurting yourself and missing out on potential happiness. You have to take the good with the bad.
4. Fight for the people and things worth fighting for and don't waster your energy and time on those not worth it.
5.Be loyal to those you love and care for and don't do things you can't take back.
6.Evaluate the motivation behind your actions before you take them.
7.Recognize that you are not perfect and that others are not perfect either. We are all doing the best we can.
8. Don't take people for granted.
9. Friends are important.
10. Don't rely on others to give you your self worth.
11. Don't be afraid to be alone.
12. Don't ever use anyone or allow yourself to be used.
13. Don't blame others for your mistakes, even if they participate in them.
14. Take accountability for your own actions and accept any consequences.
15. Only you can change your life. If your not happy make different choices.
16. Be honest with yourself and others.
17. Learn from your experiences and mistakes, otherwise you'll just repeat them.
18. No matter how bad things look. Never give up. Tomorrow is always a new day.

19. Don't jump to conclusions. Things are rarely what they seem.

20. Never give up on your dreams.

21. Always challenge yourself to do better.

22. Sometimes feeling pain makes you feel alive.

23. You have to go through things to come out stronger and wiser on the other side.

24. Every experience good or bad makes you ...who you are. Learn as much as you can from it all.

25. No one is perfect don't put people on a pedestal are only setting them up to fail.

26. If someone lets you down learn to forgive. You've probably done the same to someone else.

27. Don't be quick to judge.

28. Accept people for who they are but encourage them to be better.

29. True friendship requires honesty. Sometimes you have to tell people things they don't want to hear.

30. Love and laugh often.

31. Crying can be cleansing.