This is a blog post long-in-coming. I kind of wonder if it's been in my heart all along, waiting for today to come. Today is finally here, my friends. And so are you.

If you are reading this, I celebrate that you, too, are HERE. Whatever happened in the past can stay there. We are here, we survived, and we have today to just "be." No marching band to keep in step with, no flags to signal the beginning or end of a race. I've already signed you up for this one!

Just a few requirements here: exhale your past, and breathe in today! I believe you deserve a day that is kind, gentle, and actually quite ordinary. That's the kind of day that feeds our souls the sustenance we yearn for. Feast on today, my friends! I've written this buffet just for you!

I hope it's okay to share a little bit about myself here. I do so with the hopes it will open up dialogue between us all. We actually have much to share and to look forward to. I always muse how when we share, we care. Sounds so trite- but rings true every single time! When we share, we evoke heart-opening responses from those who are empathetic. Understanding, and no judging goes on here. So, do let me share...

I always say that when I awaken, I'd rather not know what my day will bring. While my 5 children are grown and leading productive lives, my life remains just as crazy as ever! My days always involve caring for our chickens and ducks, often being on call for my job, but that is rarely the FULL extent of my day...EVER!

Last month I testified in a trial involving a patient I performed an exam on. For weeks I worried I'd fail to convey what I saw and documented in my report. I wondered if I would be so nervous that I would not articulate the heinous injuries I observed with this patient. The day of the trial, I exercised, trying to physically and emotionally gather myself. Soon I found myself lost... I LOST the nervous doubts and the "I am not worthy" dogma from my past. What I FOUND were the feelings of knowing I WAS there- both for the exam and in the courtroom- to stand up for what my training taught me. There I sat in a large courtroom, facing a jury. What the courtroom saw was me- a woman facing the questions hurled at me, who refused to be intimidated. I was the nurse with a passion for helping my victims to become survivors. I realized that I had ALREADY accomplished the most important thing I can do--- I ensured my patient was physically well, emotionally supported, and that I would do everything in my power to ensure we would work together in completing this case the best we possibly could, despite the horrific pain incurred in this assault. Now we flash forward one week. I grab my morning coffee and check my email. Suddenly my day became even better than I could have imagined or planned; Verdict= GUILTY. That translates to “this assailant cannot harm others and my patient can know the difference we made for those who could have been the next victim.”

On one single, fateful morning, a person was assaulted, a nurse was called into the ER to treat this patient, the assailant who decided to commit this crime is arrested, the patient and nurse testify separately in court, and the assailant is found guilty. Each of these events happened on a day that began for everyone involved, as a mystery as to how the minutes would unfold.

Well, that is obviously not my typical day. My average day finds me creating… something… anything! You might find me painting murals on floors and walls, writing my blog entries on my phone (so lame!) as I strut on my elliptical (so crazy!) or baking bread and cooking. (There is nothing like the smell of a stew or cinnamon baked apples in a crockpot in the kitchen!) More than anything, I derive the greatest joy from throwing all different ingredients into the crockpot, that becomes a simple dinner enjoyed by the fire on a cold winter evening. Warmed belies, warmed hearts. A winter wish I happily embrace!

So, what’s the point here? The point is that we all have so many externally imposed expectations that we forget to just “be.” You don’t have to set the world spinning any faster on any given day! It can, and should be, the little things that make you happiest. Most importantly, I want to share this: there is no specific way for this to happen; it can change, and change often. Listen to your soul. It will be your greatest protector, friend, and ally. It will know when it’s time for you to chill to become replenished. This is probably long-overdue, but unlike a library book, there is no penalty. There is only the promise of a happy YOU.

So, don’t wait a minute longer. Valentine’s Day is upon us! We don’t need Hallmark to help us with this endeavor. This is your call, your chance to celebrate yourself. We are the ones who need to love ourselves, or we fail to love others. Don’t deny yourself the fun and joy found in doing what your soul moves you to do. Make tons of popcorn and watch movies beneath a cozy blanket all weekend long! Stay up late, sleep in until you are no longer tired! Call an old friend, visit a neighbor, read a good book, find a new recipe to make, but embrace whatever it is you decide to do… or NOT do!

It’s all good. It’s TIME! It’s life… Your life! Take it and run! Or, maybe just take it, and serve it in a big bowl, by the fire, with your favorite music playing. Whether you dance with abandon, sing loudly and out-of-tune, take a long bath overflowing with bubbles, or just breathe and smile, go for it. You deserve happiness.

From my heart to yours, Happy Valentine’s Day! You are loved and cherished…