One Life

 

My Mom was a smart lady. She had some great sayings and a tremendous amount of wisdom. That doesn’t mean she always lived it – she was the master of  ‘do as I say, not as I do’.

 

Regardless, plenty of her sayings had a profound effect on me. These sayings shaped who I am and how I perceive the world around me. That’s one small part of her enduring legacy. In fact, the women of my family all influenced me positively – I had great role models.

 

My beautiful Grandmother – Ruby – taught her daughters, who taught their daughters, who are teaching their daughters (and some sons…the first boys in 3 generations) about living – and living right.

 

One of Mom’s sayings was “you can be bitter, or you can be better – the choice is yours”. She undoubtedly heard this from someone else as it’s not an uncommon saying….either that or she read it on the back of a coffee tin.

 

Bitter or Better.  She had me apply that to situation after situation. A friend let you down? Bitter or Better? Bitter would be to wall off part of your heart and decide to trust less – Better would be to stop and consider why that friend let you down; realize that people are fallible and will often let you down with no ill intent; try to avoid letting others down but accept that sometimes you will and not be too hard on yourself when that happens. Bitter is to judge, Better is to learn.

 

Bitter or Better?

 

Time after time I’ve looked at the choice and rejected Bitter. Sometimes that choice has been easy and I’ve come to it quickly. Other times that choice has been hard and I’ve had to re-make it everyday for weeks until it wasn’t a choice anymore. Thoughts become feelings and feelings become actions. Actions define us – to ourselves and others. So which do you choose? Bitter or Better?

 

If I knew yesterday 

What I know today

Where would I be tomorrow?

 

I won’t let my soul slide away

I’ll do whatever it takes

Coz this time’s only borrowed

 

I got One life, One life, One life

And I’m gonna live it

I got One life, One life, One life

And I’m gonna live it – Right

 

Joy is tarnished by bitterness. Love is corrupted by bitterness. Life is shortened by bitterness. Why accept it when it’s so corrosive?

 

I got One life, One life, One life

And I’m gonna live it

I got One life, One life, One life

And I’m gonna live it – Right

 

I don’t know exactly what’s fair and what’s unfair. I don’t know if I’m right or mistaken – but I know my intentions. I know why I do the things I do. I want to choose Better. I want to take my One life and live it the best way I can. I want to let my heart be full.

 

They say the more you think you know what’s right

The less you do what you feel inside

 

So I won’t pretend that I always know

I’ll just follow my heart wherever it goes

 

And I may not always get it right

But at least I’m living coz…I’ve only got this

One life, One life, One life

I’ve got this One life…

 

I don’t know many of the answers, or even the questions….but I do know this

 

Bitter or Better?

 

definitely Better.

 

If I knew yesterday 

What I know today

Where would I be tomorrow?

 

I won’t let my soul slide away

I’d do whatever it takes

Coz this time’s only borrowed

 

I got One life, One life, One life

And I’m gonna live it

I got One life, One life, One life

And I’m gonna live it – Right

 

 

Thank you Mom