Unlikely life lessons.

Sometimes, sage advice on the more important things in life can come from the most unlikely of sources.


I think I've been very honest about my abilities to function as wonderful mother (not good) and my complete inability to keep my mouth shut (even worse) at the best of times. But as I travel through life, falling from one debacle into another, every now and then I hear or see something that makes me feel like I'm doing an reasonable job.


I am now, and forever will be, a woman driven by emotion.  It's something I wish I could change. Alas, at the age I am now at, I suspect I will never master the art of cool, calm composure.  I explode very quickly, with happiness, anger or disappointment.  Usually I end up thinking "Damn.  Maybe I should have counted to 100 before speaking".


This past week, or rather, the past month, has been rather eventful.  Things happen in life that shake you to your core and make you re-evaluate everything you once held dear.  I'm starting to realise that as much as we like to tell ourselves that things will get better and that one day life will be easy, it usually never ever is smooth sailing.  Life is just...  well random.


Some weeks ago I watched a movie.  A very silly, simple movie.  The kind that starts with a situation that unites old friends who have gone in different directions.  You know the kind. There's like a million of them all with the same plot line, the same cheesy lines and the same happy ending.  The thing about movies is, you never ever get to see what happens when this group of people return their normal lives.


But one scene really captured my attention.  This piece of advice is delivered by one of the older characters, Gloria, someone with a whole lot of life experience who can elucidate life's journey to the rest of the gang.


She says;


I see a lot of love here, and with love comes hostility...


Life can be difficult some times.  It gets bumpy, what with family and kids and things not going exactly like you planned. But that's what makes it interesting.


In life, the first act; always exciting. The second act; that's where the depth comes in.


For some strange reason, this dialogue really made an impact.  It's like, finally, something that actually makes sense.


Because sometimes, even love can be hard and a right royal pain in the arse.  It never ceases to amaze me that while you can love someone so totally and completely, there are times when you want to slap the shit out of them or just give them a swift kick to the shins because they piss you off so much.  I guess even love has it's darker side.


And the first act analogy.  Fucking brilliant!  Because I mean really.  Isn't that exactly how love evolves? The passion, the intensity, the burning desire... I mean wow.  It's just the most incredible feeling.  Unfortunately it's unsustainable.  Eventually, the flame dies but the embers remain.  And as any good bushman knows, it's the burning embers that sustain the heat, that last the longest and that can help reignite a fire if need be.


I know very well the bumps that can throw you off course.  Kids, family... they have a way of creating chaos like nothing else in the world can.  But life is never boring. Same with micor managing your life with too many plans.  Most times, they never work out quite how you planned.  


I think its fair to say that most of us aren't living the lives that we once dreamed about.  But I personally, wouldn't have it any other way.


Much love to you all.