We have all had moments where we have expected something and then it still knocks us off our feet when it happens for real.  I will bet that this has happened to you.  I know it has happened to me and it makes me speechless.  Yes, it actually stops me talking and thinking kicks in as I try to process what is in front of me.  Do you know what I am talking about?  When something you said months ago is remembered because of the impact it left on others?  And the crazy thing is that if you had to pinpoint what you said that was so powerful, you couldn’t! You were just being you! As life deals us plenty of bad cards, it is nice to hear some nice things once in a while.  What have you done lately that has come back days and months later to show up in some unexpected place, in unfamiliar territory, mentioned by people who you did not even think were paying attention?  We all have moments where we leave little pieces of ourselves behind in places, only to be collected by someone else that begins to wonder about the stories that were written before.  Ever hoped for something to come true?  Ever been surprised by the unexpected — maybe it is a check in the mail, a card from an old friend, or a chance meeting opens doors never even thought of before?  Anticipation for an exciting event — a wedding or high school graduation can create feelings that cannot be adequately described, even with the fast amount of words available in the dictionary.  Watching loved ones in action, doing what they love to do, can stimulate an euphoric warmth about me that cannot erase the smile on my face.  Seeing someone who I have missed dearly will stir up love that had never diminished, but had been hidden for a while.  Too many times, we are afraid to show our true feelings because that makes us open to ridicule and rejection.  I know I have been one that suppressed my feelings of extreme happiness and downplay those moments where something great just happened.  And I also admit that I still keep the walls up most of the time.  But, what if we took a chance and acknowledged those moments — the ones that stop us cold, frozen in our footsteps and the others that catapult us into new heights — and  ourselves just let the emotions consume us instead of hiding them?  I know it is arduous and scary.  I feel that too.  I challenge you to take those feelings and run with them.  Embrace them while they have life and let them reward you in ways you never dreamed.  Say the words you are afraid to say.  Leave your mark on us all.  Feel what you feel.  You will get there, if you keep working hard and are patient.  Do what needs to be done. Everyone is watching, even if we think they aren’t.  After the moment has long been forgotten, the feeling will arise again.  We all wish for certain things to happen and some of us feel that we are not worthy of them, and then when dreams become reality…. “Oh, What a Feeling” by Irene Cara

Michelle A. Homme 2013 ©