Music Monday #17: Weekend in Review

A lot happened this past weekend that made me realize a few facts about my life, and I couldn't choose one single event to blog about, so I chose to blog about them all. Fortunately, there was one song that encompassed the overall feeling I got from this weekend: Martina McBride's "Blessed"

Favorite line: "I have been blessed with so much more than I deserve - 

to be here with the one who love me"

So, here's the basic rundown:

Pomp & Circumstance Never Gets Old
I attended my brother's high school graduation, and it made me remember that I absolutely love commencement speeches. The messages might be generally the same: "go forth and be great youngsters!" But, honestly, we really can't hear words of encouragement enough. These speeches boost not only the graduates, but those in the audience. So, that made me feel inspired and prepared to trudge forward -- even though my time to shine and graduate has long past!

"Where you are, there you are - be here now"
So, I'm not going to get too deep into this, but over the weekend, my phone was no longer in my possession. I don't have to type anything further to intimate how incredibly annoying that was/is, but I will add the detail that it happened at a point in the night when I was trying to meet up with friends at a place I'd never been for our five-year high school reunion (yes, my school does that, you have my permission to be slightly confused but mostly jealous - you know it!). So, not the most convenient time. (As if there is ever a convenient time for your phone to be gone.)

So, that's the background, and here's what I realized:

Disclaimer: I'm not going to sit here and act like I wasn't itching to text or wondering who might be trying to reach me all that night and the rest of the weekend (and now...), but essentially it does remind me that a phone is just a thing. Now, I'm not advocating we should all give up our phones. I personally love having GPS when I'm lost, thanks very much. But, of course, everything in life should be consumed in moderation. 

In those first couple of hours without a phone, I realized the importance of being mindful, and "being here now". While we were out, I kept reminding myself - don't even worry about the phone, "just be here now." "Enjoy the company of those around you." I'm risking embarrassment posting this little mental dialogue, but I'm just being honest. And, it worked. I felt very much "in the moment." Shout out to those wonderful classmates of mine for making the night fun!

I get by with a little help from my ... Sprint workers
I am a huge fan of relying on the kindness of strangers. I like kindness in general, always. But, it's especially wonderful when it comes from an unexpected source - like the person trying to help you replace your phone at Sprint. There's customer service, but then there's exceptional customer service that translates to pure human kindness. I like when I interact with it.

I know I have blessed life. When the little unpleasant surprises in life happen, I think about how I'm still so vibrantly alive. I'm living the best life I can with what I got. And, what I got is a lot. I'm constantly surrounded by those who love me. My best laid plans almost never work out, and yet, if I really think about it - the blessings still flow.

So, you guys, hopefully this post inspires, comforts, or at the very least entertains. Happy Monday!