Dear Reader:

For Christmas Doodle gave me a copy of Hoda Kotb’s book called: I Really Needed This Today. Doodle said some of the quotes and thoughts reminded her of Chapelofhopestories….and she hoped I would enjoy receiving words of encouragement and motivation too.

…and oh how I do!

I am always in search of the perfect phrase, or quote, or thought to address an issue I am going through. After I write about it in the daily post… it always brings me such happiness when another reader says this was exactly the same dilemma he/she was struggling with….

In the preface of the book Hoda mentioned that she had started sharing thoughts and ideas from other people or books years ago…on air and on her website…and like me, found it so comforting to know our struggles are not that unique….and everyone is searching for the answer to some conflict in their lives.

I randomly opened the book and it fell to a message written for January…it touched home with me…called “Be Here Now.” ( Ram Dass)

Hoda writes:

“In the twelve years since I’ve known my friend Jennifer Miller, she’s probably said these very words to me a few dozen times. It’s a phrase she learned from her mother, Bev, whom I never had the honor of meeting. “Be here now.”

Her mother’s words serve as a memory for Jen and a mantra for us all-a suggestion, reminder, a verbal tap on our shoulder. Whenever Jen says it to me it’s because she wants to honor our little sliver of now, whatever, and wherever this may be. 

“Wow-look around, Hoda. We get to be here now.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Isn’t it easy to forget this mantra…in a time of unrest and uncertainty? Instead we find ourselves wanting everything to be “normal” again…but the reality is…that is not going to happen.

We will return to some phases of life that we remember and yearn for…in our daily routines…but some things will definitely have changed for good…simply disappeared from our culture.

Andy Andrews understands this concept and has passed this piece of advice along to others….

“Every good thing that has happened in your life happened because something changed.”

Take a moment and ponder this thought.

Remember yesterday when I told you about the amazing and wonderful chain of events that happened to and for me… as a direct result of my cancer prognosis. Why? Because I changed…I finally understood what Hoda’s friend, Jen, was saying…and my life has never been the same.

It’s been better!

So until tomorrow….

Together, sharing life experiences and healing procedures, we can live in the moment…and stop ruminating about “bad yesterdays“…just bid them farewell and forge ahead.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh