The Single Woman’s Dash of Sass: Live & Love Without Regret

Quotes of the Day:

“Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about those who don’t. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.” ~Harvey MacKay

“Every moment we have to live our life is a blessing. Every hug from a family member. Every laugh we share with friends. Even the times of solitude are all blessings. Every second of every day is a gift.” ~Jessica Ghawi, Colorado shooting victim

The Single Woman Says:

Today, in the aftermath of the tragic Colorado shootings, I am reminded of just how fragile, and fleeting, life can be. How one minute, you can be sitting in your seat in a crowded movie theater, excitedly waiting for the film to start…and the next, hear shots ring out and see someone’s life in the seat right next to you end. It’s almost more than I can wrap my mind around. And though there aren’t enough words in the English language to properly convey my sense of sadness and loss on behalf of the victims, their families, and the town of Aurora…I hope that this incident, and victim Jessica Ghawi’s words above, will serve as a reminder to all of us to live life to the fullest, make each day count, and to appreciate every moment of every day that we are lucky enough to grace this earth. It seems that there is so much animosity in the world today…so much hatred, and anger, and unrest. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day drama of living. But when all is said and done, when everything else goes away, when we’re standing at the end of our lives, however long or short they may be…the only thing that REALLY matters is love. The people we love, the ones who love us, the love and kindness and compassion we show others, and the goodness we sew back into the world. As cliché as this old song can sometimes sound, when it comes right down to it, never has it been more true:

“What the world needs now,
Is love, sweet love,
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”

Today I urge you to LOVE. Love bigger, love better, love harder. Forgive old grievances and drop old resentments. Replace bitter with sweet. Show kindness to everyone you meet. Tell the person you’ve been too terrified to be honest with how you feel about them. You have absolutely NOTHING to lose, except fear. Give your family extra hugs…yes, even the ones that drive you crazy…because in the end, they’re the only ones who matter. Do the thing you’ve been putting off. Don’t let something you meant to do become something you never did. Tell someone who changed your life thank you. Life is for the living, not for the planning…so throw away your itinerary of what you think SHOULD happen and open yourself up the beauty of what COULD happen.

And as Jessica said in the quote above, a little over a month before she died, most of all, remember that “Every second of every day is a gift.”