I’m sitting in front of my computer on a Friday afternoon and I can’t believe another week has flown by.  Even more shocking, it’s November.  That means Thanksgiving is almost here followed by Hanukah & Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  We’ll be toasting at midnight in hopes of a wonderfully successful, happy and healthy New Year—while at the same time wondering where 2010 went.

When I was a young girl, I remember hearing my parents and grandparents talk about how fast time went as they got older.  When you’re 15 years old, it seems like the world is moving in super-slow motion.  You’re not even old enough to drive and can barely wait for your next Birthday.  You want to be an adult but you’re not…you’re just a kid who painfully waits for each season to pass to move you closer to your goal of being a grown-up.  The next thing you know, you’re about to attend your 30th high school reunion.

Where does time go?  And, more importantly, how do we get the hands on the clock to slow down?

Most of my friends are at that “half-way” mark—somewhere between 45 and 55—and the funny thing is that we have no idea how we got here so fast.  We don’t feel any older mentally, but things on our bodies are starting to break down.  Whether it’s a hip replacement, bursitis, or a herniated disc, one of us has been diagnosed with something.  Last winter I had this dry patch of skin behind my left ear that made me crazy.  I thought it was just dry skin because I am getting older…but it didn’t go away even during a really hot summer.  It just got worse.   A strange rash showed up on my hips and knees and I looked like a snake because my eyelids started peeling off! I changed my shampoo, hair gel, face soap, moisturizer and laundry detergent but nothing seemed to help.

I finally went to a dermatologist who gently told me I had heartbreak of psoriasis!  She didn’t use the “heartbreak” word but how can you forget those commercials?  Supposedly, my grandmother passed it to my mom, and my mom passed it down to me.

I laughed out loud after I left the doctor’s office with my new diagnosis.  Not because it’s funny (psoriasis can be very dangerous and extremely aggravating), but because it’s just life.  Every year that passes, our bodies surprise us with just one more thing. It can depress you or you can roll with it.  I’m choosing the latter. That’s what my mom would do; I continue to learn important life lessons from her every day.  Here are some other “Mama-isms” I’d like to share:

  • Focus on all the good things in your life.  There will always be bad things that happen along the way; that’s just life.
  • Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself and your current situation.  Even if you’re going through a difficult time, laughter can be really good for you.  Just keep telling yourself that “this too shall pass” and get through it.
  • Live in the present.  Don’t spend time thinking about what you should have done differently in the past.  The more you focus on the present, the more you’ll slow down that ticking clock.

With 2011 around the corner, a new year brings renewed hope.  We share aspirations of good health and loving relationships.  We hope for a stronger economy that is capable of providing more jobs and greater financial stability.  And, we hope for peace in our neighborhoods, our country and around the world.

It is my hope that 2011 will be a tremendous year for all of you…and that time will slow down ever so slightly so you can enjoy every precious moment you may have otherwise missed.

Slow Down & Smile,

Molly