Our time is up

" Learn to appreciate what you have before time makes you appreciate what you had."

Today I had one of those moments finding myself whishing I had appreciated every moment of the five and a half years here in the beautiful Dominican Republic. I find myself wishing we had stepped away from the computer or turned off the TV a little more just to explore a little more this island. We never got to see the "cuevas de las maravillas" or gone to see the famous 20 something watterfalls or went out to meet the famous butterfly woman that a book and movie have been made but those moments have now passed and the opportunities are no longer there.

Unfortunatly that is the danger of not planning things to do- by the time you realized this the opportunity has usually passed. So my goal now is to make sure I don't do the same when I go to the Filippines. I hope to travel more with Daniel since he will not have to fly too much in this new assignment and perhaps I could tag along.

I also regret not knowing anyone in this buiding. I barely invites our neighbor to dinner just to say good bye and that is sad. I never got involved with the expat group here either and that is something I want to do as soon as I get there. We loved our time here but like so many good things, they need to come to an end.

This are three suggestions I saw posted that I want to apply in our new home in the Philippines.

1. Be present. I spend too much time lamenting about the past and worrying about the future. We need to learn to live in the right now.

2. Be grateful. Love what you have. I will remember that things could always be so much more worse than they are. I will give thanks and celebrate each day for what I do have.

3. Be kind. I will do something for someone else whenever I get a chance. By doing service for someone else it helps see beyond me and it immediately creares a feeling of gratitudes for all we have.

Recognizing and remembering all the good in your life is the best way to feel genuinely happy. Gratiture is a powerful tool to help make your life into everything you dream it to be. No matter what happens in this new home I choose to be present, be grateful and be kind.

Love,

Vero