Take The Road Less Traveled

"Why do you keep on staring?  That mirror, mirror, it ain't fair at all.  Dress sizes can't define, don't let the world decide what's beautiful."  Lauren Alaina

Well smack my head as they say, why is it that society has such an impact on beauty.  Why is it that a size 2 is how most of the world thinks a young woman should look?  Well hell's bells some of the most beautiful people I know are a size 2 plus 10 which makes a size 12.  Who cares what size the label inside a dress says?  I certainly don't because we all know the dryer shrinks our clothes anyway.  LOL   My opinion (and since this is my blog) it's what counts here at sweet southern sass, a dress size does NOT determine a person's beauty.  For me a person's beauty comes from within, from their heart, their personality and most importantly how they treat others.  So go ahead, tear out that label inside your dress, "trust your rebel heart, ride it into battle.  Wear out your boots and kick up the gravel."

"You won't make yourself a name if you follow the rules.  History gets made when you're acting a fool."  Well Lord have mercy we all know I'm not a rule follower.  Don't get me wrong I ain't breaking no laws that will send me to jail, 'cause orange ain't my color.  But what I mean is if I can break in line and not get slapped up side the head, I will probably try it.  If my cold passes at the race says I can't go in a certain area, I'm going to at least try it and if I get caught, apologize with my sweetest southern charm and politely leave with a smile.  I mean we all know southern women are good at getting what they want.  As Jill Conner Browne says..."Well behaved women never made history."  So go ahead, march to the rhythm of a different drum.  Put your hands up, show me that you're one of a kind.  Put your hands up, let me hear your voice."

My lesson today is simple.  If you don't know where you're going, it doesn't matter what road you take.  "But be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it.  Go ahead, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path.  Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching, march to the beat of your own drummer and stubbornly refuse to fit in."  Mandy Hale, The Single Woman:  Life, Love and a Dash of Sass.

Clairee from Steel Magnolias describes us rule breakers that beat to our own drum the very best...We're just too colorful for words.  So get a move on, get a little dirt on your boots and take the road less traveled.  Oh and pick a few flowers along the way.

Love to all...
  Sweet Southern Sass

A Simple Man

"Mama told me when I was young.  Come sit beside me, my only son.  And listen closely to what I have to say."  Lynyrd Skynyrd

OK ya'll, how many of you have always listened to what you "mama has to say."  Certainly not me.  I was always my mama's rebellious child.  If she told me to be home by 12:00 I was going to be 12:05 come hell or high water.  Looking back I don't think it was intentional.  I just think it was my nature to not pay attention to the time until I was already late.  Well mama, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

"Troubles will come and they will pass."  Oh my how true is this.  I've had my share of troubles, some because of my choices and some because that's just the way life goes.  We all know some pain in life are unavoidable and some are just bound to happen.  Maybe God gave me those troubles to see how I would handle them, but I like to think it was to make me stronger.  We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control our attitude toward what happens to us.  So the next time life gives you lemons, make orange juice and leave the world wondering how you did it.

"And don't forget son, there is someone up above."  This truly is what my mama would say to me.  I was raised to believe in God above and certainly have been blessed beyond measure because of the man above.  I believe there is someone up above, someone up above that has for sure kept me save in his arms.  You ask how I know that.  I know because I've been a little crazy in my lifetime and know that because of the man above, I'm still here to tell about it.  That is of course if I thought it necessary to tell.  Right now I think I'll just keep it between me and the man up above.  More importantly I know first hand the power from the man up above.  The power that healed a love one, the power that saved a lost friend and the power of a miracle when my niece was born less than two pound and now she's six years old.  That my friends can only be explained because of the man up above.

"Forget your lust for the rich man's gold.  All that you need is in your soul."   We don't need a rich man's gold.  The simple things in life can be FREE and right in front of us.  It might be a walk in the woods, a smile across the room, or in my case a wink across the room.  It might be riding down the road with the windows rolled down, listening to the radio thinking the person singing should learn the words to their song.   It might be me that doesn't know the words but oh well I'm living life in the fast lane, my hair blowing in the wind, loving the simple things.  Sometimes we look in the wrong places for happiness, love and satisfaction.  Sometimes we fail, but we must know in our soul that everything we ever need is out there.  We just have to grab life by the horns and go for it.

My lesson today?  Who knows, right?  Since I'm not sure again the lesson, do what I would do...roll the windows down, take a ride down the dirt road, let your hair blow in the wind and be a simple kind of man. (woman)  Be something you love and understand.  Be a simple kind of man. (woman)

"Stay low, stay quiet, keep it simple, don't expect to much, and enjoy what you have." - Dean Koontz

Lynyrd Skynyrd couldn't be here today, so my nephew is helping me out. LOL

Love to all...
Sweet Southern Sass 

I Hope You Dance

"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder.  May you never take one single breath for granted.  GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed.  I hope you feel small when you stand beside the ocean.  Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens.  Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance.  And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance...I hope you dance."  LeeAnn Womack

So this song was played at my son's wedding for the mother/son dance.  Lord have mercy, help my soul I cried like a baby the entire song.  I thought surely I could make it on that day, I mean after I all I had listen to a million songs to find the perfect one.  The problem you ask?  Well I couldn't ever listen to the whole song because I would start crying.  Yes, yes I know.  I knew it was going to happen so I just let the flood gates open and let the tears fall.  Well he is my only child and yes he was an adult but letting go was harder than I thought.   Dancing this song I could see him standing so small beside the ocean.  So small it made me think I shouldn't have taken a single breath for granted, because I blinked and he was grown.  "Don't blink, you just might miss your babies growing like mine did." Kenny Chesney

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance.  Now this one might be the hardest one to relate too but not really if I stop a minute.  When times are hard, you experience a tragedy or lose a love one , these are the times to give faith a fighting chance.  I've had tough times, tragedy in my life, lost loved ones and love has left me empty handed.  Yes, of course I ask why, but when I took the time to grab hold of the situation, there is only one answer and that's my faith.  Faith in the higher power, way bigger than me, who will give me the peace and understanding of why things happen.  Faith to understand things might not be exactly what I want, but I'm sure God knows what he's doing and he has a bigger plan for me and whatever his plans are it will be on his time, not mine.

My lesson today?  If you get the choice to sit it out or dance.  I want you to dance.  Dance like no one is watching, dance it out like Dr. McDreamy and Meredith.  Make you house full of dance, laughter and most importantly love.  so now..."Shut up! Dance it out!  Dancing makes you brave."  Cristina Yang

  Love to all!!
  Sweet Southern Sass


 

Me and Jesus

 "Me and Jesus, got our own thing goin', me and Jesus, got it all worked out.  Me and Jesus, got our own thing going', We don't need anybody to tell us what it's all about."  Sundance Head

Being that today is Sunday, this song seems fitting.  Some people think it's not necessary to go to church to be a Christian.  This may be true for some and that's OK with me, but for ME I need church.  I need the blessings from the songs sung, the sermon but more importantly the prayers.  I love my church and the loving feeling I get as soon as I am greeted at the door.

I guess it's not necessary to be in church every Sunday but let me just tell you right now, growing up my mama took us EVERY Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night.  I just knew when church time came we would be there.  We might argue about it, but ya'll know mama knows best and yes ma'am, we went to church.

What my mama finds funny is growing up I sat on the last bench in the church.  Now TODAY I sit on the fourth row almost front and center.  Of course ya'll that know me, probably know sitting on that last row was so I could sit with all my friends, pass notes and probably talk.  I  thought sitting way back there mama being up front playing the piano wouldn't see what was going on.  Well guess what, she did. I do believe she had eyes in the back of her head because on the way home, she would let us know she saw us passing those notes.  LOL. 

I'm not here to judge what "you and Jesus" have going on, but I'm here to tell you me and Jesus got our own thing going on and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I can't imagine not knowing him as my personal Savior and I'm not afraid to blog about it.  I'm sorry if you're offended but hopefully you will see the light before it's too late and get your own thing going with Jesus.

Lesson for today?  It doesn't matter if you're on the last row of the church or the fourth row of the church or you're  at home listening to the preacher on TV.  What matters is your own relationship with Jesus.  Not mine, not your neighbor or anyone else.  Just you, yourself and Jesus.

  Love to all and God Bless!
  Sweet Southern Sass