Starting Over...

Dear Littler B,

Hello there from a Saturday morning in 2017. I hope when this letter finds you, you will be having an absolutely boring day in whatever year you are in. I say that with all good intention in my heart, and the reason is that life becomes a roller coaster more often than you will want. That brings me to my subject of today. Starting over.

Credit: MemeCenter

Too many times throughout our life, we will have to start over. Be it in our jobs, love life, friendships, homes, pretty much every aspect of life. While that is a subject that many people fear, it can be good if you handle it right. Unfortunately, having been you once upon a time and the many versions of you to come; I can say we won't always handle it the best but we will get through it.

Right now is a perfect example. I have sat trying to type this letter to you 3 times (don't laugh) and irony upon irony, the computer has crashed each time forcing me to start over. (ok, laugh if you must) What will you do when you are me? Keep persevering and accomplish the task. Many people will choose to just give up. Walk away. That is what makes us different. We don't.

If there is something I can say I've always been a champion of (even before I was you) is that if we want something, no matter how many times we have to restart and reinvent ourselves, we go for it. Living in a state of fear will only serve to stagnate the soul and stunt your growth in becoming the you that you were meant to be. I know you are a firm believer in the fact that every human is born with a unique gift. People who are afraid of evolving sometimes never realize that gift and the possibility of who they may be.

Don't get me wrong dear one. There are sometimes when it just seems too much, like the present me trying to start over after losing the man who will become your heart and your husband. In one month (I don't say this to scare, only prepare) you will lose husband, job, home, and car. There are times like that I admit that you won't have the desire to move on. You will say and do stupid things. In the end, however, you will realize that you have no choice but to start over.

I will tell you what I tell all those facing the same situation. Don't be afraid of beginning again, you can become what ever you want to be, be whom ever you wish to be, go where you want to go. Be afraid of doing nothing. If you do nothing, absolutely nothing happens.

In starting over, it doesn't mean leaving all behind. Some people just never understand that. You can carry over to the new you anything you wish. I can tell you darling, when you become me there are many things that by my age will be firmly set in stone. Things that, not that I can't change but choose not to change. Things that are part of what will make you me and will show who truly wants to be part of our life. If they can't accept these pieces of me, they really don't belong as part of our lives. Don't try to change me, love me for who I am. Accept me for who I am and who I want to be or there is no hope.

Here are some examples:

1. At the end of a long workday, I don't like to play the “What do you want for dinner” game.
   
   
2. I love to sing karaoke (yes you will eventually return to the stage, though not the one you wish.)
   
   
3. A home should be a good mix of tastes or it is not welcoming to all. A home is never going to be a home if you don't feel you belong.
   
   
4. A meal without meat doesn't really count as a meal, it's more of a snack.
   
   
5. Once I'm woken up, there is no going back to sleep. This will lead to many nights of insomnia so if you want me to be in a good mood, don't wake me up. Adding to this, I sleep with the television on for just this reason. It comforts me hearing and not being in the dark. If I'm woken in the middle of the night and it's pitch dark, I won't go back to sleep and will be miserable.
   
   
6. No one should be all deciding on what is on television. I have shows I like to watch and respect that others have their shows. Don't assume and don't control. That is a sure path to disaster.
   
   
7. I consider myself somewhat intelligent. I can not tolerate or stomach condescending people.
   
   
8. Sometimes, whether you want to or not; you need to do what the other person wants and not bitch and moan. (even under your breath) Compromise is the spice of life.
   
   
9. If I am quiet, it's not usually a good sign.
   
   
10. I have no tolerance for inconsiderate people. People who are just so wrapped up in themselves that they do not take opinion, feelings, needs or desires into account and learn to blend.
    
    

It's ok to be you sweetheart, what is not ok is to allow yourself to be surrounded by people who don't accept you for you. It's not ok to warp everything you are or believe in just so you can fit in or not be alone. I promise you, if you stay true to you – the right ones will be there. Remember, I've been you; I know.

This is me,

Bigger Little B

Inspiration across the years

Anna Kendrick – When I'm Gone

John Lennon – Starting Over

The Beatles – Don't Let Me Down

Van Morrison – Into the Mystic

Ed Sheeran – Thinking Outloud

Johnny Nash – I Can See Clearly

Pretenders – Pack it Up

Beatles – Here Comes the Sun

Evanescence – Bring Me To Life

Camera Obscura – Lets Get Out of This Country

Sophie Tucker – Life Begins at Forty

Linkin Park – Breaking the Habit

Rachel Platten – Fight Song

Not Always Great to Tolerate...

Dear Littler B,

It has been a while since I've written to you. I know my last several letters to you have started out like that; however when the time passes and you become me you will understand exactly why. All I can ask of you is patience and indulgence until I can get back to our regular schedule.

It is a hot Sunday afternoon here in 2017, one that is supposed to be "Fall".  That word is a bit laughable being that you will eventually migrate to the southern state of Tennessee. Real Fall does not actually happen here. You will end up with about 2 weeks of cool weather until the "winter" sets in. (also quite laughable based on the season you are used to).


In the meantime, today I am here to talk to you today about tolerance. There are many forms of tolerance. I've added the exact definition as per Dictionary.com below for any who may see this letter outside of us. This subject came to my mind today because of an occurrence with a local man who today has gone into a church and open fired on the congregation. It makes me think of all the time that has elapsed in the journey of you becoming me. The changes you will see and go through my dear little one, are enough to make a weaker person run scared and hide under the security of their blankets and weep. I don't tell you this to scare you, but to ensure you that you are so much stronger than you realize or will ever give yourself credit for.

Credit: Odyssey

People talk about tolerance in the aspect of religion or race. When you become me you will have heard many times about the need to practice more tolerance, especially as three of your 4 children will be Jewish. Today's shooting smacks very much of a recent church shooting centered around race. I know how you feel when it comes to all this stuff because over the years separating us the sentiment has never changed. Never have I understood the theory of hate. Never have I felt the feeling of discrimination for others. Though the decades that separate us seem like a very long time to you, life is truly too short to ever embody those types of sentiments. Peace can never be found in a society that turns against itself. I'm sorry to say that this has not changed since my days as you.

Credit: EliteTrack

Don't get me wrong dear one. Having tolerance does not mean you have to deal with everything and everyone. (See definition 4 below) The act or capacity of enduring. Throughout the many years it will take you to develop into the wise woman (haha) that is me, you will force yourself to tolerate or endure many things. Yearly, weekly and daily.


There will be much that you accept and put up with that others will simply not. There will be good and bad to this. Be sure my love that you step back and look at the big picture when you are going through things that seem unendurable yet you persevere. If there is no benefit to you or those you love, why are you doing it?  Are you doing it because you fear change? Fear the unknown on the other side? I can promise you now that while it will not be easy, you and all humans tend to tolerate a lot more than they need to.


Do not doubt yourself my young self. I encourage you to not accept that which does not serve. I encourage you to let go of hurtful, harmful or narrow-minded relationships. Do the unexpected and release negativity in order to open enough room to embrace positivity. That which does not nurture the big picture can tend to become very toxic.  As Morpheus (don't worry, you'll learn who that is later) puts it... FREE YOUR MIND.



What people get so wrong is that they believe that they have to take a negative approach with regards to tolerance. When something is more than they can endure in their own mind, they pull out a can of paint or pull down a statue or worse yet pull out a gun. Not enough people understand that that never solves any issue, only inflames it. Take a positive approach or walk away. Mom is right when she says to you "you get more bees with honey".


I am proud of you for being as level-headed and balanced as you are. Your open-mindedness is a virtue. You can usually diffuse any situation and can usually communicate with all. I am glad that is a gift you were given that has remained through the years. It has without a doubt served us well.


I know I have gone on and on here dear littler me so I will end my letter here with just one thought. There is a very old Cherokee story that unbelievably you will not encounter for many many years. I am proud that for the majority of your life you have lived the wisdom of this story without ever even having heard it. Maybe not as much as I would have liked, but tomorrow is a new day and today is not yet done.

Credit: JesseJeanine

Hopefully yours,

Bigger Little B

tolerance

[tol-er-uh ns] 

 

• Synonyms
• Examples
• Word Origin

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com

noun

1.

a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry.

2.

a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions, beliefs, and practices that differ from one's own.

3.

interest in and concern for ideas, opinions, practices, etc., foreign to one's own; a liberal, undogmatic viewpoint.

4.

the act or capacity of enduring; endurance:

My tolerance of noise is limited.

5.

Medicine/Medical, Immunology.

1. the power of enduring or resisting the action of a drug, poison,etc.:
   a tolerance to antibiotics.
2. the lack of or low levels of immune response to transplanted tissue or other foreign substance that is normally immunogenic.

6.

Machinery.

1. the permissible range of variation in a dimension of an object.
   Compare allowance (def 8).
2. the permissible variation of an object or objects in some characteristic such as hardness, weight, or quantity.

7.

Also called allowance. Coining. a permissible deviation in the fineness and weight of coin, owing to the difficulty of securing exact conformity to the standard prescribed by law.

Summer is gone...

Dear Husband,

Today is September 21, and the first day of fall. The weather is cooling down and the Sun is setting early in the day. How fast this summer has flown. I cannot count the amount of time that I turned to tell you something, or rest home from work to share good news. I've gotten a new job, I've gotten a raise, I busted through my goals for the day, I'm going to Comic Con, the baby is standing on her own.

And then I realize...

You are not there.

Yesterday was three months. Just saying it sounds absurd. Three months ago you were taken away from me. Three months ago you died. It almost feels like a huge practical joke someone is playing on me. With Halloween right around the corner, your favorite holiday, the time is just going too fast.

Little girl is growing up so fast. You would be so proud as she's hitting her milestones. I hope you can see her where you are, though you'll never get to hold her again or hold me.

Somewhere miles from where I stand, a young woman is holding her small child and being told she is loved by her husband. While I'm grateful she's okay, I will never forgive the choice she made that day that took you away from me. You know Facebook is one of my weaknesses, but it is not worth the loss to use it while driving. No one is Bulletproof. No one gets away with it all the time. That day, you lost for a crime that was not your own. That day she got away with causing a chain of events that would take you away from all who knew and loved you.

They always say it won't happen to me. I can handle my phone and driving... and then it does happen. You never saw a penny for your pain, or the many bills that I now have left. I know it wasn't about the money but that would have made the last two years easier while you lingered and suffered.

It's a sunny day today, I choose to focus on that instead of the moment  I held your hand as you slipped into your Forever sleep. Or the fact that the car is still a paper weight and everything we owned is in storage well I still do not have a home.

There is so much that breaks me down and it is hard some days to focus on the positives. Fall is setting in and the trees are starting to turn beautiful colors. I see you in them. This was your favorite time of year. The horror movies are coming out, decorations are everywhere, what costumes shall we have this year my love?

Trying not to feel hollow,

Your wife.