Life Events

How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?

Life events transform and influence our lives on a daily basis. Each experience forms us!

Being widowed at age 23 was a major life event that influenced my life and my outlook on life. It taught me how quickly life can change and that life is for the living, live it!

Family abuse and estrangement was also a key factor and significant life event that changed me and formed me. In a way I lost my trust and my innocence in relating to others, primarily family members. I learned not to trust them and to live my life without them.

I learned about real and enduring love from my husband of 34 years. Our marriage and our union transformed me into believing in the goodness of him and in the healing properties of true love.

Aging and life experiences influence your perspective on life. The more life we experience the more wisdom and growth we acquire. Older is wiser. Time also allows for better perspective on life.

Sometimes when we are so close to a life event or so new to a life event, we don’t have the best perspective until we have some distance and some hindsight.

We live and we learn …

Bernadette on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer and Instagram at @bernadetteamoyer @bernadettesahm

#life #lessons #perspective #experience #life-events #growth #wisdom

The Grief I Carried

by Bernadette A. Sahm

The grief I carried was deep and not because of all the hurts I survived

But rather for the empty holes left inside of me, by you

The pain of real loss, loss in not having but

Knowing you should have had, the pain of no desire for understanding

The pain of your many convictions, the pain was real and yet through it all

These many years lives so deeply that its no longer relevant

Nor present on a daily basis that pain of believing

I had you, loved you, knew you and only came to realize

I never had you, nor could I love you enough to right all your many wrongs

And in the end, I found that I never knew you at all

My peace didn’t come from trying to hang on, it came from shedding

It was the letting go with grace and in God’s love

Where I survived and thrived in love and in happiness

Bernadette on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer and Instagram @bernadetteamoyer @bernadettesahm

#life #lessons #wisdom #love #grace #peace #faith #God

Always Fun

List five things you do for fun.

The five things we do for fun are:

1) being with my husband Brian, he is the most fun!

2) going out to eat or making food

3) hanging out with our precious pups Bailey & Buddy

4) going to the beach any season of the year (it’s where we live!)

5) spending time with our friends

And for a bonus going bowling and going to the movies!

Since retirement just a few years ago we are having so much fun being retired. And I should have included travel as in our many travels throughout the year.

Peace and blessings,

Bernadette

On Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer and Instagram @bernadetteamoyer @bernadettesahm

A Good Leader

What makes a good leader?

A good leader is inspiring and they help you to do and be your best!

I’ve been very fortunate to work for some of the best leaders, the ones who see your gifts and talents and help you succeed. They also see your weakness and help to shore you up in those areas.

There has only been one time when I worked for a bad leader, she wasn’t a bad person per se but just was not a happy person. She was not someone you would want to imitate and often was referred to as “de-moralizing.”

The best leaders make work fun and they bring out the best in those they lead. When you click with good leadership, the sky is the limit. They inspire you by setting a good example and by modeling the behavior they want to see.

One of the leaders I had, she had such a high opinion of you that you never wanted to let her down. Another leader encouraged risk taking as he believed “even if you fail, at least you were trying” encouragement and support go a long way in making for a good leader.

But again overall good leadership is inspiring leadership!

Bernadette on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer and Instagram @bernadetteamoyer @bernadettesahm

Loving Me Some Nashville Tennessee

Think back on your most memorable road trip.

Our most recent road trip was this past December when we drove from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to Nashville, Tennessee.

Being the month of December everything was lit for Christmas. We’ve made this trip many times with our children and times with our dogs. This time it was just my husband Brian and me. We met a friend who plays at a local bar on Broadway, his name is BooRay. We had a blast! The trip was FREE using my rewards points which added to the fun of it! It saved us over $1,700!!!

Nashville is such a cool town where live music can be found most any time of day! It’s about an 800 mile roadtrip and we did spend one night on the road.

We are “road trip” kinds of people!

Many years ago I drove my convertible from Baltimore, Maryland to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I drove straight through which was about 1,100 miles. I was proud that I could do that alone.

But all in all Nashville wins as most memorable! We are headed back again this June but with our two precious pups. It will be fun going back during Fan Fair week.

Happy Road Trips all!

Bernadette on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer

Instagram @bernadetteamoyer @bernadettesahm

#roadtrip #drive #nashville

For Play For Fun

What was the last thing you did for play or fun?

The last thing we did for play AND fun was a recent trip to Nashville, Tennessee. It was an 800 mile road trip without our precious pups Bailey and Buddy. It was just my husband Brian and me.

We enjoyed the ride listening to our favorite country music artists and also Christmas music as it was ‘Tis the Season!

Nashville holds so many memories for us as we began going there more than 20 years ago. We used to go between Thanksgiving and Christmas with our twin son and daughter. We have been to tapings of music television shows on CMT and live shows of our favorite country music artists.

Today we often go every June and again in December. We take in fun shows and hit our favorite bars and restaurants. We shop there too!

It’s just a city filled with music and fun, polite people with a lovely accent. We love Nashville Tennessee and all the play and fun it consistently affords us.

Merry Christmas and remember ‘Tis the season …

Bernadette on Facebook http://www.Facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer and Instagram @bernadetteamoyer @bernadettesahm

Country Girl

By Bernadette A. Sahm

Country girl

Born and raised

In Coal Country

Northeast Pennsylvania

Farm girl 32 acres

Utility barn

Farm animal barn

House built in 1812

Peach tress

Apple trees

Pear trees

Cherry trees

Home baked pies and more

Big sky

Fresh air

Land to roam

It was my childhood home

Country music

Dad’s influence

Johnny Cash, Wayland Jennings, Merle Haggard

Today its Gary Allan, Tim McGraw, Laney Wilson and Miranda Lambert

Hills and mountains

Feels like home

Favorite places to visit

Loving me some Nashville Tennessee

I am home

Slate rock

Blue Ridge Mountains

I remember it all so well

I’m a Country Girl at heart

It’s where I began and where I got my start …

Faith, Family and Freedom

Thank God I’m a Country Girl

#country #countrygirl #music #Pennsylvania #Tennessee #farm

Old Enough …

By Bernadette A. Sahm

Old enough to know better

Old enough to remember

Old enough to have matured

Old enough to have understood

Old enough for acceptance

Old enough for forgiveness

Old enough to take responsibility

Old enough to stop blaming others

Old enough to know

Old enough …

Old enough to let go of hatred

Old enough to let go of blame

Old enough to be honest

Old enough to stop playing the victim

Old enough to know better

Old enough …

At what age are you “old enough”

Bernadette on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer

Instagram @bernadetteamoyer @bernadettesahm

#life #lessons #aging #mature #oldenough

Having A Pet

What is good about having a pet?

We have two beautiful Bichons in Bailey and her brother Buddy. We just can’t imagine life without them. This is our 4th and 5th of this breed.

Bichon Frisé are the best dogs as they are smart, friendly, easy to house break and they don’t shed. They are also known to be hypo-allergenic.

They are great company, keep us active with their multiple walks in a day. We travel with them. These two love their toys and their winter fleece jacket’s. Bailey and Buddy make us smile with their fun unique personalities. Each dog is different. Buddy latches on to a particular toy that he insists are taking outside during his walks. Neighbors love seeing him as he brings a smile to their faces.

I grew up on a farm with large German Sheppard dogs and have always been a “dog” person.

Great companionship and unconditional love make dogs great for anyone considering a pet!

Bernadette on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer and Instagram @bernadetteamoyer @bernadettesahm #dogs #bichons #pets

I Couldn’t Have Said It Better

By Bernadette A. Sahm

After reading this, I couldn’t help but think I couldn’t have said it better. The author is unknown, and I think this is worth putting out there. Hope it resonates as much with you as It does with me!

“You are not a machine. You’re a soul who needs music, connection, sunsets, laughter, and small pockets of joy. PRIORITIZE THEM like your life depends on it — because it does. Life isn’t meant to be a cycle of stress and survival. Pause. Look up. Let the sunset remind you. You are here to live, not just to hustle. LIFE is not a to-do list. It’s a gift. Walk slower. Hug longer. Laugh louder. Love deeper. The clock may be ticking, but your presence is timeless. We’ve been conditioned to believe that constant productivity equals worth, but humans weren’t designed for endless output. We need MOMENTS OF WONDER, connection, and rest, not as rewards for hard work, but as essential ingredients for a meaningful life.”

— Author Unknown

Bernadette on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer Instagram @bernadetteamoyer @bernadettesahm

#life #lessons #foodforthought #living #happiness