Saturday, June 2, 2012

Dear Ann Landers: About Showing Up


This morning, I was looking for an Ann Landers article from years ago that I sent to a friend. I don’t have any idea why I wanted to find it. Crazy how thinks pop into your brain. Into my brain?

I wrote it out for her by hand and kept the newsprint for myself. Not known for my stellar organizational skills, I’m not surprised I can’t find it in the place that would make the most sense.

The subject matter was relationships. It was about “showing up”.

~Be present, Be reliable, Be there. Just show up. ~

Does anyone remember this one?

I’m home a lot lately. I have to be. I have to “show up.” And it’s okay.

Damn! I wish I could find it because I’d love to have it here so I can read it often. So I’m googling the hell out of this machine and searching. I will find it.

In the meantime, I found a few quotes of Ann’s that I always liked/loved. I used to read her column daily. I even wrote to her once about a relationship/family issue. Never got a response and, therefore, it was never printed. I still read even though I was disappointed.

“Many people think that holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. But there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go - and then to do it.”

“If you have love in your life it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you don't have it, no matter what else there is, it's not enough.”

“Keep in mind that the true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good.”

“Make somebody happy today, and mind your own business”
LOVE THIS

“Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head.”

“Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them.”

“It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.

“At every party there are two kinds of people - those who want to go home and those who don't. The trouble is, they are usually married to each other.” So what about the couples where neither wants to go home until the fun stops…that’s our problem!

“Inside every seventy-year-old is a thirty-five-year-old asking, 'What happened?”

Gorgeous day.

Ellie and I are going to go sit on the porch together. 

You know, maybe it was Dear Abby.

10 comments:

Arlee Bird said...

Some great bits of wise advice and knowledge. I've had that same thing happen where something pops into my head and I'll start searching high and low for it. Often these days it relates to a blog post I want to write.


Lee
Wrote By Rote

Gina said...

Hi Lee,
Welcome! Thank you for commenting because I love them and love answering them.

Happens to me all the time. I can usually place the thought, and yes, often it's for a post, it seems. Usually, if I'matient, it turns up.

Unknown said...

She wrote some hilarious columns. Inside every 53 year old is a 35 year old asking " what happened?"..I'm practicing....

Gina said...

Some WERE hysterical and a lot were meaningful. Over the years I had clipped so many (they're yellow now). Practice makes perfect!

Anonymous said...

I have to say, I always liked Ann Landers. I don't know that it's ever a good idea to take advice columns *too* seriously, but she always had her head screwed on straight.

Gina said...

I feel the same way. I usually read for her humor and the responses she would give to people especially for the ridiculous questions posed. She always seemed reasonable to me and had some really fair/rational things to say.

Jester Queen said...

We got Abby in our paper. I loved her, though not without reservations. I loved the twin sister thing Ann and Abby had going on. And that their real names were Esther Pauline and Pauline Esther.

Gina said...

The Chicago Trib was Ann. I thought she was a total whack job sometimes but she got it right more often than not, but it was her humor that drew me in. Didn't really care for Abby...don't know why. What phenomena they were. I was always fascinated that their parents named them such. Craziness!

TMWHickman said...

I used to read Abby and Ann as a kid. They were great. And I have ideas pop into my head all the time, but in my case it pops right back out again!

Gina said...

I've started to tap things out on my phone. Make notes of things/ideas I don't want to forget. Crazy...I don't write down a single thing on a calendar. I file it upstairs and remember. I just can't remember other stuff.