Free Falling

"Highway 280 Love" Photo By: Cassie McCay

What an amazing life we live.
4/27/11 allowed me to witness a true miracle that many search for a lifetime. Within the past 3 months I have been able to visually follow the transformation of lives through this miracle, unlike the majority of others that unfortunately have the limited capability of witnessing this type of thing through the communication grape vine. This experience has happened so quick, so true, so passionately. Because of this miracle I can now say that I have a brand new, sweeter taste for things and a brand new concentration on my relationships.
Do you ever feel yourself changing, almost free falling, so much that you want to sit back because things are happening so fast they take your breath away? I have experienced that many more times than one upon this adventure that I claim as my life throughout the past year. Following up from the previous post about my journey through the devastating natural tornado disaster of 4/27/11, I have began to train myself to look at things differently than before. As I have always been one to overanalyze and overexaggerate I can finally recognize this as a gift rather than a burden. I have taken this characteristic of mine and of course, analyzed my ability to analyze and have figured out one main thing- inner peace is the resolution.
Today I find myself at a new inner peace and half way through the summer with so many memories and life lessons accumulated. Reflecting upon this past year, I can honestly say that God must have known I was emotionally at my toughest of tough because it surely has been a roller coaster. When I say rollar coaster, I mean the happiest, combined with some of the saddest times that I can ever remember. Without a doubt, God finally allowed me to find my big girl pants to put on for the ride. The inner peace that I have accumulated has been directly connected to my adventure on 4/27/11. From this day, I have witnessed and listened to so many stories of involvement and dedication towards recovering our state of Alabama from its uprooting. While these stories are overflowing with compassion, by surrounding myself with them they continue to spill over on me like hot coffee and wake me up to “smell the roses” as they say. What a sweet, sweet smell.
I have found my roses and try to count them daily and pay close attention to their growth. Explanation:
I have paid close attention to those who influence me to be better and begin to truly focus on their lives and their personal connection to my own. I have realized that the people who grant me the largest influence are those who encourage me to be me, who truly have no preference or judgement towards the way I think or analyze or perform or walk or talk or even eat. I have noticed that relaxing and leaning on these influences allow me to be at peace with myself which in turn allows me to be at peace with the future beyond my control. I have began to understand that the more I encorporate this positivity and peaceful understanding into my life, the more relaxed I become towards my past, present, and future. My goals for the near and far future are to keep these relationships as close to my mind and heart as possible and to support and appreciate them as individuals to my greatest ability. I know my support will securely bond this new peace I have found and allow me to continue admiring the roses that grow around me.
Cheers to inner peace.

Cheerful, Encouraged, Focused,
Cassie Olien McCay