VernetteOutLoud

Kissing Frogs

A Prince you say?

I got up this morning, had my usual breakfast smoothie and then headed to the shower. As I was finishing up, there in the corner of my bath was *scream* a frog!

HEART ATTACK!!!

I think we noticed each other’s existence at the same time. I almost broke my neck trying to get away from him and in his bid to get away, the frog jumped towards me for what, the Lord alone knows.

I know I didn’t get all the soap rinsed away but that was ok because no way was I going back in there. How that frog got into the bathroom is still a mystery to me. He must have been hiding under the shower curtain and when he heard the water got curious about what was happening. *bletch*

Disney's Princess and the Frog

To kiss or not to kiss?

If Mr. Frog was my Prince Charming…ah well…he will learn never to surprise a woman in the shower like that again if he wants a happily ever after. Fortunately, I do not believe in that crap fairy tales. Hmmm okay…so that is not entirely true. I believe that other people get the fairytale ending…just not me.

Other people like my brother and sister. My sister got hers last year and now my brother is getting married too. My baby brother is getting married tomorrow! I am ecstatic and happy that he has found a love that satisfies his soul and I’m a little sad too. Mum is not here to experience this, we are truly saying goodbye to childish things and entering a new phase of adulthood – the baby is getting married and well….I am still single.

Being around all this wedding stuff again, has me doing some self-appraisal. That little frog episode could not have happened at a more appropriate time…if there is ever an appropriate time for a frog to squat in your shower WHILE you are showering that is.

What happens when you’re the frog?

Egads! Vernette, is that you?

My self-appraisal brought enough clarity for me to deduce that, while I may think I’ve been kissing royally challenged frogs (see what I did there?) the croaker is actually me. After all…who is the common denominator in all these equations?

ME!

And guess what ladies and gentlemen? I’m learning that there is nothing wrong with being a frog. We need love too. And in the interim…kisses. Lots and lots of kisses.

Damn! Kissing can cause tied tongues.

So…if you happen to kiss a frog or three and you don’t get the “fairy tale” ending, does it make the love less real? If it does not end with a ring, does it mean that it was not a strong, earth-shattering, changed-forever kinda love?

I don’t believe in fairy tales…but I do believe that if the love is real, you are changed forever. Not into a prince or princess…but a better you, warts and all.

Ribbit! Ribbet!

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This post was originally published on October 26th, 2012.
Vernette is still kissing frogs on an island in the sun…
somewhere in the Caribbean.

Wordless Wednesday

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Quote of the Day

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7 for SEVEN

7 for (1)

Hellooo Loves! I have been reading up on gratitude and in his book ‘Thanks!‘, Dr. Robert A. Emmons describes research he carried out with three experimental groups over a 10-week period: The participants were split into three groups. Every week thy kept a journal where they described, in a single sentence, five things they were either grateful for (the gratitude condition) or displeased about (the hassles condition). The neutral group simply described five events that happened (the events condition).

“At the end of the ten weeks, we examined differences between the three groups on all of the well-being outcomes that we measured at the outset of the study. Participants in the gratitude condition felt better about their lives as a whole and were more optimistic about the future than participants in either of the other control conditions. To put it into numbers, according to the scale we used to calculate well-being, they were a full 25 percent happier than other participants.” – Robert A. Emmons from Thanks!

So clearly I’m on the right track. I’m certainly happier on a Monday now than I used to be a before my 7 for Seven practice. Thus, it is with great joy I share with you my 7 for Seven this week:

Celebrating the present. Right now, this moment is all I’m really sure about. So cheers to another day…even though I spent most of it completing the first of my exams. It’s still been a good day.

Quotes that inspire me. “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart

Saying Thank you. I am so grateful for this life. That I get another chance to do something positive. Life is so short and fragile. Love now.

Successfully making it through the weekend and not doing laundry. HA! I blame exams for this.

Chocolate Chai Because I drink tea sometimes!

My four-year-old neighbour and his hugs… They truly make my day.

Which brings me to the imagination of four-year-olds. Today he told me a story about a bird that flew right at him…only the bird didn’t have any wings, the bird had feet and it walked right up to him and pecked him on the nose. The only thing is that in his version, the bird had “foots” and it “bite me on my nose”.

And there you have it folks, I hope that by paying attention to the little things, the every day details that make up all the blessings in my life and by sowing the seeds of faith and gratitude, I can truly carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate you! This is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire.

Make those seconds count!

I love hearing from you…what are you grateful today? What made you smile? Feel free to share below!

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Wordless Wednesday

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