With everything that has gone on this past month in Moncton, New Brunswick, I thought that it might be nice to write something positive. 

For those readers who are unaware of what happened in Moncton, New Brunswick this past month I will catch up up to speed.  Later in the evening, around 7:30pm, a man with an arsenal of guns terrorized the city of Moncton, and in this process, he shot and killed three RCMP officers, and injured two more.  The RCMP did eventually apprehend the man and he is currently in custody.  

Human behaviour has always fascinated me and sometimes human behaviour breaks my heart, but in more instances than not it makes me happy and proud.  

Although, I have never ever been in the situation that the citizens of Moncton were in, the resilience and respect that everyone had shown towards each other and the RCMP, is amazing.  Please take pause and think about how difficult it was for the other RCMP officers to continue to look for the man that shot and killed their friend, colleague and brother.

On the steps of the RCMP precinct in Moncton, shortly after the suspect was caught, flowers, candles and letters of respect were placed as tears flowed down the faces of the grateful citizens of Moncton.  Memories of the fallen were discussed on the news, praises of thanks and appreciation flowed from the tips of the mouths of everyone affected.   It goes back to the saying 'you don't know what you got until it is gone.'   Statements through the tears validates this statement, more so, it shows that we take a lot of things for granted.  Statements like; 'They (the officers that were shot and killed) were just doing their job'; 'These men got up to go to work today and will never go home to their families'; 'They died to protect us.'  These statements are all true.  

There are a lot of things I could say about the reality of how much we take for granted everyday, but I am not going to pick at that scab today.  It is not about ridicule, it is a day to be thankful.  It is a day to remember.  It is a day to love.  Show love, be love and give love.

I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the families of those three police officers.  By family, I mean everyone whose lives have been touched by the love that these men gave.  It is now a time to reflect on the wonderful contributions that these men made to the lives of everyone that they touched.  It is time to show love and support to the wives and children of these men, their time for healing will be long, and extremely difficult.  If they are shown love, they will keep out of the dark.  They will see that their Dad/Spouses are heroes to all of the citizens of Moncton and our beautiful country.  

Please remember to never forget.  Do not forget the lives that are put at risk every hour of everyday, to keep our freedom.  

Happiness lies within you, and your ability to see beyond yourself.  

As always,

Happy Does It  ;o)

I don't know where I heard this or if I just made it up in my head, but when people are faced with adversity, that is the time the you will see their true colours, their true face, their true being.   People who know me know that my grandfather died in August.  For me, it was a horrible time.  Like Grampa said, "Jaime is losing her Buddy;" no truer words could ever be spoken.  My Buddy.  That is a true qualifier as to the relationship that Grampa and I had.  We would laugh and joke around all the time.  He is the man that I turned to with any questions I had, and Grampa would always have answers for me.  A brilliant man, an honourable man, a man who every person should have an opportunity to be around, and now he is gone. The man that I loved and respected so dearly has gone into the great beyond.  I envision Grampa fixing things to make them better or to work more efficiently.

When you have a loved one who passes, their passing will become a catalyst for extremely bad behaviour.  People who you thought were decent people now become greedy; people who you thought were meek and spineless defend their loved one with honour.  The true characters of the story start meandering in to focus.  Secrets and lies are revealed, and the truth becomes extremely distorted.  I don't like this part of the story, only because I love with my whole heart and I live without lying.  Being truthful is not an easy task, but it helps me live a life that keeps me honest and increases my happiness level tenfold.

I never want for anything, really.  I may whine and moan about things, but to be perfectly honest, I have everything that I need in my life right now.  Knowing how to love with my whole heart has made a difference. After all,  you get out of life what you put into it. 

After my grandfather died, people behaved badly.  Their behaviour, in my eyes, was disrespectful of my grandfather.  Most of the time it felt like they were almost gleeful of his passing; after all, now they could take the reins and be their true selves for the world to see.  They hid like thieves in the night behind walls that they thought protected them from the karma. However, karma will eventually come and find them.  It is a child-like behaviour, something that you should learn is not very becoming in an adult.  The only way to live is to live with truth, and the only person who can do that for you, is you.

The truth is, for me now and always, that love is the greatest gift of all.  If your love is a love that is built on lies and mistrust, then your love is not love at all.  You need to be open with your loved ones; then and only then will they respect you and love you, and you can be sure that it is love that you are receiving and not something else cloaked in a web of darkness.  

Grampa was a great man, who had many flaws.  I loved him for all that he was, the good, the bad and the unknown.  I will always have great memories of him, and great memories of the times that he and I shared together.   Cape Breton will never have the same feeling for me ever again; the magic for me is gone, but my memories will always remain. 

Happiness is knowing that you are your true self.  It is being able to recognize that there is evil in the world, but you will not allow that evil to change who you are meant to be. Happiness is love.  Happiness is joy.  Happiness is truth.  Being happy is something that needs to be at the forefront of your mind.  Happiness is mindfulness.  Look around, see everything for what it is really worth.  Happiness is being able to accept.   Happiness is being able to be angry and know exactly why you are angry, and being able to articulate the feeling and emotions that are causing your anger.   Happiness is loving yourself.  Happiness is sharing.  So share some love today: give your spouse a hug or a kiss, play with your kids, call your parents or grandparents or even your good friends.  Live for today, be happy today.

As Always,

Happy Does It!  ;o)