I have no clue how or why I ran across the phrase Vive ut Vivas, yet here it is. And it’s my new motto. With the cancer and mastectomy behind me, I look forward to the rest of my life.
Translated literally from Latin, it means live to live or live so that you may live. Essentially, it means to live life to the fullest, without fear. To me, the phrase reminds me to live with purpose and intention, to embrace life, and make the most of each day.
I’ve written about all of those things in this blog in many ways, shapes and forms in the past. But to have it so succinctly put into a clever little Latin phrase almost tempts me to get a tattoo so I’ll be reminded of it constantly. Almost tempts me. Never happening. Not because I’m fearful, but tattoos just aren’t my thing.
As I was mulling over ideas for today’s blog, cleaning off my desk was tops on my to-do list. As is so often the case, buried in that pile of junk on my desk was a calendar (pictured here) I’d rescued a few months ago. It’s whimsy made me smile, but I was also struck by how perfect it is for the health situation I am emerging from. Here’s the story.
Earlier this year, as were were cleaning out my mom’s dresser drawers preparing for her move, a calendar charmed me. That she had saved a 2018 calendar is unusual because mom is the complete and total opposite of a pack rat. When she’s done with something it is removed from her planet in whatever way is most appropriate. She is neat as a pin, and the things that mean a lot to her are held in her memory as precious instead of in her physical existence.
Colorful, fun and hinting at incredible wisdom, I realized it was from the year after my dad died on December 18, 2017. I imagine some good friend or family member gave it to mom to help her get through the year ahead without her husband of 66 years. “Crazy Brave & Wicked Strong…Sometimes it’s your only choice” (copyrighted by Suzy Toronto) seems like the perfect sentiment in that situation. She was finally done with it and told me to pitch it. Intrigued, I put it with the few other things of hers that I wanted to save for myself.
My mom had little formal education, but she is so very wise. She knew the transition to her new normal after dad’s passing would be an on-going process, taking much longer than one calendar year. For her to save the calendar signaled to me that it touched her profoundly, and that she knew she’d need these reminders in the future. I can imagine her moving through that very tough first year without him, looking daily at the colorful and uplifting calendar and advice, smiling a little, and gaining strength and comfort. Here’s a synopsis (written in the first person by Suzy Toronto) of the monthly messages.
January – As you find yourself searching for a strength you thought you’d never have…it’s there. Armed with a trembling courage, sometimes you have no choice. Crazy brave is your only option.
February – Even if we’re not exactly where we hoped we would be, we need to understand this: over-the-top amazing people don’t just happen, they evolve…one step at a time.
March – You can’t be both pitiful & powerful…the choice is always yours. Courage isn’t having the strength to go on…it’s going on when you don’t have any strength left.
April – Eat sunshine for breakfast and you’ll beam radiantly all day. Starting the day with a glowing attitude not only allows us to deal with life’s inevitable challenges—it also brings our positive mojo to any situation.
May – I want to be remembered not only as fun, clever, and wacky, but also as valiant, brilliant…and courageous. Like Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, I want to know that one life breathed easier because I lived.
June – Put on some lipstick and go rock the World! I remember my mother telling me to “put on some lipstick” before almost anything else—as if this would magically give me the strength and will power to tackle any obstacle in my path. Mama was right. Whatever empowers you (it may be something other than lipstick), make it part of your day.
July – How many preconceived ideas do we cling to these days, convinced they are somehow irreversibly chiseled in stone? What if instead we set our sights on the unknown, call in the possibilities of our wildest, wackiest dreams, and stop talking ourselves out of our infinite potential?
August – Some days you just have to act “as if”. Some people call it fake it till you make it. This is not the time to wimp out, this is the time to press forward with faith. This is the time to put on your game face, and act “as if” nothing is impossible. When you do, you will stand tall with conviction and pride.
September – Wacky is Your Superpower. Usually the first to be laughed at and cast aside, this is the one virtue that onlookers underestimate, but which is, in fact, their greatest strength—their wackiness. Let your inner wackiness sparkle and shine and illuminate the path for others.
October – Dare to be remarkable! Live your life with passion and purpose. Be the kind of wonderful, wacky energy you want to attract…even if you have to make your own sunshine. Make your life a story worth telling.
November – It costs nothing to dream. Every brilliant advancement in the history of forever started with a wild, off-the-wall, intensely creative spark…a crazy idea, a moment of enlightened clarity that screamed, “Hey, this just might work!” Use the magic of your mind to make your dreams come true.
December – If there’s anything half as much fun as living, I want to know what it is! The truth is that your life is happening right now. It’s a one-shot deal. And once you choose to embrace it every day, no matter what, nothing will ever be the same again.
Yes indeed. Someday, whoever cleans out my house is going to find this 2018 calendar in a place where, I hope, I was still looking at it every day I was living and taking its excellent advice.
Thank you, Suzy Toronto, for the reminder of how to vive ut vivas.
P.S. I’ve decided to be a part of the Wonderful Wacky Women Sisterhood. It’s a state of mind. Who wants to join me?
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