Lessons Learned

 

By HRH QUEEN AURA AZURA

QUEEN MOTHER--SCARLET la-TEA-das

Kathleen Evans-Mazur

 

It’s seems this year more people have said “Wow this year sure went by fast!” to me than ever before.

I think we’re all so busy that the time does go by faster. I know I’m never bored or without something to do. My dance card is always filled. I don’t see a rocking chair in my future and isn’t that nice!

I’m looking forward to next year. I look forward to every new day, every new year. They’re a blessing. I appreciate them more now than I did before.

I seem to be more frightened than ever before. The world condition being so unstable, so much sadness, too many deaths, too many problems all over.

I started my Red Hat chapter five years ago. I can barely remember not being a red hatter and find myself wearing the colors more and more on even a daily basis. It’s empowering and healing for me.

I remember the first time I donned the outfit and went to an event—I felt self conscious, as though everyone was looking at me funny. They probably were. It was all so new back then.

Now whether I’m alone or with a group people get happy when they see us. People honk their horn and holler out their window and say hi; men always tell me “I love your hat!”; when we’re at a hotel or convention center other groups come to speak to us, want to join in our events and put our hats on. Take photos with us. It makes people happy.

I’ve met some of the kindest and loveliest women I would never have met had I not been in the RHS.

There’s a genuine concern for one another between quite a few of us.

There are women I’ve met since starting my chapter that I just don’t know what I would do without them in my life; they are like sisters to me. I enjoy their company so much.

A year ago my employer moved into a newer building so I had the opportunity to redecorate a plain office. I brought some red hat items and decorated some picture frames in red hat fashion and I’m always amazed at how many people comment on how cheerful my office is and how much they enjoy coming to see me. Often skipping the interoffice system, they bring envelopes or correspondence to my office just so they can see if I’ve put something new up. I spend so much time there; it’s good to have something pleasant to look at.

We have an in-house newsletter at the office and this month is dedicated to our chapter and the Red Hat Society. Hopefully I’ll be able to get a reprint posted.

My chapter has already put together nearly a full year of interesting events, so the fun keeps on going.

I met someone new at work. He began working there a short time ago so we really didn’t know much about one another but I felt an immediate kinship with him. I just found out that he’s a professional artist who writes and performs his own music. He’s wonderful and I can’t wait for my red hat friends to meet him and hear his beautiful romantic songs. He has five cds and I’m already crazy for a number of his songs. His voice is beautiful; the lyrics meaningful and lovely, the melodies are haunting. His voice is a little Garth Brooks, a little Clay Walker with a little Keith Urban too. I love country music, especially country rock, so I fell in love with his music right away. His name is Tim.

More about him after the first of the year.

My chapter is working hard on the upcoming Cotillion and looking forward to it very much. The last two were so much fun; this one should be fun too. Lots of surprises in store!

I’d like to wish all of you Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa—whatever you celebrate, and a happy healthy New Year. May all your dreams come true.

I’ll leave you with these thoughts for now, until the next time—adieu.

LESSONS TO LEARN--

Life is a theatre.

Allow your own inner light to guide you.

There comes a time when you must stand alone.

You must feel confident enough within yourself to follow your own dreams.

You must be willing to make sacrifices.

You must be capable of changing and rearranging your priorities so that your final goal can be achieved.

Sometimes, familiarity and comfort need to be challenged.

There are times when you must take a few extra chances and create your own realities.

Be strong enough to at least try to make your life better.

Be confident enough that you won't settle for a compromise just to get by.

Appreciate yourself by allowing yourself the opportunities to grow, develop, and find your true sense of purpose in this life.

Don't stand in someone else's shadow when it's your sunlight that should lead the way.

Not everyone is healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives.

There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a DISTANCE.

It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go of, or at least
minimize your time with, draining, negative, incompatible,
not-going-anywhere relationships/friendships.

Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention.

Which ones lift and which ones lean?

Which ones encourage and which ones discourage?

Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill?

When you leave certain people do you feel better or feel worse?

Which ones always have drama or don't really understand, know or appreciate you?

The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you...the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the front row and who should be moved to the balcony of Your Life.

"If you cannot change the people around you, CHANGE the people you are around."

Remember that the people we hang with will have an impact on both our lives and our income. And so we must be careful to choose the people we hang out with, as well as the information with which we feed our minds.

We should not share our dreams with negative people, nor feed our dreams with negative thoughts.

It's your choice and your life..... It's up to you who and what you let in it......

What with Halloween and All Souls Day (or Dia de los Muertos) and with the faint sadness that often accompanies falling leaves and the decline of the light, you--like me--may be thinking a bit about those who have passed. Many of those memories are very precious, and some are awkward or sad and painful--or just plain odd.

Cling tightly to the things that mean the most in your memories and quickly abandon those that are vexations to your soul.

That’s what wearing a red hat has taught me, or maybe it’s just old age wisdom.

 

Do you have something to rant about? Please send them to me; I’d love to share them on the website.  redhattersmatter@hotmail.com