memories – mywarriorwritings.com

Year of Reflection… 🎄🤍🎅🏼

Well~~~ warriors, I decided to end this year’s posts of 2023 the same way I started~~~ with a selfie. The entire month of January was me without any ultimate or Warrior pics so as I break for holiday time, you get to see me again. 😉 I thought it only fitting to end wearing an elf hat as I made one for U. W. last week, ha ha! I seem to recall doing this years back with Santa hats too…… How can I sum up this year?

I will start with the ***DREAMS*** because that’s kinda what I’ve been doing and one was right in the beginning of this year. I mentioned a cousin of mine passing away suddenly back in January and within a few days, Warrior was in this beach house dream. I never fully shared all the details and won’t, but it was so comforting at the time. It wasn’t anything about my cousin at all but just beautiful timing with a peaceful setting. 🥹🌊 He did speak some words to me and I believe we went outside for a walk on the beach…. A few others I will *NOT * share concern his girls, but they were trusting and endearing enough for me. Yeah, those 2️⃣ words work well with the 2️⃣ dreams concerning them. All 3️⃣ of his Warrior Girls have December birthdays. I cannot believe his daughters are in their 20s now.

So, let’s reflect on ones I HAVE shared. There was Watching Warrior’s Stage, The Wandering Tent, Loosen Your Grip ( held in a park back in 1992,) a snake bio ( as part of another one,) and the House/ Tree/ Crystal one… A few others were snuck in, but those have all been told. Feel free to read on your own. I’m always filled with many emotions over each and every one while marveling at how dreamland, our subconscious, and the Universe works. All for divine purposes and orchestrated just for me. 💙🥱😴

Next up was a biggie that filled most of this year in photos. I finally had bought the “Always Believe” DVD. My review of that has been written along with the frustration of not seeing all the additional bonus stuff at the end. I won’t get into all that again. I’m so glad to have seen additional content after all these years that I was finally ready for. I love listening to Warrior share HIS views on his wrestling career, but Disc 1 I rarely watch as much as 2 and 3 , which are matches and promos with some HOF footage. I LOVE all the promos leading up to WMVII with “Macho King” Randy Savage. These are my favorites. I am a little biased, but I have a right to be. I can’t forget “Amanda Ultimate Warrior.” Oh my yes. Amanda was one of the names written down as possibilities in my daughter’s baby book. I always liked it. My girl does have a good friend name Mandy….. I also am not sad in the way I once was, including February when I finally had it in my hands. Sure, I have my moments but like I have said many times, it’s an ebb and flow. It’s that way with us all about anybody really. The “ Grown-ups” movie though? It surprised me if you recall that mention of a few posts ago.

The next topic that brought a post, but also more with WWE was the *** HUGE*** sale and merger involving Endeavor. I still was shocked to see the end of an era with the McMahons as my title indicated. It brought up so much for me and like I said, why do I care? It’s just emotional attachment but fans of yesteryear have that and we always will. More talent and employees have been let go but some talent has been brought back. It’s always interesting for sure and lately, WWE has been on top of the game. I hope it still thrives as fans remain entertained on the edge of their seats.

This is my 350th post. It’s mind blowing and yet to some, no big deal. It’s a tremendous deal to me along with reaching seven 7️⃣ years this past October. Thank you doesn’t seem “wordy” enough to all you loyal and faithful TRUE readers, but I thank Warrior too. He is my tagteam partner in all this along with the Universe too vast to understand. I understand more than I did over 350 posts ago, MUCH MORE. I’ll have to come up with a cool tag team name for us, why didn’t I think of this sooner? I am NOT wearing red and yellow, though, that’s for sure! Seriously though, I enjoy you all who actually take time and read, which is more on my list in 2024. You’ll hear later about a 📕 in January but for now, let’s remember some other goodies.

There was a friend who read “cards” for me and then picked up on a commonality we share spiritually. She could sense Warrior’s humor without me sharing anything.. 🤭 Awww… 🫶🏻 What a great moment for me and I’m so glad I saw her even though she had no idea I’d be there at that event. I got a little aww as well from another post as never did I think to write about “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and compare a little of his life to Warrior’s . That was such a compelling and interesting bio and I’m so glad I watched. Who would’ve thought I would write my own story, but I did on them both so it stuck out to me as a different post for sure. I found myself looking through old posts as titles intrigued me. “The Space to Be.” Oh my goodness…. Plus, “We are Never Done.” Boy, those were doozies. Here’s another: “No, I am not CRAZY!” That explored my basement workout antics when I’ve received an emotion or wanting to relate to Warrior’s many signs through music especially. And, another topic that’s a constant is my white brick wall in the basement with those messages or questions I “write.” I look to it every time. (Hint, pic below…) You still might think I’m crazy but I got you here reading so it’s all up to you to believe or not. I haven’t the need to defend anymore. All of my meditations and convos I say to Warrior daily (or pretty much) have been blogged too so content is out there if you care to remember or explore.

I could list so many others, but think I’ll stop at those. Who knows what else will come my way with year 8️⃣ now a few months in. Several milestones of Warrior’s life AND my own will all be upcoming as once again, numbers are so reflective. I also do my own family year in review as I reflect on everything of these past 12 months. Do you find yourself doing that too as perhaps New Year’s approaches? I physically look at my calendar with events listed as family connectedness abounds. We take it all~~~ good, bad, and everything in between. I hope you hang with me and feel something in your heart with these writings. Even if you giggle, you feel it. If you don’t believe, that’s OK too as I have validation and this I will always trust in along with my intuition. The mind can learn, but the heart knows. Remember that. 💕

Enjoy the rest of this December warriors and have fun with however you celebrate. Get some R&R and do something for YOU. I’ll end with a quote about this time of year: “ Always remember, taking care of yourself doesn’t mean me first. It means me too.” *** Be reflective while staying present. Your presence is more important than any 🎁 given or received. Until 2024, keep reading. ~~~ Kathy.

P.S.Tomorrow on “80’s wrestling the podcast” they will be talking about shocking moments in wrestling history. Oh boy, that’s a huge topic. You fans of Ultimate Warrior—- think here—- 🤦🏻‍♀️what do you think I would call in about? Yup, I plan to so listen if you can at 10 AM, EST! 😬🫣

#ultimatewarrior #WWE #intuition # dreams

#2023 #holidays #memories # blogging

#yearinreview #alwaysbelieveDVD

The Christmas Parties 🎄🎅🏼

Ho -ho-ho everybody! It’s December warriors so get your Holiday gear on and prepare to celebrate all the festivities! The Ultimate Warrior Elf down below seems intimidating (I know…) but only presents are given if you’re good, right? You might get that lump of coal in your stocking if you cross Warrior Elf… 😬 Creating that outfit was so time-consuming to me, I’m sure Warrior himself was laughing. 🤣 I had made a few. No, it’s not perfect but who truly is? It was super spontaneous so maybe I need more of that. We need the silly! 🤪

I had to get that elf outfit similar to one I wore years ago. More on that soon. This post is a 3 count as it continues on of my attic stuff AND gifts received of last week. This idea kept coming in my head but had to fit Warrior in which was quite the ULTIMATE challenge for me. The elf outfit isn’t the only connector….. Some of you may recall the mention of my Dad working at NASA for 50 years. One of the many highlights was the annual Christmas parties that took place every year, usually the 1st Saturday in December. My entire family would go and what fun we had. Dad always helped plan in some fashion and even took over the play once his friend retired. There were costume characters, a lunch, the play, and of course~ everyone’s favorite, the Santa line.

My sister and I were made up to be Raggedy Ann and Andy one year. Kids today probably don’t even know who they were. 🫤 Very hard just smiling and nodding without words all day. She even continued with friends being Bert and Ernie of Sesame Street. Us kids couldn’t be the BIG characters with those gigantic heads walking around. So many cherished memories as I believe that party tradition has been discontinued. 😞It was amazing though. I can still taste the McDonald’s orange drink along with the ice cream getting scooped by that tiny wooden spoon. Not to mention the strobe lights always being part of the show. My mom hated those! 😵‍💫

The toy chute was the BEST part. No, it wasn’t quite like “A Christmas Story” with Ralphie getting Santa’s boot, but kinda similar. Just like Warrior Elf below isn’t dressed like “Buddy” but still both elves, at least Warrior *** IS*** for this post. The toys kids got were incredible and not just some cheap little trinkets. NASA really went all out. One year, this giant doll came down the chute for me. Each paper had girl or boy along with your age written on it. She was beautiful with long blonde hair, a gingham dress and matching hat. Once I get to THAT box in the attic, I know she’ll be found. I loved her right away and named her Diana missing the IN in front, (just kidding…!) Elizabeth. Some might get that ‘lil tidbit, haha… Princess Diana always fascinated me so I had my own little piece of the Royal family.

I’ve had countless other gifts over the years that meant so much like I’ve written, but decided to share her story today. I also know (and here’s the other small connector) how Warrior loved when he got his very own wrestling buddy doll. Multiple people have mentioned this and no, my doll didn’t mean I achieved stardom like him BUT I treasured her as he did his buddy. I’m sure you all have presents that you can still remember loving and maybe they weren’t even from your childhood. Did you read about “Braveheart” last week? See, that wasn’t from my youth at all.

Let’s get to the elf part of the story. When I was Raggedy Andy, all I could think about was being one of those very special elves helping Santa and the kids. The woman in charge was a dear friend of my Dad’s, but if I recall correctly, you had to be at least 16. Why? I don’t really know but that year I was only 15. Guess I took a year off because at 17, I was ready! My senior year was the BEST ! April 1 especially (hint look below, ⬇️) but this was only December. I was so excited after watching those elves for years and now it was my turn. Forget the characters, I was a Christmas elf. I had my green tunic with red trim, matching hat, (like Diana), and those pointy elf slippers. I even had my photo taken with “Snow White.” That photo is also probably in the attic yet to be found.

It was a busy day as no sister that year but I stayed to clean up and eat dinner with my Dad. My dream came true of all those years being at the many Christmas parties NASA held for countless families. Now, I want to go find that photo and Diana. 🥹 I’ll keep everyone updated…… Warrior had watched and practiced with so many Superstars and then finally got his big break in the business. His years eclipsed mine but again, it’s the emotion and determination we had. You might have similar stories of achieving a goal, dream, or even holiday wish. My teaching career began as an aide, and the thrill of having my own classroom finally made me so happy. I had made it (in a way) just like the Ultimate Warrior graced his “classrooms” or arenas for all those years.

Enjoy this time of family, friends, and fun, but don’t forget to take time and BREATHE… I’ll be here for one more post until my holiday break. That one is getting to be the “year in review” so I’ll have to do some reflecting. You might not have a doll, elf, or anything like mine, but look to those holiday memories and what genuinely stands out for you while creating the new. Unwrap those boxes in your heart just a little to bring the Christmas magic back in.

😇🎁❤️💚🤍

P.S. Be a little spontaneous too. You never know what you might do. Mine was the Warrior Elf, but be playful and you’ll find yours. 🎉🫵🏻🤭

The Things We Keep 🥹💙🫶🏻

*** Before beginning the post today, just a little sidenote here. I’m sure most of you have heard of the movie “Grownups” as I have not fully referenced a movie since years ago when talking about “Daddy’s Home.” It is one of our favorites and was on the other night. I decided to watch. I guess I must’ve been having an emotional time because there were a few references that I had never noticed before, and they got to me. You may not even notice or even fully care, but I did. Here’s the list:

~ UCONN Sweatshirt

~ KFC bucket of chicken ( a dream…)

~ Physiology book

~ The character of Wiley

***I am not explaining all these but boy, did I have some moments… It was a 4 count, not a 3 but they do connect to Warrior. Oh, and the sequel has a big 80’s themed party at the end. The Hulk Hogan lady look alike- oh my… I will keep 3 out of those 4 above…😑🤍

If you look below, ( for some reason it did not let me post the pic but I posted it separately today, ugh…) you’ll see a banner with graphics depicting The Ultimate Warrior. I happen to see it up close on one of my DVDs and thought to keep it for a future blog post. I wonder if fans back then or even today keep those kinds of things. Maybe they sell or even give away but it does depend on its sentiment for sure. I’ve mentioned collectibles before but for this one, it’s a little different.

Lately, I’ve been cleaning out our attic. Well, it’s been ongoing for a while but this past month is when I’ve really gotten into it much more. I know I could make tons of money with tons of stuff over the years like clothes, toys, games, books, and on and on but that’s just a hassle. I donate because it suits me. We will be moving within a few years, so it’s time to declutter A LOT. My kids entire lives seem to be up there and I had turned it into a playroom when they were younger. I used to always be a huge pack rat but then with some small spaces, it’s subsided. if you have children, you become that pack rat once again. Yes, much will be kept but I cannot keep every toy or game we have ever owned despite my daughter’s objection. I want children to play with those items now, and not the future of waiting on grandkids. OK, yes, I definitely have much on my keepers list but others do no good sitting around collecting dust.

I am making headway but man, it’s a lot of busy work. I have to put it aside soon for holiday decorating, shopping, and all that but there’s a dent in the stuff. I do know what to keep but much is getting tossed or donated. I cannot imagine Dana years ago when going through Warrior’s massive amount of belongings as I know he kept much. I even got emotional looking at old teaching materials. I just recently donated them to a daycare. Laughter came to at old photographs and all the WRITING I did on the silliest things. They weren’t silly to me then but I kept track for sure. There’s that organized Virgo in me. I wrote down checks I received over many years with dates, kids names in all my classes taught, info for backs of photos, etc. The list goes on. See, even a writer then. Packing it all up is hard but something I must do. Some items are easy to decide upon (like baby books to keep!) while others not so much. Decluttering does free us though and makes SPACE. We don’t always need to fill that space again though.

I used to think that in all aspects, including deep stuff~ you know, like feelings. I won’t get too mushy but remember how we aren’t replacements even though we try hard to be. The Ultimate Warrior was NOT Hulk Hogan’s replacement (in a way) as I’ve said before although it is debatable. That post has been written as I can be objective. What I mean is how often times we are looking to fill a space, gap, area, relationship, or anything like that right away and some will but for most, we don’t have to. We need time to reflect. Business is different from our personal lives of course as we know.

Warrior moved from certain aspects of his professional life in a fast-paced way it seemed as he liked to be busy. He did, however say later on how he wished he could’ve reflected more and slowed down to make time for things to last. That was mostly about his wrestling career, but perhaps he felt that way later on too. We always go to the next so fast and that includes tangible stuff. If we get rid of something, we buy or get more to replace it. Maybe you don’t but I bet many do. We cannot see an empty space and not fill it. Our mind can work the same way. Once an idea is out and set in motion, another will come to take its place. That’s great to be disciplined but our culture of having and doing does need to slow down in order to just BE…

Have you decluttered anything lately in your life? It doesn’t have to be attic stuff like me but what about other areas? Take some time to just clean out a dresser drawer, closet shelf, or even kitchen gadgets rarely used anymore. I have done that too. It really does feel good and you know the saying of “when in doubt, throw it out.” I also happen to like the year analogy. If you haven’t worn, used, or played with it (minus collectibles!) in a year, you probably won’t. I don’t stick to this as much as I should but it is important to keep in mind. Enough of the maybes, make a decision and stick to it. Keep what’s meant to be.

This is a harder concept to apply with people of course who are not things. I know it’s been difficult for me over the years deciding who should be in my life fully and who shouldn’t. Those “rules” above won’t work much in relationships but you can change them into metaphors. If you’ve had no contact or very little with someone in a year, are they still worthy to be in your life? We want to let them go but there are still lingering doubts. At least for some there will be.

Warrior had left WWF (E) several times and then had his disputes over the years with the McMahons. They were physically out of his life but am sure mentally not. That’s how it is for most of us with those who were present so many years and now for various reasons, are not. You get to decide who to keep and who to let go of. The mentality remains but only if we give it power. That is a huge lesson that might take our entire lives to process. Decide on your stuff, people, and anything else you’d like to declutter in every way. Keep the good. You’ll know because it will FEEL right. It may take a while but in order to move forward, we need to let go. Warrior, I will keep always. 💕

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to all my U.S. Friends! No, I do NOT have my 🎄 tree up yet. That begins for us after this Holiday of giving thanks.. 🧡🤎🦃🍽️

The Strength of Dads

With Warrior’s birthday having just been yesterday,( on a Tuesday… that day again) I had to talk about all you Dads out there. Father’s Day is in a few days so the strength of Dads can be measured in many ways. I’ve mentioned International Women’s Day a few years back and have never done just a Mother’s Day post so maybe next year…

That photo you see is of course me and my Dad taken around the time I was 2 or 3. Not sure where we were but I was Daddy’s Little Girl back then. There came a time when we were distant but years later, discovered our love of writing. We are closer now as I am grateful to never have suffered abuse or neglect. My Dad was a yeller and it did get kinda bad but he never abandoned us like Warrior’s Dad or never verbally abused us to the point of shame like Dana’s.

Dads aren’t perfect just like Moms aren’t. Warrior was the Ultimate Dad to his two daughters who are now grown women. He had his faults too but Dana has said how much he adored those girls like nothing else. Despite being a celebrity, he put together a Barbie Dream house, attended all their events, and was just Dad to them– not the Ultimate Warrior.

The silliness of Dads can be very different than that of Moms. My husband would play the cutest games with our kids that only was for all three of them together. I never wanted to interfere as it was so comical watching after Mommy playing all day. There was “Roofball,” “Sitting Game,” and Truck Races down the driveway. Dads are even the ones to toss kids up in the air more or in the pool! None of these games were competitive like a sport, just simple silly fun. 😜

So many qualities make someone a Dad. Just like with my Hero post last week, the need to be brave is always for their kids. WWE mourned the tragic and sad loss of Shad Gaspard as he sacrificed his own life for his son’s. He truly was the epitome of the most heroic Dad. We don’t realize until becoming adults that despite setbacks, Dads do the best they can. I mean those Dads who are present and active in their children’s lives but don’t always get it quite right even as they age.

It is about more than just a roof over your head or food on the table. Dads of years ago were feared or the punishers. That’s not how it should be and I am thankful times have changed. At least I hope they have for most. Kids won’t remember every little detail as grown-ups but they will know the love behind every effort and all the fun.

To those of you who are not Dads, that’s o.k. Maybe you are a male adult in someone’s younger life and you do matter. We all do– just in different aspects. If you are one, just show up for your kids in ways they’ll remember that’s good. Life is too short to not have happy memories.

Every family is unique with its contributing members. Warrior created his own family crest, creed, and code of honor. What an incredible legacy leaving behind for his girls to carry on. Some may disagree but for someone as bold as he was, it fit– ultimately! Guys reading this, think about what it truly does take to have that strength of a Dad. It could be yourself, your own Dad, Grandfather, or anyone earning that title without a belt. Biology doesn’t necessarily equate with being Dad material. Remember also, strength is not always physical but it comes from inside and flows outward in many ways.

We will have the good and bad memories as that is life. When you are gone to “parts unknown” someday, what will people say about you as a Dad? What will your kids fondest memories be? Make them count now so your years are spent in anticipation and not anxiety.

The serious, the sad, the silly. We own them all. Can you think back to the best memory with your own Dad? I hope you have too many and can’t choose just one. Happy Dad’s Day ( as I prefer that to Father’s) to all of you earning the best title I believe a guy can have! 💙👍👏🏻💪🏻🥇🏆

P.S. A belated Happy Birthday in spirit to Warrior and an early Happy Father’s Day. I know his girls have their OWN ultimate Daddy memories forever in their hearts. 💖💖

www.spiritandbelief.com

*** Find me also on Twitter, youtube, and Pinterest. Check out the website for Book Info too about my spiritual connection with Warrior! I will always believe….