Amber Marie Cardona
Stories (9/0)
Rosie.
Rosie was my sweet girl. A beautiful chocolate lab, I rescued her from the shelter when she was just 2 years old. She was very shy at first, and a little afraid. I don’t think she was used to love and affection. But she came around and soon enough, she was looking forward to all the kisses and cuddles. Rosie loved to play everything from fetch to catch, but most of all, Rosie loved to hide things. She would grab her ball or a shoe of mine and she would put it somewhere and wait for me to find it. You could see the joy on her little face. I’d watch her hide every item, so I always knew where everything was, but Rosie didn’t know that. I’d pretend to search for her toys or my flip flop (or whatever else she felt like hiding) and Rosie would just follow me around, tail wagging in excitement. One time, Rosie attempted to hide my keys. Thankfully, I heard the jingling because I hadn’t known she was trying to play her favorite game since she had decided to start it without me. I wouldn’t have thought to search under the pile of sweaters in my room. Rosie wasn’t super happy that I caught her in the act, but I made it up to her with hugs and belly rubs. Rosie was my best friend. We did everything together. She even liked to help me cook. Well, she liked to watch me cook and catch whatever food I “accidentally” dropped on the ground for her to eat. She was great at cleaning up those types of messes. I’d chop up some chicken for a salad and Rosie would wait patiently for her pieces. My sweet girl. Rosie loved to watch the stars with me. We would go out in our backyard and sit in our hammock and stargaze. Sometimes we would see a shooting star and I have no idea what Rosie would wish for, but I would always just say thank you. I was already happy and I wanted the universe to know that I was so very grateful. Rosie loved to dance. I would put on our favorite songs and she would stand up on her hind legs for a little bit and dance around. She was a very talented girl and music was one of her favorite things. Sometimes I would sing to her. My voice isn’t the prettiest, but Rosie made me feel like I was pretty great. I miss it. Singing and dancing pretty badly with my dog. No judgment. Just love. I found out Rosie had cancer after a trip to the vet. She had been yelping in pain anytime I tried to put her leash on her and apparently, her lymph nodes were incredibly swollen. Rosie didn’t have much time left. My sweet, happy girl. I made the choice to spend one more night at home with her, keeping her as comfortable and pain free as possible. And I sang to Rosie. We laid outside in our hammock and we looked at all of the stars. I wanted so badly to be able to make a wish and for that wish to be able to keep Rosie with me forever. But there were no shooting stars that night. No one would be granting me any extra time with my sweet girl. The next morning, we drove back to the vet together and I cried the whole way there. My Rosie. The only comfort I found that day was knowing she would no longer be in pain. I miss her beyond words, but I will fondly keep every memory of hide and seek, stargazing and off beat dance parties with my sweet girl for as long as I live. I love you, Rosie.
By Amber Marie Cardona2 years ago in Petlife
“Amazing people can do amazing things.”
I ordered a few things from Walgreens a while back and when I received my order, I noticed that a greeting card had been put in the bag with all my stuff. It said “Amazing people can do amazing things.” on the outside and “Keep on being the one and only you.” on the inside. I didn’t order or pay for a card so it shouldn’t have been with my stuff. I came to the assumption that the delivery person had purchased the card with their own money and put it with my order to be nice. And I wondered if this was always something that this person did whenever they were delivering random things to random people, or if they just felt like including a card in my order for no real reason. But it made me smile. I don’t remember what type of mood I was in. Was I feeling low and in need of a pick me up? Was that card exactly what I needed in that moment? I don’t know. But it made me smile. I thought about the delivery person and how sweet such a small gesture from them was and it made me want to make others smile too. If I can get a card for a random person to make them smile or give someone a compliment just when they need to hear it, why wouldn’t I? You never know what type of mood someone is really in and a little kindness from another person could be all they need to feel better or push through. Whether it’s a stranger like me or someone I know and love. Maybe someone I know and am not all that fond of. It wouldn’t hurt me to be kind. And cost of a greeting card aside, it’s normally free to be friendly. Receiving that card that night from that random delivery person was really special to me. I keep it sitting on my dresser next to my mirror now. And I see it everyday. “Amazing people can do amazing things.” I sometimes wish I could thank the person who gave that card to me, but there’s no way to contact a delivery person once the delivery is complete. Corny as it sounds, I still think about them and hope they’re doing well. I hope they’re still giving random cards to random strangers to lift their spirits and make their days. Just thinking about it makes me want to be a better person. Receiving a card from someone who has no idea who I am or what I might be going through, it meant a lot. I wonder if that person thinks of the strangers he or she has given cards to. I like to imagine they do. And I hope that person is living a good life. I’ve always tried to be a good person, to make people happy and spread kindness wherever I go. But that person made me want to be a better person even more than I already did. They made me want to make sure that I always leave people better than how I found them. Whether it’s a simple compliment, a helpful hand or a greeting card from Walgreens. I don’t ever want to be the reason someone is upset or hurting. I want to make sure that crossing paths with me is as pleasant an experience as it can be. I want to be generous and kind. I want to be there for people however possible and make sure that they know that they are amazing people who can do amazing things. No matter how big or small.
By Amber Marie Cardona2 years ago in Humans
Happy 2022!
My New Years resolution for 2022? Get more sleep! I, just like so many others, would always tell myself that I was going to lose weight every January 1st. Of course, that never stuck. I would end up eating junk food and not working out. My New Years resolution would always come undone. I’d give up before I even really got started. But this year is different. This year, I’m realizing how important it is to take care of myself and that starts with getting a good night’s sleep. Currently, my sleep habits are not so great. I’m up late, scrolling on my phone. I toss and turn a lot. I don’t feel refreshed when I wake up in the morning. It’s hard for me to get started on anything. So, I decided that this needed to change. I was going to get in bed earlier and stay off my phone. No screen time. No tv. Lights out. I’d wear my coziest pajamas and wrap up in my warmest blanket and go to sleep. This is a New Years resolution I could stick to. More rest. Better rest. And naps too. I decided to nap more. If I find an extra 20 or 30 minutes in my day, I would nap. Making sure I am always well rested is now a top priority for me. No more barely getting through each day. No more exhaustion. I’m going to sleep when I’m tired and rest when I need to take a break. I’m going to take my sleep more seriously. And maybe with a well rested body and mind, I’d have more energy to do the other things I’d like to do. Like working out. Maybe the reason I’d never been successful when it comes to past resolutions is because I was just too tired and beat up. Maybe if I rest more, I actually could get more done when I’m awake. If I stick to this resolution, I could take on so much more. So that’s what I’ll do. Hold myself accountable in 2022. In bed by 9, in dreamland before 10. Wrapped up in my blanket with the warm glow of fairy lights and some soft music playing in the background. The thought makes me want to go to sleep right now. And maybe I will. Snuggled up in my bed, surrounded by fluffy pillows and warm blankets. Feeling nice and relaxed. A sleep resolution for 2022. That’s something I can get behind. No more groggy mornings or going through the motions during the day, just waiting for it all to be over so I can finally get in bed. I’ll get all the rest I need so that I can be full of energy and actually be able to take on each day. And I’ll look forward to bedtime. Not just because I’m exhausted, but because my routine will be better and easier to stick to. I won’t sit up on my phone. I won’t watch tv. I won’t look for 5 billion pointless things to do when I should be getting ready for sleep instead. I’ll listen to my body and I’ll rest. I’ll close my eyes and try not to overthink or worry about a million different things at once. I will just sleep. And my body will thank me. Sleep at night when I’m tired and nap during the day if I’m able. I’m looking forward to this. A good night’s sleep and a brand new day to get things done. I believe that this will be a New Years resolution that I can stick to.
By Amber Marie Cardona2 years ago in Confessions
Stars.
I made my bed beneath the stars. It was starting to get dark out and the nighttime was my favorite because it was always so peaceful. I did my best thinking then and I looked forward to trying to count all of the stars and making a wish on one or two. I sat down on my blanket and I stretched. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a barn owl silently gliding over the field. He must have been hunting for food. Slow and graceful. A nocturnal predator. I laid down in the grass and I continued to watch the owl fly. Wondering what that must be like, I closed my eyes. Spreading my imaginary wings, I could feel the wind beneath them as I began to soar. Hunting for food like the owl. He reminded me that I was hungry. I sat up and reached for the apple I had in my bag. Juicy and red, it was gone in seconds. And so was the owl. I guess he had also found his snack. I laid back down and I stared at the night sky. It was finally dark and every single star was out. Thousands of tiny sparkling lights. Beautiful to look at, impossible to count. I wondered how far they really were. And I thought about the owl. How close could he fly to any one of those stars if he tried? I thought about heaven. What type of view do the angels have of the night sky? Do they appreciate the starts like I do? What about the owl? Does he know how lucky he is to be able to fly? The moonlight on his wings, he can go anywhere. Almost like an angel with their wings, flying through the heavens. Losing count of all the stars because they’re going too fast to count them. To be an angel or an owl or anything else with wings. How far could I fly? How close could I get to heaven and all of the stars? I close my eyes and I smile. The wind gently blowing across my face and my body and it almost feels like I’m floating. Slowly, I drift off to sleep. And then I begin to dream. I have wings. I’m flying and I’m close enough to touch the stars. I grab a couple and I put them in my pockets. I’m glowing. Sparkling and flying. I float up to heaven. I open my eyes. The barn owl is back, watching me dream. I say hello to him. I wonder if he wonders about what it’s like to be me. A human on the ground who doesn’t have to hunt for food if I don’t want to. A human without wings. How unlucky. I wonder if the angels, like the owls, consider me unlucky because I cannot fly? Only on an airplane. And there isn’t anything magic about that. But oh well. I’m happy to dream. I can eat apples and lay in the grass and think about heaven. I can lookout for shooting stars and make wishes. I can dream of life as an owl, gliding through the night. I can pretend to be an angel, watching the owl fly through the heavens. It’s peaceful here and I’m happy, just laying beneath the stars, losing count of how many there are. Watching owls fly and thinking of angels. I wonder what they dream of? The boring life of a human being? Maybe. I close my eyes again. I made my bed beneath the stars and it was time to dream again.
By Amber Marie Cardona2 years ago in Fiction
Sleep resolution.
Almost every year, I make my New Years resolution to lose weight. And while dropping some pounds and eating better isn’t necessarily a bad thing, focusing so hard on diet and exercise always ended up becoming more of an unhealthy obsession for me. And without making actual lifestyle changes, I could never stick to a certain diet. I put a lot of pressure on myself and my resolutions became too much to keep up with. So, I stopped making them for a while. Until this year. This year, I decided on a resolution to get more rest. A sleep resolution. I decided I wasn’t going to wear myself so thin anymore. I was simply going to rest when I was tired. No more caffeine when I should be napping. No more all nighters. If I needed a break, I was going to take one. I was going to dream more. Set the mood every night before bed. Dim lights, rain sounds, classical music, fan blowing. So relaxing. And maybe after a good night’s sleep, I’d actually feel like working out the next day. Maybe by prioritizing rest, I could start taking my health more seriously too. I’d have more energy to take care of myself. I’d be able to get more done. No more staying up late and scrolling on my phone. No more binge watching on streaming apps when I should be asleep. A sleep resolution. If I stick to this, I imagine I’d end up feeling so much better. Wrapping myself up in my giant pink blanket, all warm and fuzzy. Piling up my pillows. Curling up with a few stuffed animals. Sleep. Beautiful rest. No obsessing over what I eat this new year. No unrealistic expectations. Just a nice, peaceful sleep at night and a relaxing nap or two during the day. No overworking until I’m exhausted. I will rest this year. I’ll curl up with a book and read until I’m snoozing. Peaceful and serene. Nice and quiet. A sleep resolution. Something I think I’ll be able to stick to. Happily. In bed every night by at least 9pm. After a nice, warm bubble bath. I’ll put on my softest pajamas and get in bed. So soft and cozy. And I’ll have the sweetest dreams. Dreams of clouds and teddy bears. Everything soft. Classical music gently playing in my ears as I drift off to dreamland every night. A sleep resolution. Making sure I wake up well rested every single morning. Having enough energy to take on each day. A nice, relaxing New Years resolution. No calorie counting required. I’ll sleep when I’m tired and feel so much better when I wake up. No more fighting sleep to stay up late and do nothing. No more skipping naps when the opportunity presents itself. I’ll take every nap I can and sleep every chance I get. And I’ll still get things done. I won’t push myself too hard anymore. I won’t end up exhausted. I should have made a resolution to get more sleep years ago. But I’m doing it now. The unsuccessful resolutions of the past don’t matter. I’m resting more in 2022. I’m taking advantage of every peaceful moment I get. Taking things slowly, no more rushing. No more sleep deprivation. I’m taking my slumber a lot more seriously now. Simple and relaxing. Wrapping myself up in my dreams and waking up refreshed. A sleep resolution for the new year. Rest more, stress less. I’m looking forward to this. Sleep more, worry less. A very happy, very cozy new year. Yes, a sleep resolution for 2022. Looking forward to all the sleep I’m going to get.
By Amber Marie Cardona2 years ago in Humans
God.
It was my turn to play God. Kissing my old life goodbye, I listened to the flat line of a once beeping machine, letting everyone know I was finally gone. I’d dreamt of this the night before. An angel came to me, wearing nothing remarkable and without wings. “You look just like me.” I remember saying. “We are the same.” They said. “It’s time.” It was my turn to play God. Every death, every birth, every miracle and natural disaster would all be up to me. Every type of good fortune and string of bad luck. Every curse and every prayer would find its way to me and it would be up to me to decide what to do with it all. I’m not special. I wasn’t chosen for any specific reason. We all take our turn as God when we die. It’s happening all the time. Why do you think things seem so chaotic sometimes? Hundreds of thousands trying to play God at once sometimes. A warm day in December in the Midwest or snow in April. A car accident. A lottery winner. A brand new baby. A lost sister. Am I in the mood for sunshine today or do I feel more like rain? The weather and whether or not you’ll live to see tomorrow are decisions all left to me. I’m God now. We all just take our turns. And then, like the recycled energy we are, we come back. Just not as ourselves. Not as our old selves, anyway. We take our turns as God and then we are reborn. Recycled energy.
By Amber Marie Cardona2 years ago in Fiction