Reunion

Alyssa will be coming home this weekend to see Alex's musical.  I know both she and Lassie will be overjoyed to see one another. Alyssa has been anticipating the reunion with her baby. Poor Lassie has been walking around so forlorn...thinking she is not coming home again.  Cara came and went and there was no Alyssa, so I think poor Lassie has almost given up...and seems very needy for attention these days.

" I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become it's visible soul."

~ Jean Cocteau

Happy Birthday Dougie

Happy Birthday to my brother Doug.  I can't think of a better definition of the word "man"  than Doug.  I am so thankful for him in my life....and so thankful that there is only one of him.....the world couldn't handle more than one....trust me.  He is a wonderful brother, son, father, friend.....the list goes on.  I truly hope that this is a wonderful year for him.

" That man is a success, who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;  who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children;  who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;  who never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had."

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Let it go

I have worked at my present job for close to 17 years.  I have had the same classroom for all of those years.  Now for a variety of reasons, I am being asked to change classrooms.  My initial reaction was one of resistance.  But then, because I really didn't have a choice in the matter, there wasn't much to do but embrace it....  I think I have. I have measured and made plans and actually been excited about being in a new space...with new energy.  There has been talk about when the move will take place...and as usual that is ever changing.  Today, a coworker came into my room at the end of the day, opening closets and issuing edicts about things that need to be packed, things that needed to be thrown away...dates changing etc.  I will admit to you that it got under my skin a little.  Later on, I was in the front of the building and the move was being discussed again...and this time I was poppping bubble wrap at a frenetic pace..and my coworker said something to the effect that I should go home and write some words about how change is good and I believe she went on with this thought.  I am trying to decide if there was sarcasm in that tone.  I don't know if she's ever read this blog or not.....or if it was just something she picked up from other conversations.

Let me be perfectly clear about something.  I am not....in any way.... perfect. I don't have it all figured out.  I am not happy and serene all the time.   I struggle with the stuff of life....the annoying little details....just like everyone else.  What I am doing is trying to inspire myself to be a better person, to live a better life, to remember what is truly important.  If I inspire any of you along the way.....well that just makes it even better.
So, I took offense to that suggestion.  But I thought about it anyway.  What I reacted unfavorably to today was the not being given credit for having a bit of common sense and for being patronized.

 I have thought this situation through. I know what needs to be done.  It will all get done, and I believe that the interaction that occurred today didn't really need to happen in that way....but it's over...and I am moving on.  I have vented...and you have listened, or  not...and I am moving on.  I have grown to love my coworker...even though, there are times like this that I do briefly contemplate a heinous crime.  What it is...is all the annoying little occurrences of life, that tend to usurp all of our attention and energy.  It was annoying and a little bit stressful...but in the scheme of things...so unimportant .  I will let it go, let it roll right off my shoulder...and I will walk through the door tomorrow at work having cast off the burden of this day....and ready to face all the challenges of tomorrow.  I do have change ahead of me....but I am ready for it....I have been through so much change recently, that it's more the rule than the exception.  I work with some phenomenal people, and together we will get through this change.

So what photo to accompany this posting????  I chose one that shows that my staff works well together to get things done when  necessary....so thankful to be going through all of this change with such great people!!

"Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered by your old nonsense."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

good thoughts

"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely"

~Roald Dahl

I will spread my wings

I will make tomorrow oneof hope and light and beauty. I will try to brighten my little corner of the world.  I will look for the possibilities.  I will look for the good.  I will search for the light.  I will cherish the laughter.  I will hold out my hand.  I will open my arms. I will spread my wings and let my soul fly.

"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly"

~ Richard Bach

Let our words be kind

I have had  something on my mind today, and I have been trying to work through it.  It has really been bothering me.  It's not a huge thing, it happens all the time....but then again.... really it is a huge thing, and today it just got to me.

I enjoy Facebook, I go on a couple of times a day to keep up with friends and family.  There was a dark time in my life...where Facebook helped me hold on...just by seeing there were people there who cared.  I have ended up reconnecting with friends and coworkers from my past.  I think it can be a good thing....if we all try to stay positive.  But so often, I will see people sending not-so-secret messages to people through their statuses...or posting a fairly blatant message to someone and airing all kinds of dirty laundry.....unneccessary.  People share photos, videos, stories, jokes...funny, inspitational, political etc... as well as likes and dislikes.  This is all fine....until someone gets hurt.  I wonder how often we sit and think before we post something...about the impact that it might have on someone that we love.  Sometimes we hurt someone unknowingly, but sometimes... I just sit and stare at the screen, wondering why.....when I see some of the content that is posted.  And today I was just saddened at the hate in people's hearts...so discouraging.  Let's just say that someone dear to me just absolutely loves and admires a particular celebrity.  Today I saw posts from two members of that person's family ridiculing and making disparaging comments about that celebrity.

Now in the first place...why was that necessary? I guess being a celebrity means that you have to put up with ridicule from those who aren't your fans.  What I saw today was truly unnecessary.  So you don't appreciate what that person has to offer...ok...move on.  No one is making you pay attention to them.  In the second place, you well know that your family member is a true and dedicated fan...and in so dishonoring the celebrity....with or without realizing it...you are dishonoring that person that you love....who holds them in high esteem.  You are essentially sending the message that their admiration of this person is shameful.  Everything about these types of posts are hurtful to someone.  I must ask why they are necessary?

Have we forgotten how to be kind? How to care for people? How to live and let live? Have we forgotten what my Mom tried to teach me: "If you don't have anything nice to say....don't say anything at all".? I am seeing an increasing amount of stuff out there that is hurtful to someone...and I have to ask why?   If you have a negative opinion of someone...ok, that is your right.  But is it necessary to spread the negativity in your own heart to others? It is possible to have a good laugh...without it being at someone's expense.  And if that is the only way that you can laugh, at least do it in private.

I feel as if kindness is a lost art in these times in which we live.  We all seem to be focused on ourselves....it's all about us...and we forget about those around us.  That is not how it is supposed to be.  Our lives are made deeper and more meaningful by the relationships we have with others.  We need to nurture each other, care for each other, try to understand each other....we need to be kind to each other.  What gives any of us the right to post anything negative about anyone for all to see?

I think before we say something..or post something for public viewing...we should really stop for a minute and think how we would feel if it was being said about us....or someone important to us.  Is it a comment that is necessary.....or better left unsaid?  I just don't understand how so many of us can just hurl accusation and be so critical of others...when we ourselves...are so far from perfect.  It needs to be all about the lifting up and encouraging and not the putting down.  If you don't have it in you right now to encourage, then at least do the world a favor by remaining quiet until you can.  I really believe that all this negativity feeds on each other...and has attributed to  the evil we so often witness in this world.  We need to try to be kind.....to think of others before acting.  It's not about what was so clever, or funny, or sarcastic...or all about our personal opinion....if it is at someone elses expense.  It isn't always easy....but we need to try....to be kind.  We aren't always going to like everyone.  We are going to have different opinions on everything out there...but I think there is a time and a place and a way to express them that isn't hurtful.....and if there isn't...then maybe they are better not expressed at all.

We are all guilty of this...I know I am.  But I am going to try to make it a priority to think of others...and try to be kind in every way and every time that I can.  I do not want to be the type of person that finds it necessary to share what I witnessed being shared today.

"Until you have learned to be tolerant with those who do not always agree with you; until you have cultivated the habit of saying some kind word of those whom you do not admire; until you have formed the habit of looking for the good instead of the bad there is in others, you will neither be successful or happy.

~ Napoleon Hill

photo credit: Cara and Alyssa who stole my camera one beautiful day at the beach.

Sleep

" Home is where you can go and rest and be nothing"

~ Marty Rubin

Sweet dreams

It has been a long day....and this picture is exactly where I want to be right now....and will be as soon as I get Mother and Son  tucked away. I had a day ahead of me...but it is over and much was accomplished....and I will rest and wake refreshed and ready for another long day tomorrow.

Cara took this photo of her beloved Poochie and also did the editing.  Poor Poochie is missing his Cara tonight...so while I am sleeping peacefully....he will be searching all corners of the house for her. And will realize by morning, that I am the best he can do until she graces him with her presence again.

"She used to say she could taste sleep and that it was as delicious as a BLT on fresh French bread."

~ Rebecca Wells

Ready for tomorrow

It is so cold and windy tonight. I have a LONG day ahead of me tomorrow, that starts way too early for my liking. Another storm is being predicted for the weekend and Cara is leaving tomorrow.  So I chose a picture that warms my heart in many ways and gives me hope for warmer days.  I don't know when I will tire of taking my photos of my kids on the beach....my favorite people at my favorite place.  I love looking back at them and remembering our days at the beach.  I love all the memories of sights and sounds and smells.  I love looking at the shining happy faces of my beautiful children.  I am truly blessed!

The next month holds so much to do....so many changes...maybe I will be too busy to even notice that winter is still here....and I will wake up one glorious morn and realize that spring is indeed on its way.  That will be the dream I dream tonight as I drift off in preparation for all the activity that tomorrow promises.

"Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, So get on your way"

~ Dr. Seuss

Wedding bell blues

Cara and I have been doing some reminiscing tonight.  If there were better times in our life than these...I am not sure what they are.  We are so blessed by the people and places...and fun and music we have all made together.  It seems like just yesterday!!  I love these people and I know the memory of these times will keep us forever close in heart.

" We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams"

~ Arthur O' Shaughnessy

On your mark....

Today has been a long day, involving no hot water and then no water at all, ecards with rodents in them, lots of cooking to prepare for this week, which despite it's shorter length will still be a doozy, as  Cara is home for a few days and then my mom faces cataract surgery on Thursday,  A lot of running back and forth and she will be spending at least one night here...maybe more.  Add to that a misbehaving puppy and a few cats that think they own the place...oh and of course that teenage boy that drives me crazy....I am exhausted at the mere thought of it all.  But I know it will all be fine and it will all happen as it is supposed to...and I will go along for the ride with a smile on my face, making the best of it, enjoying it (?) and passing out in a coma each night.  So good to have two children watching TV tonight...and missing the one who isn't here.  I always feel that all is right with the world when I have all of my kids under one roof.  But I know they are all safe and happy.

Is there any moral of the story to tie in all of these disjointed thoughts?  Just that life gets crazy....life happens and you can't let it get to you.  I will arise tomorrow and walk forward into the week (Or do I feel like a gun will fire and I will start the race of this week?) and be ready to take what it offers...and hopefully.....make the best of it.

"Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out."

~ Anton Chekhov

Contentment

On this cold and windy night, I am thankful to be tucked inside where it's warm, cozy, lazy. My thoughts turn to a warmer place that calls to my soul and that beckons me.  I know I will get there and I will enjoy the sun on my face and the wind in my hair.....but while I am waiting, I will be content with the quiet and rest  and shelter from the storms outside.

" For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain"

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Sisters

I remember when we used to get a week off in February for midwinter break.  Who abolished that?  I would like to know so that I can have a little chat with them...just to point out their error in judgement.  Cara has a week off from her school this week...and I am jealous!  She is beginning her vacation week with a trip to Oswego to visit Alyssa.  I have said it before...but I am so thankful that they love each other so much and have such a bond.  This picture is quintessential Cara and Alyssa.  It is when they get like this...in their own little sister connection world, that I politely excuse myself...and unfortunately they often follow me....

Alyssa has been so excited about this visit....a little piece of home.  Cara. wants to visit her sister, but I am also sure she wants to meet the friends and check on to make sure they are up to her standards.  Cara and Alyssa share so many things, they share similar thoughts and impressions of people, they share a similar sense of humor,  yet they are so different from each other.  They know each other better than any one in the world...they get who each other is...and each is so protective of the other...and together....well let's just say any future girlfriend of Alex's will be under intense scrutinization.

Thinking of them tonight and hoping they are having a wonderful time together!  So proud of them and the relationship they share.

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.."

~ A.A. Milne

Happy Memories

Ahhh, these joyous days seem so long ago and far away.  Growing up can be painful and it always helps to have some trusted friends by your side.  I miss those friends, especially some of the regulars....those kids that you thought of as partly your own.  They grew up and are moving on and the times that I get to commune with them are so less frequent now.  Gone are the sleepovers....listening to them play truth or dare, serving chocolate chip pancakes in the morning.  It all went by too fast.  Time marches on....I know that this is the order of things.  I know that we need to move forward into the future that waits for us... yet... I can't help but yearn for these times and these people.  These times will forever have a place in my memory....and these people have purchased real estate in my heart. I am thankful and blessed for the time together and the memories that they blessed me with.

" Friends are the most important part of your life.  Treasure the tears, treasure the laughter, but most importantly, treasure the memories."

~ Dave Brenner

My valentines

Today has been a very long and very exhausting day.  At the end of every day, though, are these 3 faces indelibly etched in my mind...that renew my hope for tomorrow and make every day beautiful and sweet.  I didn't receive chocolate or flowers today...I don't need them...because I am blessed with these  three precious gems. They make me laugh, they make me cry, they make me frustrated, they make me anxious, they make me proud, they make me hopeful...  I don't know how I got so lucky to be mom to each one of them.

" You are and always have been, my dream"

~Nicholas Sparks

Time for friends...

It's so weird how things happen in life.  Today, I was off from work to take my Mom to an appointment having to do with her upcoming cataract surgery.  So...I was doing a lot of driving...and when I drive....who knows where my thoughts go.  Today it went to some dear friends.  I thought about all of them....how we love them. and how sad it is that we just don't see them anymore. We used to belong to the same church, and so we used to see them at least once a week.  They are featured in these pages of one of my scrapbooks (although I could only scan part of the page).  They are Alyssa's godparents.  I thought about how busy our lives get...and how hard it seems to be to make time for the people that are so special to us.

That was this afternoon on my way home from my Mom's.  I picked up Alex, and as usual was zipping around trying to complete some projects, and then I went to church.  The choir was practicing our anthem in the sanctuary...and people were beginning to come in...and I couldn't believe it...but there was Jim.  I was trying to make eye contact with him, but to no avail.  Finally, during the greeting I ran down to give him a big hug.  Here he was at an Ash Wednesday service at my new church.  For so many years we shared the same church, sang in the choir, he ribbed me mercilessly about my favorite hymn.  Jim ran a hymn sing once a year and I stuffed the ballot box every year so that my hymn would make it in the top ten...and he let everyone know that he thought there had been foul play. Yet here he was visiting my church.

It has taken me awhile to get my feet wet and get involved at the new church. After being so involved at the old one, there was a part of me that just wanted to sit and be anonymous for awhile.  I am getting to know people, making some connections....but yet, there was something so comforting about my friend Jim being at that service tonight.

He and his family have known me for about 20 years.  Friendships such as those are precious.  Tomorrow I am going to call Janet, his wife, and I am going to chat with her and we are going to figure out a time to get together.....not for any special reason...just because they are dear friends who I miss so much.  I treasure my friends...I always have.  I need to make time for these friends now...nothing else is as important as making time for those you love.

" Time goes so fast, people go in and out of your life. You must never miss the opportunity to tell these people how much they mean to you."

Him or me...

Honestly, some days I am pretty sure it is going to be him or me.  Raising a teenage boy is probably the most challenging, frustrating, anger-producing journey I have ever taken.  There are some days when I see glimpses of my sweet little boy, but let's be real......he was only a sweet little boy about 30 minutes out of every 24.  He has always been a handful.  But now, the attitudes, and saying what ever he has to so that I  "get off his back", and the constant fascination with those blasted video games.  I am not sure if I am up to the task.  I have joked, that when he walks across the stage to receive his diploma, I will kneel down, kiss the ground and stretch my hands into the air, beseeching God "Lord, take me...my job on earth is done".  If there are any of you out there that have some secret to turning him into a respectful, responsible, law abiding, member of society...I am all ears...because on days like today...I don't have an iota of energy left for the task.

And then just when I am so completely done with him....he does something sweet, or says something sweet....and I try to hold onto that anger...because he really deserves it...and then I feel myself softening.. and part of me screams " No...don't back down, remember what he just did, remember what he just said".  And there are those times when I see the decent part of his personality blossoming, when we have a heart to heart about something important...or when I realize how funny he is.  

They say God never gives you something you can't handle.....well, that may have been true until now...because I can't handle it...I am tired, he is exhausting every inch of me.  Someone please tell me when he is going to turn into a human being?

But...I am trying to remain positive and enjoy life....so I will get a good night's rest and after the morning battle of getting him up and out the door...I will thank God for all my babies....and I will vow to encourage and nurture and make the best decisions I can...to try to guide him toward the right path....and I may go out and stock up on chocolate for days like this.

" In spite of six thousand manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent and no one really knows anything.  You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage."

~ Bill Cosby

sleep

I am not sure why, exactly, but I am absoutely exhausted tonight.  So I will leave this photo of Alyssa...who manages to curl up and nap in the oddest of places.  I am right behind her tonight.  I hope all of you awake in the morning rested and refreshed and ready to face the day.

"Sometimes the most urgent thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest"

~ Ashleigh Brilliant

dreaming of...

For no other reason than it cheers me up and reminds me of my 'happy place' on this cold Sunday night...

" You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth."

~ Evan Esar

The bleak midwinter

I hope that you are all safe and warm with ones that you love and have survived the storm...and snow removal.  The only words that come to mind tonight is the first verse to my very favorite hymn ever, which happens to be a Christmas Hymn, but the words seem fitting tonight.  It is perhaps a little ironic, that I hate winter, but love this hymn:

" In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan

  Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

  Snow had fallen snow on snow, snow on snow,

  In the bleak midwinter, long ago"

~ Christina Rosetti

I can see clearly now

All the forces of the world were working in our favor this morning.  Both our schools were cancelled as of last night.  No alarm clocks went off this morning, other than Allie needing to go outside.  We both slept in and were surprised to find no snow on the ground.  Alex has been waiting on his new glasses which for some reason took longer than anticipated to arrive.  I was wondering how we were going to get to the eye doctor to pick them up, with his rehearsal schedule and my work schedule.  But since there was no snow this morning, I called and lo and behold they had just arrived yesterday.  We hopped in the car and ran to go get them before all snow broke loose.  Alex has been having difficulty seeing from a distance for awhile and was so excited to get his new glasses and finally be able to see.  Wearing the glasses corrects his vision.  All the way home he was remarking at how much clearer everything looked.....how much better he could see everything.

I think we depend on our sight to guide us through so many of life's situations.  We use it to navigate all of the twists and turns.  We interpret what we see and arrive at conclusions so that we know how to deal with the situation before us.  So often the police search out eye-witnesses for crimes or accidents.  An eye-witness will help us know what happened.  If we see something, if we witness something than we have the answer as to what occurred....right?  I think we have to be careful with the interpretation of what we see.  So often things are not as they appear.  I could list  a few incidents for you right now.......where misunderstandings have occurred because someone saw something, put their own spin on it...their own interpretation...and passed the news along...and what came next...was unfortunate and ugly.  so often what we see is one moment in time...or a few short moments....and we don't always know what came before....and without that vital information...we have to be careful about our drawing conclusions of what we saw.

So often we may believe certain truths to exist about people or situations.  Sometimes, someone takes the time to sit and explain something to us...and we are surprised...at how we perhaps misjudged....misinterpreted.  Now everything makes a little more sense...and we can see the situation more clearly.  Our vision of the situation has been corrected.

I will try to think about what I see...and how I interpret what I see..  I pray that I will be careful about the interpretation of the things I see.  I know there are times when my vision will need to be corrected..... so that I can see clearly.

"What we see depends mainly on what we look for"

~ John Lubbock

Sunrise

Did anyone see the sky this morning? It was absolutely breathtaking!!  I was zooming back up the driveway after driving Alex down to the end, as I often do in the winter months,  when it stopped me dead in my tracks.  I stopped the car, grabbed the camera and ran into the back yard to snap some photos.  What a wonderful way to start my day!!  And what a day it turned out to be....

Change makes most people uncomfortable....we like to be where we are familiar...and uncharted territory makes us nervous.  At work lately, it seems that there has been nothing but change...as we grow and change and try to meet regulations...change seems to be the rule, not the exeption.  Today there was almost a ridiculous amount of change...some staff changes,which are changes from yesterday, possible student changes, possible classroom changes.....at one point, I seriously considered looking around for a hidden camera....it was so ridiculous...the things that were happening that I was fairly certain I was on Candid Camera or something,  In days gone by,  these changes would have stressed me out.  After the events of the last few years, I am much more able to roll with whatever comes my way.

I am trying to look at each day not as something to be endured, but as an opportunity.  At some point between crawling out from under the covers...and trying to get myself out the door, I tell myself that my heart is in the right place and my faith is in the right place....and I can handle whatever comes my way.  I don't always know what opportunities will present themselves...but I  believe that it is a new day....and I try to do the best I can with it.  There will be good moments and not-so-good moments...and I will take them as they come, and do the best I can.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring?  Whatever it is ...I will do my best with what's given me....and if it's change...I will take a deep breath and move forward...and maybe take a quick glance over my shoulder....but then...ever onward....

"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope"

~ B. Williams

My sweet boy

Sometimes looking at him like this helps me get through some of those difficult teenage days he is now inflicting upon me.  I don't think there was ever a day in his life....when he looked as angelic and was as(incredibly) well behaved as this day.  My sweet boy...where have you gone?

"We've had bad luck with our kids - they've all grown up."

~ Christopher Morley

Rising above

I don't know about your life...but mine seems to be filled with drama.  I am trying to just keep going with a smile on my face....but everywhere you turn....there it is.  It seems to be part of the human condition.  Something happens, someone has a bad reaction to it, someone tells someone else about it...Voila: Drama!  We are all such complicated and fragile beings....and I guess, as long as people have feelings...drama is always going to be part of the picture.

I am trying this year to turn my head upward toward the light.  I am trying to just deal with whatever drama there is and look past it to find something worthy of my time and attention.  There is a lot to despair of in this world...but there is also so much to rejoice in.  Disappointments are going to happen. Misunderstandings are going to happen.  People aren't always going to be there for you.  We need to take a deep breath and realize that it will all pass...and down the road, it just won't be that important.

I love hot air balloons...and this past July, I got my non-morning derriere out of bed and went to the walkway to see and take pictures of the balloon launch.  Never was my time so well spent.  Although as I was driving toward Poughkeepsie in the dark,  with my kids home still nestled in their beds, I began to wonder about my sanity.  But it is really such a beautiful experience...to watch them and hear them...  It is actually way up there on my bucket list to take a ride in one.  This has surprised quite a few of my friends, because I am in no way a daredevil....and they are always surprised at how fervently I want to go up in a balloon.  Someday...

I am not sure what draws me to the balloons...maybe it is the fact that they rise up...and gently and peacefully glide far above the madding crowd, running around so busily concentrating on the drama of the day, that they sometimes forget to look up or around at all that is beautiful in the world.  Maybe I am drawn to the simplicity...the quiet of being above all the annoying details.

But tomorrow, I will think about the balloons...that rise to a higher place, a higher understanding about what is important in this life...and I, too, will rise above the annoying details, the senseless drama...and keep in my heart that quiet place that sees what is truly important in life.

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple"

~ Dr. Seuss

It takes a village

It takes a village to raise a child...but also an adult.  It has become clear to me that we need each other.   We need to be connected.  We were not meant to be an island unto ourselves.  The true meaning of our life happens in relationship to others.  I know sometimes it gets mucky.  There are people who we don't like, can't get along with...have a bad effect on us.  Of course we need to use good judgement in the type of people we surround ourselves with....but real meaning comes from those people that are there for us...who put up with us, talk it through with us, laugh with us, cry with us, play with us, sing and dance with us.  When our days are over, we live on in the stories and songs and memories that those people continue to carry around with them.

I have always believed in loving wherever I can, however I can....in nurturing, understanding, caring....encouraging.  I have been so fortunate to have so many people in my life that have been that to me.  Today I am thankful for all those people. If you are reading these words, most likely you are one of them.

We all need it.  We all need that little heart to heart talk that keeps us on the right path, the pat on the back, the thumbs up, the warm hug...the facebook "like" to keep us going....or to encourage us when we are doubting or questioning.  It is those little encouraging acts that we do for each other...the ways we show each other that we believe in and care for each other.  Sometimes...it is a word of encouragement that begins a friendship.

This is my cousin Walter and his family...along with my own kids.  We grew up together. We were a year and about 3 miles apart growing up.  When we both went off to college, we would see each other on holidays and during breaks...but we kind of lost each other for a little bit..each going our own way.  His first marriage ended, and he remarried.  As coincidence would have it...(and I think most coincidences are actually divine intervention) when I was pregnant for Alex. I learned that Walter and his wife were also pregnant...and due around the same time.  Our boys were born 8 days apart.

We went to visit them when the boys were still pretty young....and that one visit was all it took.  I had always gotten along really well with Allison , Walter's wife, but everything just clicked.  My kids who hadn't really known Walter or his family...clicked...and from that visit on...we have all been close.  There have been many visits...and game nights and parties.  Walter feels more like a brother to me than a cousin, and Allison a close friend...and our kids love each other as close cousins.  I love our visits, because I always have time to just sit and talk.  No matter what I am going through or what their family is going through...we are just always able to listen and be there for each other.....I can't imagine life without them.

If I hadn't reached out...If we hadn't gone for that visit...what wonderful relationships we would all be missing out on.  It is easy to get discouraged with people...they are sometimes disagreeable in many ways...but when you find the people you connect with...It helps you navigate the roads of life...and helps make the ride so much more worthwhile.  Take a chance on someone.  Encourage someone.  Reach your hand out...start a new friendship by encouraging someone...it really is what life is all about....and meant to be...

" If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to,no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life?  It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning.  This is harmony.  We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth."

~ Mitsugi Saotome

My Brothers

"Basically, the only thing we need is a hand that rests on our own, that wishes it well, that sometimes guides us."

~ Hector Bianciotti 

Navigating the road of life

I ran out this evening to do a few quick errands.  I  drove to where the mall and much of the shopping is...about a 20 - 25 minute drive.  As I pulled into the parking lot of  the store I noticed that it was flurrying...and that some of the cars had snow cover.  I am not a fan of driving in the snow, so I made a mental note to get in and get out.  I was looking at mens jeans...because I am done with the boys section for Alex....he is at the age where he keeps growing out of stuff.  I am sad enough to bid goodbye to my liitle boy and was especially sad when I saw the prices of the mens jeans.  I bumped into someone I hadn't seen in awhile and stopped to chat.  Suffice it to say, I took a little longer than anticipated.  As I walked out, I noticed that the ground was also now becoming covered.  One more quick stop and I was heading home.  As I got to this parking lot, the roadway was clear but the parking lot was covered in snow.  I ran in and got what I needed and ran back out.

I was becoming anxious about driving in the snow, questioning why I had decided to go out in the first place. Usually, my route home from this store is mostly back roads.  Given recent experiences on back roads in snow, I decided to stay on the main road for awhile before I veered off on the back roads.  This was not going to be a fun drive home.  Why, oh why hadn't I just stayed put?  As I drove on the main road, I noticed that just as suddenly as I had driven into the snow, I was driving out of it.  The roads were clear and I had an uneventful trip home...back roads and all.

I think that so often we look at where we are on the road of life and we imagine that this place, these conditions are what we are stuck with.  This is what we have been handed and we focus on navigating out way through it. We get prepared for that rough drive...we change our attitude as one of caution and stress, we become tense....but just because the road we are driving on now is rough...doesn't mean the road up ahead will be also.  I think we need to keep looking on the horizon for the place where the drive will be clearer and smoother and we can see the sun.  I think that if we do that...we will drive toward that place, instead of staying in the same place we are now.  It is believing in and looking for that change in the road...that will make this stretch of the road easier.

" I think and think and think, I've thought myself out of happiness one million times, but never once into it"

~ Jonathan Safran Foer

"It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that mksz you happy or unhappy.  It is what you think about it."

~ Dale Carnegie

A piece of your heart

"Out of all the treasures in the world there is nothing more precious than giving someone a piece of your heart"