Everyone experiences trying times in his or her life. And on many of those occasions, human nature takes over, and we mentally utter what might be the oldest question in the history of mankind, “Why?” Sometimes, it is said in a truly puzzled tone and other times it is snarled in a voice demanding an instant answer, and an apology, from the universe. But in all of these cases, we feel that our predicament…
Dreams Some big, some small They are made by every one of us Whether we want to make just a slight change or a profound one, there is always this desire to improve our lives. The most important thing is, do we have the courage to do what it takes to make our wishes come true? Do we have the confidence? Yes, we do. We have the ability to accomplish our goals but taking the…
People have often said when I was growing up that I had my dad’s eyes, a somewhat unique blue, and that always makes me smile. As you read my writing, you will quickly learn that my dad was one of my greatest heroes throughout much of my life. With the exception of a few years in my teens, I just knew that he was a pretty smart old guy. And in reality, he was always…
When I tell people my story, I’m always told that I have a lot of Resilience, but I’ve never understood what it means. According to the Oxford dictionary, Resilience means “The Capacity to recover from trauma”. My life has been full of events that will challenge many and provide a whole new meaning to resilience. My story begins in 1990 at the end of Ceausescu’s reign, the Romanian dictator who took the population’s…
When my father passed, we placed a bench in his favorite state park as a memorial. It overlooks a small stream and is surrounded by massive trees. At some point, he learned the very important lesson that there is so much serenity to be found when surrounded by nature. It is a pure connection to the world that has been displaced by electronics, multitasking and the desire to always accomplish more. He knew that…
Little Golden Books, now celebrating their 75th birthday, were among my favorite childhood books. Appearing on the market in 1942, Little Golden Books were the first high-quality books for children most parents could afford. Priced at just 25 cents and available where people shopped every day, they caused an instant sensation and were sold by the hundreds of thousands. My all-time favorite is still The Little Red Hen, nearly seven decades later. In fact,…
Here are some inspirational quotes I thought you might all enjoy: -No one else makes you free but God and yourself -Life is a balancing act…hold steady -Laughter: The Best cure for sadness -Nobody else makes who you are -Mothers: The Best Medicine -Grandmothers make the best hugs -Come here! Let me give you a hug! -Hugs and kisses cure everything -Prayers cure everything -Smile, I love you! Love cures everything -Life is a…
On the morning of September 11, 2001, and for a period of time that was either hours or an eternity- I can’t remember- we didn’t know where my brother was. We knew he was somewhere in lower Manhattan, where he attended Stuyvesant High School. Like any regular 14-year-old kid, most of the time he’d go right to school in the morning, and *other* times he’d run around with friends in the neighborhood first, or…
Your soul is such a reliable compass; many people say they rely on a “gut feeling” but I truly believe that it is one in the same. It is just no longer fashionable to refer to your soul as your guide. So call it what you want to, but listen to that wise voice inside, because it won’t let you down.
The famous saying says that there are three types of friends- friends for a reason, friends for a season and friends for a lifetime. In my humble opinion, all three types are priceless and enrich your entire life because you carry them all in your heart forever. Appreciate the time that you share with each friend and the lessons that come with their friendship.