You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Favorites’ category.
Tonight friends and I engaged in a deep conversation about relationships. Everyone has had relationships that they needed to end for one reason or another. After listening to many different stories I came up with a conclusion. If you see a quality that you hate to love about yourself inside someone else maybe it’s best you choose to let that person go before you become the worst that you could be.
We are a funny breed. We connect on all different levels and bond over a myriad of things. There are those that share their secrets too easily, others that would never discuss issues of real human substance with you, some that share other’s secrets too quickly and one’s that truly listen when you talk and really won’t tell a soul when you ask them not to.
I have discovered that life is much more enriching when you really learn to love others despite all of their shortcomings and recognize parts of yourself within them. There comes a time in everyone’s life that we celebrate laughter, suffer from guilt, reminisce about childhood, endure sorrow and reflect on who we are and how we came to be.
Life is not about the dollars made, the clothes bought, the title or position, it is about the connections we make along the way.
I am honored to say I have made friends with all sorts of people who have all kinds of stories. I keep a part of each of them in my heart. They have many different faces, practice different religions and experienced various upbringings, yet I share something with all of them. Each of them may know something about me that another doesn’t but only because there is something about them that brings out a part of me that I am willing to share. I may not be able to share everything with everyone but everything I share with another is true and sincere. Listening to another helps you discover who you are and if you don’t take time to engage in relationships then you may forever be lost.
I stumbled upon an interesting blog. The writer wrote about how her aunt and her mother would make negative comments toward her and it made me think. I added a comment to her blog –
Sometimes it’s the negative comments we receive that mold us into the best version of ourselves. The best revenge on negativity is to become what no one thought you were capable of becoming. When this happens you will see their comments quickly disappear.
Her post made me think about how I witnessed many people throughout life do exactly what someone told them they could not.
My sister started out as a hairdresser, she loved the job but never thought she could actually do anything else because according to her she wasn’t smart enough. She began dating an arrogant man who happened to be an occupational therapist. They were having a conversation and he said something that changed her life. He told her she would never be able to do what he does because she didn’t have the brains. Almost instantly she set out to prove him wrong and today she is a thriving OT and thankfully knew enough to kick him to the curb.
When my brother-in-law was a senior in high-school he visited the guidance counsilor to discuss his future. He mentioned that he would like to pursue a degree in bio med or engineering. The guidance counsilor discouraged him, claiming that he just did not have the grades and those goals probably would not be attainable. Fast forward ten years and I am waiting on a woman who informs me she is a guidance counsilor at the school my brother-in-law attended. I asked if she knew him and she said “Yes, I was his guidance counsilor, how is he doing?” I took great pleasure in telling her that he was a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in engineering.
I learned from both of them that sometimes it takes someone not believing in you to believe in yourself. And when you prove the nay sayers wrong you find they either admit they were wrong or stop talking all together.
Prove someone wrong and do something they claimed you couldn’t.
I was excited to get the new issue of All You Magazine, partly because, a tip of mine is in it. (To check out how to keep magazines organized, purchase the magazine). However, it was an editor’s tip that caught my eye. Apparently, she stumbled upon a site that allows people to play trivia- like games and for each correct answer 20 grains of rice is donated to the hungry for free. In addition to the free rice donation, players receive a free education. You can enrich your vocabulary, learn proper grammar, and familiarize yourself with artists and famous paintings plus much more. Tonight, I donated 2160 grains of rice, which I am sure someone somewhere will appreciate.
Something we consider small can be big to others. I might not have millions or even thousands to donate to charities but surely, I could play a game or two. You can make a difference as well. Take the time to check out this great site and go to bed knowing that because of a small effort on your end someone has a little more to eat.
God Bless!
There is a funny thing that happens when someone you love dies. You start searching for them. I noticed myself doing this more recently. I stare longer at the older man slowly crossing the street using his cane for support. For a brief moment, I swear it is my father and remember what it felt like to watch him walk across my path. While getting routine blood work today a man with very kind eyes sat across from me. Both of us sat with arms extended while the nurse searched for a vein to stick a needle in. He looked at me and smiled and I saw my father in his eyes. I immediately recalled my father and the fight he gave. In the end, his veins blew out from all of the blood work. I would sit next to him and advise the nurse to try his hand instead of his arms. I hear a song on the radio and I swear he played it for me. The lyrics become his voice and the song becomes his teaching. I search the children’s face, trying to catch a glimpse of him and smile when I see it. I ask myself a question and then answer it in the way I think he would. Photographs are priceless and when I look at them long enough I can quickly remember what it felt like to hold his hand, kiss his cheek, rub his shoulder or listen to him breathe. I get excited before I fall asleep hoping I will see him. I think dreams are the closest we have to understanding how our spirit leaves our body once we are gone. In our dreams we are talking, living, seeing but yet our body lays in a bed. My father’s spirit has been released and if I am lucky, our spirits meet up while I sleep. If that does not happen, then I will continue to search and hope I see a part of him in someone else and remember what it felt like to have him around.
|
| Thirteen Things about Maribeth |
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
When I need a break from the kiddo’s and a little time away from writing I visit a few of my favorite sites. This week I am listing thirteen sites I visit currently or have in the past. Do you have any favorites?
1… Dream Moods.com (I have mentioned many times on my blog that I frequent this site. I love interpreting my dreams and find this site very helpful.)
2… Thesaurus.com (You can’t be a writer without a thesaurus)
3… Colorgenics (If you have never tried colorgenics make sure after reading this you do. It is amazingly accurate.)
4… USA Today Daily Crossword (I love Crossword puzzles and this one is my favorite to do)
5…_411.com (It’s a quick way to look up a phone number. It even offers reverse phone look up-for those days you see an unfamiliar number on your caller id)
6… Pandora Radio (A great free music site. You can make your own library of music)
7…You Tube ( I use this every Friday for my Friday’s Song. If you haven’t stopped by on Friday’s yet be sure to in the future)
8…Youniverse (Another neat personality site)
9…Ebay (Love to browse here)
10… Wikipedia (Great fact checker)
11… Tickle E-mode (Can you tell I like personality tests?)
12… Classic Closeouts (Sometimes you can find great deals on name brand stuff here)
13… The Writer Mama’s Blog (I have to give her a plug because her September Giveaway is coming up and I cannot wait) be sure to stop by.
Have a great Thursday!
P.S. Check out my post Calling All Women and participate in the survey. I need replies for research I am doing.
For those of you who love to write, you are not going to want to miss Christina Katz’s back-to-school September giveaway. It’s a month full of fun! Last year I participated and won two great books.
Each day she posts a question. All you have to do is leave a comment with your answer and the rest is up to fate. If you are one of the lucky few, you will win a fabulous prize. Head on over to her blog and check out the great prizes she is offering this year.
Hope you win, heck I hope I win!
The best thing you can do to make sure you remember a moment, a day, a year, or a lifetime is take pictures. There is nothing like flipping through photographs. As many of you know, I lost my father recently. Every time I find a new picture of him, a surge runs through my body and I feel comforted. When the pictures were taken, I knew one day I would appreciate them. I love that I can still see his smile and feel his essence. I never realized what kind eyes he had until now. His windows to his soul were welcoming and I now understand why so many were drawn to him.
Take time to grab a camera. Capture life as it is happening so the moments you and your loved ones created, can be remembered.
Let me pick your brains. I am researching something and need to see what percentage of women like to keepsake. Any ladies out there who enjoy scrapbooking or other means of keepsaking please respond and answer the following questions.
What do you like about scrapbooking?
What is your favorite way to keepsake?
Is Scrapbooking costly?
Do you keep Babybooks?
How do you keep your photo’s organized?
What age are you?
Okay, I hope I get a few responses on this one.
I’d love to hear how you got started.
MOMENTS AND MEMORIES 