“...CARPE. HEAR IT? CARPE. CARPE DIEM. SEIZE THE DAY BOYS. MAKE YOUR LIVES EXTRAORDINARY...” (JOHN KEATING IN DEADS POET SOCIETY)

“YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT REAL LOSS BECAUSE IT ONLY OCCURS WHEN YOU’VE LOVED SOMETHING MORE THAN YOU LOVE YOURSELF.  I DOUBT YOU’VE EVER DARED TO LOVE ANYBODY THAT MUCH.” - (SEAN MAGUIRE IN GOOD WILL HUNTING)

...the saying is something like...life is not measured by the breaths you take but rather by the moments that take your breath away...& at some moments in life, it seems that the breath of life is completely gone when we lose the ones that we love...today, a famous actor passed away, an actor who brought laughter, who brought characters to life, who transformed himself into characters we loved, who we wanted to be friends with...he brought life to television, to the movies...& by no means, but through media, do i have a connection to this actor, my heart goes out to his family and friends;  b/c there loss is great one...they will be in my thoughts & prayers...

...just as this man, and among those other loved ones that left us too soon, i guess it makes us stop and think...did we seize the moment, did we seize the day...did we "make our lives extraordinary..." & for that matter are we taking these very moments of now and living so that when we look back...we have loved, we have laughed, we have cried, we have held on tight until we could hold on no longer, we have taken every ounce and lived...

                                “OUR JOB IS IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE NOT JUST DELAYING DEATH.” 

(PATCH ADAMS IN PATCH ADAMS)

...in seizing this very moment, are we going the next step and improving upon what we have, or are we settling...don't just wake up and do life; wake up and live life, wake up & improve life from what it is...smile because you can, hug because you can love, laugh because life is funny, cry because your eyes need it, dance because your legs want to move, help others because that is what life is about...

...awhile back i wrote a blog post (well most of them read the same; what can i say i am a broken record); about one of my students, saying if i could leave the world one thing what would it be...& there is the answer, simple and as true as it gets, to not only live each moment like that is all i have but to live life by improving it, so tomorrow is better than today...so that like so many others that have touched our lives whether on a daily basis or just like Mr. Robin Williams who we only knew from afar...we are that much richer, our lives are that much brighter, & the world is that much better because of them...

...cheers to the sky for the stars in the heavens are that much brighter tonight...

..."Thank you for choosing "Magic Carpet" for all your travel needs. Don't stand until the rug has come to a complete stop. Thank you. Goodbye, now. Goodbye. Goodbye. Thank you. Goodbye..."

-Genie, Aladdin-

...its the big moments that create life & it's the little moments that define us...

"...most importantly, keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about." (marilyn monroe)

...recently over a discussion about kindergarten graduation that went on far too long than it should have; the topic of celebrating moments came up...my counter part vehemently disagreed that kindergarten graduations probably didn't need to happen &  how we now live in a society where we praise kids to the point they do not even understand the concept of failure (which i do agree with; kids get passed on, don't get cut from teams, etc...but that's another blog for another day)...but to my argument i was not going down that road because otherwise we would have agreed, argument would have ceased and we would have moved on...i chose a different path; which meant we did not see eye to eye; which is usually the case and keeps things interesting :)...

...the topic; yet so trivial is...should kindergarteners have a graduation, or rather should we celebrate those little victories??(now granted my counterpart,  would say that i am spinning it towards me; & maybe i am;), but hear me out)...should we take a moment out of our busy schedule and appreciate and celebrate not just the big ones but all the little ones; not because we have to but because we CAN...because we have the opportunity to be in that moment (yes i said it & they will engrave it on my tombstone, be in the moment) and to celebrate life...life often times sucks, and we always here about the negative why not celebrate all the positives...maybe that is what i was trying to say when i was so effortlessly arguing my point...life was meant to be celebrated no matter the victory or the effort; & that is why a kindergarten graduation should be celebrated or anything that you deem a celebration should be celebrated...

...besides why wait to celebrate...think of all those people that thought or didn't have the chance to celebrate that moment that they thought was so insignificant and would give anything to celebrate the little and the big...they would give anything to do so and we have the chance so why aren't we...for that moment do not worry about what it means; if it is too much or too little just celebrate it...take the moment for what it is and cheer them on, hug them, high five them or whatever the celebration is; just be a part of it, all of it...

...in reference to graduation and being a part of a celebration of life...a few days ago i found this clip (posted by someone on FB) and i thought, "WOW", to be so powerful and moving in such little time, in one minute you can sum up what most people cannot do in an entire, book, article, or even a blog ;)...& the source is even better, usually we are used to mr. jim carrey cracking jokes or poking fun, but here in this 1 minute clip he sums it up...i will not give too much away, but he challenges those young minds to push for being in this moment and taking the path not because of fear but because it is something your heart desires, and exploring this concept that you may fail even if you choose the safe route so you might as well LIVE and take the chance on doing what you LOVE...(** a little ironic kind that i am positing this belief and lesson b/c it came from his father & it's father's day;)....

...do these tie in together, you may see it or may not (& there i am yet again blabbing on & on about my convictions)...however if you take nothing, please take this...don't miss your opportunity to celebrate life in all its capacities, and while you are in the the midst of celebrating life, don't forget to take chances...

...to all the father everywhere (no matter how you define it)...wishing you a happy father's day...many blessings to you always...

don't blink...& life will pass you by...

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.” 

(Allen Saunders)

...i probably have written a blog or two about this very topic...life being so precious, making every minute count, realizing what you have in front of you instead of what lies behind you or ahead of you; being in the moment of now...maybe the older i get the more i realize this, i look around and think what happened to last month, or i see my nieces and nephews and cannot believe how much they have grown; or i see people that i have looked up to and how their lives have changed...or just how much my life has changed as i get older...no, i was not sitting at my desk looking out the window at the rain, & started to think about my life and  how i can't remember the days when i did nothing and had not a care in the world, and then i decided to write a blog and subject you all to, "ohh how time flies, and blah, blah..."  nah, well maybe a little;), or maybe it allows you to take a moment and be in your life when everything else is passing you by...

...kenny chesney (yeah yeah i know not everyone is a fan of country) but he actually has 2 songs that refer to this topic...take a moment and just listen...don't blink  or the good stuff  

...i want to take you back...think about what has happened over the course of your lifetime; you were a kid, you played in the hot summer days and did not come in the house until the street lights came on, all the kids in the neighborhood played kickball or bloody murder, life could not get any better than that, and then in a blink of an eye, you are in high school, going to dances, and parties, getting your drivers license, crushing over and over and maybe falling in like, and then you graduate, and move on to college where you are the ruler of your world, no one tells you when to show up to class or how/when you get to hang out with your friends, you wake up when you want to, shower when you want to go, eat what you want to, take naps as often as you want, go to the bar on a Monday or Tuesday just because; it is complete freedom and eventually you realize you have to decide what you want to be when you grow up & graduate; then you move into the real real world, where you have to pay for things you never knew were paid for, and you get a job, maybe a house if you are real big kid, and maybe get married, have some kids, or not, but you are living in this adult world...and all of sudden you stop and think what happened, i was just 12, riding my bike, or going to the prom, or raging it in college....you never stopped moving and life moved with you to bring you to this place, to this point in your life...

...and now the minutes turn into hours, into days, into months, into years & there you are thinking time stops for no one, yesterday was the year 2000 and now it is 2014 (like who ever thought they would see 20??; i remember people saying earth was imploding in the year 2000; i hope no one bet the house on that one;)...no matter how much you want the moment to pass you by or to hold onto it, it is gone before you know it....maybe that is why this topic is one i tend to revisit so often, why i am obsessed with time or rather the idea of the absence of time...if you know me at all i hate time; it puts so many restraints on living (there is also the fact that i am always late;)...to be without time would make moments last indefinitely...the moments that take our breath away, that make us smile, that make us laugh til our bellies hurts, that even make us cry, that humble us, that allow us to believe and hope...the moments that inspire us, the moments that change us and give us a new meaning...moments that will never and could never be replicated even if we tried; that is why we don't want to let them go...however; i know that is not how God intended it, He wanted us to move forward in time, He wanted us to learn, and realize that life can and will get so much better than what we already think is the greatest moment of our lives...He didn't want us to stay in that moment because if we did, then we would be stuck and nothing would ever grow, & there we would be, just seeds in the ground rather than a tree with branches...we often forget the moments that are no longer there actually provide the solid base for the branches to grow and leaves to change...

...so BE in every moment, stop and SMELL the smells surround you, SEE all that you can see, TAKE in all that your memory can hold, LOVE beyond your hearts capacity, BELIEVE in not just the possibilities, but the impossibilities...do it all and don't wait because before you know it there will be no more time to wait...

happy mother's day...a little shout out...

...the saying is God knew he couldn't be every where so that is why He made moms...

...whether you think that or not...i believe God did send me my mom, God always sends angels to those that He loves & if my mom is any indication of how much I am loved, then I am over the moon and back and beyond loved...

if you actually think about it, moms take on a roll with many thankless days; on days where they get sh*t on, (literally and metaphorically); & they are the only ones there to clean it up, usually ;)...where they do the  background work and then sit back & watch it unfold...where they love so much they know when to hold on and when to let go...where they believe in your dreams  and more importantly just believe in you...

...they wipe our tears, hold our hands, laugh with us, cry with us, they teach us about life and help us to grow...they show us how to be strong and to live by faith...they do without knowing...and without expecting...

...so today and hopefully everyday give your mama a hug and tell her you love her and then look up to the sky and thank God for the angel he brought into your life...

happy mother's day to all moms :)

serendipity...what does that actually mean...do we really know...

...we know how to define, serendipity, by what others have come up with in regard to this word that actually when you look it up; it makes you more intrigued, it makes you smile because you want to know why it happens or when it happens...

some say that serendipity is "fortuitous happiness" or a "pleasant surprise"...it is noun, that is described as..."finding something without looking for it..."..."an unexpected meeting that changed your life..." ...and the list goes on...it boils down to an occurrence in ones life that ends up being a good thing; or a random happening that ends up being a great story or a happy ending...it can be defined as happiness occurring without expecting it but relishing in the effect that it happened to you; probably at a time when you needed it the most...

...this weekend as i drove down the road...a thought occurred to me; at that very moment that i drove the road; so many events were happening at that very same moment...not all of them great but they were happening...i guess it is the occurrence of life...the one that i seemed to be forever in my mind were hospital moments...mainly because if you think about it, they are the happiest and saddest places to be in...your life is/could be turned upside down and then the very next moment you are on top of the world...people say their good-byes, people hear some of the worst news of their life; people think at certain points that their life will not go on pass that moment in the hospital...but at those same exact moments, people often hear the greatest news of their life; babies are born, people are saved, miracles happen, & life continues to move on...

...the correlation between a hospital and a serendipitous moment, maybe none or maybe the greatest serendipitous moments ever...a pleasant surprise, when someone pulls through, or the words you never thought would be uttered, are, "you are cured..." fall upon your ears, or "..it's a girl or it's a boy, or BOTH... & everyone is healthy..." or even the hardest of words of all, "i love & will miss you; but i will forever be with you..." & at that very exact moment as your perfect person takes their last breath, a warm beam of sunshine comes through the window and you know that this is their way & God's way of saying, ..."life will go on & i'm ok..."  ...hmmmm....

a serendipity moment, what if all moments were just that...what if everything in life was fortuitous happiness...i know we have those moments when life just wants to kick us & then slams the door on us; but why hold on to those moments when the very next moment you could be experiencing could be a pleasant surprise...just sayin'...might as well enjoy...

--> a little clip from a movie that happens to be titled, Serendipity...  & you should also visit the actual Serendipity in NYC, check it (225 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022)  FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE = YUM!--> the meaning has to be good if it has its own film & coffee/chocolate shop!  

side note...Happy Easter...Christ is Risen...may all the blessings of this Easter season find you and yours today and always...

who says what is 'normal'...be brave...hold someone's hand...

**this one is a three fold blog {& a bonus}; maybe to make up for my lack of blogging; or rather i find a common strand in these stories...it's all about perspective right...**

1~..."what makes us normal is knowing that we're not normal.” 

(Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood)

...i read this story of a teacher being approached by one of her young students; this student struggled in school, and some times got made fun of; but his heart was joyful; and his personality out shined most kids...so one day the teacher was helping the kid and the kid stopped and looked her straight in the eye and said, "...i don't think i will ever be normal..." and she stared at the young student, who was waiting with eagerness for her (who in her mind was far from normal) to provide him with a profound answer...and she paused thinking what could be the best way to ease his mind, so he could see himself as 'normal'...and she thought...

...who defines normal -- according to sources (i googled it), normal = "usual or ordinary; not strange or mentally and physically healthy"...well that is the technical definition & if you google the image of normal, you will see what looks to be the bell curve...can you really define normal, yes the technical definition but really think about it; b/c what i see and experience as normal may be totally different than what you see/experience...and in fact, i think the more you want to define normal the further from normal you are...normal is what YOU define it is; and allowing someone else to define THEIR normal...normal for me is being the best of you and functioning the best way you can in your world...if it is up to me i would rather be NOT normal that way i know i am the opposite of ordinary or that i am a little unusual (if you met me i totally fall into that one); it makes what i call my LIFE that much more interesting...

...the teacher thought again & she stared at him, his hopeful eyes and said, "who defines normal anyways...be the best you can be, and don't worry about being like everyone else...you are special because you are you"...now she knew as she spoke these words, this student probably may not grasp completely the concept of what she was saying...& it wouldn't take his everyday fight with school subjects or bullies away; but she hoped that one day he might realize that his normal is the best kind of normal...& the rest is just details...

2~“... what you think is right isn't the same as knowing what is right.”  

(E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly)

....my junior high years are a blur, i know i wasn't a very kind person and i thought i was better than most...not so proud to admit that...i know they helped form me into what i wanted to be as a human and not to be (i know profound thought; but seriously i was not nice; prefer not to repeat)...i also learned an amazing lesson; i would like to say it came from a teacher's lecture but rather their classroom...as students we probably stare more often at was is on the wall rather than what we are supposed to be focusing on; & this stare provided me with one of my greatest lessons...it hung right above my teacher's desk. a poster ~"...what is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular"...a difficult concept to grasp & to hold on to and to actually apply to when you are that young; but it holds so much meaning...i don't feel like this one needs an explanation or how it applies; for it has applied and still applies to my life...so before your next move, stop and think...

3~...“Courage is found in unlikely places.”
(J.R.R. Tolkien)

...Hold a Hand...  ...if you clicked on this link...you would have read about a young girl who was in accident with a school bus...first let me say, by the grace of God, she is ok and recovering and luckily everyone else is ok...now let me tell you about the gentleman mentioned in this story...that morning he was taking his mom to work and normally his mom goes a different way but for some reason, call it divine intervention, he drove her that way to work...and when they came up on the accident...he saw what was happening and left his car and ran up to the car...now i don't know the words that were exchanged but all i know is he took the girl's hand and held it until the ambulance showed up...he was her calm, hopefully a sense of peace for that girl who was probably so scared...God sometimes needs a little help, so he sends us angels to us in human form & i have to say on this morning...my big brother, tony, was an angel to this girl, and he just held a hand... :)

Bonus...~“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”  

(Nelson Mandela)

...i think this song; brings full circle this blog...so no matter what; be the best YOU normally or abnormally can be ;) and while your doing it; show LIFE how you can be brave...

...the stage is set...but how long will this last...

“The world is quiet here.”

--Lemony Snicket-- 

...people are scattered here and there; some have there books out and are deeply attached; others have joined new and old friends for various reasons, chatting and laughing away & there you sit in your world...maybe a tune playing through your head; maybe just the noise of the room swirling in your head...& then you realize the stage is set for you to have a moment, ALL FOR YOU...a smile immediately joins your face ...and a cup of coffee warms your heart & words fill the page...& all you have is that and peace sets in...

...do you think we actually realize when the stage is set for a moment of peace, of serenity???...do our moments appear to be alike or as each of us are they different...they are where nothing is actually happening but it is as if it still fills our soul with peace, it calms the spirit and brings joy to our life...do we actually realize that it is happening??...if/when we do realize it is happening; what do we actually do with it???...do you bask in it?; do you hold on to it & wish for it to last one moment longer???...or do we just brush it off as just another moment...the biggest difference in regard to these MOMENTS...is that you can pin point the moment where clarity sets in...where life doesn't appear to be so busy that it is closing in on you...where you can just take a deep breath...where time does not exist...where it just is that...

...so as you take a sip & play with the pages in your notebook; you realize, WOW, a moment all for me; a blessing; some times when most needed, & often times just cause you stopped...& just as soon as it came into your life...the moment is gone, you look at the time, your phone rings, people shuffle around and you snap back into life & its gone...so, until next time, & the stage will be???

the question was asked...what would you leave behind?

“the greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively”  (Bob Marley)

one of  my first weeks of  school one of my students asked me if I could leave anything in this world what would it be...& as i stared at this young student i realized that she didn't want a B.S. answer; she really wanted to know what i would want to leave behind...so I thought for a moment...and then I responded with the best response i could think of...& my answer was this --...i want to leave this world a little bit better than when i came into it...

...now i am no mother teresa (try other side of the spectrum), most days i struggle just like everyone else; i know that i am probably not going to find a cure for cancer or some other life-threatening disease (even though that will be one of my biggest prayers); i am not going to be the next andy warhol, or the next whitney houston; or the next serena williams, or the next nicholas sparks, in fact when that moment comes and i am no longer; majority of people will not even recognize my name or remember what i did or who i was & that is totally ok; however i think that for me as long as i brought a little sunshine & a little positivity than i will have accomplished the goal of leaving this world a little better off than before...& maybe that is where most of my blogs come from; the last post i wrote was trying to put yourself in someone else's shoes before being quick to judge or killing someone with kindness instead joining in the negativity...maybe its the little things that allow for us to leave a mark of positivity...that allows for the world to be a different place than when we first came into it...

...so each day my goal...is to smile at the stranger who walks on by; to listen to a student who wants to tell me about their stressful life; to remember to say please and thank you not because i have to but because it goes a long way; to give a hug to someone who needs it; to make a phone call to a friend who i haven't talked to in awhile just to say hi; to say a prayer for someone (who i may not even know) who might at that very moment just need it; to take a deep breath, let go before losing my cool; to send a note of thanks or thinking of you because i can take five minutes; to laugh more often; to take time for me so as to allow time for others; to live in the moment of now rather than freaking out about the future, or regretting the past; to live in the positive because the negativity only takes up space (& nobody got time for that); to not take life so serious because in the end it isn't so much about the destination but rather how we got there; to never miss an opportunity, to hug or hold or say 'i love you'...so each day my goal is to live for the better of this that is all around us, so that the world, that my nieces, nephews, and hopefully one day my kids will be in, will be a little bit better not because i was anything important or moved mountains but because i lived for it to be better...

...one day a teenager asked you;...if you could leave anything to this world what would it be...and you responded???

...maybe you haven't lived until you walked in someone else's shoes...

“whenever you feel like criticizing any one...just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."  (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

...our mothers (maybe fathers) used to say different phrases of all sorts..."don't judge a book by its cover,"    "...money doesn't grow on trees," "don't burn the candle at both ends," "you can't have your cake & eat it too"...& the list can go on and i am sure on & on...and some of them stuck with us and some of them we never thought about after they were spoken...so as you start to wonder, where is she going with this one & are slowly getting ready to hit the close button & stop reading...i am not blogging about all the words of wisdoms we learned as a kid or learning as an adult; i am sure i have already done that...so moving on...

...we all have our stories, we all know our backgrounds, we all know where we came form, we all have our experiences...the reason for this; it is our life; we should know us and who we are and all that comes with it...but here is where we step out of us...have you ever put yourself in someone's shoes...you know when you are sitting at a restaurant and the server is not the greatest, but is trying, instead of getting angry or impatient have you ever thought maybe her life came crashing down before she started her shift, or just maybe the table before you belittled her...or maybe have you ever met that person with a major attitude, and no matter what, they are just never happy; instead of getting 'tude' back do you ever just keep smiling & quietly say a prayer asking for the grace of God to grant them peace & happiness...or maybe you have a better way of how that doctor should do his job, or how that teacher should teach, or how that person should run their business; but do you really know; have you lived their life, been in their shoes...there are a million scenarios, most of which we can all say we have encountered at some point in our life...so here is a new thought or maybe a change in perspective before even going there, or even before you get there...stop, take a breath, and put yourself in their shoes (am i saying there aren't just poopy people out there, no, there is & God help them)...walk a mile, a minute, a second, a day in their shoes and even if you have been there before; just remember when you were in that minute or that moment, you probably wished someone understood where you were coming from...

...take a minute and think; if you had to walk in those shoes...what would you do...

2013 in review...or rather where did it go & where will it lead in 2014...

HAPPY 2014 -- GOOD-BYE 2013...come on do you actually think that this post would be on time...

"...you don't know where you're going unless you know where you've been..."

...let us rewind for a quick sec...in 2013...

...i started my year in Grand Rapids, working for Mary Ann's Chocolates and decided that i would fulfill my dear friends' new year resolutions (don't worry i am not rehashing the story, one time is enough) & go out in to the world of dating; putting my self out there did not work so i ventured into online dating...a date here & there in the midst of all the fun dating, my job status changed and i joined the awesome forces at design design; at the same moment i realized that maybe God was sayin it is time to go back to teaching; so i started searching out and low and behold i found a few; some in GR and then some in Rochester (north of detroit)...and in the mean time one of my on-line dating extravaganzas hits and i land myself a decent guy...so in the mean time of dating this great guy i do not land the job in GR but rather rochester...so i decided to up and move and leave this great guy...& the big move happens, i return to the teaching world and we decide that we are going to make it work, living in two different states...then at the beginning of the school i was blessed with a new niece, ms. sabene (nick & kate's) graced us with her presence a little early but we were so excited to add a new one to the clan...so as i am surviving the school year and adapting to my surroundings; the so called on-line date that turned into the guy i am dating, into my person, decided to ask me to be his wife...and then we celebrated halloween, thanksgiving and christmas and the year came to an end...the buckeyes were ok but didn't win the big ones; my brothers ventured off into starting another restaurant, my sister started a foundation for kids with cancer, i now have 8 beautiful nieces and nephews (i am little partial) & thank God we are happy& healthy; what more could one ask for in a year...(ok so that was a longer recap than i anticipated & that is 5 minutes that you will never get back, my apologies; ohh well what you going to do)...

...as we look to 2014...where shall we go...

let's see as we start the  new year, God has smiled on me and extended  my vacation for two more days ...so no complaints to start  off 2014...and as this year continues we have a baptism  , lots of birthdays, an end to the my first year of teaching & hopefully celebrating a second year of teaching  , i am pretty sure there may be a party a two, hopefully i get to visit a new restaurant, owned by my brothers & then i (which in actuality is still crazy to think about) will be  living with a boy for the rest of my life  or rather i am getting married , the date is set , 11.8.2014 and let the fun begin... 

...so there is a lot of the actual activities   but what do i plan on accomplishing this year for me on a personal note...well for starters, this blog i basically need to get on it or  stop altogether (you can 't live with this suspense and i cannot do that to you ,  it is not right on my end)...so i think a post a week is what i am going to try and hit; i need to read, read, and read & to do lots more it; i miss it,  & it allows for my brain to have a break from reality...i have to finish ms. jane austen, & i have already got some other good book suggestions,  i want to write more, and sew more, and let go more...and just be, & not worry about sh*t that doesn't matter, or is literally the small stuff (trust me i will be definitely be putting this into practice this year, just ask my fiance), and it doesn't mean anything in the great scheme of things, to be more faithful, (as i am putting a lot in to practice, i think i often forget to rely on faith & must practice what i preach and what i know)...& of course my dear friends left me with some other 2014 resolutions (which they have a pretty good track record so we might as well listen to them)...so as we kick  off the year (& ohh, i forgot one, my a*# and hips maybe shall shrink in 2014 and my overall health will improve, but don't we all want that & world peace too); here is wishing to a happy & blessed 2014 to you and yours...

(**disclaimer, this may sound like 2013, but why recreate the wheel, just keep working at it until maybe one day, one year  i will  check it off...)

"...for i know the plans i have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future." (jer. 29:11)