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)

    

authors & creators, typewriters & computers...this all means what?? & where do you lie???

“You can make anything by writing.” 
― C.S. Lewis

--yes it has been a hot minute...i know you have been waiting on the edge of your seat waiting to see what i will come up with next...or rather you thank your lucky stars that i have shut it for a few minutes...either way i am back at least for 2 more for 2013...& then who knows for 2014...we shall see what it brings...

...i have written probably not one but several posts about words, stories, pretty much all topics that cover or touch the concept of writing...maybe b/c i love to write if for no purpose than to fill the page & hoping that with all the words i use; one word or one phrase might touch you in a way that helps you to look at the world in a new light or even to bring you a little bit of me, or to provide you a break from life; hopefully at the end of each read, you smile, or you laugh (but most likely i'm sure you shake your head; thinkin where does she come up with this)...either way thank you for reading one, five or all...it makes my heart smile...now for the post (i know i am not done running my mouth or the keyboard)...

where am i going with all of this...you will be glad to know several places...lets first start with your story...i am a big fan of creating your own story; however i always say don't forget the author; what do i mean, God...let him be the author why?; because He already has one of the best stories written just for you...and He wants you to create it, make it come to life;  show the world all of you and what you can do...the key is you have to be willing to see what He has written for you...the outline is set for you; just fill in the rest; make your story, your adventure come to life; so when it comes to the end of the story, you can say thank you for the ride...

...we are the creators of our own story...now how you choose to convey your message is up to you...are  you a computer writer or a would you prefer a typewriter??...hold on a minute, i am going some where...

a typewriter -- remember back in the day when computers were not a household commodity; where you were even lucky if your school had them & computer class was a requirement so you learned how to type...(yes i was part of that era; for those that don't remember; thank God for google; go ahead and google typewriter)...with these typewriters; some were fancy enough that had the backspace key but most of the time you pulled out the white out; waited for it to dry and then went back over it; there was even the times when you might have to retype the same paper several times because there was no amount of white out to fix the hot mess your paper turned into...getting the picture...SO if you choose to create your story on a typewriter then you know that it might not look perfect and you are ok with it; you may have to redo (white out) or start all over; however it is not the end of the world; you learn and fix the 'mistake' and the next time you type it out; it looks that much better...you didn't stop; or give up; you pushed through the mess and made a better version...SO...can you handle creating your story via a typewriter??...

the computer -- when computers came around our lives became a little easier...households all over had 1 per house and i am sure even now some households have 1/person; most public facilities (schools, libraries, etc.) have computers for anyone that needs access to one...in fact most smart phones have the capabilities to function as a computer...so basically when you open up your computer, open up word, and start typing, you can instantly start creating your own story...and when you mess up, you hit delete and the mistake is gone (like i do a million times when writing a post) or you highlight the word and cut it out & the best part of all computers have a cut & paste option; you can move things around; insert where you think it fits best or just cut it out completely...SO...would you rather create your story via a computer??...

...so we get to be the creator of the story that God wrote for us; we get to be the main characters and see how it all plays out...& then you get to write or make the story come to life and share it via a computer or a typewriter; while a computer makes it easy for mistakes to be cut out & not even seen as if they never happened...(& not to mention we probably can share it and write it in half the time it takes to write with a typewriter)...A typewriter leaves the marks that make our story that much more interesting; that allow for us to see the marks that allowed us to get to the finish product...allow us to see where the mistakes led us...& the mistakes that may have looked like a hot mess for the moment & may have appeared that as if we might never finish a part of the story, but in the end it allowed us to make the greatest story ever, the story of US...which is not perfect; where one can witness all the mistakes & joys all blended into one; that is life, that is the story that God wanted us to create...

how will you write your story???

“you can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” 
― Stephen King, On Writing