Morning Glory

When was the last time...

... you did something for the first time?

{ We the People }

'Cause It's Alright

"When you wake up early in the morning

Feelin' sad like so many of us do

Hum a little soul

Make life your goal

And surely something's got to come to you"

                        _The Impressions

{ For Like Ever }

_____________________

Perkins Cove

Ogunquit, Maine. 

I've Got the {Colbalt} Blues

FAIRYtales

{ Roots }

 " I like to see a man proud 

of the place in which he lives. 

I like to see a man live so

that his place will be proud of him. "

                           Abraham Lincoln

by the way...

Count Your Lucky Stars {& Stripes}

{ How to } Have a Good Day

{ Moira Rogers }

The Waiting Place

I've been told that the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else. Better yet, try teaching it to a child. Try breaking down matters of life. Simplifying them for little eager minds to understand. I'm reminded of this constantly by all the questions I'm asked every day (you'd be surprised how many questions a toddler who can barely talk can ask). 'Whats this?' 'Whose that?' and I know its only the beginning of a life full of wonder and curiosity. With endless amounts of knowledge to be taught, where do I begin? What lessons have been important to me? What do I wish to pass on? We teach our children something everyday day, whether we wish to or not. Fortunately, Leo does not have my fear of bugs. yet. (he's quite fond of them, actually). That being said, I know the best way to set a good example is through my behavior, not through my words. And so begins another journey of self discovery.. self improvement. How can I be the best me? And where in the world do I begin? Well, what better place to start than one of my favorite children's books. 

__________

"Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting."

      - Dr. Suess, Oh, the Place You'll Go

__________

Today's lesson - Enjoy life. 

All of it. The good. The bad. The horrible. The beautiful. The days you don't want to wake up, even the night you can't sleep. The inspiring moments. And the not-so-glamorous ones too. Be happy with the ones you have. You'll waste away your days wishing, hoping, waiting for better ones. 

For me, it's being exactly where I am. Striving to be fully present in each moment. Even when Leo is throwing one of his terrible tantrums in the grocery store, remind myself to stay calm.. breath in and out.. offer an apologetic smile to his audience.. pay for my shit.. and leave as quickly as possible. Then give myself a congratulatory hug for having overcome such a horrible experience and know that I've become just a little but braver, a little bit stronger. 

Here's the thing.. Don't wait for a better moment to come. Make each moment better by being happy. Happiness is not the absence of every bad moment, but rather learning to accept and cherish ALL of them. After all, if the bad moments weren't so bad, then the good ones wouldn't be sooo good. 

My Favorite Love Story.

Happy Anniversary to my Love. my Life. my Happy Ever After.

Our story has only just begun

& the best is yet to come...

♥

my kinda kid

{Sunshine} through the pines

                                                             

{John Lennon}

{ beau·ti·ful }

Dawn

"Pretty as a midsummer's morn.."

                 - Four Seasons

Spring Cleansing

Confession: I hate going to the doctors. Even the most simplest routine appointment can make me feel like a 3 year old awaiting a finger prick. It's pathetic, really. But (finally) something positive came out of a visit yesterday. I was flipping through an old Oprah magazine as I anxiously awaited the nurse to call my name when something sparked my interest: A '28-day Plan to Renew Your Mind Body & Soul' by the one & only, Dr. Oz. (I'll bashfully admit, I kinda worship the guy) where was I.. hmm, I suppose I could use a little spring cleansing. So, I started scanning the pages and found Day 4: Forgive Someone. Sure, we've all heard the stats on how this practice can make you happier and healthier, but just for good measure let's hear what the Doc has to say about it; "Studies show that forgiveness can lower blood pressure and heart rate and reduce depression, anxiety, and anger." Yes - more of the same, dare I say, blah blah blah's that I already know I should do but somehow always opt not to.. until it happened.. I read the following sentence and my Ah-Ha moment occurred; "I think Oprah articulated the secret to releasing grudges when she said, 'Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past can be changed.'" Ah-Ha! Of course! How simple! Then, like all inspirational quotes, it was over.. now it is up to me to take action; to make an effort to really forgive someone. The only question then, is - who will I choose? We've all had people in our past who have hurt us, and though I don't have a friendship with the person I've chosen, nor do I plan on having one, I wanted to forgive them for me.. for me to be happier (and sure, I suppose to lower my blood pressure). Here's the thing - what happened was horrible, sad and very hurtful.. but it did happen and now it's over. However, because I'm especially stubborn and like to torture myself, I've carried all these negative feelings with me long after, while my culprit is walking around, living their life, unscathed. But Me? By not letting go of hope that the past can be changed, I relive what happened every time I think about it. So, who is being punished here for what happened? Me..? Why not forgive them for my sake? For my sanity? As I talk this through I realize what an extraordinary effort this will take me.. but if it was that simple to renew your mind, body & soul, well I guess there wouldn't need to be an article about it and I wouldn't need to post about it to inspire someone else. It would just happen and our lives would be better having done it. We do not have control over what happens to us, only how we react to it. Life is not simple, but I like to think that broken hearts and scraped knees build character. And emerging peaceful from each experience adds richness and thoughtfulness into our lives. If you take nothing else from this post, let it be this:

life is too short to be anything but

I choose happiness.