Pursuing the Dream

I have been off the blogosphere and I miss all of you. I am glad to be back and want to share with you what I have been up to. I finally finished the book that I had been writing about my mother called In Memory Of a Saint: Lessons from My Mother that I Didn't Pay Attention to Until She Died. As you know, I have written many posts about her and as a result, I wanted to capture her spirit in a book.

The journey has been marvelous as I have been able to put into practice what I preach which is to strive for your goal and to go for your dreams no matter what. I also had the opportunity to take part this summer in Jack Canfield's Breakthrough to Success Training and was able to be among others dreamers.

Today, I hope all of you are pursuing your dreams with passion!

Empty “Sorries”

Lately the news has been filled with stories about politicians, celebrities, and athletes apologizing for bad behavior or inappropriate comments. It occurred to me that these apologies are empty. The truth is more likely than not, they are sorry they were caught, or sorry that other people didn’t like what they did. These weak apologies are often followed by even weaker excuses for bad behavior. Just once, I would like people to stand behind their bad behavior and not give out an empty sorry.

As a child, I learned this lesson from my mother. She would never accept just sorry as an apology. She would ask the question, “What are you sorry for?” When the question is posed in that manner the truth really comes out. Usually I was sorry that I was caught at whatever I was supposed to be apologizing for but I really wasn’t sorry for what I said or did.

This childhood lesson has really helped me as an adult. A sincere apology comes from the heart. The feeling of remorse and the sense that you caused true emotional pain to another person affects your spirit. When you apologize you should mean it from the core of your being or don’t bother to offer it. Sorry really is the hardest word.

Never ruin an apology with an excuse. ~Kimberly Johnson

In Memory Of a Saint II

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there! This holiday celebrates the spirit of motherhood. As someone who believed that she had the best mom in the world, I honor her memory today. This is my way to say thank you to her even though she is no longer living and to give testimony to her courage and character as my mom.

In my mother’s imperfection lay her perfection, for all that she was and what she instilled in us to be. She never shied away from taking a risk, from going forward, for choosing to fail at something, and she did it with gusto.

You see the greater good was that she showed us by her example to be fearless. To go after what we wanted and if we didn’t succeed to try again. Yes, my mother was amazing and I thank her for her courageous spirit and a life full of joy!

In Memoriam

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend in the America. Traditionally this day of remembrance is for those who have died in our nation's service. Yet, today the Memorial Day weekend is better known for kicking off the busy summer season.

This weekend many of us will visit cemeteries honoring our dead. You will see many families placing flowers and other remembrances on all their loved ones graves. But this year it got me to thinking about all who sacrificed their lives for the country.

In these uncertain economic times, I want to take a moment to say thank you to our men and women who serve our country. This is a time when it doesn’t matter whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, if you swing left or right, to know that those who serve are truly special.

So as you take off this weekend to play, have fun, and eat great barbecue- - take a moment and say a prayer for those who live to fight another day. Peace.

It is the Soldier
Father Dennis Edward O'Brien
United States Marine Corps

It is the Soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us freedom to demonstrate.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag,

and whose coffin is draped by the flag.

Go Red

Today is "Go Red For Women Day" which is sponsored by the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the number one killer and ailment for the women in my family so this is very personal for me. The average person can not recognize the signs of a heart attack or how to maintain a healthy heart. Visit http://goredforwomen.org/ and

take the heart check up.

Peace

One More Day

I read Mitch Albom’s book "For One More Day" recently. Then I watched Oprah and she had an emotionally charged episode about if we could have just one more day and it got me to thinking. If I could spend just one more day with someone, who would it be? Hmmmm.

When we knew my mother was dying, she had been ill for a while, I said to my sister that I wasn’t ready for her to die yet. My sister said, “When would you be ready,” and I told her that “I would tell God when I was ready.” Well she laughed and said, “So you are trying to micromanage God.” And I said yes!

Isn’t odd that most of us want to micromanage the Universe and to control what will happen and when. I suppose we all want that one more day to say the extra I love you or a heartfelt I’m sorry.

For one more day, I would love to tell all the people that I loved or who touched my spirit for a moment, what a great impact they had in my life and their life on earth mattered.

World Aids Day

Today is World Aids Day. This is a day to celebrate life and hope for all of those living and surviving with this disease. It is also a day of reflection. A day to remember all of those who light was extinguished from this world way too soon.

This day is personal for me. My favorite sibling, my big brother who I loved dearly and hero worshipped, is one of those who left this earth way too soon. He, I think more so than my parents, helped shaped the person I was meant to be. His caring spirit for those less fortunate in the world, his love of education and learning, his sage advice (which too my regret I often ignored) and his ability not to prejudge others is a model I now try to emulate.

If the spirit moves you, please give to one of the many charities working tirelessly to eradicate Aids and to help those living with the disease.

http://joinred.com/

http://www.clintonfoundation.org/cf-pgm-hs-ai-home.htm
http://www.aidsaction.org/

As you go about your day try to do something for someone that will matter.

Healing the Broken Spirit

You know when we have been hurt by others or have been victimized in a situation; it is often so hard to rebound. First off, breathe! Whatever the situation, in this great world that we live in, you are not alone. Right now on the planet there are approximately 6,628,238,381inhabitants. Trust me, you are not in this universe alone, and your situation, no matter, what you may think is not unique. Somewhere, someone has had similar experience

People ask all the time, how you get through. There is really no easy answer. My sister would often tell me that we have tears that are unshed stuffed all the way down to our kneecaps. Hmm…

They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Yeah that might sound fine but how do you get through the rough patch. For me, prayer is the answer, for others, meditation, and for some pure anger. The point is not to run away from the feeling but to feel it intensely and then work through it. Yeah, I know, it sounds easier said than done. But get angry, cry the messy tears, talk it out… just do something. When we take action, it moves us through a situation. Don’t stop to analyze whether the action is right or wrong.
Take action and remember that in every situation there is a lesson to be learned.

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5)