It’s been a long time

Greetings, my loyal few,

It’s been such a long time since I’ve been on here and had the motivation to write you all. What can I say? Virginia Beach has turned out to be not so adventurous. The fabulous life I always thought I was born to live has turned into the suburban norm.

Nonsense, this just can’t be what I am to become.

Well since we last spoke, I’ve epublished a short story, moved in with a friend, developed a few unattainable crushes, gotten a promotion at work, been a cancer-fighting sidekick, and had a few cavities (I’m just that sweet).

So, what have you been up to? What are your New Year’s resolutions? Mine, to seek out more adventure and make at least 50 recipes from the numerous cookbooks I owe. Gotta hold me to it.

Until then friends, check out my story: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/oneshorething. It’s also available on Barnes and Noble and iTunes. And, please, feel free to buy it. If I sell 100 copies I get a trip to Disney World. Not at all. But selling that many would be really cool.

Beauty in ashes

Life is full of disappointment. The older I get, the more I am learning this.

At sixteen, I learned that things don’t always turn out OK. At 19, missing the Summer B-Bash and my first and only chance to see Ricky Martin shake his bon-bon (oh, wait that song wasn’t even out yet, I don’t think), I learned that  I wouldn’t always get what I wanted. At 25, I learned all is never fair in love or war. At 30, I realized good things don’t last forever. At 3 … —perhaps I should stop aging myself.

The thing is, life is full of disappointments. I used to think they were all about God punishing me for some known and unknown sin I’d forgotten to repent for. I’d waste my time in so many attempts to be 100 percent good and drown in self-loathing each time I succeeded in failing. Nevertheless, the bad times would come.

But as cliched as it sounds (and as cliched as that is), you just can’t have good without bad. I wouldn’t know who my true friends were if I hadn’t been abandoned and betrayed by those who weren’t. I’ve learned to appreciate what I have after losing what I had. The sweet sound of encouragement resonates that much more after the slap of cruelty.

Taken from Joanna Lueck's blog

As much as we want to receive beauty for ashes (one of my favorite Crystal Lewis songs), sometimes the beauty is in the ashes. One of the best books I’ve ever read was The Kite Runner. It took me a good three years to read the book; I cried almost every minute of it. And I couldn’t even bring myself to watch the movie. But the story told in that book—how the words were crafted—was so painfully beautiful to me. That’s just how good literature, movies, art is. The heart-wrenching stuff is what often moves us most. Sunshine is that much special after a storm. And God is in the rain.

Where

It’s a birthday tradition. For almost 32 years now, my mom and I talk on the anniversary of my birth (the actual time and all). And every year, I ask her to tell me the story of when I was born. It hasn’t gotten old yet.

“I remember where I was,” I told one of best friends last night about my memory of where I was in life when one of the most important little girls in my life came into this world. I was at the airport.

Yet,  initially had the wrong airport. I’d thought I was coming home from Panama, but this morning I realize that was another life-changing milestone years prior. I was actually in the airport—exhausted—coming home to Illinois for my little sister’s from my Maynard Institute fellowship in Reno. Nevertheless, another milestone in my life was being marked by one of the best little blessings.

Happy birthday, my sweet little goddaughter!! I love you so much!!

Little by little

Shwiya b shwiya. Throughout her Peace Corps adventures in Morocco, one of my favorite real life sheroes shared with her avid blog readers several Arabic expressions. But this is the one that has stayed with me — and not just because it is the name of her blog. Shwiya b shwiya is a motto, a way of life, a way to success in life.

This evening as I twisted my way into numerous corkscrew spins and launched myself into a fan kick, my talented instructor complimented me on my efforts, letting me know I’ve gotten so much better than I was even just last week. But I have not reached perfection. Yet little by little I am getting there.

Last night taking inventory of all I wish to accomplish, I was actually able to check off several things I have done.

Life is a journey full of successes, big and small. We just have to keep moving along the path, shwiya b shwiya.

Blame it on the rain

I confess. I used to own my very own copy of Milli Vanilli’s “Blame It on the Rain.” But to be fair, it was given to me as a white elephant gift … and years later someone actually bought it from me through Amazon. But before I departed with the CD, I did copy the some of the songs to my laptop. Hey, whoever’s actually singing it, it still sounds good to me.

 

I just might start playing the song this evening thinking back on the week and what has felt like my summer stagnantcy (this could be a word, right?). I blame the rain. Today was probably our first day of complete sunshine in a little while. So, I suppose I’ll pay attention to the weather report tonight. And if there are bright skies ahead, I’ll start making things happen.