Laughing

I am laughing that I posted that article about Letting Go, two times and am JUST REALIZING IT! Haha. I'm a dork, but that obviously resonated with me!

Dad's 70th

This guy turned 70. We celebrated with family and it was a perfect celebration. My dad is a pretty incredible human being. He has lived quite the life. He is a strong and beautiful man. I feel blessed to have been raised by him and still learn important life lessons from him. He's the best.

Cheers to 70 more years!

Jennifer Garner

                             

I have always liked Jennifer Garner.I like the way she presents herself in the public eye. Of course I don't know her, but she was pregnant with her daughter while I was pregnant with Ryan. Her marriage ended the same time/month that mine did- so I actually think of her often.She and I are on the same timeline of these things. Is that weird? Haha.
 I have read her recent interviews about how she's doing and how she's moving on and I have compared it to how I am doing. She's strong and stoic and graceful (at least to the media)- exactly how I want to be.

Last night I saw her movie "Miracle From Heaven." This movie is the true story about a little girl with an incurable disease that miraculously is cured when she falls down a tree head first. I promise I didn't ruin it. It's all in the previews!

I am not religious, but very spiritual. The movie hit home and I felt even more connected to her because of the role she portrayed and the message she helped send. The bottom line is that whether we are religious or not, miracles happen every single day, every single moment. We need to see them as such. People see miracles as these huge unexplained acts or happenings. Yes, there are those. But the message also showed that most miracles are in our every day lives.

Miracles are in the faces of those we love. Miracles are in strangers' acts of kindness. It's easy to see all that is wrong or all that you wish for. If we focus on miracles and recognize them when they occur, our lives are much richer. It has nothing to do with religion or faith, but what is happening to you and around you every single day.

See the movie. It's worth it.  Jennifer and I should meet for a drink one day :)

Women's Weekend

A few years ago, the women in my family started an annual get away. The 5 of us have stayed in Napa (twice),  Bodega Bay, and Sea Ranch.




This is where I meditated- on the property of where we were staying!

And, of course- delicious cocktails and food:)





Each weekend we have is pretty remarkable. It helps that the women in this group are amazing. I feel so blessed to have my family be my friends.

7 Steps to Letting Go and Moving On

The following article was sent by a friend. I find myself reading it a few times a week. It resonates so much. I am putting it here as a gift to Haley and Ryan (and those of you who check in here). I find it full of wisdom. We all have something to let go of and move on from...

You are changing. The universe around you is changing. Just because something was right for you in the past doesn’t mean it still is. This could be a relationship, a job, a home, a habit, etc.

It happens to you slowly as you grow. You discover more about who you are and what you want out of life, and then you realize there are deliberate changes you need to make to keep up with the changes happening around you and within you.

The lifestyle you’ve been living no longer fits. The specific people and routines you’ve known forever no longer align with your values. So you cherish all the memories, but find yourself letting go and moving on.

If you’re currently dealing with this process you may feel a bit awkward, and that’s OK. This feeling is normal. I’ve been right there with you on more occasions than I can count.

The key thing to realize is that holding on is like believing that there’s only a past; letting go and moving on is knowing in your heart that there’s a bright future ahead. Let’s take a look at seven ways to design the latter.

1. Accept the truth and be thankful. – To let go is to be thankful for the experiences that made you laugh, made you cry, and helped you learn and grow. It’s the acceptance of everything you have, everything you once had, and the possibilities that lie ahead. It’s all about finding the strength to embrace life’s changes, to trust your intuition, to learn as you go, to realize that every experience has value, and to continue taking positive steps forward.

2. Distance yourself for a while. – Sometimes you need to take several steps back in order to gain clarity on a situation. The best way to do this is to simply take a break and explore something else for a while. Why? So you can return to where you started and see things with a new set of eyes. And the people there may see you differently too. Returning where you started is entirely different than never leaving.

3. Focus only on what can be changed. – Realize that not everything in life is meant to be modified or perfectly understood. Live, let go, learn what you can and don’t waste energy worrying about the things you can’t change. Focus exclusively on what you can change, and if you can’t change something you don’t like, change the way you think about it. Review your options and then re-frame what you don’t like into a starting point for achieving something better.

4. Claim ownership and full control of your life. – No one else is responsible for you. You are in full control of your life so long as you claim it and own it. Through the grapevine, you may have learned that you should blame your parents, your teachers, your mentors, the education system, the government, etc., but never to blame yourself. Right? It’s never, ever your fault… WRONG! It’s always your fault, because if you want to change, if you want to let go and move on with your life, you’re the only person who can make it happen.

5. Focus inward. – It’s important to make a difference in the world. Yes, it’s important to help people, but you have to start with yourself. If you’re looking outside yourself to find where you fit in or how you can create an impact, stop and look inside yourself instead. Review who you already are, the lifestyle you’re currently living, and what makes you feel alive. Then nurture these things and make positive adjustments until your current life can no longer contain them, forcing you to grow and move beyond your current circumstances.

6. Change the people around you when you must. – Some people come into your life just to strengthen you, so you can move on without them. They are supposed to be part of your memory, not your destiny. The bottom line is that when you have to start compromising your happiness and your potential for the people around you, it’s time to change the people around you. It’s time to join local meet-ups, attend conferences, network online, and find a more supportive tribe.

7. Focus on today. – You can decide right now that negative experiences from your past will not predict your future. Figure out what the next positive step is, no matter how small or difficult, and take it. Ultimately, the only thing you can ever really do is to keep moving forward. There’s no point in denying that things are different now, or being fearful of the next step. Life only moves in one direction – forward.

11

She was born eleven years ago. February 16, 2005 was a day that changed many loves forever!

 Total Charlie Brown cake! She loved it, but it seriously fell apart.

Eleven. Haley Rose is eleven years old. 

Eleven years of that smile.

Eleven years of being a parent.

Eleven years of having a heart outside of me. One who walks and talks and lives.

Eleven years of joy and worry and heartache and thrills and pride like I have NEVER felt before.

Haley, you are wise beyond your mere 11 years. I became a different woman the day you were born.

You make me so proud. You make me a better person. You are intelligent and strong and funny and clumsy and lively.

You are my light, my beautiful daughter. 

Cheers to eleven years!

Everybody Has Shit

Grandpa Irving always used to say this. Honestly, when he would say it, my biggest problem I had ever experienced was my brother's addiction and incarceration. I always thought, "oh, hell yeah I'd take my problems back." Haha. I have always been the person that people come to with their problems. Although I never really had issues myself, I was incredibly empathetic and would lose sleep or feel complete compassion for people.

As life happens, I have realized more and more that EVERYONE has shit and that IS part of life. I look around me and at all the people in my life and am in awe of what people have endured, survived, and are going through. Some things are so extremely tragic. Other things were smaller, but real, obstacles that people had to overcome. But I cannot find one person in my life who has gotten away scott free of real, true, life problems.

And honestly, the saying is so true for me- compared to what some others have lived or are living, I'd take my problems back in a heart beat. 

I have been learning so many lessons that others had to learn so much earlier in life than I had to. I wonder why we experience things in the time of life that we do? I truly wonder. 

Over my years of being there for others, I have been a sounding board, a shoulder to cry on and one who offers words of comfort or advice. It brings me peace to know that the words I have offered to others, words I truly believed in when I said them, have come back to help me in this huge, unexpected life change. Damn! I can find peace in all of this. I can find the calm in the storm. I am learning SO MUCH about my core self and in turn, who I am to my kids and to my friends, and to my family, and to my work community.I was compassionate before. I am even more compassionate now.

...Because EVERYONE has shit. It's part of life. It either makes you or breaks you and no one around me is broken. We all survive. Most of us thrive. 

Life has so many lessons. Realizing that every person has struggles- real challenges- is a huge lesson I want Haley and Ryan to know. 

Life can be unexpected, but you don't have to let it take you out.