Valentine's Day Twist

Here we are, another Valentine's Day coming to a close. Single people rejoice, couples either loved it and showered one another with gifts or were indifferent to the oft called "Hallmark" holiday. This is one of those holidays that people love to hate, or they just plain love.

Here's my two cents on it. Like any other holiday, be it Mother's Day, Thanksgiving or even Christmas, Valentine's is just a day set apart to give us another opportunity to let the ones we love know that we love them. In the busyness of every day life, we often overlook the little things that let our partners know how incredibly special they really are, and how much they mean to us. It doesn't have to be about lavishing gifts on one another. In fact, it shouldn't be about that. This is a chance to show your love and appreciation and more oft than not, it's acts of service and kindness that get this message across best. Think about it. At Christmas, what is the thing that makes you and those around you feel the Spirit of Christmas? Is it really the buying and giving of material goods, or is it instead the sharing of time with one another, or reaching out to the less fortunate, giving, without being asked, of yourself?

It is this girl's humble opinion that we are the ones that have turned Valentine's Day into the commercial hot mess it's become. Don't get me wrong, I love getting flowers as much as the next girl, but honestly, I'd sooner have my husband do something unexpected, like cook dinner with me, or surprise me with a picnic in the park (weather permitting, of course). And here's the thing. These acts of kindness, of service, well, they shouldn't be confined to just this one day. Just as we wish each other "the Spirit of Christmas all through the year" so should we take every chance we have to show our loved ones how much they mean to us on a daily basis.

Consider this: If each of us woke up every morning and asked ourselves "What can I do today to make my partner's life a little easier today? What can I do to make him/her feel special and loved today?" wouldn't our relationships and marriages be stronger, have a better chance at survival in a society that is bombarding us with a message of "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY?"

For those that celebrated today, I hope you had a wonderful day filled with love. For you Anti-Valentine's Day folk, I hope it was an awesome Tuesday. And for everyone, I pray a year filled with small tokens of love daily, those things that you look back on and can't help but smile because you are reminded that that special someone gets you. (Stole the "gets you" from my good friend Monica. Hope you don't mind, Mon!)

Here's to the spirit of Love, every day all year long!



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Family and a Funeral

Late last week my uncle Manuel passed away. He was the beloved husband of my aunt Martha, one of my mom's younger sisters. Devastated for my aunt and cousins, my husband and I flew to Chicago to lend some comfort and support during what had to be a terrible time for them. We were joined in Chicago by three of my cousins, the daughters of another of my mom's sisters. These precious cousins of mine, whom I lovingly refer to as the Sisters Trevi, knew first hand what my Chicago cousins were feeling, as they had lost their mom to cancer in early 2008. Like a warm, soft blanket on a chilly day, we enveloped our Chicago family and poured out our love and prayers on them.

As is the norm when family gathers, the stories of times long past began. My grieving aunt put her own pain aside to share with us stories of her sisters, our moms and aunts, that we'd never heard, and that, for me at least, gave me a whole new, deep respect and awe for the incredible woman I call mom. She told us of how she fell in love and married Manuel. Of not knowing how to cook or iron men's pants when newly married and having to be taught these things by our uncle. She spoke of a time when family meant everything. We laughed, we cried, we laughed some more. We perused old photos, admiring the fashion styles and big beehive hair our moms and aunt sported. We got to know my uncle in a way we didn't know him in life. We laughed, we cried, we laughed some more.

Family and friends came and went over the next few days, some unable to stay for the wake and funeral, others able to stay only long enough to pay their final respects. Each person brought with them a sense of comfort for my aunt and cousins, and I know the family was grateful for them all.

My uncle was buried on a beautifully sunny, unseasonably warm day. God blessed him on the day we said goodbye as much as He'd blessed him all his life. And as my aunt placed white roses on his marker, the family stood strongly around her, and her sisters stood on either side of her, a hand on her arm. These sisters, my mom and aunt, share a bond forged by love stronger than anything I've known. They are pillars of strength, bound together with an enduring love and respect for one another. I see much of who they are in all of their children, and I am grateful to call them all my family.

It is heartbreaking that there comes a time in our lives when the only time we reach out to one another is during times of hardship. Family are those we should surround ourselves with during the good times, as well as the bad. We should make an effort to see one another, not just at weddings and funerals, but whenever God blesses us with a chance to do so. After all, we are very much our families, as our families are us.

My uncle, may he rest in peace, lived a BIG life. He touched many lives and instilled in his own family a moral code and work ethic that is hard to find these days. He loved my aunt passionately, gently, without reservation. He gave the gift of life, donating his liver that another might have a new chance at life. He committed himself to his family and community, and left each for the better. He will be missed. But we all will find comfort in the knowledge that he will live on in the love, talents, and goodwill of his wife, children, and grandchildren.

Funerals are a time of deep sorrow and personal reflection. But this particular funeral, for me, has been a reminder that life is short. A reminder to hold fast to those I love, and to cherish every moment I share with them. I really must remember to tell them how much I love them, and to do it way more often than I have before.

Here's to the ones we love!


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Monet

Monet built a garden. He created it as a place of inspiration for his paintings. It is said he spent his whole life trying to capture, in paint, the light in his garden, particularly as reflected in the pond, amidst the water lilies.

I get this. Behind my house there is a cemetery. And in this cemetery there is a tree. I think of it as my tree. In winter, this tree stands naked, but beautiful. Mostly, I think, because of the way light gets caught in it's branches. I am captivated by this light, this tree. It is a gift and, like Monet, I am fascinated with capturing the light as it evolves in the branches of this tree.

Tonight's work? Pure joy. Each of these was shot through the lens of my iPhone 4's Hipstamatic.











I expect this endeavor will continue, for the light, it is ethereal and everchanging. And I am lost to it.

Here's to Monet and his inspiration!

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Microblog

At the start of this month I launched a new blog. Be not dismayed, it's mostly a microblog. Meaning mini posts. Mostly photos from my iPhone. Occasionally a quote. Primarily, it's a way of communicating without being verbose. A way of documenting the little details of daily life that are often better said with a beautiful image. Or not so beautiful. Guess that depends on the beholder, eh?

Anyway, I find I often don't have a lot to say, but much to express and this new microblog is just that, a way of saying a lot, with few words.

Come drop us a visit, won't you? Sideway Glance. Where the view is usually askew.

Here's to less words!

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Update

So yeah, it's been a nutty year so far. Busy doesn't really describe it, at least not adequately. But I figured I should at least do a quick update. Ready?

• New York was a blast!
• Went to Super Bowl XLV and watched the Green Bay Packers (my husband's favorite team for life, and mine for at least the last 4) win the Championship
• Started a new microblog: Sideway Glance over on tumblr
• Helped my husband launch a new company, Floors Elite
• Signed up for my first 5K race of this year (and likely the first one in almost a year!)
• Am learning to program, in JRuby

Here's to making time for the little things!

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Reconciliation

Last spring I broke up with NYC. I was frustrated and tired and ready to come home.
I didn't know what I was saying when I angrily spouted off that we were "done."

This weekend, I'm making up with my beloved concrete island.
Oh, it'll be a "quickie" for sure, but make no mistake, it will reflect a deep, long-standing love, one that can withstand all the craziness that often comes after a hot day (or four) in the city.

So bring on the snow, the sleet, the ice, the freezing winds. As far as I'm concerned, the weather is merely another in a series of beautiful backdrops for what will inevitably be a magical time.

Here's to a frosty Big Apple!

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Date with the Pavement

Strapped on my sneakers today. Bundled up, fired up my 'Dance Central' playlist, leashed the dog, and hit the pavement. Braced myself for a disappointing run, since I hadn't run since late November. Surprised myself. A good day. A great run.

Here's to hitting the pavement, again!

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