Month: December 2017

Today I thought of the word “intentions” to replace the often misused word “resolutions”.  I know that as we approach the end of the year, any year, we all reflect back on the year that is ending and think of all the ways to make our lives better.  Some of us will continue with the usual intention of losing weight, going to the gym, saving money and so on.

As the New Year is approaching let us think of “intentions” that can make our lives truly better.  For example, think back on how many days in a year we waste doing something we don’t want to.  I am not referring to work as we need to make a living and pay our bills.  I am talking about the other hours we are not earning a living.  Think about how many of these hours we spend doing what we truly don’t want to do.  

This year I am thinking of the people in my life.  There are many people who have been in my life that have hurt me deeply.  Some of them are no longer in my everyday life.  Some of them continue to drain my very being.  We always put up with family members because that is how we are raised.  When do we decide that we want to take a stand and do things our way.  Do we often concede to the needs and wants of others without giving thought to ourselves?  Is this because of fear that they will no longer want to be a part of our life?  Probably so.  Sit back for a moment and think about people who have done that and seem to go on with their lives without missing a beat.

Thinking about all this I have some intentions for myself for this new year.  I am going to continue to work hard on myself– on my craft, on my healthy well-being and on my life. My life is going to be a central part of my new year.  I want all of those I love to be happy and will continue to do everything I can to make that happen.  However, I will do that this year without sacrificing my own feelings and my own happiness.  

Let us embrace this new year with new hopes and new dreams, and of course, new goals.  If you do not have goals you cease to be.  But let us also emerge into this new year as a better person who sees the world clearer and understands what makes our heart beat happier and healthier.  When you are a complete person you can only give the world the best of you.  Happy and mostly better New Year to everyone!!!

After the last bite of pumpkin pie is scraped off your plate, you begin the journey to have a perfect Christmas.  The commercials and music have already started but you choose to wait until then to even deal with the ups and downs of the Christmas season.

As the reminders continue around you, you map out your plan for a perfect Christmas.  Is there a perfect Christmas?  What is Christmas?

Christmas for those who follow Christian religions is the celebration of Jesus’ birth. The symbolism of gifts represent the villagers bringing small gifts when visiting Baby Jesus.  Now Christmas means getting that new IPhone or XBox system and making sure that we spend the “right” amount of money on our gifts.  It instead is the season of lists:  what presents do I buy, what cards do I send, and what day am I hosting or cooking.

Some nights I just watch the sappy Hallmark Channel movies that always have a happy ending, that display the perfect Christmas decorations and celebrations, and I still realize that we are not perfect and we should embrace the love and joy we find in our own Christmas.

So it’s December 23rd and I’m wrapping the last of my presents trying to keep that Christmas spirit alive.  Remembering who I am going to share Christmas with, who I am going to miss again this year and reflecting on this year that is almost behind us.  Let us each try to find the joy in our own little Christmas.  Don’t look anywhere else.  Just inside your heart and see and feel what is truly around you.  As the card says, feel the joy and love each other.  Soon the New Year will be hear and we can start all over with our new hopes and dreams.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and joy to all of you.  May the new year bring us closer to who we truly want to be.

Over the past few years we have lost many musical icons and stars that we grew up with in the 1960s and 1970s.  Their deaths make us reflect on our memories and our own mortality as well as we feel them leaving us younger and younger.  

About a year ago we lost Glen Frey, the heart of the Eagles band, who continues to touch music lovers today.  We had to hear about David Bowie and Prince after many of us had still not recuperated from the passing of our Michael Jackson,  

Just this month we heard of the passing of our musical “teen idol” and prince of our childhoods, David Cassidy.  I was lucky enough to see him twice in the last few years.  About 5 years ago I saw him at BB Kings in New York City (see pictures) and belted out every song with him along with my starstruck friends.  Just this year, however, I got to see him for his last performance there.  It left most of us saddened to see this disease that took over his life, but at the same time overjoyed to be sharing these last moments of music with him.  A night at BB Kings to always be remembered. 

Like many young girls, I gently cut out his picture from Star Magazine and placed it under my pillow every night.  I could recite the words to every song and knew who they reminded me of.  Even children today hear their parents play it over and over again.  “I Think I Love You’ is a song that will never be erased from our minds. Til we meet again David, I will always cherish you.