Surprise: Family and Friends are More Important than Money

Autumn may not have its official start until September 23, but Eastern Pennsylvania had a gorgeous start to the fall season this weekend. Crisp, cool temperatures and light breezes made this weekend perfect sweater weather, providing us all with a great break from the summer heat.
I took advantage of the beautiful day by playing outside in our yard with my 16-month-old son, Sebastian. It was so funny watching him climb up the ladder on his tiny plastic jungle gym and quickly glide down the slide face first, time and time again. When he'd tumble into the grass, our Husky puppy, Laika, would run over and nuzzle her nose into his belly, causing him to break into laughter that was nothing short of contagious.
And so this is life, and these are the moments I live for. The simple pleasures of hearing my son's laughter and watching him tumble to the ground, only to rush back to his feet and take off again. That is happiness.
Sure, it would be wonderful to have an endless amount of money, to travel the world, to go on frequent shopping sprees. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what countries you've been to, if your kitchen is decked in vinyl or marble, or how many pairs of shoes you own. At the end of the day, what matters is your family, your friends, and the joy that you bring to one another.
People often say that you need to enjoy every moment you're blessed with, because you never know when you're going to take your last breath. However, some think that enjoying your life is strictly about you, but I don't think that's the case at all.
If my time on Earth came to and end tomorrow, it wouldn't matter if I had the chance to go sky diving or visit Paris. What would matter is what I left behind.
Would my husband know how much I loved him? Would my son be filled with fond memories to last him a lifetime? Would my friends remember me as the one they could call for anything, day or night?
So as you go on living your life, remember to enjoy the little things: your child's high-pitched laughter, your grandmother's Thanksgiving pumpkin roll, your spouse's knowing just when to say something corny to make you laugh. And remember to give. Give precious moments to those around you, for that's what you will leave behind when your gone.

If You Judge Everyone, You'll Love No One

Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances. ~Wayne W. Dyer

The tragic events that occured on September 11, 2001 changed the United States and the world drastically. Not only did Americans come together and develop a tremendous amount of patriotism, but many also formed an overwhelming distrust and, for some, hatred toward Muslims.
Ten years later, I was sitting next to my grandfather watching TV specials about the anniversary of 9/11. I was shocked when he started talking about Muslims ruining our country and how we shouldn't allow them to continue coming into the U.S.
So many thoughts began to flood my mind... "Does he even realize that Muslims are believers in Islam; that they're not a nationality?" "Are people really still thinking this way 10 years later?" "Why doesn't he realize that he's being prejudice and steretyping?"
On September 11, a group of Muslims did attack the U.S. A group of Muslims; not every Muslim on the face of the planet. However, if we throw every Muslim under the heading "Terrorists," we must do the same with every person or group of people who have ever done something terrible.
Prior to the Civil War, many American plantation owners were also the owners of African American slaves. Does this mean that all caucasions are racist toward African Americans?
Adolf Hitler, an Austrian-born German, ordered the deaths of an estimated 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. Does this mean all Austrian-born Germans are also murderers of Jews?
Thirty two people were murdered on April 16, 2007 by Seung-Hui Cho at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Cho was a 23-year-old South Korean native. Does this mean that all South Korean's plan to massacre college students?
On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh, a U.S. Army veteran, detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. The bomb killed 167 people and injured more than 650 others. That must mean that all U.S. Army veterans are also murderers, right?
It doesn't feel good when the finger is pointed back at you, does it? Especially when you're an innocent citizen, associated with something tragic simply because you are the same religion as a terrorist or same ethnicity as a mass murder.
There is so much hatred in this world, and if we sit down and start hating other groups of people because of the events committed by a single person associated with them, who will we love? Our mothers? But mothers in this world have killed their children. Our children? Every person who has ever done something awful was someone's child.
When are we going to open our eyes and see that anger and hatred amounts to nothing more than anger and hatred? We need to love each other for who they are, instead of hating them for who someone else was. We need to stop assuming that all Muslims are terrorists; that all caucasians are racists; that all Germans are anti-Semitics.
We need to unite as one and realize that we are all human beings, therefore making us one, yet we are all individuals, thus setting us a part.

If you judge people you have no time to love them. ~Mother Teresa

Need a Minute to Yourself? Stop and Let Me Through!

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. ~Dr. Seuss

Have you ever been stopped in traffic, waiting for a long line of cars to pass so you can turn left? I was sitting behind a car today on my way home from work that had its blinker on, waiting to turn left into a gas station. Less than 50 feet behind me was a traffic light, which just so happened to be red at the time. Meanwhile, every car that was headed toward that light just kept on driving; no one would stop and allow the car in front of me to make its turn into the gas station.
Were they all in that much of a hurry to drive 30 feet just so they could step on their brakes and sit for two minutes at a red light? If they all knew they were going to have to wait anyway, why couldn't one person stop, wave their hand or flash their lights, and take less than 30 seconds to allow the car in front of them to make its turn?
After the light behind me had turned green, the car in front of me was able to turn left once their was a break in oncoming traffic. As I drove away, I got to thinking about how much everyone rushes through things, many times to get nowhere. Meanwhile, do we stop to think about those we pass by? Do we really think about all of the things that we--and others--may be missing out on, simply because we're in a hurry to get to the grocery store and pick up a gallon of milk?
As I headed over the bridge down the street from my house, I noticed that my gas gauge was on 'E.' And I thought, "What if the person in front of me, waiting patiently to turn, was also on 'E?' What if their car was running on fumes, ready to stall at any moment? Perhaps it wasn't, but what if it were? What if the people who passed that car were in that situation? Wouldn't they want someone to stop and allow them to turn?
From this one minute situation I was in while sitting behind a stopped car, I thought of two things: how we all rush through life without slowing down to enjoy it, and how we're all too busy thinking of ourselves to stop and consider the situation of another.
Wouldn't life be so much better for everyone if we all stopped rushing and took the time to notice the flower growing in the crack on the sidewalk? To gaze up at the sky and search for pictures in the clouds? To realize that we are not the only ones who have deadlines to meet and groceries to get?
So let's slow down and enjoy the moment. Let's be thankful when we have to stop at a red light; aren't we always complaining that we want a minute to ourselves?
And let's think of others before ourselves. If you don't think of me when I'm in need, then who's going to be there for you when you need someone?

What Do You do for YOU?

"I can't see you... I'm losing my vision."
Those were the panicked words that a friend of mine, Marisa, managed to stutter one day while I was visiting with her. Knowing that she is a victim of Stargardt's Disease, I was immediately worried, and my heart was breaking. I knew this meant that Marisa could be going blind.
After visiting with the doctor, Marisa was informed that she may have had a mini stroke. The doctor asked her if she was under any stress and Marisa answered honestly; she was under a tremendous amount of stress.
Marisa told me about her visit a few days later and said, "My doctor told me that I need to take an hour every day to do something for me, even if it's simply taking a walk."
I agreed, "Well you have to, Marisa."
She asked, "What do you do for you?"
My response? "...Nothing."
Nothing. Isn't that what many of us do for ourselves? We get up and get ready for work; get the kids dressed and take them to the sitter or send them to school; spill our coffee on ourselves as we speed to the office; put our eight hours (sometimes more) in; pick up the kids; cook dinner; wash the dishes; do the laundry; walk the dog; take out the trash; give the kids a bath; clean the house...
So when do we really have the time to take an hour out of our busy schedules for ourselves? It may seem like we don't, but we do; we just don't allow ourselves to sit down for an hour and read a book or take a drive in the country.
There are 24 hours in a day, and we all seem to shove as many things as we can into them, without any regards to ourselves. But one day it all catches up with us, doesn't it?
For Marisa, her wake up call was having a possible stroke. Now, Marisa goes to the gym for an hour a day and accomplishes so much: she relieves stress, renews her energy level, and feels good mentally, emotionally and physically. For others, wake up calls come to too late, when they're 80 years old and realize that they spent all of their time making a life for themselves that they forgot to enjoy their family and friends, the beauty of a sunset, the smell of baked apple pie.
So rather than rushing through everything and planning meeting on top of errand on top of chore, we need to slow down, relax, and yes, "smell the roses." If we can stay at work for an extra three or four hours, surely we can find an hour a day to sit on the porch and drink tea or go for a walk at the park.
So what do I do for me? Recently, lots of things. I realized that life is for living, and to live, you must love. So I am doing all of the things I love to do, sometimes for more than an hour a day.
I come home from work and crawl around on the floor with my 16-month-old son. I hop in bed and read a good book or do logic puzzles. I watch movies and drink homemade strawberry smoothies with my husband. I drink wine with my girlfriends. I write. I love. I live.
Today in particular, I took an hour to myself and had my first massage. And believe me when I say, it was amazing. Hot towels; a soft, warm bed; candle light; quiet music... Incredibly relaxing. How nice it would be to indulge in a massage every day for an hour!

Hibernation is Over... I'm Back!

I've loved writing since I can remember. Writing is in my soul and I enjoy sharing my words with others. Recently however, that part of me has gone into hibernation.
Between work, chasing my 16-month-old son around, walking the dog, cooking dinner, switching laundry (all working parents know I could go on forever)... I haven't been able to find the time to sit down and do what I love to do: write.
But the wait is over, and the writer within me is emerging from her long winter's nap! So please accept my apologies for not writing in months and join me once again at 56 Sarah Street, where I promise to give you "Something to Relate To!"
PS: I finally submitted one of my poems for publication! :)

Baby-murdering "doctor" "cared" for patients

There's a "doctor" who performed various abortions during pregnancies in their 6th, 7th, & 8th months. They were all partial births. For those of you who don't know what that really means, look it up, only if you have a strong stomach and are able to hold back tears. I'd rather not get into details, because I have already cried over this sick and heartbreaking news.
When it came on TV, I was playing with my beautiful, 8 month old son, who was born six weeks early, during my 7th month of pregnancy. I cried like a baby.
I have no problem admitting that I am against all types of abortions for any reason a person may have. But this story goes beyond wrong. It's absolutely horrifying. And there's no excuse anyone can give that would make me believe for one second that partial birth abortion is not outright murder.
To make things worse--if that's even possible at this point--this sorry excuse for a "man" said that he "treated" these women with the same "care" as he would want given to his daughter! He placed these murdered babies in plastic bags! He let a woman die! To say that he'd want his daughter treated this way is just sick!
This waste of space, this "man" who refers to himself as a doctor, is nothing but a sick, twisted murderer; an absolute waste of human life, as far as I'm concerned.

Beauty in Your Own Backyard

Recently, I spent some time admiring the beauty of the Delaware river and the mountains that serve as its background. In that half hour, I felt refreshed and inspired. The time I spent was so peaceful.
I saw puffy, white clouds floating in the same river as the ducks. Hungry fish swam to the surface, creating endless ripples, as if to greet me before swimming away. A family with two small children sat quietly in a raft, just floating along and taking in the scenery. A man played fetch with his black lab along the grassy shore, where they both collapsed together, showing their affection for eachother with a backscratch and a nuzzle.
All too often, we rush through life with one eye open, only seeing things we have to. We no longer pay attention to the simple things, that are also the most wonderful. Instead, we speed off to work, forgetting our turn signal, but remembering to blame oncoming traffic for our mistakes. We hurry to the post office, neglecting to hold the door for the lady behind us. We arrive home to our families and go our seperate ways, spending time alone rather than getting to know each other.
Walking along the river, I felt at ease. I was reminded of the simple things in life, and that there still is beauty left in this world. I was inspired to take my time and look around.
There is so much to see in life, and it's all right there in front of us; we just choose to look past it out of habit. Caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, we forget the joys of hearing a baby laugh. We turn our heads from the flap of butterfly wings, not even noticing their beauty. We walk into our very own backyard and no longer realize how amazing the world really is.
Of course we're busy with work, family, soccer games and communtiy events. But if we all took a half hour of our time to enjoy life's pleasures, the world would be an even better place to live.