I never thought there would be anyone who could make me change my ways. As a stubborn Capricorn, I am very stuck in my ways. Many of my statements have started with, "I will never...". Like when I said I will never eat mushrooms, peppers or pickles. Then I met someone who made me want to be...well, different..better. A better friend, a better mother, a better partner, a better person. His expectations of me are high. Not unattainably high. He thinks highly of me and expects me to think highly of myself. He believes in me and supports my ideas, dreams, and even my whims. He is smart, almost as smart as me (sometimes smarter). He sees me for who I really am even when I don't want to. Good or bad, he loves me best when I'm just being me, not who I think he wants me to be. He says me being happy makes him happy. After years of knowing each other, I finally figured out he was the right person for me. He claims to have always known this. Like I said, he's smart :) He's also an amazing father without having children of his own. He has taken on the responsibility of helping me raise my son, who adores him as much as I do. He shares in all of life's responsibilities even when I don't expect him to. When I'm being selfish and pouty, he accepts me for who I am...because he knows I love him and plan to spend the rest of my days with him. He makes me laugh when I don't want to. He makes me cry tears of happiness when I don't expect to. He always puts US first. While achieving his own success, he makes our family his main focus. He is a team player and I am so thankful to have him on my team. He has brought order into my life of chaos and put things into perspective. With the shoulders of Atlas, he carries the load of all our hopes and dreams. This is what a partner should be and many times he is so much more. He sees the big picture and looks past the small stuff. He is the calm to my storm, the tortoise to my hare...and it still amazes me everyday that he is mine...
Sunday, September 26, 2010
A Life in Progress
I never thought there would be anyone who could make me change my ways. As a stubborn Capricorn, I am very stuck in my ways. Many of my statements have started with, "I will never...". Like when I said I will never eat mushrooms, peppers or pickles. Then I met someone who made me want to be...well, different..better. A better friend, a better mother, a better partner, a better person. His expectations of me are high. Not unattainably high. He thinks highly of me and expects me to think highly of myself. He believes in me and supports my ideas, dreams, and even my whims. He is smart, almost as smart as me (sometimes smarter). He sees me for who I really am even when I don't want to. Good or bad, he loves me best when I'm just being me, not who I think he wants me to be. He says me being happy makes him happy. After years of knowing each other, I finally figured out he was the right person for me. He claims to have always known this. Like I said, he's smart :) He's also an amazing father without having children of his own. He has taken on the responsibility of helping me raise my son, who adores him as much as I do. He shares in all of life's responsibilities even when I don't expect him to. When I'm being selfish and pouty, he accepts me for who I am...because he knows I love him and plan to spend the rest of my days with him. He makes me laugh when I don't want to. He makes me cry tears of happiness when I don't expect to. He always puts US first. While achieving his own success, he makes our family his main focus. He is a team player and I am so thankful to have him on my team. He has brought order into my life of chaos and put things into perspective. With the shoulders of Atlas, he carries the load of all our hopes and dreams. This is what a partner should be and many times he is so much more. He sees the big picture and looks past the small stuff. He is the calm to my storm, the tortoise to my hare...and it still amazes me everyday that he is mine...
Thursday, January 15, 2009
What’s in a name?
"It's Steph-ANIE. Not Steph or Stephie...Stephanie."
I remember when I became Stephanie (not Steph). It was the mid-eighties and I was laying on the living room floor innocently watching "Pretty in Pink" I discovered my nickname was...a boy's name. Steph - short for Stephen. The boy who was so mean to Molly Ringwald. My young mind decided that Steph was no longer acceptable. Not for me. After being teased for being bigger that the rest of the kids and being able to beat the boys in Indian leg wrestling...I could not bear to have a "boyish" nickname a moment longer. So there I was, Stephanie. A girly~girl who loved makeup and boys and cheerleading. And loved talking about all of it more than anything.
This attention to detail and perception has led to a life of correction. Although there are some who get a pass ~ family, very close friends, police officers, really cute boys. Most "shorteners" receive the automated response, "It's Steph-ANIE". Sometimes followed with a, "If my mother wanted me to be called Steph, she would have named me that". Another thing that puzzles me is how someone will assumingly abbreviate my name but look at me like I'm bizarre when I refer to them as Liam when they've just been introduced as William. To me it's the same thing. Why couldn't my nick name be something totally different? Why assume It's Steph? Why not Stevie, like Stevie Nicks?
(deep breath)
As a rule, always refer to someone as the name they introduce themselves as. If they want you to call them something else, they'll let you know.
Just an after thought...It's funny how the smallest of things can make the biggest impact. Something so seemingly insignificant can change a kid's opinion of themselves and skew their perception indefinitely. Perhaps as we are living our lives, raising our children, going to work, we will be reminded of the simplest things and how they can affect someone ~ good or bad...So remember the mail man's name, hold the door for the person behind you, make a child laugh. It could mean the world to them.
Taking a cue from Miss Spider (man, she's good!), who says, "Be good to bugs" ~ Be good to each other...we're only human.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Confessions of a 4 (or whatever it is)
OK, so here are my thoughts...merely the ideas of a girl who has struggled with weight issues her entire life....I don't guarantee anything will work for anyone. However, in all I have seen and heard, these are some of the conclusions I have some to...only my personal opinion.
With that said...I know this is a complicated and sensitive issue but you have to get real with yourself. You eat terribly most of the time. Taking nibbles here and there off Junior's plate, cleaning up after someone so carelessly left an open bag of chips on the counter. I'm not saying you can't indulge in things, just do so purposefully. I love cheesecake...but I don't eat it all the time...about once a week. I tell myself, and others, I don't like ice cream. The truth is Cherry Garcia is my favorite, followed closely by Black Raspberry. Ice cream doesn't like me. I happen to not digest dairy well and it makes me feel terrible. So, I take a bite of someone's ice cream and savor it. I could eat more, but the payoff isn't good enough...the same reason I rarely drink alcohol. You have to change your attitude about food. It's not your enemy, but it's not your friend either. It is a pleasant necessity of life...like Clean air and fresh spring water. We all wish we had those things but we sacrifice the benefits out of lack of control or knowledge. You can control what you eat. It's why so many women have eating disorders. We are very control motivated creatures. We need more knowledge.
We all want to feel good. Fit, healthy, happy. So, then why do we consume foods that make us feel so bad, and in such quantities? We need to think of food as fuel and nourishment. Think about what we're putting into, or not putting into, our bodies. It's mostly trash. Lots and lots of trash. I'm not saying I eat the healthiest diet but I do take ownership of that. I know I screw up and I'm ok with that. I just know the next day I have to be mindful of what I eat...only eat when I'm hungry. Give my body a break and let it digest the mess I fed it. Treat it gently, like you would a sick child or pet who got in the bag of Christmas chocolates. Do some research on foods that are good for the digestive system, cleansing foods. Pick the ones you like, disregard the ones you don't. I don't really think it matters so much the method, as it does the belief in the method. Your attitude towards your routine, which can soon become good habits, can sabotage your goals. If you don't like what you are doing, you will rarely succeed.
One of the advantages I have is my love of cooking. I would rather buy fresh and make a meal than have it prepackaged. Boxed food is ok in a pinch (for work or a quick meal) but shouldn't be your main source of nutrition. You can't expect to have a well running body if you can't remember the last bit of calcium you had...and a multivitamin that may or may not have fully dissolved, doesn't count. Not that Vitamins aren't beneficial. They just shouldn't be your only source of vitamins and minerals for the majority of the week. You need real food. Think of how much better your feel about the whole dinning experience when you know what your eating is tasty and healthy, natural and fresh (notice I didn't say fat or sugar free). Or how good it feels to feed your family something you know is good for them, or even giving your dog/cat food that looks like chopped steak in gravy, rather than mushy, gray, fishy-smelling stuff. You don't deserve to eat poorly, either. Again, you can't always have the steak (or tofu) but don't feel like you've failed because you find your self sitting in the drive-thru.
I will probably shock you with this one...but here it goes....I have been every size from 4-16. That's not the shocking part. This is...I didn't lose weight from exercise. It was purely diet control. Do I think you should cancel your gym membership? No. But you have to realize one thing...exercise does not make you lose weight. I'll give you a minute.....but it does help you stay healthy and feel good. Which is why you should exercise, unless you're training for something, that's different. Assuming you're not, you should move around a bit every day. Chase your kids, chase/run from a dog, run from the cops...whatever....just do something. I like rebounding. It's something I can do at home to music and sing loudly. I can be silly and it entertains my son to watch. Look up information on different forms of movement. Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, vacuuming...they key is finding something you like that is also convenient. When you exercise, think about what muscle groups you are moving and how it's important to your structure and overall health. Be mindful of your body, listen to your aches and pains. Make a mental note and move on. Dwelling on it will only bring you down, try to keep you mind and body light. A positive attitude goes a long way when you want to accomplish something.
One technique I studied was positive visualization. I know most of the stuff you hear is hokey but there is a bit of truth to what they say. Your attitude most often predicts the outcome...if you think you can, you will; if you think you can't, you won't...self fulfilling prophecy...whatever you wish to call it. You are your biggest obstacle. You stand in your way, make excuses, blame others. By learning to believe I was not meant to be heavy, I could imagine being smaller...what I knew I was meant to look like. Not some Playboy pin-up (although if Hugh offered, I wouldn't hesitate to say yes), but a realistic version of who I am. When I would get upset about my weight. I would try to think about what I wanted to wear when I got down to my natural weight or how I would look, or feel. Positive images of me...future me. It's a difficult task to be positive all the time, but like before, don't make it worse by internally berating yourself for having a bad thought. Your emotions have a huge impact on your health. Make sure they're in check (or as balanced as possible for your psychosis). Meditate, run, scream into a pillow. Let go of the stress, anger, frustration, exhaustion...whatever it is, let it go. Then you can start to let go of the weight, guilt, sadness...whatever it is...
With that said...I know this is a complicated and sensitive issue but you have to get real with yourself. You eat terribly most of the time. Taking nibbles here and there off Junior's plate, cleaning up after someone so carelessly left an open bag of chips on the counter. I'm not saying you can't indulge in things, just do so purposefully. I love cheesecake...but I don't eat it all the time...about once a week. I tell myself, and others, I don't like ice cream. The truth is Cherry Garcia is my favorite, followed closely by Black Raspberry. Ice cream doesn't like me. I happen to not digest dairy well and it makes me feel terrible. So, I take a bite of someone's ice cream and savor it. I could eat more, but the payoff isn't good enough...the same reason I rarely drink alcohol. You have to change your attitude about food. It's not your enemy, but it's not your friend either. It is a pleasant necessity of life...like Clean air and fresh spring water. We all wish we had those things but we sacrifice the benefits out of lack of control or knowledge. You can control what you eat. It's why so many women have eating disorders. We are very control motivated creatures. We need more knowledge.
We all want to feel good. Fit, healthy, happy. So, then why do we consume foods that make us feel so bad, and in such quantities? We need to think of food as fuel and nourishment. Think about what we're putting into, or not putting into, our bodies. It's mostly trash. Lots and lots of trash. I'm not saying I eat the healthiest diet but I do take ownership of that. I know I screw up and I'm ok with that. I just know the next day I have to be mindful of what I eat...only eat when I'm hungry. Give my body a break and let it digest the mess I fed it. Treat it gently, like you would a sick child or pet who got in the bag of Christmas chocolates. Do some research on foods that are good for the digestive system, cleansing foods. Pick the ones you like, disregard the ones you don't. I don't really think it matters so much the method, as it does the belief in the method. Your attitude towards your routine, which can soon become good habits, can sabotage your goals. If you don't like what you are doing, you will rarely succeed.
One of the advantages I have is my love of cooking. I would rather buy fresh and make a meal than have it prepackaged. Boxed food is ok in a pinch (for work or a quick meal) but shouldn't be your main source of nutrition. You can't expect to have a well running body if you can't remember the last bit of calcium you had...and a multivitamin that may or may not have fully dissolved, doesn't count. Not that Vitamins aren't beneficial. They just shouldn't be your only source of vitamins and minerals for the majority of the week. You need real food. Think of how much better your feel about the whole dinning experience when you know what your eating is tasty and healthy, natural and fresh (notice I didn't say fat or sugar free). Or how good it feels to feed your family something you know is good for them, or even giving your dog/cat food that looks like chopped steak in gravy, rather than mushy, gray, fishy-smelling stuff. You don't deserve to eat poorly, either. Again, you can't always have the steak (or tofu) but don't feel like you've failed because you find your self sitting in the drive-thru.
I will probably shock you with this one...but here it goes....I have been every size from 4-16. That's not the shocking part. This is...I didn't lose weight from exercise. It was purely diet control. Do I think you should cancel your gym membership? No. But you have to realize one thing...exercise does not make you lose weight. I'll give you a minute.....but it does help you stay healthy and feel good. Which is why you should exercise, unless you're training for something, that's different. Assuming you're not, you should move around a bit every day. Chase your kids, chase/run from a dog, run from the cops...whatever....just do something. I like rebounding. It's something I can do at home to music and sing loudly. I can be silly and it entertains my son to watch. Look up information on different forms of movement. Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, vacuuming...they key is finding something you like that is also convenient. When you exercise, think about what muscle groups you are moving and how it's important to your structure and overall health. Be mindful of your body, listen to your aches and pains. Make a mental note and move on. Dwelling on it will only bring you down, try to keep you mind and body light. A positive attitude goes a long way when you want to accomplish something.
One technique I studied was positive visualization. I know most of the stuff you hear is hokey but there is a bit of truth to what they say. Your attitude most often predicts the outcome...if you think you can, you will; if you think you can't, you won't...self fulfilling prophecy...whatever you wish to call it. You are your biggest obstacle. You stand in your way, make excuses, blame others. By learning to believe I was not meant to be heavy, I could imagine being smaller...what I knew I was meant to look like. Not some Playboy pin-up (although if Hugh offered, I wouldn't hesitate to say yes), but a realistic version of who I am. When I would get upset about my weight. I would try to think about what I wanted to wear when I got down to my natural weight or how I would look, or feel. Positive images of me...future me. It's a difficult task to be positive all the time, but like before, don't make it worse by internally berating yourself for having a bad thought. Your emotions have a huge impact on your health. Make sure they're in check (or as balanced as possible for your psychosis). Meditate, run, scream into a pillow. Let go of the stress, anger, frustration, exhaustion...whatever it is, let it go. Then you can start to let go of the weight, guilt, sadness...whatever it is...
Monday, November 3, 2008
I am you and you are me...
I'm not sure where it started...this "us and them" mentality. I'm not quite sure who "us" and "them " really are....Hell, I question who I am half the time. There seems to be such a great divide amongst people these days...for what seems to be the silliest of reasons. I don't know what prompted this line of thought...the upcoming elections and the barrage of media pointing out the worst of one's character or the irony of me sitting here in my Women for Barack T-shirt making a comment on a friends page, who happens to be (I just realized) seemingly conservative...well, very conservative. As I read his status update, I am inspired by his passion for life, his Carpe Diem attitude! And I don't understand why people can't see that in each other everyday. The term "reaching across the aisle" is thrown around in politics and in the media quite often. It seems so odd. I picture a bunch of kids in uniforms sitting in a cafeteria, shaking hands and talking like middle aged business men. It seems impersonal and ridiculous. I'm more of a 'go sit at someone else's table and see what they're all about' kind of person. I don't get this 2 party, my idea is better than yours, my house is bigger than yours, my kids are better than yours mentality everyone has been sucked into. What happened to being nice to people? To choosing to be positive rather than negative? To loving every minute and finding the miracles...not the small miracles, for no miracle is small. We impact each other everyday and forget that we have a responsibility to each other to be kind. People waste so much time and energy on what they don't have and complaining about how things are. Instead they should be seeing what they do have and what they can do to change things...one person at a time, one gesture at a time, one smile at a time. When it takes such little effort to be considerate and demonstrate common courtesy, why are we so negative and quick to judge?
In the past few weeks several young people I have known have lost their lives to various causes. It makes me sick to know these people are no longer around to spread their love and laughter to everyone they touched. It also reminds me that it's insane that we take for granted the power we have to make a difference in someone's life. Starting with the people around you. Your love and positive energy fills them...and they carry with them all day, spreading it like wildfire. I know this to be true and see it in my own child. When we went trick or treating last night, Jonathan, proudly dressed as a green, fuzzy monster, rang the doorbell of a beautiful home in suburban Hagerstown. He got his bag filled and before leaving turned and said thank you. The man may not of heard him and didn't reply. So he just stood there until the porch cleared, went to the man and said in a sheepish little voice, "I said thank you". The man looked down, nodded, and smiled. Jonathan was unmoved. He looked up again and said, "Thank you , Happy Halloween". Finally, the man got it and gave him a dramatic "your welcome". When we were walking down the driveway, my son looked at me with his big, cheesy grin and said, "Mommy, he said your welcome, I taught him." I welled up inside and thought...yeah, Yianni, you did...You need to teach more people. My son's an amazing kid with some pretty high standards when it come to how people treat him. He is incredibly kind and equally sensitive. But everyday I am with him I see how he effects the adults around him, reminding us to smile and see beyond the gray routine of daily life and look for the sunrise and sunset and all the wonder in between.
Your influence spreads far beyond the walls of your home. You can have an impact on the woman at the bank and the kid at McDonald's....the guy on the street and the woman in the grocery store. Your kind gesture or understanding smile could make the difference in their attitude...whether you see it or not. We reflect the world around us...have you seen your reflection lately? Do you accept as you wish to be accepted? Do you publicly ridicule others for things you privately do? Do you really follow what you claim? Or is it just easier to belong than to go against the grain? To stand up for what you believe? A friend of mine told me about an email he got that was quite racist. He denounced the joke, saying he thought it was tasteless. I asked him if he told the guy he didn't agree with the email.. His response was that people are who they are and him saying something wouldn't change anything. I totally disagree. We are the only thing that can change it. By staying silent, he feed into this belief that it's ok to say it if you're "one of us". It's not ok, it's never ok. Perhaps I come from an emotional place when it comes to this because my son is biracial. Neither us nor them...Just him. But the people who we think are so different are the very ones that are most like us. How would we know the differences? Do you know anyone who doesn't look and think like you do? Do you explore the thoughts and ideas of others? Do you question and evaluate your own? Are you a man or a woman, gay or straight, married or single or somewhere in between...well, so are they. "They" are moms and dads and kids...."They" are "Us" and "We" are "Them". As long as "we are "we"...there is no "us and them"... no separation, just people letting people be people ....sounds a bit Seuss-y but if you give it some thought you should understand . At the end of this mid-morning rant, I have but one hope...that this has prompted someone, anyone, to think about their influence in the circle of life...to walk a bit softer on mother earth or listen a bit longer to the mother-in-law. You might be surprised at what you learn about them or your self.
So, the next time you have a choice, instead of just reaching across the aisle, go sit at someone else's table...just because you can...
In the past few weeks several young people I have known have lost their lives to various causes. It makes me sick to know these people are no longer around to spread their love and laughter to everyone they touched. It also reminds me that it's insane that we take for granted the power we have to make a difference in someone's life. Starting with the people around you. Your love and positive energy fills them...and they carry with them all day, spreading it like wildfire. I know this to be true and see it in my own child. When we went trick or treating last night, Jonathan, proudly dressed as a green, fuzzy monster, rang the doorbell of a beautiful home in suburban Hagerstown. He got his bag filled and before leaving turned and said thank you. The man may not of heard him and didn't reply. So he just stood there until the porch cleared, went to the man and said in a sheepish little voice, "I said thank you". The man looked down, nodded, and smiled. Jonathan was unmoved. He looked up again and said, "Thank you , Happy Halloween". Finally, the man got it and gave him a dramatic "your welcome". When we were walking down the driveway, my son looked at me with his big, cheesy grin and said, "Mommy, he said your welcome, I taught him." I welled up inside and thought...yeah, Yianni, you did...You need to teach more people. My son's an amazing kid with some pretty high standards when it come to how people treat him. He is incredibly kind and equally sensitive. But everyday I am with him I see how he effects the adults around him, reminding us to smile and see beyond the gray routine of daily life and look for the sunrise and sunset and all the wonder in between.
Your influence spreads far beyond the walls of your home. You can have an impact on the woman at the bank and the kid at McDonald's....the guy on the street and the woman in the grocery store. Your kind gesture or understanding smile could make the difference in their attitude...whether you see it or not. We reflect the world around us...have you seen your reflection lately? Do you accept as you wish to be accepted? Do you publicly ridicule others for things you privately do? Do you really follow what you claim? Or is it just easier to belong than to go against the grain? To stand up for what you believe? A friend of mine told me about an email he got that was quite racist. He denounced the joke, saying he thought it was tasteless. I asked him if he told the guy he didn't agree with the email.. His response was that people are who they are and him saying something wouldn't change anything. I totally disagree. We are the only thing that can change it. By staying silent, he feed into this belief that it's ok to say it if you're "one of us". It's not ok, it's never ok. Perhaps I come from an emotional place when it comes to this because my son is biracial. Neither us nor them...Just him. But the people who we think are so different are the very ones that are most like us. How would we know the differences? Do you know anyone who doesn't look and think like you do? Do you explore the thoughts and ideas of others? Do you question and evaluate your own? Are you a man or a woman, gay or straight, married or single or somewhere in between...well, so are they. "They" are moms and dads and kids...."They" are "Us" and "We" are "Them". As long as "we are "we"...there is no "us and them"... no separation, just people letting people be people ....sounds a bit Seuss-y but if you give it some thought you should understand . At the end of this mid-morning rant, I have but one hope...that this has prompted someone, anyone, to think about their influence in the circle of life...to walk a bit softer on mother earth or listen a bit longer to the mother-in-law. You might be surprised at what you learn about them or your self.
So, the next time you have a choice, instead of just reaching across the aisle, go sit at someone else's table...just because you can...
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The REAL real...
It has become blatantly obvious to me that society as a whole, and I, more specifically, have become so distracted that we have lost sight of...well...everything. I realize this is not some great epiphany. What amazes me is that more people don't care, or don't have time to. Between practices, classes, work, and menial tasks, who has time to stop and smell the dirty diaper lost under the bed in the morning chaos, let alone roses?! We fail to pay attention to the things that matter. The REAL real. The things that time can't erase, memory can't supress...the look on your child's face when they discover why the water hose should always be pointed away from your face or that song... you know the one... everytime you hear it you are transported back to a place when all was good with the world...a time when you weren't on a schedule and you didn't care about your inbox. Aaahhh, the frivilous days of youth...have they escaped us all? Is it unrealistic to think that we could stop for a second to just breathe? I don't think we have a choice. The byproduct of this distraction fed to us by media and friends and society, is just the opposite of what we hope to achieve. In working to support our families we spend more time away from them...in over spending on what is trendy we swim in a sea of debt...we are rushed in to making decisions on everything from buying groceries to buying a home...all on 5 hours of sleep. On self-destruct mode, we race down the highways of life on a high speed chase to nowhere...leaving our hopes and dreams, family and friends, in the dust.
We are losing our children, our identities and our lives. Is this too high a price for the next best thing? The bigger SUV, the newest game system, the fad health craze...more emissions, lazier children, and higher health risks are the result. There are so many books in stores on how to live a better, happier, healthier life. Some guru you've never heard of from a small town in a land you'll never travel to telling you the secrets of life and how you can be the best you...20 books later, you awake one morning to find the only thing you've gained is 10 lbs from snacking on mnm's while unlocking the mystery to your soul. As crazy as it seems, they may be on to something...the common theme is to slow down, look at what is right in front of you. Unplug from the electric age and step into your life...put down the prescription and wine bottles, turn off the computer/tv/cell phone/ house phone/radio/ipod, throw away the garbage and take a deep breath. Listen.....do you remember silence? listen closer....do you remember birds and crickets? I do...
I can no longer ignore the grave reality of our "attention-deficit" world. Nor can I feed into a status quo that popular opinion decided should be my blueprint in life. I am turning off the static to hear the laughter of life...The REAL real...
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Soccer Berry Mallow
In the eyes of my child, I am once again reminded of the joy that comes from just being in the moment. "Come on, Mommy", he urges as he hands me a lacrosse stick and a mini marshmallow. "Soccer Berry Mallow", he says, "Let's play!" I am led into the hall and asked to throw it. He stands in all seriousness holding a bag of minature marshmallows like a batter in the World Series in the bottom of the ninth with bases loaded. "I'm ready, mommy. Throw the mallow!" As I toss it across the room, I think about the simplicity of a child. How nothing is worth doing unless it's fun. If you don't have anything to do, make it up. Pulling memories from Mrs. Spider, Chicken Little, and last summer's lax lessons, my bored little boy invented his own sport.
Ok, so maybe he's no Einstein and Soccer Berry Mallow will never be an Olympic sport. But, for one moment, he was my Buddha. My light in the dark. My renewer of faith in all things good. He often brings me back to reality. With a subtle smile or smack across the face, this "angel" erases the outside world and forces me to concentrate on the here and now. The real Real. Not what society feeds us, tells us what we need so we don't have to think for ourselves, but the essence of what we need to survive...love and laughter.
He only hits a few marshmallows but gets an "A" for effort and imagination. We pick up what seems to be hundreds of marshmallows off the floor. Yianni secretly pops a few in his mouth, sharing the rest with Fatty, our mutt puppy. After putting his last handfull of air puffed goodness in the trash, he turns to me and asks, "Mommy, can we play Soccer Berry Ball tomorrow, please?" Without hesitation, I agree knowing I can always use a session with my little guru. Tonight, when I lay my head upon my pillow, I will think about the usual things ~ to-do lists, housework, bills, and work. But when the chaos fades and the quiet sets in, I will breathe deeply and smile, eager for a new day...owing it all to a mischevious imp and his Soccer Berry Mallow game.
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