I’m totally crazy for stars right now! I don’t know where this obsession came from, but I’m on a serious celestial kick. I’m even thinking to host a celestial themed holiday gathering for my friends. Are you as starry-eyed as I am?
1. celestina earrings
2. edible star glitter
3. ferm gold star wall decals
4. starlette crown
5. wish upon a star signet ring
6. loeffler randall star sandal
7. barnaby gates star wall paper
In the month of November, I’m meditating on my gratitude for something different each day.
Today, I’m thankful for my yoga practice. I’ve been a student of various disciplines for over 10 years, and I’m still learning something new with each class.
I’m thankful for every vinyasa I’ve ever taken, every namaste I’ve ever muttered. I love the peace of savasana at the end of every class. I’m thankful for the gong, the singing bowls, the chanting of ong-namo-guru-dev-om (“I bow to the Creative Wisdom, I bow to the Divine Teacher”), and all that other “hippie-dippy shit” that totally rocks my world. I’m thankful for the acceptance and the inner reflection. I love myself more because of yoga. It can be a horrible day and one hour of practice feels like a clean slate. It just unravels everything inside. To all those who’ve ever practiced with me and the teachers who’ve guided me, I thank you deeply.
Background image: Lululemon Flickr
In the month of November, I’m meditating on my gratitude for something different each day.
Well this one shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Today, I’m thankful for Aidan. Honestly, I am everyday.
He’s so very thoughtful, compassionate, insightful, silly, and adventurous. I could extrapolate on all his virtues, however to avoid sounding like a braggart and make this post more personal to him, I’ve written an open letter to him. So here you go:
Aidan/Bear/Munchkin/other-embarrassing-nicknames-here,
I know, it’s weird that I’m writing to you when I see you everyday. But, I wanted you to be able to look back at this whenever you wished.
I’m writing to tell you how thankful I am to have you in my life. Anyone is lucky to have you. I’m even luckier that you’re my son.
I admire you so much. You are seriously awesome. I think you’re the coolest kid.
I love how open and honest you are about your feelings. I know I’ve told you this before, but I really do think it’s so brave! It sounds so easy to be honest about how we feel, but for most people it’s really difficult. We get scared of having our feelings hurt, so we hold back. I know you are very sensitive and you get scared too, but you say how you feel anyways. That is incredibly courageous.
You are so kind and compassionate. I’ve seen you care greatly about people you don’t even know. Even when you were four you’d worry if a kid walking down the street had someone to take care of him. What you did with charity:water, all on your own at 8 years old, is really special. It’s not just people you care for either. I’ve seen you feel for animals being hurt, even the ones that no one else likes because they weren’t cute. (Remember the wasps’ nest you didn’t want removed?)
You’re so thoughtful. I could give you endless examples, but I’ll just give you a quick one. The other morning I was sneezing like mad. When we were at the store that evening, you ran off to the drug aisle and came back with a box of Claritin for me. I didn’t even remember we needed it, but you did. The little things like remembering medicine, picking flowers, drawing pictures… those are what shows you are thoughtful. Your thoughtfulness makes you more than a great son. It makes you a great friend, and one day it will make you a great partner for a very lucky woman or man.
You are so silly, and you have this fabulous twisted sense of humor. Like me, you’re a goofball. You’re not goofy all the time, though. Aidan, you’re what we call pensive, which means you think a lot. You’ve been known to come up with some absurdities, but more often you reach into some internal book of wisdom and launch one out there. Your insights have made us all think and on occasion, made us teary-eyed. That is a fantastic gift.
I admire how adventurous you are. You surprise me with how willing you are to try new things, and it makes me want to do the same. I want to climb up rocks and hike with you. I can’t wait for the day we go sky-diving and bungee jumping. You asked me if I’d summit a mountain with you. I don’t know how, but if you’re serious, I would do it. We have many trips ahead of us, now that you finally have your passport. You always slow me down a bit when we travel and that’s a good thing.
Ok, so this is getting long, but last thing before I sign off…
I know you’re sensitive, and like the rest of us, you sometimes worry that you’re different or you’ll stand out in the wrong way. I hope you realize as you get older that the ways you stand out are fan-frigging-tastic. The best people in the world are weirdos who just came into their own. All the people you love? We were all made fun of, geeky, and weird. All of us. It’s cheesy as hell, but you have to be your own best friend. When you do that – when you’re sure of who you are or, at least, that who you are is okay – you’ll find your tribe. Or, they’ll find you. Stay open. Stay tolerant. Stay kind. And, above all things, stay true.
You make me proud, kid. I’m so thankful to be your mom.
Love you always,
Mom
In the month of November, I’m meditating on my gratitude for something different each day.
“What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”― Aristotle
I don’t believe that you have only one soulmate or that a soulmate is a romantic connection. In fact, I am blessed to have several soulmates, and while I think they are all good looking folks, I’m not into them that way.
You might say that these are my best friends, and you’d be correct. But, not all my best friends are my soulmates. It is entirely possible for a best friend to have become so by dedication, time, and effort.
Soulmates are different. Not to get all Jerry Maguire on you, but it feels like they complete me. I know it’s cheesy to say that, that they don’t actually complete me, but it feels like they do. Just having them around can make everything better. It isn’t a connection that’s dependent on how long I’ve known them or how much time we’ve spent together, either. I knew almost instantly with each that they’d be a safe place. I don’t have to try. We can do nothing and be okay.
They’re the people I want to discover new places and have adventures with. I want to look back and see them in my best memories. I want to see what fantastic mischief they achieve, because they are all spectacular nonconforming weirdos. I want to be old with them.
I love them deeply, with no expectations. I know they adore me, too, flaws and all. They know my odd quirks, and they call me on it if needed. They help me grow into a better person, and I hope that I’ve done the same for them.
To my soulmates, thank you for finding me and for sticking around.
In the month of November, I’m meditating on my gratitude for something different each day.
In late 2008, shortly before I started this blog, I was suffering from anxiety for the second time in my life. I’d had depression before, but this was a whole other beast. Anxiety sucks. It really, really SUCKS. I was in therapy and conceded to medication for the second time ever. To top it off, I was experiencing insomnia for the first (and sweet, merciful God, hopefully the only) time, either from my anti-anxiety medication or the anxiety itself. Joy. Can I tell you how much insomnia blows? It freakin’ blows monkey balls. I can’t even begin to tell you how crazy and desperate it all made me feel.
I began to look for anything that would help. Decluttering? Going back to yoga? Indulging my senses? Visualization? Music? WHATTHEHECKDOIDOOMGTHISREALLYSUCKS!!! Some of it helped. Some of it didn’t. One change in particular stood out.
I spent time outdoors. I ate my daytime meals outside. I read books lying in the grass or on the beach as often as possible. I took Aidan to the park so that I could sit on the swings and forget how I felt for a few moments. I went from abhorring being outside to taking naps in the backyard. I don’t know why I did this, but it felt right. It helped in small ways. And then I took Aidan to upstate NY to visit my sister and his cousins for apple picking and fall weather. The entire trip furthered whatever progress I was making, but a random hike on the Appalachian trail really changed things for me.
I remember thinking to myself, “So this is what it feels like? This is why all those crazy people go hiking.”
I found peace in those woods and carried it home with me.
I went back to Florida, completed many more months of therapy, weaned off the happy pills, and gave my mental health issues an epic ass kicking. I did some hard work, relearned behaviors, and built habits. But something about that peace in the woods was magic; it was my turning point.
I’ve felt that magic since then. The second time I ever felt that sort of peace was during a brief walk around Muir Woods. Most recently? Throughout Ireland and Scotland, whenever we found ourselves in a park. So here’s where I’m going with this little story.
I’m thankful for parks. I’m seriously thankful for the miles of protected and preserved nature. Who knows if I would have ever been able to experience that moment, standing in the middle of all those trees, without the protection provided to them by being designated a park. I’m equally thankful for the local, man-made parks with playgrounds and dog runs. Anyone who has ever stepped off the streets of NYC into Central Park can vouch for the respite a park provides.
Local, state, national, beach, woods, wilderness, and man-made – we’re lucky to have them. I’m so very thankful, and I hope they’ll be around long after I no longer am.
In the month of November, I’m meditating on my gratitude for something different each day.
It’s no secret that I love books. I can easily devour a sizable novel in a few hours and a series in a matter of days. I have a very healthy appetite for the written word, especially when it’s bound between two beautifully designed covers. So here is a thank you to to the oft underpaid authors, editors, and cover artists who spend long days into the deep night creating my favorite escape.
p.s. You can share my book obsession here.
In the month of November, I’m meditating on my gratitude for something different each day.
Today I’m thankful for my right to vote.
I’m thankful that I get to weigh in on everything from who will be my city officials to who will be the next POTUS. I owe much to those who came before me, especially the suffragettes that fought for my right to vote. I know our system is not perfect, but I’m thankful that I do not have to expect a rigged election. I’m thankful that there are candidates who continue to push for better healthcare, minority empowerment, and LGBT equality. I’m thankful that I can watch debates and mock or cheer on the candidates via twitter without fear of repercussion.
I’m thankful that I was able to early vote last week, and I hope that if you live in the US, you’ll exercise your right and be thankful that you did.
Two weekends ago, I was having one of the best mornings ever. The munchkin, three great friends, and I joined 10,000+ crazies for what really is the happiest 5k on the planet. For each kilometer, you get rained on with a different colored powder: yellow, orange, pink, blue, purple. (And, yes, the color is non-toxic.) By the end, you’re a veritable rainbow, but there’s more. Every 15 minutes for three hours the crowd of runners partying in front of the finale stage releases more color. I’ve never seen so many people be so damn happy all at once. It was priceless.
Check out more pics below and find a Color Run in your area. There’s absolutely no pressure to run. (There were toddlers and people on crutches doing the 5k!) The schedule is already out for 2013 and they’re even going to take a tour of Australia!
For more photos check out my friend Eva’s album here.
Photos: Jennifer Ortiz & Eva Rosales
In the month of November, I’m meditating on my gratitude for something different each day.
The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude. Friedrich Nietzsche
Today, I’m thankful for artists.
They make our lives more beautiful. Through their work, our lives are deeper. They heighten our awareness. They challenge us to re-frame and frequently inspire us to try new things. Their work moves us out of the everyday mundane. Per Thomas Merton, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” I’d have to agree. Art makes our existence magical.
So, I say thank you to:
Graphic designers who provide the visual for so much of what we see everyday; typographers who make seemingly simple letters into masterpieces; illustrators who bring to life ideas and words; graffiti artists and muralists who teeter between being outlaws and sell-outs, depending who you ask, but regardless keep at it; photographers who stay up all night to capture the stars, wake up at the crack of dawn to get the best light, and who spend hours waiting for the shot; performers who use their emotion, movement, and bodies to enrapture us; and the countless other kinds of artists who create and capture anything imaginable.
Thank you to the artists who face lawsuits, arrests, and criticism. Thank you to the artists that aren’t taken seriously. Thank you to the artists that don’t know how good they are. Thank you for changing. Thank you for making things we sometimes hate at first and absolutely love later.
Thank you for the installations that allow us to stand in a rain shower without getting wet, homes shaped like dragons, photos of glorious spaces long forgotten, graffiti made of something sweet, and an animated story of an old man who flies his house across the globe via thousands of balloons.
Thank you for showing us the world we live in and those that don’t even exist.