My sister, she is older than myself by two years, we are the eldest of four children, as different as night and day, I thought we were the same in many ways, until this weekend.
Growing up, I looked up to her. It didn't always look that way, because I always tried to be different and always walked to the beat of my own drummer. But she was always just so perfect in my eyes, smart, tall, happy, beautiful and she took no shit from anyone, not her teachers, her bosses, her friends, or men...she was truly a standout in my eyes. She always knew what she wanted, worked hard, studied harder....and never believed she couldn't do something. I thought that we were both strong and courageous, until yesterday...she proved to be the true warrior.
Sure, everyone thinks me the tough one, the dark one...( she did after all dress up as a nun for Halloween one year!), I have overcome things in my life on my own, maybe out of a sense of pride....or just having to learn it the hard way...but my sister is always the first person to help you, the first one to call, the first one to be there for you...not matter what. She said to me once that we are tough, because we are our mother's and her mother ( our grandmother), daughters,...and that should count for something...and it does. It provided my sister with a guardian angel who always watches over her ( and me!)...who gives her the strength everyday to be the woman she is.
So for you my sister I wrote this...because I am so proud of you and how courageous you are...and I hope that when I grow up ....I will have even a little of the courage and love that you have in your heart.
Ti amo ....sempre.
xoxo
BT&HB
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Which one will you feed??
" A chief is talking to his tribe about two dogs inside his mind: one a white dog that is good and courageous, the other a black dog that is vengeful and angry. Both dogs are fighting to the death. A young brave, unable to wait for the end of the story asks, " which one will win?" The chief responds, " The one I feed."
- Native American story quoted in the book Emotional Freedom by Judith Orloff, M.D.
Interesting don't you think? This brings to mind how since the beginning of time, there has always been a struggle between good and evil, right and wrong, love and hate. Was it a struggle between cultures, religions, genders...or was it a battle that was raging within every man and woman through time? I believe there are two people in everyone, the good and the bad, but what comes to the surface, is the one that we pay most attention too.
I know that I have struggled with my good and evil sides, the little voice in my head telling me to do all the bad things...while the little one in my heart that tells me not too. Is it possible to do both? I have, it is possible to do something wicked and enjoy doing it...only to have it sneak up on me years later either to make me laugh in the memory ( or disbelief that I could have been so wicked!) or make me shake my head and wonder how I could have been so careless. How many times have you argued with your good side or your bad side? Which one do you feed everyday? Do you think good thoughts and treat everyone with compassion and love? Or do you blame, hate and walk all over everyone like they owe you? I for one have always tried my best to treat others the way I would like to be treated, but since there are two people in all of us ...I didn't always get treated well by them, I always seemed to bring out the bad side in the people that I craved to please the most.
But times have changed for me...I no longer feed or listen to the angry voice, but I listen to the soft one, the one that I feed, the one that I love, encourage and the one that allows me to be the woman that I am. I chose to slam the door on the angry dog, not listen to it never ending constant complaining....I could not stand to hear it anymore..instead, I chose to open the door to my good side, the side that has been waiting patiently for many years for me to let in..letting her in, was the best thing I ever did. By feeding my good side, I have the power to be who I want to be, treat everyone with love no matter how they treat me, and know...that what goes around comes around, but also...that your karma is how you treat people.
So, which one will you feed????
xoxo
BT&HB
- Native American story quoted in the book Emotional Freedom by Judith Orloff, M.D.
Interesting don't you think? This brings to mind how since the beginning of time, there has always been a struggle between good and evil, right and wrong, love and hate. Was it a struggle between cultures, religions, genders...or was it a battle that was raging within every man and woman through time? I believe there are two people in everyone, the good and the bad, but what comes to the surface, is the one that we pay most attention too.
I know that I have struggled with my good and evil sides, the little voice in my head telling me to do all the bad things...while the little one in my heart that tells me not too. Is it possible to do both? I have, it is possible to do something wicked and enjoy doing it...only to have it sneak up on me years later either to make me laugh in the memory ( or disbelief that I could have been so wicked!) or make me shake my head and wonder how I could have been so careless. How many times have you argued with your good side or your bad side? Which one do you feed everyday? Do you think good thoughts and treat everyone with compassion and love? Or do you blame, hate and walk all over everyone like they owe you? I for one have always tried my best to treat others the way I would like to be treated, but since there are two people in all of us ...I didn't always get treated well by them, I always seemed to bring out the bad side in the people that I craved to please the most.
But times have changed for me...I no longer feed or listen to the angry voice, but I listen to the soft one, the one that I feed, the one that I love, encourage and the one that allows me to be the woman that I am. I chose to slam the door on the angry dog, not listen to it never ending constant complaining....I could not stand to hear it anymore..instead, I chose to open the door to my good side, the side that has been waiting patiently for many years for me to let in..letting her in, was the best thing I ever did. By feeding my good side, I have the power to be who I want to be, treat everyone with love no matter how they treat me, and know...that what goes around comes around, but also...that your karma is how you treat people.
So, which one will you feed????
xoxo
BT&HB
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Books...when your read, what are you searching for???
I pondered this question today while I was enjoying a walk through the snow ( which was dumped on us by surprise last night..), why do we read? Why are some people call book nerds, and are called passionate readers? Yes, we have to read, we are taught to read in order to survive, grow, learn and live. But what does one that read for pleasure look for?? Do people really just love to read? Or when reading....are we searching for something?
I for one, read everything...I mean everything - from new papers, flyer's, magazines, novels, history books, religion books, health books, mind,body and spirit books..on-line, hard covers, mass markets, newsprint...even the emails that float around my office about stats, I read them.
Sometimes I am drawn to a book, don't know why...but I will pick it up a million times and put it down and then pick it up again...I figured that I am not ready for what is in between those pages. Like the saying goes, when the student is ready, the teacher will come. Have you ever felt that way? Do you only read what is in the news or the next diet or health book? Or are you reading something in hopes that it will bring forth something inside you that you didn't ( or forgot) you had in you? When I read, I search...I search for things to touch my heart, things that will make me look at the world with different eyes, a sentence, or word or chapter...that will stick with me for the rest of my life and that I will never forget. I have many books, too many to count..but all of them have folded corners, pages marked, and are most loved. One of my all time favorite author is Paulo Coelho, just before he starts his books on the second page he always writes ...." Hail Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to Thee for help. Amen", just before the first chapter starts, he quotes the bible. His books are short, but pack a very powerful punch. When I read his books, I find myself lost in the story, and crying no matter the ending...because his writing touches me...touches something deep down inside that I forgot was there..inspires me to lift myself to a better place...be all that I dreamed of being, because I can.
I could go on forever, alas...it would be a very long post. I found this quote awhile back in something that I was reading ( forgive me, I can't recall in which book..but it stuck with me).
" ....when you read a book, you leave a piece of yourself with it, and that is a treasure for someone else to find...their thoughts, their feelings, their state of mind ....so when you read, read with passion, love and joy...because you never know who will pick up the book after you..."
xoxo
BT&HB
I for one, read everything...I mean everything - from new papers, flyer's, magazines, novels, history books, religion books, health books, mind,body and spirit books..on-line, hard covers, mass markets, newsprint...even the emails that float around my office about stats, I read them.
Sometimes I am drawn to a book, don't know why...but I will pick it up a million times and put it down and then pick it up again...I figured that I am not ready for what is in between those pages. Like the saying goes, when the student is ready, the teacher will come. Have you ever felt that way? Do you only read what is in the news or the next diet or health book? Or are you reading something in hopes that it will bring forth something inside you that you didn't ( or forgot) you had in you? When I read, I search...I search for things to touch my heart, things that will make me look at the world with different eyes, a sentence, or word or chapter...that will stick with me for the rest of my life and that I will never forget. I have many books, too many to count..but all of them have folded corners, pages marked, and are most loved. One of my all time favorite author is Paulo Coelho, just before he starts his books on the second page he always writes ...." Hail Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to Thee for help. Amen", just before the first chapter starts, he quotes the bible. His books are short, but pack a very powerful punch. When I read his books, I find myself lost in the story, and crying no matter the ending...because his writing touches me...touches something deep down inside that I forgot was there..inspires me to lift myself to a better place...be all that I dreamed of being, because I can.
I could go on forever, alas...it would be a very long post. I found this quote awhile back in something that I was reading ( forgive me, I can't recall in which book..but it stuck with me).
" ....when you read a book, you leave a piece of yourself with it, and that is a treasure for someone else to find...their thoughts, their feelings, their state of mind ....so when you read, read with passion, love and joy...because you never know who will pick up the book after you..."
xoxo
BT&HB
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