From Maria Shriver to Russell Simmons

I am spending more time just sitting quietly. I may sit and think or listen to myself as you learn so much that way, or I may take time to read something inspirational. Anyway, quiet time - though free and useful and integral to life - is hard to come by. More accurately, we don't make time for it! This past weekend I made time for it and it was blissful and wonderful and I learned so, so, so much.

At the urging of a friend of mine, I tuned in to an episode of "Oprah" while eating lunch on Saturday. The episode featured Maria. Some know her as the First Lady of California, others as Arnold's wife and others still may know her as the anchorwoman, Maria Shriver. I now know her as Maria. Maria wrote a little blue book entitled "Just Who Will You Be?" following a request to speak at the graduation ceremony of her high school age nephew. Maria didn't know why a high school class would want to hear her speak and, consequently, Maria began her journey to find out just who she will be and how she would show up for that graduation speech. Her story is one I completely identify with. Maria spoke of losing much of her identity when giving up her career. As long as she had her career, an achievement all her own, she had an identity. But once that was over, she felt lost. Maria also spoke about how she is constantly doing, constantly going without much time for anything else. She also spoke about allowing herself to be gentle with herself and those around her. Being gentle is something I definitely need to work on and something that struck a sensitive chord in my heart when I heard Maria talking about it. The ultimate message from Maria is to slow down, listen to yourself and decide each day who you will be, not what you will be to others or what role you will play that you feel is expected. This is a message I've been playing over and over in my head for the last few months and now I have a great role model and "mascot" for that message. And, of course, after seeing Maria on "Oprah," I ran right out and bought myself that little blue book and read it cover-to-cover in about an hour. I definitely recommend it.

The other book that slapped itself down in my lap this weekend was one my husband purchased late yesterday. It's the book Russell Simmons, of hip hop and Phat farm fame, wrote entitled: "Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success." I was excited to see Greg buying this book because what little I'd heard about the book (on "Oprah" of course!) it sounded inspirational and positive. So, as we left the bookstore, I nonchalantly reached over to see the book and began flipping through and reading the chapter titles, quotes from famous writers, spiritual guides and others that begin each chapter, as well as quotes directly from Simmons. All of these words led me to take a closer look at the book when we got home, and I will probably be sharing some of the more inspirational passages I have found in Simmons' book here as I think they deserve repeating. But here's one lesson I've known for a lifetime it seems, but that Simmons helped to reaffirm: You can't be a success unless you've got your head, your heart and your body right. These aren't verbatim, but I got the gist of it. How true, how true!!

From Maria to Russell Simmons...what a great weekend of quiet, introspective, reaffirmation of what life's all about. Can't wait to get home and read, read, read more!!!

One of the best birthday cards ever...

Princess-

I want you to have a day where everything goes your way. A day...when you can't help but feel all the deep and really beautiful thoughts that everyone thinks about you.

I want you to reflect on all the love that is felt for you, all the wishes that are wished with you in mind, and all the thankful feelings you inspire in other people's lives.

And after this marvelous day is over, I want you to wake up every morning in the year to come remembering how appreciated and deserving and wonderful you are.

Happy Birthday!

I Love you,

Mommie

Love & Birthdays

So today I am 29 years old. I feel bright and shiny and new, and a bit wiser than before because I know how very little I know. The only thing I know for sure is how loved I am. My own mother tells of her joy at knowing how loved I am here: www.miaspeaks.blogspot.com.

I am loved and I am happy.

My birthday kicked off, as so often happens for me, days early. I arrived home on Monday and was greeted at the door by my big, crazy, loveable dog, Doby. Doby was more excited than normal to see me and I realized he had a Happy Birthday sign tied around his neck. I giggled and then laughed out loud when I noticed what had happened - my sweet husband had adorned the ceiling in the kitchen, our dogs and himself with these Happy Birthday signs to surprise me. It was so great! This special greeting was followed by a yummy dinner, chef-prepared of course! We ate steak and crab legs; ruch and tasty sauteed mushroom; garlicy, buttery corn; a fresh slice of avocado; and a chunk of queso fresco all paired with a tall glass of red wine. Mmm...good! I was completely satisfied as I sat outside on our new patio just enjoying the breeze, this great meal and my little family. Little did I know that my husband had dessert plans... As I lay on the couch watching something completely unimportant, yet entertaining, on TV, Greg brought in a piece if French silk pie with four candles (my lucky number!) blazing for me to blow out and make a wish. The candles were trick candles and, again, I giggled! A fantastic night...

Yesterday I received a card from a good friend and a package arrived from the "crazy Houston household" that is my sister's family. Inside the package was a sweet card, an awesome summer bag made by none other than the O'Neill company and both were a reminder of how loved I am and how great my sister is.

Today, my actual birthday, is long from over, but I must report that the text messages, phone calls, cards, e-mails, e-cards, flowers and gifts are going a long way in reminding me of the friendships and love that surround me. What is better than an entire day for people to express how appreciative they are that you're alive?! And what better way to feel so alive and vibrant than to take all of this love in and allow it to carry you through the next year of your life?

Thank you to everyone who makes my birthday so very special and who make each year that I am alive years filled with love.

You know you're having too much fun when

...the brunch with your best friend turns into three and a half hours of serious, wonderful heart-to-heart talks.

...you return one item at Trousseau and leave with three items of silk and lace and what not!! And one of those items is free!!

...you almost get run over by a fast walker and her dog when perusing the store windows and eating Paciugo on a fantastically beautiful afternoon.

...you go in the store to pick-out simple, classy graduation announcements and come out having ordered very fancy, expensive announcements.

...after an evening of cocktails and chatting it up with husband and friends, you find yourself having a dance off with your hubby in the kitchen.

Can you ever really have too much fun?! I don't think so!!!

A Baby Butterfly

I had lunch with two of my colleagues here at work - Allison & Tiffany - and we laughed and talked and talked some more. We found ourselves having serious conversation about life and not taking life so seriously. We also talked a lot about gratitude and how easy it can be to forget how much we have to be grateful for. Sometimes we come across challenging people or challenging situations and we want to tense up - fight or flight kind of thing - but as the three of us agreed, most of the time it's just not worth it and the person or problem has little to do with us anyway. Tiffany, in particular made us laugh and made us stop and think when she said that she'd decided to begin visualizing a more challenging person in her life as something that would allow her to handle the stress better. She chose to see this person as a baby butterfly!! I laughed so hard. Allison and I could just see this baby butterfly with this big human face on it fluttering around. What a fabulous way to handle stress, just make it a baby butterfly and suddenly it seems so small, not tense and stressful at all.

So, this quote is for Tiffany and Allison, my beautiful, mature butterfly friends:

"I think the next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humor in it." — Frank A. Clark

Outside the Box

I was wide awake a little before 4 a.m. this morning and as I lay in bed thinking about various things I realized why I'd awoken so quietly, yet so fully, at such an early hour. I am happy. I am happier than I've been in a long time. Of course the fact that I had gotten to sleep not a minute before 9:30 p.m. (much like a third grader!) and had already enjoyed an uninterrupted six hours of sleep made waking at 4 a.m. easier, as well. But my mind was ready to wake-up in that moment in order to tell me some things.

I could hear birds beginning to chirp outside the open window. I could feel the warmth of my slumbering husband next to me and hear his even breathing. I was also completely aware of how at peace I was in those moments. I was so at peace within myself that my mind began unfolding an idea for my final school project more complete than I could ever have imagined. It will be the last mark I make on this masters degree career of mine and, in a way, it is a culmination of all the learning I have had within this program to date. I tend to put this type of pressure on myself in such situations and so I was having a very tough time deciding what to research and present in a few short weeks. I put it out of my mind when I went on vacation and it didn't arise again until I was wide awake this morning!! And it all came together so perfectly...

I am also very happy because I am still on Cloud Nine from my time spent in the sun and sand and surf of the Bahamas. The afterglow is still a-shinin' and I am still a-smilin'!!

Happiness abounds because my husband and I are doing so well and feeling so good together. He and I laughed our way through the weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet kisses that have an extra perk associated with them as he's grown almost a full beard from having not shaved since his last day at his previous job - 13 days unshaven and very sexy!! I am also so proud of all of the incredible work he is doing on our home. These are so much more than home improvements, they are home make-overs.

There is also another happiness I feel over things seeming to come together for me - personally, professionally, scholastically, emotionally, physically - I feel better about life in this moment than I have in a long time. I am more accepting of myself than ever before. I am completely open to possibilities because I know less now than I ever have before, and that's o.k. I also feel the most free than I have probably ever because I am living 'outside the box.' My Box of Life was so constricting in so many ways for so long...it's so nice to move outside of that.

So, as I lay awake from 4 a.m. to about 5 a.m. this morning and plotted my final project for school and counted all the ways I am happy and feeling free, I couldn't imagine how I was going to remain in bed and not spring up and enjoy this early morning energy and excitement. But the next thing I knew I was being awakened again by the faint sound of the ocean waves crashing on the shore...my alarm clock was telling me it was time to capture the day and live in those moments of gratitude and energy and excitement and enjoy living a life 'outside the box.'

"You have to leave to come back..."

Tears filled my eyes as the charter flight began making its way back to Nassau from the island of Staniel Cay where I'd spent six glorious days and five incredible nights with my husband, one of my best friends from college, her husband and her father. I told Casey, John and Greg how sad I was to leave such a beautiful place after so much time spent relaxing, having fun and just not having to think about anything except sunscreen and my next meal for so many days. The words above are those that Casey spoke in reply to my sadness. I took those words and keep them with me because I must return and I must hang on to the wonderful memories we've now made in this unbelievable place.

Top Ten Reasons You'll Never Want to Leave Staniel Cay

1. It's a remote island where cell phone, television and computer use is unnecessary and somewhat unwelcome.

2. If you want to spend the day reading on the boat dock, splashing around in some of the most beautiful water ever seen, spying on underwater creatures, napping in the hanging chair or boating for adventure, you have only to walk a few steps out the back door.

3. Spending quality time with a long-time friend who is so patient and so kind to her "athletically challenged" friend when it comes to snorkeling, boating, etc. makes the vacation so much more enjoyable and relaxed.

4. A "gourmet chef," that I like to call husband, who made some of the finest foods I've ever tasted from local fare and interesting odds and ends in a kitchen he was unfamiliar with. What a treat that just made this one hell of a vacation!!

5. Water so clear that I could see all the way to the ocean floor and see all of the millions of fish swimming around me as I snorkeled for the very first time!!

6. The gorgeous boats docked around the island that I'm sure housed men and women of intrigue and mystery...at least that was my fantasy anyway.

7. The ability to forget about time (there wasn't a functioning clock in the place!) and responsibilities and go with the flow.

8. The laughter, the good conversation and the complete and utter fun whether it was stories shared, playing Twister for the first time since middle school (and winning!!) and the many rounds of Scattergories we played most nights. It felt so good to just enjoy life.

9. Seeing my husband completely relaxed.

10. Knowing that even though we had to leave, we are always welcome back to Staniel Cay.

Thank you to the Dressendorfer's and to Jim Sherman for an amazing six days in paradise!!