My son....

For one reason or another I've been having a difficult time putting my thoughts into words. Not verbally, that rarely happens, but in writing. It has been frustrating, VERY frustrating and the more frustrated I got the harder it was to write... so I didn't ... until now.

I was blessed with the most amazing child, my son, Cody.  In his second year of college he made the President's Honor Roll.  He didn't do it by taking easy classes either, he had Calculus, Chemistry and Physics!  And not only is he keeping his grades up, he works full time, is financially independent, and spiritually sound. He sees the light through the tunnel and does not let that veer from his sight.

That's him in the picture. It was taken during his baptism. It has not been retouched with Photo shop or anything else. That's exactly how the picture came out. Prior to taking it, Cody had been crying and yet there are no signs of tears or unhappiness in his eyes.

Yes, I believe he is my angel and that I have been given a gift.  As to why?  I haven't a clue.  I am no one special.  I haven't done anything extraordinary in my life but yet I have been blessed with a child who has touched my heart and brightened my world so immensely. The world can be pretty ugly and mean and people aren't always nice and respectful. I haven't kept my son sheltered from  all the hatred and ugliness. He has seen many sides of humanity and yet he is prevailing and shining in spite of it all. He gives me strength just by his presence. He listens to my incessant babbling even when I can't listen to myself anymore. He’s steady and steadfast and has grown into a fine young man.

Is it how I raised him? I tried but it sure wasn’t by example. Maybe by an example of what NOT to do. Yes, I am his mom and I believe he is my angel but I also believe we all have faults and it's our faults that make us strong and compassionate.  I have never tried to hide mine from Cody and there are times I just plain couldn't. It wasn’t always the right thing to do but it happened and we survived. To quote Izzie from Grey’s Anatomy,  

"I believe in the good.

 I believe we survive.

I believe that believing we survive is what makes us survive.”

Cody wants to be an Oceanographer. I don’t know a whole lot about Oceanography, in fact I don't care for the ocean much at all. But it's not what I like that's important, it's what he likes. There is no doubt in my mind he will succeed in whatever he chooses to do. That’s just how he is.

Cody,
There are no words to describe how proud I am of you!

You deserve the world and more.

You make things shine with your peaceful serenity and I know that you will achieve whatever you believe.

Stay strong, calm and true.

I love you!

"Always and forever" ... Mom

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

"There are only four questions of value in life, Don Octavio.

What is sacred?
Of what is the spirit made?

What is worth living for and what is worth dying for?

The answer to each is the same: only love."

 

 ~ from the movie, "Don Juan DeMarco"

 

 

Today and every day...

Cherish and honor the ones you love,

and the ones that love you.

Nobody Dances Anymore

I love music. As far back as I can remember I have always loved to sing and dance. Not that I can do either one very well, but as the saying goes, "If it feels good, DO IT!"

I remember a day when my son was around 8 years old. I was in the kitchen cooking spaghetti... dancing and singing "opera" and playing air drums with my wooden spoons. In the middle of a twirl, I saw two of my friends, male friends, staring at me. Surprised and embarrassed, I asked how long they had been there. They replied, "Long enough!" When I looked at my son who had let them in, he just smiled at me in admiration. No look of embarrassment or "I gotcha!" on his face at all. That's just what his mom does when she cooks, right?

Looking back, that was a big moment in my life. A time when I realized how important it was to be myself. That showing my vulnerable side to others allowed them to be more comfortable around me. I made three people smile that day... two friends and my son and that made me feel good... real good!

The video below is by a group called Brandtson. It's called "Nobody Dances Anymore". I love it because it's real. I hope it brings a smile to your day... and if you feel like it, dance!