one foot in front of the other

Stand tall in who you are
In all your glory and all your downfalls
Know that you do not always have to get it right
Sometimes you will stumble
Veer off course
Go the wrong way
You might even reach a dead end
It's ok
Life isn't perfect
It never is, and never will be
There will be ups, and downs
Along the way you will learn how to navigate your own course
With each step you take
Each moment you encounter
Hold onto laughter
For it is laughter that truly is the best medicine
In the hard times when it is difficult to come by you will need it most
Do not push it away
Embrace it and allow your body to feel it's joy
Because even in moments of deep dark sadness it is ok to laugh
So put your shoulders back
Hold your head up high
Know that your mistakes do not define you
You are beautiful just the way you are
Continue putting one foot in front of the other
As you create the most epic life that you want to live

the story keepers

We were talking about how I used to suck my thumb when I was younger {not sure why, but we were}.  "I did it for a really long time" I said.  "How long" he asked?   And I didn't know the answer.  I just always remember my mom telling me that it was a long time.  Longer than I ever should have been.  

Moms are the keeper of the stories.  

They know how old you were when you learned to ride a bike.  They know where they were standing when you were running up the stairs and knocked your two front teeth straight out.  They have all the details of the time you and your brothers rearranged every christmas ornament on the tree and when you were the accomplice when she moved your dads car at the park-n-ride.   

Moms know the stories behind the victories and the scars.

They remember the day she dropped you off at college and how she cried in the car on the way home because you were growing up so fast.  She was there the night your prom date picked you up.  She helped you get your car fixed when you had a fender bender in the parking lot, and cheered you on at every track and cross country meet.  

Recently I was trying to find out my exact birth time and no one in my family knew what it was.  It was then when I realized that so many of my childhood stories live with my mom.  She knew all the details and helped us all sort through the scattered memories we had.  

She used to joke about how I put out every pair of shoes for the Easter Bunny when I was younger.  We were only supposed to leave out one pair and the bunny would drop in a piece of candy, but I pulled them all out and lined them up neatly.  I am not even sure where this tradition came from but I do know if my mom was here today she would have the answer.  She would also know the exact time I was born and be able to tell me story of how it all happened.  I know it involved them being at a halloween party the night before and her waking up with clown make up still on, but that is all I know. Little bits and pieces of memories from when I was small.

The moments you live become embedded on your moms heart forever.  You are an extension of her and she remembers every tear, every smile, every heartbreak.  It is etched onto her heart forever and wherever she goes she carries it with her.  

Today is the two year anniversary of my mom's passing and I am trying to hold onto all the memories.  Laughing as our message in a bottle floated back to us again and again because we couldn't throw it out far enough.  Sitting on the beach chatting.  Arts & craft nights.  That one time she came to visit me and everything changed.  Her thoughtful gifts and home made seashell decorations.  Our trip to Brooklyn.  How proud she was cheering me on for the marathon.  There are so many memories and I do not want to let them fade.  

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Catch all the memories you can if you still have the chance.  Ask to hear the stories over and over so they are forever etched onto your heart.  Listen deeply and jot them down.  And if you don't have the chance to hear them again replay the ones you have and hold them close.  

Life flashes by in the blink of an eye, but it is you memories that remind you of what made you who you are.  Hold onto these memories and savor them deeply.  

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory" ~ unknown

day dream believer

At my third grade parent teacher conference Mr Carestia told my mom that I was a good student  However he could see in class when I drifted off and entered the world of day dreaming.  A glazed look coming across my face, and that was it.  I was checked out.

I have always been a dreamer

I believe that we must dream.  For it is the first step to making anything come true.  Setting the intention and planting the seed.  If we don't think about what it is we want we never know exactly what we desire and therefore can never obtain it.  

My dreams are charted out through vision boards, journal entries, pinterest searches, and moments of quiet when I allow myself space to sit and think. I imagine what it is I truly want, how I will feel when I get it, and who I want to be by my side along the way.

Yet dreaming can only take you so far.  You must be willing to do the work in order to see your dreams come true.  You have to take the steps, follow your hearts desires, and show up.  Yes, your hands will get dirty.  Your heart will break.  You will veer off course.  You will feel like you will never make it.  

There is even a chance your dream won't come true, but you never know until you try.  

You can't expect someone to show up at your door with our dream on a silver platter.  Life just doesn't work that way.  It requires you to take the time and energy needed to make something happen.  It means pushing yourself past your comfort zone and being ok with whatever the outcome, especially when it's not the one you were expecting.  

Lately the dream of writing a book has been nudging me again.  I started a few years back but never made it happen.  But just because I couldn't do it then, does't mean that I can't do it now.  One thing I know for certain is that books don't appear out of thin air.  A lot of hard work and dedication goes into them.  I must show up to the page and grant the words permission to spill out.  I must be dedicated and encourage myself to write, even when I don't feel like it.  Beauty emerges when we push ourselves past our edges.  

What dream is living in your heart?  What one step can you take today to bring yourself a little bit closer to it?  

Show up and say yes to your dream

Choose to carve out the dream that you desire.  Put in the hard work and reap all of it's rewards.  Do not be afraid of failure but rather be afraid of how you will feel if you never give it a try.  

expand your circle

You are larger than the circle that surrounds you
Your friends, family members, co-workers
The barista at your local coffee shop
The cashier you chat with each time you go to the grocery store
Your mailman
Your yoga teacher
Your librarian
All of these people surround you
Creating the daily world you live in
The one you hold close
The one you know like the back of your hand
But beyond that circle there is a world of people ready to great you
Looking forward to meeting you
Wanting to lend a helping hand
The passenger next to you on the plane who opens his heart
The women hosting running retreats in Oregon
The  man sitting in front of you at both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox's games
The friendly voice answering all your health insurance questions
The waitress at the airport lounge
The author who's book you stumbled on
Yes, there is so much more out there than the circle you are surrounded by
You are bigger than your circle
Your heart is capable of stretching wider than you think it can
You can expand
You can grow
You can invite others in
Do not be fearful of what is beyond your comfort zone
Allow yourself space to open up
Smile at strangers
Begin conversations
Know that anything is possible
When you are willing to take a chance
Take the chance to expand your circle
And allow yourself space to shine

one life to live

36 years roaming this planet
13 years serving it up at Chilis
8 years at TRU
6 years together
5 years since moving from my studio apartment
3 years in marketing
2 years back on Franklin Turnpike
2 years since losing my mom
A countless number of miles ridden
6 flights to Aruba
1 cross country adventure
1 time getting lost in the woods
1 bike ride to the lighthouse
5 foxes crossing my path
3 trips to squam lake
2 west coast retreats
1 failed attempt at writing a book
1 yoga teacher certification obtained
15 years of friendship
1 divine moment of intervention
A lifetime of saying yes
An uncountable amount of choosing no
1 burning desire for adventure
1 dream to ride to California on my bicycle
1 move to Pennsylvania
1 chance for a final goodbye
3 seasons doing something I enjoyed
1 sixty mile ride
1 bookstore conversation that changed everything
3 movies that feed my soul
1 pile of books that are my life line
1 lesson learned after another
5 pairs of running shoes in my closet
26 journals filled with words
A countless number of times I fell down, and got back up again
1 library card
1 three dollar and sixty cent fine
1 chance encounter
1 question looming over my head
4 jars filled with feathers
1 ring I always wear
1 place I feel most me
5 four forty five am wake up calls to move my body
10 mins of meditation
2 legs to take me where I want to go
1 dream of seeing the northern lights
2 songs that take me back
A lifetime of memories made
1 desire for more
8 strands of twinkle lights
2440 moments documented
1 mission
Over 250 love note senders
3 bottles tossed into the sea
A countless number of hearts found
1 life being created by the choices I make and the way I show up
Because I only get this one chance, and I am the creator of my destiny
I choose where I am going to go and what I am to do
And so I take this one chance to make the most of it
1 wide open heart, living moment to moment
 

stepping forward

Meet me at the waters edge
Together we will stop time
Even if just for a brief second
As we savor the sound of the oceans tide
Holding hands
And sharing our dreams of what we can become
Carrying with us the stories of the past
Recognizing what we learned
And stepping boldly into this moment
We understand we cannot rewrite what has been done
And we know that neither of us wants to
For it is what has shaped us
Unexpected twist and turns
Detours down unknown roads
A lifetime of learning tucked inside our hearts
We understand it won't be easy
But nothing worth it ever is
What we do know is that we are stepping forward, together
As we look out into the horizon
Our future looks bright
Even though we are uncertain of the details it holds
We know we must take the risk
Leaping into the great unknown
Unprepared for what's to come
Our hearts are filled with hope
Our minds are set on the road ahead
Together we embark on this great adventure called life