Cohen - Gross Wedding Weekend :: Day 1

Today was the first of my 3 day weekend in Florida to celebrate Gideon and Shaari's wedding.

After a long day of traveling, beach going, enjoying the welcome dinner and playing cards with the Romulos, I have to admit that I am beat!!

The weather is beautiful, as one would expect for Florida in May. Sunny, warm, breezy. Complete beach & relaxation weather.

The hotel I am staying at, The Pelican Inn, is in the middle of all the shopping one could need; from food, to pharmacy, eateries, and outlets, we are definitely in a great spot!

This evening, Gideon and Shaari hosted a Welcome Dinner for all of the guests. The dinner and dessert were simple and excellent. The night turned out to be a time for Gid & Shaari's closest friends and loved ones to share some life long memories, offer some marriage advice, and even bring up some things one would have hoped was forgotten by now.

The night ended in my room learning to play Crazy 8s. Hanging w Sue and Gar is always a blast. Laughs & loudness can always be counted on with those two. I am so glad to have another day with them tomorrow. The people I love are coming together, even if only for a few days. I am certain tomorrow will be a different kind of fun. It will be special day for my dear friend. I look forward to what the day holds.

Realization...

For as many times as I try to be positive in life, there are just as many times that I'm discouraged, insecure and unsure of things.

I try to be prayerful and encourage others, but sometimes I find that I sell the product, I just don't always believe in it.

Insecurity really has no place in my life. That's not my thought, really. It's what I gather from what people who know me have said. Living with insecurities is a very difficult thing to a.) admit and b.) do. But, God is so good & faithful. When I pray he answers. Always.

These negative thoughts and feelings are not what should consume me at all, ever. Life happens, but it should never break me. I don't think I'm wonderful, but I am confident in who I am as a person. There are certain triggers, yes, that bring out my insecurities, but I'm going to work on them. I'm going to stop comparing myself to others and realize that God doesn't make mistakes. But, He does help us to be our best selves. So, I'm going to start believing in the products I sell, and ultimately put my faith & my life in God's hands.

My dear friend, Michelle, passed along the inspirational picture on this post that she said made her think of me. Interestingly enough, it came right after I had prayed. There are no coincidences, there is only God.

Thinking Out Loud

In every day life, we deal with other individuals. It's what goes on if you venture outside of your home, or even right inside, should you have a roommate or family. How we deal with others is really what's important.

We have different relationships with different people. Often, different personalities are put together, and in some cases we deal with individuals with multiple personalities. That might be the hardest to interact with on a regular basis. I don't mean a medical condition. I mean mood swings, never being sure which way to approach them, or how they will react / respond to something.

Regardless, our dealings with other people play a big role in our daily lives.
Many times things flow so nicely. Everyone gets along, communication is excellent, or close to it, and the days come and go without a bump.
The times that don't flow so well are the ones that make me stop and ask myself why?

Why is it that sometimes a person is amazing & wonderful, yet at another time or in a different conversation, that same individual comes across as someone you don't know? I suppose life happens and sometimes we're a little off. Understandable, yes. But, when you feel like someone is changing before your eyes & that person isn't quite who you thought, it becomes an internal struggle & possibly heartbreaking.

My question, to myself I suppose, is what is to be done about it?

I am a big believer in following your instinct. It never steers us wrong. The question is do we listen to it? Do we trust ourselves as we should?
I feel, when dealing with others we should, indeed, be our best selves. Be examples of true kindness and love. When it comes to matters of the heart, of course, be kind & loving. Perhaps, though you should use your head. Emotions can be blinding, but our head is usually clearer. Disappointments happen, so do pleasant surprises. But, only we can control our reactions and responses to others.

Happy Birthday, Michelle!!

I should have celebrated Michelle's birthday yesterday, on the actual day, but it slipped my mind, sad to say.

Who says birthdays can't be celebrate all week long? Not I! Today was the perfect day to sing Happy Birthday to my sweet friend. We all gathered at lunch & enjoyed cake with Michelle. I hope she enjoyed the small, impromptu partaee as much as we enjoyed celebrating her.

Here's to another great year of life for you, Michelle. Be blessed today & always.

For My Loves ...

Over the past 10+ years I have had the pleasure, the honor and the joy of being part of, or simply invited to, a great number of weddings. Due to the dear love and friendship that I have with these couples who invited / included me to these precious ceremonies, as well as my love for the sacred blessing of marriage, and my sincere adoration of the idea of romance, I have proudly attended many.

This upcoming weekend I will travel for yet another dear friend's wedding. My friend, Gideon, will marry his fiancé, Shaari. I could not be happier for him. I've known him forever, and we've seen each other through a lot.

My friendship with Gid goes back to the summer of 1996 where we met at Scarsdale Rec Camp. Gosh that seems like forever ago. That same summer, I met Sue at camp, as well, and the three of us became and remained friends all these years through wherever life has taken us ... studies abroad, being busy with life, and even the occasional, but very rare argument.

Last summer was Sue's wedding, and I was given the honor of being in her bridal party. Her wedding took place in Canada where she moved to, as her sweet hubby, Gary, is from there. I actually had the pleasure of having brunch with them back in December, but we haven't been together with Gid since their wedding back in July.

Gid, Sue and I have enjoyed many dinners, laughs, calls, birthdays, and even tears over the years. My memories with these two bring a smile to my face and a tug at my heart. These are memories that can never be erased, and will forever be special.

As my long time friend is about to be married this weekend, I reflect on how our lives have changed, been blessed, and how we've grown -- together and as individuals. I wish he and Shaari the same love, blessings and happiness that I wished for Sue and Gary in July. They all deserve nothing but the best that God has for them.

Although I'm not married, I still have advice to offer ...
Love each other.
Be open and honest.
Listen to each other.
Communicate.
Remember, you were friends first; Never lose that.
Pray together. Laugh together. Cry together. Enjoy each other.

I love you guys always.

Inspirational Words

Every now and then I like to post quotes that I come across on my Facebook page. Sometimes they speak to me and I hope they will have an effect on someone else, other times I just want to encourage someone. Yesterday, my sweet friend, Michelle sent me two 'inspirational' messages. Her timing couldn't have been better.
We all go through things, and I guess sometimes the ones who give the most encouragement & inspiration might be those same ones who need some of it as well. I'm so thankful for my friends. I'm truly blessed.

Class Trip

This past Wednesday, my class & I took a trip to the Fire Zone in New York City. We ventured on the subway and then down 5th Ave to 51st Street. Our excitement was slightly dampened by the rain & crowded city streets. But, the kids were troopers, and I was glad. We went with another class, and thankfully they had many parents helping out, so together we had adequate supervision in the city's madness.

Due to the weather, the long walk from the train to the venue, and the pace that the children walk, we got there late. I worried about missing the presentation, but the firemen were so accommodating, welcoming and understanding they decided to work with both classes at the same time.

We sat in a room that was filled with furniture and other articles that had been burned in real fires. We watched a great presentation of different reasons those fires had started, followed up with conversation with our presenter, who can be seen below, Firefighter Ryan. The kids were a little nervous at times, but they learned many lessons that would keep them safe should they ever be subjected to a fire. I pray they never will.

Our time at the Fire Zone ended with the kids being allowed to touch and look at a real fire truck, sit in the seats, and wear the heavy jackets. Everyone had a ball!