Happy Sunday Happy New Year

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Good morning! Happy Sunday and Happy New Year! I can’t believe we’re in the year 2023! Does it seem as startling to you this morning as it does to me? Perhaps it’s just that I haven’t had enough coffee yet! 🙂 But time truly flies when you sit quietly and reflect as I’ve been doing this morning. Reflecting and being present and also taking care to think about the future. Because isn’t that what we do on New Year’s Day?!

It’s a fresh start beginning with January 1st. While I’m not one for declaring my resolutions for the coming year, I know many people who do. Instead, I’d rather take stock of what I have, count my blessings with gratitude, and plan for the future with lots of hope mixed in.

Faith. Hope. and Love.

I’ve been through a lot over the years while I’ve been writing to you. I’ve battled breast cancer (yesterday marked 21 years since my diagnosis). I’ve lost both of my parents. I’ve cleaned out and sold 4 houses for family due to deaths. The marriage and relationship with his family ceased to exist. I’ve endured open heart surgery and Covid. Those are just the biggies. I’m sure there’s more, I just can’t think of them right now…But what I’m getting at is this: what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger…and I’ve learned how strong I innately am!

As I held my sons last night after we watched the ball drop together in Times Square, I began to get teary. The three of us stood together in a unified hug, as it should be. We are family. We have endured so much together. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been so worth it.

I got teary because I am so grateful. I know how precious life is. I understand that life can change in a moment’s notice. When I look back over the last ten years, so much in my life has changed. So much in my sons’ lives have changed and while we don’t know where this new year will take us, what I do know in my heart is this: we will do it together and there’s no place I’d rather be right now than with them.

So as I sit here with a kitty on my lap, the boys and pup asleep upstairs in the early hours of the first day of the new year, I send you love, gratitude and a gentle reminder to always remember to enjoy – the presents of presence – in your life!

Shine On!

xo

Greetings 2021

Happy First Monday of 2021 to all! I hope you had a lovely New Year’s and that you are quickly settling into writing 2021 as opposed to 2020! It always takes me a few days to get used to writing a new year in the beginning. Do you have the same experience?

I awoke this morning and realized that this is a new decade for me and my loved ones. A lot happened in our lives during the last decade 2010-2020 which brought about so many tears, changes and much upheaval. But I am looking forward to this new decade which comes in altogether differently with a breath of fresh optimism, love, light and healing. I am so grateful for the past decade which taught me so much even when it was so difficult. I remain blessed that what I endured during these last ten years has made me stronger, more resilient and has taught me more about life and people than I ever really intended. I’ve learned so much which allows me to help others who are in similar situations. For walking these paths is not easy and sometimes we simply need a hand to hold onto as we continue on. As always, I offer you my hand in friendship.

What I love is that I can honestly tell you that I am happy, and that I have healed from the past decade’s experiences. Overcoming so many life’s challenges without losing myself, nor my positive attitude, has been miraculous. I have had much help over the years and I am truly grateful for those who stayed and supported me, took the time to listen, to help me to heal and to inspire me to believe in love and life again. These gifts are so precious to me as are those people who reached out with kindness and caring.

I am raising my glass to you and to 2021 in greetings! May we continue to see the glass as. half full and be grateful for the glass itself which is refillable. May we hold precious those who care and love innately. May we be filled with hope, inspiration and the light of goodness as we fill our days shining our heartlights. May we never forget The Presents of Presence no matter how hectic our lives become – for this lifetime is short and is never guaranteed for a certain period of time.

So live a life that you are proud of,

a legacy of love,

that helps all with whom you connect

to feel the blessings

that your presence is to our world.

Shine On!

xo

Rabbit Rabbit 2020

Well, we made it to 2020!  Happy New Year to all of you dear friends!  I hope you remembered to say Rabbit Rabbit!  Don’t worry if you didn’t, you can say it now!  Repeat after me….Rabbit Rabbit, White Rabbit, White Rabbit!  Whew…I feel better now.  Don’t you?

I hope you had a lovely New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day today!  How did you spend last evening?  Did you do anything exciting?  I spent a quiet evening on New Year’s Eve which has become a treat for me.  At the stroke of twelve when the Times Square ball was dropping, my phone lit up with phone calls and text messages from beloved family and friends and I felt the love!  There’s nothing like connecting with loved ones who wish you all the best in the new year!

It was a special night for me.  A time of reflection and of gratitude for I was diagnosed eighteen years ago with cancer on New Year’s Eve.  It seems so very long ago when I heard those dreaded words.  A lot has happened in my life since then for which I’m grateful.  But most of all, I’m grateful that I am still here surrounded by love.

I appreciate the simple blessings in my life and the connections that have stood the test of time.  I couldn’t have endured this life journey without my precious friends and family who have remained by my side with kindness and loving support.  I am grateful for all of you who are reading my blog too.  My blogosphere friendships have been an amazing gift to me and I love to connect with you when you visit me.

I hope that 2020 brings you all an abundance of blessings with a heaping serving of health, wealth, love and happiness!  May this year be our best yet!  Keep shining your heartlights!

Shine On!

xo

Morning Has Broken

A new year.  A new day.  A new beginning.  So much that is new, but what comes with a beginning, also encompasses an ending.  Sometimes, we have a hard time of letting go of the ending and thus, we can’t really and truly begin until we release what holds us back.  We mourn for the loss of what was or what could be, spending valuable time hoping and wishing for a change.  This does not serve us unfortunately, but we do need to grieve for a bit to honor what was and what could have been if situations were different.

Then we move on…

Embrace your new beginnings.  Allow the excitement and enthusiasm which accompanies the new to flourish in your heart, mind and soul.  Take the lessons from the past with you as you step onto a new year’s path of life.  Begin again with love, kindness and compassion in your heart.  Do not dwell on what was, but instead look at the past as a gift for it served you well and got you to this point.  Let go of your past.

Breathe in possibility.  A new chapter awaits you.  A fresh page on which to write your hopes and dreams for 2018.  Every day we have a fresh start just waiting for us to notice.  Every moment can be a new beginning, not just because a new day dawns or a new year begins.

What is it that you want for yourself?

You are powerful.  I believe in you.

Take my hand.  Together we can build a tapestry which shines like the sun at dawn!

Shine On!

xo

Morning Has Broken was one of my Dad’s favorite songs and I heard it this morning, perfectly timed.  So I thought I’d share with you!

 

Rabbits January 1st, 2018

January 1, 2018 begins a new year and a new month!  So you must have known I would have to mention my beloved rabbit, rabbit, in our conversation!  It’s only fitting I think to start the new year off right!

The lift of spirit comes to me in the early morning hours, holding me close and nestling against my heart.  Part of me is weary and tired and part of me is getting energized like the rabbits for forward movement with hope for a shiny new year on which to make my mark.

I don’t make resolutions as I find them restricting.  Sure I’d love to exercise more, to lose a few pounds and to perhaps be more organized.  But those are goals to me that can be accomplished with discipline.  I’m thinking bigger.

I open my arms to embrace the new year with a full heartlight shining.  My intention is to not allow my heartlight to be dimmed in 2018.

Keep your heartlight shining in 2018 dear friends!  Every day is a choice to shine!  You do it so well and I look forward to seeing you sparkling in my life everyday!

May you have a year filled with wishes fulfilled!  Happy 2018!

Shine On!

xo

 

A New New Year’s Eve

I was diagnosed with breast cancer on New Year’s Eve of 2001.  I won’t bore you with the details, but if you choose to search in my posts for those key words, you will find my story.  Much has happened since that fateful day and for many years, I felt downtrodden by the reminder of my cancerversary on New Year’s Eve.

Finally, I no longer hold that diagnosis in my heart/mind/soul as I used to in the past.  The cancer diagnosis was the beginning of my spiritual journey which has led me to this day, today, for which I am ever grateful.  My life hasn’t turned out as I’d planned.  Instead, I’ve endured a plethora of losses and yet, I remain grateful for each experience.  I see now that all of those life lessons have led me to today and the spiritual knowledge which I would have never received had my life been easy and cancer-free.  I have acquired so much depth of understanding which I would have never grown if I hadn’t had to endure so much pain in my life.  The experiences reminded me of how innately strong I am and how even though my life went through periods of darkness, my heartlight shines even more brightly now because of what I’ve endured.  Isn’t that always the way?  Do you feel the same way?

My heartlight dimmed at times of great stress, disease, fear and grief, but the innate sparkle never left me.  My faith has grown stronger.  My commitment to being me in all my quirks and glory, has only increased in strength and commitment.  My supply of self-love and love for all mankind has increased exponentially.  I love from the depths of my soul and have learned to receive healthy love as well.  I no longer worry about acceptance.  I am who I am and I am not afraid anymore.

I wish you all a lovely New Year’s Eve!  Let go of who and what doesn’t serve your spiritual growth.  Leave the past hurts behind.  Enjoy The Presents of Presence and may all unfold in 2018 with love, light and peace for you!

Shine On!

xo

Letting Go of Expectations

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions?  Truthfully, it’s been a long time since I’ve tried to do it myself.  But I’d love to know if you do make resolutions and if you stick with them?  And if you are successful, would you let us all in on your secret?  Pretty please?

Because this year, I’m not making any resolutions in the traditional sense.  Instead, I plan to build on lessons I’ve learned and to expand them.  Does that sound confusing?  Well, let me try to explain.

For example, I have a hard time with expectations.  Perhaps it is unrealistic, but somehow I expect people to be kind and to communicate because that’s what I try to do.  However, my unmet expectations gave me so much unrest in 2016, that I am finally letting them go.  Just because communication is important to me, I realize that it may not be so important to others.  So I’m releasing that give and take expectation and just accepting the reality of the current situation.  I think it’s healthier for me and in 2017, that’s my goal!

Do you have certain expectations which fall short in your life?  How do you handle them?  If you have any advice, I’m open to reading any suggestions you may want to share.

May 2017 bring you peace, joy, health, wealth and love!

Shine On!

xo

It’s Been 15 Years and I’m Still Here!

Fifteen years ago today, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  At times, it seems as if it were yesterday.  At others, it seems a lifetime ago.  But as any cancer survivor knows, we never forget the diagnosis which begins this journey.

So today, I celebrate with gratitude the triumph of still being here to enjoy my life with my children.  Even though I celebrate this milestone alone today, I have many angels in my life to whom I look with loving gratitude for all that they have done for me throughout the years.  I hold dearly those memories of loving support and kindness which were gifted to me.  Indeed, sometimes it takes a village.

My life has changed by leaps and bounds since that fateful day.  I’ve overcome 10 + surgeries, chemotherapy, baldness, radiation and countless scares that the cancer had returned.  I’ve loved and lost and let go.  But what remains is my faith, my courage and my choice to stay here and fight for my life.

I’ve learned so many lessons by enduring cancer, ones that perhaps I wish I’d never learned, but yet I am grateful all the same.

So on this New Year’s Eve Day, please celebrate with me as I celebrate with you.  Cheers with gratitude to the lessons learned in the past 15 years and cheers to another year filled with light, love, health, prosperity and happiness for all!

Shine On!

xo

Ringing in 2016

May 2016 be the year all of our wishes are fulfilled.

May love, health, wealth and joy be ours.

May we make memories to hold close to our hearts.

May we be healthy in mind, heart, body and soul.

May we heal in miraculous ways.

May we reach out in kindness and be greeted in kind everyday.

May we know love and trust in the Universe.

May we travel safely.

May we keep our faith strong.

May our heartlights shine brightly.

May hope spring eternal.

May love conquer all.

May we continue to be grateful and appreciate every gift.

May we remember to look up and to search within when times are hard.

May we count blessings and not troubles.

 May we make connections through caring.

May we hold dearly the Presents of Presence.

May peace be ours to share with the world.

~~~~~~~~

 May we never forget we are perfect, whole, complete and loved.

May 2016 be your best year yet!

Shine On!

xo

Hope in the New Year

The sun rose on a new year, and my heart was filled with such hope.

Welcome 2015!  I lay to rest 2014 with a heavy heart.  I awaken with enthusiasm for the beauty, hope and love that a new year and a new chapter bring to my heart.

I do not believe in resolutions for they are too restrictive to me.  Instead, last year I chose a power word which coincidentally was LOVE ~ and I learned much about LOVE last year.  I have thought much about what my theme would be this year, trying out all new words in order to choose what I feel is right for my new life.

TAPESTRY:  To weave through my radiant days with loving joy the following attributes

Love

Empowerment

Health

Wealth

Happiness

Service

Hope

Kindness

Compassion

Gratitude

Faith

*Not necessarily in this order…

May 2015 be your year of wishes fulfilled with plenty of love, laughter, gratitude, health, wealth, hope and happiness.

Shine On!

xo