29May 2012 by CJ

Times of simplicity remind us what true happiness is all about

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
I’ve never been a fan of the heat. But as any homeowner will tell you, sometimes things just need to get done – regardless of the weather conditions. Who knew it would remind me of times of simplicity. With the upcoming forecast predicting rain over the next several days, today looked like the only nice day to finish up some yard work I’d been putting off. And though I had no desire to stand out in the blazing sun with temperatures approaching the mid to upper 80’s, it looked like I had no choice. While sitting under the patio umbrella wasn’t terribly uncomfortable, once I started moving around I truly got a sense of just how hot it was. Did I mention I wasn’t a fan of the heat? Standing…
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27Mar 2012 by CJ

Things that are old are often forgotten but they once held greatness

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
Did you ever notice how things that are old are often forgotten? Did you ever pass by an old, abandoned building and wonder to yourself, how did it start out life? At the time of completion the building may have been considered state of the art - on the cutting edge of technology. Only now it’s nothing more than a piece of history that’s been plagued by vandalism and reduced to rubble. The same could be said for that 57 Chevy rusting and rotting away in an overcrowded junkyard. Certainly a pale comparison to the years when muscle cars were all the rage and drive-in movies were a common form of entertainment on Friday nights. But there must have been a time when these relics once possessed beauty and commanded…
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11Mar 2012 by CJ

Food on a rope is a timeless story I still love sharing with others

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
My grandmother came from a family of nine brothers and sisters and loved to share the story of food on a rope from her childhood. Her mother (my great-grandmother) was a homemaker – staying home to raise the children in their tiny North Bergen, New Jersey apartment, while her husband went to work as a furniture re-finisher. Money was always tight, as were the sleeping quarters. It wasn’t uncommon to have two or three children sharing a bed. My grandmother used to always tell me how cold her sister’s feet used to be or how she was always crying about something when they were trying to go to sleep. Another story she told over and over was that of food on a rope. You see their apartment was on the…
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07Mar 2012 by CJ

Life is fragile and you need to recognize miracles before they’re gone

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
Last night I bumped into an acquaintance I hadn’t seen in some time. It was another lesson learned in how life is fragile. As is customary and mannerly, the appropriate question in these circumstances is often to ask “how are you” or “how’ve you been,” and the response you’re expecting is “fine”. But that wasn’t the case here. It turns out that her 40-year-old daughter had passed away suddenly without any warning or evident cause. I was speechless as I’m sure you can understand. After all, what comforting words can you possibly offer during such a painful, sometimes unbelievable occurrence? For the remainder of the evening and even today I can’t stop thinking about her daughter’s untimely passing. I kept thinking about my wife and what in the world I…
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28Feb 2012 by CJ

Neckties are no longer common but getting dressed up does make you feel good

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
“If men can run the world, why can't they stop wearing neckties? How intelligent is it to start the day by tying a little noose around your neck?” - Linda Ellerbee The first question my 91 year old grandmother asked me when I got my new job was, “do you have to wear neckties?” Let’s remember she’s from a generation long ago when men wore a suit and neckties to go to the movies and women wore dresses and pumps to do their house work. Sounds pretty foreign, doesn’t it? I don’t think there was really a dress code per say at my previous job. Jeans and sneakers were commonplace and it never seemed to be an issue. In truth, I settled into that work attire pretty quickly – going…
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