04Dec 2011 by CJ

Finding your way home on Christmas Day is a feeling too many share

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
Home on Christmas Day. That means so many different things to different people. Throughout the month of December, constant reminders of the holidays captivate our senses. We marvel at the sight of twinkling lights intertwined on festive decorations, salivate at the smell of freshly baked gingerbread men lined like toy soldiers on cookie sheets, and hum along to the sound of holiday tunes joyfully playing in the background. For me, the sounds of the season have always been my favorite. As a young child, I remember listening to songs about a magical snowman with a corncob pipe and a button nose, and wondering if it really was fun to ride in a one horse open sleigh. But as an adult, I find myself drawn to musical themes which many times…
Read More
29Nov 2011 by CJ

Living in poverty means some spend the holidays living in cars

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
It's hard to believe there are people living in poverty when you read the sentence below. Well the news it out - Black Friday Weekend 2011 was a raging success, bringing in some $53 billion dollars. Admittedly, my wife and I contributed to that number - fighting crowds of shoppers who did little to put me in the holiday spirit. Maybe it's me but cursing, pushing and a general feeling of rudeness does little to warm the coddles of my soul. On a positive note, I suppose $53 billion dollars will help the bottom line of most retailers, which will save jobs and keep the recovery effort moving along. But it's hard to see the benefits of this holiday spending after watching a story on "60 Minutes" that same weekend…
Read More
22Nov 2011 by CJ

Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it

Generosity & Kindness
With Thanksgiving only a few days away, I've been thinking a lot about this past year and the many blessings I've been afforded, which are deserving of my thanks. It's time to appreciate life. There's my wife of the last ten years - my best friend and constant support, who's always there with a welcoming smile to remind me what unconditional love is truly all about. No matter what success might come my way during this life, it would seem utterly meaningless if I didn't have her to share it with. So thank you angel for sticking by me, especially when I'm a pain in the ass and grumpy. Your love is never wavering. It's funny how so many married couples hate their in-laws - some can't even be in…
Read More
20Nov 2011 by CJ

One kind word can unlock the goodness in other people’s hearts

Generosity & Kindness, Love & Relationships
As a young boy Mister Rogers' television program was a personal favorite of mine. His greatest gift was in making everyone feel welcomed in his charming, make-believe neighborhood – an asset for any child feeling a little lost in their own. And while many of his teachings were geared towards the younger generation, I’ve come to discover how appropriate they truly are for everyone - especially the act of one kind word. He once said, "“Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person. There have been so many stories about the lack of courtesy, the impatience of today’s world, the road rage and even restaurant rage. Sometimes, all it takes is one kind…
Read More
17Nov 2011 by CJ

A high school yearbook reveals where tomorrow’s happiness grows

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
On the bottom shelf of a bookcase in my guest room, tightly pressed between a pair of Funk & Wagnalls dictionaries and a large Bible my wife received from her grandfather, is an old, tattered looking book. It’s about the size of a magazine, with a pale blue hard cover and yellowed packing tape holding the torn binding together. It’s my grandmother’s high school yearbook. It was June 13th, 1940. The high school auditorium was filled with eager family and friends, all anticipating the upcoming ceremony scheduled to begin at 8:15 pm. This was the day my grandmother, Agnes Adamo, graduated. According to the program, which was safely tucked between the pages of the yearbook, the songs “God Bless America”, “I Love a Little Cottage” and “A Song of Peace”…
Read More