05Sep 2016 by CJ

Amending familial relationships can be hard

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
“It's not a person’s mistakes which define them - it's the way they make amends.”  ― Freya North I have cousins on my mother’s side, whom I haven’t seen in over 30 years. While some familial relationships experience such absences based on geographical location or the expansion of sub-families, mine seems to have more dramatic undertones, rather than a logical reality. Without airing out all my dirty laundry, there was a supposed “falling out” between members of the family - details of which have been the subject of speculation for years, but never fully revealed to me. I was around eight-years-old when this all occurred. And while I fully understand how turmoil inside the family can quickly divide people against each other, for me there’s still that little eight-year-old boy wondering…
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23Aug 2016 by CJ

Marriage is about compromise for success

Love & Relationships
“Marriage is about compromise; it's about doing something for the other person, even when you don't want to.” Nicholas Sparks The Wedding Of the few memories I have of my great-grandmother, one thing I clearly remember was the arduous relationship she had with my grandmother (her daughter-in-law). My grandmother was very easy to get along with, however, her mother-in-law was the true Italian matriarch – ruling over her roost with an iron fist. I always found that amusing, given the fact that she lived in a house dominated by males – her husband, my grandfather and his brother. Even so, she had lofty expectations for her children, and wasn’t pleased when each of her boys eventually put their wives ahead of her. Recognizing how difficult it continually was for my…
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27Apr 2016 by CJ

Reflect – what will you be remembered for?

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
This blog is for all those self-serving individuals of the world, who more than likely will have no idea this blog is all about them. Which is somewhat ironic given the fact that they think EVERYTHING is about them. I’m sure there are already people reading this saying, “he’s talking about people like my…(you fill in the blank)”. And that may be true. But I’m talking about you really…the ones who are so quick to pass judgement on others and rarely, if ever, take a long look in the mirror. This post all started after I came across this truly humbling quote by Dan Pearce in his book Single Dad Laughing. “The next time you want to withhold your help, or your love, or your support for another for whatever…
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19Apr 2016 by CJ

Food is an extension of one’s heart

Love & Relationships, Youth
“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart.” - Cesar Chavez My grandmother loved to cooked. Come to think of it, what she really loved was to feed people. Not unlike other Italian-Americans, she took great pleasure in preparing a feast and then sharing it with someone special. In fact it didn’t matter what time of day it was, if you uttered the words “I’m a little hungry”, she’d be rummaging through the refrigerator or pantry to whip you up something you’d enjoy. I especially appreciated how she always took the time to plan and prepare food items she knew you’d enjoy. Some of my fondest memories of my grandmother were…
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16Feb 2016 by CJ

Lasting relationships are all about shared truths

Love & Relationships
“What draws people to be friends is that they see the same truth. They share it.” – C. S. Lewis The foundation of any great relationship is built upon a set of commonalities which enable the pair to navigate the uncharted waters of life – together. Platonic or romantic the equation is the same – as long as you both continue down the path of moral guidance, truth and love, anything is possible. But relationships rarely stay the same – or should I say people rarely do. Once they no longer share the same truths, it becomes impossible for the relationship to sustain on any level beyond superficiality. What’s perhaps most upsetting is how often people become so blind to their evolution. They say things like, “It’s not me, I…
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