17Apr 2015 by CJ

A birthday song can be heartbreaking not happy

Love & Relationships, Youth
When we’re children, birthdays are met with uncontainable excitement. But as we grow older, they begin to represent something quiet different. The excitement seems to be replaced with a more somber emotion – a feeling of longing and regret that seems to only increase as the years go by. People keep telling me that I should do something “exciting” in commemoration of my birthday (my 40th this year). But what those individuals fail to realize is that I’m not in need of something “exciting” – some over-the-top celebration with short-lived gratification. What I “need” is highlighted in the song below. So often on my blog I’m quoting others for their profound and inspiring wisdom. But today, I’m quoting myself. I wrote this back in 2009 (on my birthday) and sadly…
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16Apr 2015 by CJ

A Birthday Message with invaluable inspiration

Love & Relationships, Youth
There’s an unspoken expectation amongst children - that grandparents often give gifts with little fanfare attached to them. They aren’t wrapped in fancy paper or oversized packages - eliciting a feeling of wonderment and excitement in a child’s eye. No, they’re referred to as “practical gifts” – such as clothing or money – offered in small, flat boxes and ordinary white envelopes. And while parents often rightfully encourage their children to show their appreciation, no youngster really enjoys getting a shirt or a twenty-dollar bill on birthdays and holidays. The practicality of gift-giving is further refined as children grow into young adults – the small, flat boxes disappearing completely and replaced with that ordinary white envelope your grandmother typically pulls from her purse. Yes the monetary gift is appreciated at…
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23Mar 2015 by CJ

Old photographs are a treasure chest of memories

Life & Living, Love & Relationships, Youth
I’m sure we all have them – photographs of ourselves taken by semi-professional photographers chronicling our outward progression in life. For most of us they were taken in school, or at the local Sears store - posed perfectly for grandparents everywhere to proudly display in ornate frames around their house. In my basement lives an old shoebox my mother bestowed upon me. Inside are years of such photographs - haphazardly arranged with no real order. Looking at them now is laughable from the fashions I wore, my bowl haircut or those awkward pubescent years I wish I could forget. But beyond all the poses lives something I consider infinitely more important. Real-life, casual pictures capturing moments we oftentimes forget. They’re snapshots of reality – holidays and birthdays, fun times swimming…
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24Feb 2015 by CJ

Boundaries in relationships – keep them off TV

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
I’m losing hope that the world will ever become a place rooted in decorum (if society even knows what that word means in modern day 2015). Television continues to push the limits in order to gain viewers - and ultimately increase revenue. Nowhere is that more apparent than on cable channel WE tv – where a new reality show will soon launch called “Sex Box”. So here’s the basic premise. Set in front of a live studio audience, couples go into a sound proof box without any cameras or interruptions and have sex. Yes, you’re not misreading this. When they emerge (no doubt more tattered looking than when they entered) they have an honest discussion with a panel of therapists and sex experts about what just happened and the realtionships…
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12Feb 2015 by CJ

Kristen Chenoweth “Latte” tune always brings a smile

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
“Happy is entirely up to you and always has been.” ― Janette Rallison, My Fair Godmother   I’ve always been a music buff, and have dozens of songs in my repertoire that I consider my “go-to-tunes” depending on my emotional state of the day. If I’m melancholy, I typically choose a slow, highly orchestrated ballad whose underlying theme is filled with loss and despair. I have a lot of these songs. But when I need a little cheering up, there’s one song in particular that always makes me smile. Taylor the Latte Boy was recorded back in 2005 by beloved Broadway veteran Kristin Chenoweth – from her album As I Am. This well-crafted tune can bring a smile to my face the instant she begins singing. It’s as though it…
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