04Feb 2015 by CJ

How a little boy reminded me that I have all that I need

Life & Living, Love & Relationships, Youth
Last night, after my two-year-old nephew headed off to bed, I heard him calling from upstairs, “Crait!” You might be asking what “Crait” means. As he continues to learn pronunciation and language skills, he’s having a little trouble with the letter “G”. Therefore “Crait” means “Craig”. I don’t mind really, though sometimes I don’t realize he’s calling me – such was the case last night. His mother yelled down, “He wants you to read him a book.” So I asked the adorable little boy, standing at the top of the stairs in his striped blue PJ’s, did he want me to read to him?  He quickly replied, “Yeah!” How could I say no. Every night before he goes to sleep, his mom and dad read to him. It’s so great…
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27Jan 2015 by CJ

The people we love will ALWAYS live in our hearts

Love & Relationships
“There is no death, daughter. People die only when we forget them,' my mother explained shortly before she left me. 'If you can remember me, I will be with you always.” — Isabel Allende, Eva Luna My wife and I were with my grandmother the night before she passed away. At that time she called the confines of a nursing facility “home” and age had certainly taken its toll on her body – rendering her almost unrecognizable (she was 93 when she passed). Some family members declined to visit my grandmother during this time – claiming it was too difficult to see what she’d been reduced to, and wanted to just remember her “as she was”. This “cop out” excuse is used more often than you might think in homes…
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13Jan 2015 by CJ

Missing someone shows just how special they truly are

Love & Relationships
Today I’m feeling rather homesick. While it might be easy to magnify that feeling – allowing it to bring down one’s spirit and ultimately one’s day – I’m accepting that this is just how I’m feeling today, rather than becoming overwhelmed by it. It’s important to understand that being “homesick” is a natural feeling that everyone experiences at one point or another. It’s not limited to those of a certain age, wealth or geographic location. It has no biases or predictability – it’s just one of those emotions that pops up during holidays and birthdays, or is triggered by a familiar smell or sight which brings you back to another place and time. I’ll admit that a quote by Nikki Schiefelbein does comfort me some this morning. It reads: “It's…
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12Jan 2015 by CJ

Hoarding time benefits no one – sharing your time is the greatest gift

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
“Nothing annoys people so much as not receiving invitations.” ― Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest Something I’ve come to miss most in my life is the regularly scheduled Sunday dinners my Italian American family used to host. Typically they were held at my grandmother’s house, with a huge bowl of pasta covered in red sauce as the centerpiece - accented by dozens of meatballs and sausages, a crunchy loaf of Italian bread and a chopped salad. I’m getting hungry just writing this! My cousins were there, aunts and uncles and me all set to enjoy the weekly gathering filled with stories, laughter and reminiscing. Regardless of your schedule, you always knew there was an open invitation at grandmas, with plenty of food, company and love of family. But…
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23Dec 2014 by CJ

Keeping holiday memories (and those we miss) alive

Love & Relationships
“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.” ― Bob Hope When I was a little boy, my grandmother purchased me a tiny Christmas tree for my room. It stood proudly atop my dresser – probably all of 12 inches tall, with a handful of multi-colored lights interspersed between the artificial branches. I can still remember the enjoyment I found sitting in the darkness of my bedroom – the only illumination coming from that little tree, while listening to the Alvin and The Chipmunks holiday cassette over and over again. It was a solitary celebration I suppose, but to this day I still can remember how special it felt to have that little…
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