14Dec 2012 by CJ

Sandy Hook Elementary School Victims – our hearts are with you

Information & Education, Life & Living, Love & Relationships, Youth
My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who lost loved ones at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut today. My wife is a school teacher and I’d be a liar to say that every time I hear the mention of a school shooting, I cringe. I cannot imagine what those who lost someone near and dear to them must be going through – at Christmas time no less. What a truly senseless tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. If the shooter wanted to take his own life, he certainly didn’t have to take anyone else’s in the process. This horrific crime just reinforces why it is so very important to live each and every day to the fullest. When you go home tonight, wrap…
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30Nov 2012 by CJ

A life of success has more to do with love than anything else

Love & Relationships
If you need a better understanding of what constitutes a life of success and fulfillment, let me be of some assistance. Now I’m no expert, but I’ve been around the block of life long enough to understand that many of the things we believe will classify us as a “success” – money, fame, power – are fleeting. You wanna know what I think constitutes a life of success? Sitting on the couch in your PJ’s under a blanket with that special someone. Watching the dazzling lights of a Christmas tree as carols gently play in the background. You talk about everything and nothing - joking around and laughing, stealing a little kiss here and there. There’s no pretenses, no conditions, no judgments – just love, affection and comfort. You could…
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12Nov 2012 by CJ

Visit the elderly before they find themselves in a rehabilitation center

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
My 92 year old grandmother took a little tumble recently – forcing her to set up residency at a heavily populated rehabilitation center in northern New Jersey. Up until now she’s been able to live at home with the assistance of a health care aid – not bad for someone in their nineties! But she was always far from happy as she spent much of that time alone without the company of family and friends to alleviate the silence, which has become commonplace in her life. What a sad reality that you manage to live some 90 years on this earth, and yet few people come around to marvel at the accomplishment. But ever since my grandmother settled in to the rehabilitation center, I’ve noticed an increase in her visitors…
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11Jul 2012 by CJ

Hard times are made easier when we’re reminded we’re not alone

Love & Relationships
Hard times fall upon everyone – no one is exempt. But the journey through the storm is always made easier when you’re reminded that you’re not alone. Today I wasn’t feeling particularly cheerful - plagued by worries beyond my control. Some days I just can’t snap myself out of this feeling of despair as the hard times seems to insurmountable. But then I retrieved the mail. There, addressed to me, was an envelope filled with smiley face stickers of all colors and sizes – one simply stating “Thinking of You.” I don’t know many people who wouldn’t smile at the sight. Inside was a greeting card from a very dear family friend which read, “Just want you to know I’m thinking about you…and how happy I am that you’re my…
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30May 2012 by CJ

R.I.P. Donna Summer and Robin Gibb – you will be missed

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
The world of music lost two greats recently: Donna Summer and Robin Gibb. Two incredibly talented icons of the 1970’s and beyond – each taken much too early in life. What I find most disheartening is there are still some who have no idea of their passing. With the myriad of ways we all gain information about what’s happening around the block or around the world, it seems impossible that such unexpected news somehow missed members of society. The same can’t be said for the passing of Whitney Houston earlier this year and Michael Jackson several years ago. No, their deaths made for sensational headlines, even months after they were finally laid to rest. But not so for Summer and Gibb. There was no mystery surrounding their demise; no juicy…
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