Category: Love & Relationships

“Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.” – Unknown The other night, I had a dream about my grandmother - who passed away in November of 2005. My wife and I were browsing through what appeared to be an antique store in a quaint little town, and my grandmother apparently worked there. While my grandmother did work in retail towards the latter half of her life, it certainly wasn’t an antique store. She was fluttering about the store, acknowledging our presence with a smile each and every time she passed us, which was quiet often. Finally, her movement stopped – standing in one of the display…

Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don't keep it a secret. - Mary Kay Ash As human beings, everyone wants to be appreciated. And rightfully so. Our lives are busy and chaotic, which means our time is limited – or should I say, our time is precious. Many years ago, a psychologist told me that just as employees are evaluated on a yearly basis, it’s important to do the same with our personal relationships. And while no formal documentation is required, the act of personal reflection is a powerful tool. For “sometimes, you have to look back in order to understand the things that lie ahead.” -  Yvonne Woon I’m always astonished, during this time of personal reflection, how surprised the other party is when you suddenly…

“But ours is a transient life lived on the run, with an endless sense of process, of movement, of chasing the future. We seldom pause to shine a light upon the ordinary moments, to hallow them with our own attentiveness, to hone them with gentle caring. They pass unnoticed, lost in the ongoing rush of time.” – Kent Nerburn When was the last time you shared an ordinary moment with someone you love? There was no fanfare, nothing special to single it out from any other day, just a moment to remind you how precious the gift of love and life can be. I share the following example which still makes me smile. On any given Saturday, on one of my impromptu visits, I often found my grandparents busily working…

“I miss you. Not in some cheesy “Let’s hold hands and be together forever kind of way”. I just miss you, plain and simple. I miss your presence in my life. I miss you always being there for me. I miss you best friend.” – Anonymous My current job requires me to travel throughout the country about 15% of the time. While the experience has certainly made me a savvy traveler, it’s been an adjustment leaving my home for any length of time. More importantly my wife, whose smile, embrace and laughter continues to warm my heart and soul. We’ve been married almost 17 years now and after all that time I still find myself calling or texting “I miss you” throughout the day whenever I’m traveling. The distance often…

“A birthday is a time to reflect on the year gone by, but to also set your goals for the upcoming year.” ­– Catherine Pulsifer April 18th. Forty-three years ago, I entered the world in a hospital in Passaic, New Jersey at around 12:06 PM – just in time for lunch! Forty-three years. I thought my fortieth birthday was hard to swallow. While I realize only three years have passed since, the shock of that number has been lingering on my mind over the last few days. As Pulsifer says, birthday reflections are common. As a young boy, I used to wonder why people would say that. I mean, weren’t birthdays for balloons, presents, cake and claiming one day out of the year solely as your own? But I get…