11Oct 2013 by CJ

Memories – a way of holding on to the ones we love

Love & Relationships, Youth
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss As the morning sun poured through my bedroom window, I fully expected it to be any ordinary Tuesday. I went downstairs, waved goodbye to my wife as she drove off to work, and started my weekday morning rituals with no trepidation for the future. I poured myself a cup of coffee and placed two slices of bread into the toaster when suddenly the phone began to ring. Truthfully it surprised me, startled me even, for I rarely if ever receive calls at that hour of the day. I knew immediately something was wrong. It was my aunt, and I instantly froze where I stood. I didn’t have to pick up the phone to know that my beloved grandmother was…
Read More
04Oct 2013 by CJ

Always just be yourself in any relationship

Love & Relationships, Youth
“He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away.” Raymond Hull The key to any solid relationship is unconditionally loving and respecting someone for exactly who they are - not what you hope to change them into. More and more I see people so desperate to be in a relationship, that they’re willing to compromise themselves to varying degrees – all in an effort to fit within someone else’s confines, rather than your own. As a happily married man for the last 12 years, I can tell you that compromise is a very important part of any relationship. But there’s a big difference between compromising and sacrificing the person you really are to gain the affections of someone else. I offer the following words to live by:…
Read More
03Oct 2013 by CJ

Bullies are nothing more than cowards

Life & Living, Youth
You’d be naïve to think that bullies only exist on the playground. That the adult world we all inhabit is void of individuals who need to show their dominance over others in order to feel superior and strengthen their own insecurities. Sadly they’re all around us – on the front pages of our newspapers, in our government agencies and in the places we live and work. Here’s something important to remember though: bullies are nothing more than cowards whose only way to cope with their lack of self-esteem is to verbally and many times abusively attack others. You would think as adults we would learn the harmful effects such behaviors can have on others, but then again most bullies simply don’t know any other way to live – or should…
Read More
03Sep 2013 by CJ

As a new school year begins, show children the importance of an education

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth
As a new school year begins, so does the evolution of how we educate our children and measure its effectiveness. As the business world looks to evaluations and statistics to measure production, quality and even employees, our schools are now turning to many of the same practices - utilizing standardized testing to rate the performance of teachers, curricula’s and students. While some might argue the biased nature of such testing, the results weigh heavy on the minds of school administrations around the country. But as this new school year begins, I’m reminded of something President Obama said during one of his State of the Union addresses several years back. Take a look… “That responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities. It's family that first instills…
Read More
28Aug 2013 by CJ

The most important qualities of a person cannot be seen

Life & Living, Youth
It’s been a long time since I’ve sat down to enjoy the wonderment of children’s literature. I suppose as we grow older and the world of far-off, fairy tale lands are tainted by reality, our need and believability in such fiction disappears. As we continue to age, I think our power to dream, hope and imagine decreases. Perhaps this is one of the many reasons why children’s literature is no longer applicable to adults – as we’re not always able to suspend our disbeliefs. And while the book, The Little Prince, which was written by Antoine De Saint-Exupery in 1943, was first conceived as a children’s story, it has come to be loved by adults all over the world – and I’m one of them. I was first introduced to…
Read More