06Jan 2014 by CJ

Happiness may not be infinite, but sometimes you have to help find it

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
You learn quickly in life that happiness is not infinite. That everyone at one time or another experiences challenges and struggles that often rob a person of the ability to smile or feel great joy with any regularity. Of late I’ve been finding myself there – even though my life is filled with many wonderful blessings I should be grateful for, and I am. But lately my spirit seems to be in a bit of a funk – seemingly unsatisfied with the current state of my existence (except for my amazing wife who remains my one constant). At times I feel somewhat trapped by the complacency of my life – the routine that carries on from one day to the next. While I understand that you cannot escape your problems…
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30Dec 2013 by CJ

A New Year is a time for a new chapter filled with opportunities

Life & Living
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” Edith Lovejoy Pierce It occurred to me recently that many of the hobbies I once found great fulfillment in have since ceased being a part of my existence. From reading books and magazines to writing poems and lyrics to composing musical arrangements on the piano – somehow they’ve all gotten away from me as the busyness of life seems to have overshadowed them. It saddened me to think how I’ve let myself forget about these treasured hobbies, which once were at the center of my being – helping me through difficult times and easing my anxieties throughout various stages…
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19Dec 2013 by CJ

Reflecting on the end of the year doesn’t always have to be a bad thing

Life & Living
For some reason the holidays are always a time for reflection. A time to applaud our accomplishments, lament our failures and mourn the loss of those no longer in our presence. Perhaps its location towards the end of the calendar is what spurs on this personal reflection in so many of us. This coming to a close if you will is often the impetus for us to look back over the last year to evaluate the past - hoping for a better future. Art Buchwald once said, “Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.” And I guess that’s really the only way to look at life isn’t it? This year marks the first Christmas I will spend without my beloved…
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16Dec 2013 by CJ

Making Struffoli and enjoying the memories that come along with it

Love & Relationships
I always remember my grandmother making Struffoli (honey balls) around Christmas time. Struffoli is a kind of Italian cookie, which was originally created to symbolize abundance and good luck. Stories exist that nuns once gave them to the Italian aristocracy during the holiday as a sort of thank you for all the good works they’d done for charity. However they came into existence, they’re a gooey sweet treat I always enjoyed eating growing up – and still do! When my grandmother reached the age where she could no longer fully prepare a meal for herself, my wife and I decided we would make the Struffoli dough at our house and then bring it over to assemble it with grams. On the small television in one corner of her kitchen, we’d…
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12Dec 2013 by CJ

Remember what the “true” gifts of Christmas really are

Love & Relationships
I’ve always believed with age comes humility - a clearer sense of what is truly valuable in our lives. As children the holidays are a time of continual receiving - not giving - and for some this ideal continues well into adulthood. But I fully believe that anyone who’s journeyed long enough through the ups and downs of life understands that the holidays are a time for remembrance. A time to recall Christmas’ of yesterday, which no longer exist anywhere but in our hearts and in our minds. A time to remember that Christmas is about you and me – the people who make it special. It’s during this time of year that my wife and I display a book entitled “The Christmas Letters” written by Bret Nicholaus. The book…
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