02Nov 2015 by CJ

Don’t let past hurts contaminate your future

Life & Living
"Sometimes what you want is right in front of you. All you have to do is open your eyes and see it." - Meg Cabot I'm a glass half empty kind of guy. Regardless of the situation or circumstance, I often find myself with a rather cynical viewpoint. Some might assume I'm an overly jaded person who likes rainstorms instead of sunshine, but that's far from the truth I assure you. I guess you could say, in my four decades here on Earth, I've learned and experienced a lot about the workings of society and the people running it. Does that make me a card-carrying member of the Naysayers of America Club? Hardly. What it does make me is a guarded realist. Let's face it, when you've been burned before…
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26Oct 2015 by CJ

Friendship requires the gift of your time

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
“Why did you do all this for me?' he asked. 'I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you.' 'You have been my friend,' replied Charlotte. 'That in itself is a tremendous thing.” ― E.B. White, Charlotte's Web When I lived back in New Jersey several years ago, a dear friend and I always made time during the week to see each other. Sometimes it was nothing more than coffee at a local Starbucks or Barnes & Nobel, a relaxing walk around a picturesque park or dinner at our favorite pizzeria restaurant. The setting was irrelevant to our meetings – what was vital was sharing time together to discuss the highs and the lows of the preceding days. That dedicated time helped build a strong, long-lasting friendship between us…
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08Oct 2015 by CJ

Caregivers are angels here on earth

Generosity & Kindness, Love & Relationships
One of the greatest challenges my family faced when Alzheimer’s disease began preventing my grandfather from caring for himself, was figuring out who would take care of him. While my grandmother was still alive, she was frail herself and unable to meet the physical demands of caring for him. And while I know she loved him, it was difficult for her to accept the demands this new role of “caregiver” presented to her. My family experimented with several home health aides – unsatisfied with many of the early arrivals. Being a caregiver is not easy and requires much more than simply being able to handle the everyday logistics - eating, dressing, bathing. It’s about treating the person you’re caring for with dignity, respect, compassion, patience, humor and above all love.…
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28Sep 2015 by CJ

You’re stronger than you think

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
When I'm stuck with a day that's grey and lonely I just stick up my chin and grin and say, oh The sun will come out tomorrow Sentiments easier expressed through lyrics than in reality. But songwriters Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin capture something utterly profound in their song Tomorrow – featured in the hit musical and movie Annie. Simply put – everything is temporary. Every one of us can look back in our history and remember times when we didn’t know how we were going to make it through. Times when we were riddled with self-doubts and insecurities – grieving with a broken heart or a broken life. And yet here we are survivors – perhaps a little more jaded and guarded, but definitely more courageous. Somehow as everyday…
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22Sep 2015 by CJ

Change is possible – if we deal with feelings first

Life & Living
Sometimes (okay, most of the time) it’s invaluable to have someone outside of yourself alert you when life seems to have derailed from normalcy. Such was the case recently. The other day my wife asked me, “Why have so many of your blogs been so sad and depressing?” At first I was slightly perplexed. I read and re-read each and every post at least three or four times before I ever hit the “publish” button, and couldn’t necessarily say “sad” and “depressing” were the only sentiments I’d use to describe them. Writers often pour the emotions they’re feeling at any given moment into their work, and I’m no different I suppose. And while I wouldn’t use the words “sad” or depressing” to describe my current state of mental health, I…
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