Diamonds in the Rough…of Wisdom

Dear Readers,

It has been some time since I have written a post for my blog, I guess you could say I fell off the face of the Earth.  I have been focusing so much on my life and working towards achieving my dreams, that I sort of neglected my blog a little.  But not as badly as I could’ve.  So that is a plus.  But I want to start making a commitment to myself and my readers to set a timeline for posting.  That way I will form the habit of posting to begin with at least, once a week.  As time passes I will slowly improve that habit and eventually post more than I had originally committed to.  So keep your eyes open because my mind is a tumultuous sea of thoughts and inspiration waiting to break free from the chains of my mind.

To start off my weekend right, I want to share with you some AMAZING quotes I have been encountering lately.  I haven’t the faintest idea how I have found so many diamonds in the rough, but I have definitely been blessed by God or coincidence.  I am not extremely religious, but I like to believe God has his ways of hinting.  And I can take the hint!

Love Katie

So here goes the diamonds in the rough of wisdom….

‎”Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn’t. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted.”-Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie)

(IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK, YOU NEED TO READ IT BEFORE YOU DIE!!  NOW!  Before you’re a day older.  His pearls of wisdom for life are literally LIFE CHANGING.  By far one of my favorite books.  Plus it’s a quick and easy read!  So no excuses!)

“Coins make a sound when dropped, but paper bills won’t. Lesson: When your value increases, keep yourself silent and be humble.”
— Unknown

“The 3 C’s of life: choices, chances, and changes. You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change.”- Unknown

“You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.” – Shira Tehrani

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill
“You control your destiny, so work hard, follow your heart, & fight for your dreams. Don’t ever let anyone take them from you.” – Unknown

‎”Bravery is when you’re the only one that knows you’re afraid.” – Unknown

“If you fight hard and are determined to work just as hard, then you can be successful and change your destiny” – Jimmy Ghrahm

‎”Life isn’t worth living unless you’re willing to take some big chances and go for broke.”
– Eliot Wiggington

“True character and heart speaks volumes.” -Unknown

“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and let it come in.” – Morrie Schwartz (Tuesdays with Morrie)

“Everything starts out as a dream…the difference is you make it a reality.” – Unknown

“You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures.” -Charles C. Noble

“Life is like a snow globe, often it’s prettiest AFTER it’s been turned upside down.” -Unknown

“Think how different life would be if you had never met the one person who changed everything.” – Unknown

“When you’re different, sometimes you don’t see the millions of people who accept you for what you are.  All you notice is the one person who doesn’t.”  –Jodi Picoult

“DON’T make decisions when you’re angry and DON’T make promises when you’re happy.” – Unknown

“The ugliest personality trait…Selfishness.”-Unknown

“You can never make the same mistake twice, because the second time you make it, it’s not a mistake….it’s a choice.” – Unknown

“Sometimes you’ll never know the true value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.” -Unknown

“If it’s worth the risk then take the fall.” -Unknown

“If you can dream it, you can do it!.” -Walt Disney

“Don’t wait!  The time will never be just right.  So take a chance or miss out on possibly one of the best moments of your life.” -Unknown

“The darkest hours hold the brightest dreams.” -Unknown

“Never let love get away!  Always fight if they’re worth it!  Tell them everything from the bottom of your heart and if that’s not good enough, then be happy you gave it your all.” -My Grandfather

“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I`m about to do today?” -Steve Jobs

“What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” -random Magazine

“Sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing.” -Tony Blair

“Business is like riding a bicycle.  Either you keep moving or you fall down.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” – Katharine Hepburn

“Knowledge and productivity are like compound interest. The more you know, the more you learn; the more you learn, the more you can do; the more you can do, the more the opportunity. I don`t want to give you a rate, but it is a very high rate. Given two people with exactly the same ability, the one person who manages day in and day out to get in one more hour of thinking will be  tremendously more productive over a lifetime.”-Richard Hamming

“Always bear in mind, that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing.”- Abraham Lincoln

“The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing.”- Michael E. Gerber

“It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.”- Napoleon Hill

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”- Thomas A. Edison

“You miss a 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”- Wayne Gretzky

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”  - George Eliot

“If you always sail close to the shore, you`ll never discover new territories.” – Unknown

“No matter what, no matter how, where or who - you can almost always turn around and get a second chance.” -Anonymous

“It’s time to let go!  It will be ok.” -Anonymous

“You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.” - Albert Einstein.

“Don`t treat every problem like a nail just because all you have is a hammer.” – Unknown

“The greatest wisdom comes from those experiments that fail.” – Unknown

“Don’t believe all of what you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.” -Unknown

“Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.” -Unknown

“Talk slowly but think quickly.” -Unknown

“When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.” -Unknown

“Get moving fast enough in life so that you can hydroplane over crap.” -Unknown  

“Don’t worry about what anybody else is going to do.  The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”  -Alan Kay

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

“I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.” - Arthur Rubinstein

“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be.” – Marcel Pagnol

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman

“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” - Wayne Gretzky

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” - Anonymous

“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein

“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.” – John Allen Paulos

“You are not in this world to live up to other people’s expectations, nor should you feel the world must live up to yours.” – F Perl

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” - Randy Pausch

“How you do one thing, is how you do everything. Be aware.” -Unknown

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller

“Life is not about kissing a**, it’s about kicking a**!” -Unknown

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” – Henry David Thoreau

“If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?” - Rumi

“The harder you fall, the higher you bounce.” – Unknown.

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I’ve ended up where I needed to be.”  - Douglas Adams.

“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.” - Harvey Fierstein

“Your task is not to seek love, but to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi

“Happiness always sneaks in a door you did not think was open.” – Anonymous

“Stop pushing people away.  You have to learn to trust people.” -Back-up Plan movie

“The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.” - Rumi

“Don’t worry! Be happy!”

“My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?” – Charles Schultz (probably chose happy)

“Happiness is a choice. Choose happy.” -Unknown

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” - Eleanor Roosevelt.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor Frankl

“Change is inevitable. Progress is optional.” – Tony Robbins

“A real apology is one that has no ‘buts’.”- Unknown

“Vision and passion can conquer ANY obstacle. You will never know your limits till you push yourself to them. Make your determination bigger than your excuses.” -Unknown

“I can change my life at ANY time and any age. I can even run a marathon at 100. As can you.” – Unknown

“Be smart enough to hold on, be brave enough to let go. Sometimes, we need to hold onto faith while letting go of the outcome. Open your hand and hold your dreams gently, don’t try to grab them.” -Unknown

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill.

“We must let go of the life we had planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” - Joseph Campbell.

“Dance like the photo’s not being tagged. Love like you’ve never been unfriended. Sing like nobody’s following. Share like you care. And do it all like it won’t end up on youtube!” -Unknown

 ””It’s impossible” said pride. “It’s risky” said experience. “It’s pointless” said reason. “Give it a try” whispered the heart.” - Anonymous

I hope you enjoyed this post, it has been a work in progress of the quotes that have touched my life most profoundly this past Fall and Winter.  May they inspire you and invoke change in your life, or maybe some comfort where once uneasy thoughts laid.

Thank you so much and if you have any life-changing quotes of your own feel free to contribute and comment below.  Looking forward to hearing from you.

Love Katie

Things I Want to Do & Places I Want To Go In 2012 or In the Future Before I Die

Dear Readers,

This is a list in progress of my dreams, goals, events, places I want to visit, things I want to learn and see, and things that I want to do in the year 2012 or in the future that I have never done before.  I keep a binder at home called “My Possibilities Book” that I modeled after the idea from the movie “Last Holiday.”  It’s a collection of everything that I want, dream of, or desire out of life…anything that could be a possibility in my life before I die.  I decided to start this year off with a list, not only to push myself this year but maybe to inspire others to do the same.  Lists help me keep things in perspective while at the same time reminding me of what I haven’t done and what I still have yet to accomplish.  I still have lots to add to this list but I decided to publish it as a work in progress. I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had time to finish my blog posts.  But I believe this post can be published as is and added to throughout the year.

Thanks,

Love Katie

DREAMS

• To have a successful photography business
• Professional Photography Job
• Work for a Newspaper or a Magazine company

EVENTS

• B.V.I. Music Festival
• Cirque Du Soleil
• Renaissance Festival in Maryland

GOALS

• Improve my photography skills and business
• Secure a day job working for a photographer, magazine, or newspaper company

PLACES I WANT TO GO OR TRAVEL TO

• Australia
• B.V.I. in May
• Brooklyn Bridge
• California
• Canada
• Cancun
• Central Park in the Summer
• A cruise to the Caribbean
• Canary Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Dominican Republic
• Egypt
• Hawaii
• Ireland
• Italy
• Puerto Rico
• South America

THINGS I WANT TO LEARN

• Learn how to whistle loud w/ two fingers

THINGS I WANT TO SEE BEFORE I DIE

• Aurora Borealis
• A Moonbow (like a rainbow but at night time)

THINGS I WANT TO DO THAT I’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE

• Go iceskating in Central Park (like the movie Serendipity)
• Ride a Scooter in Italy
• Skydive
• Bungee Jump
• Hang Glide
• Jet Ski
• Water Ski
• Tubing behind a speed boat
• Swim with Dolphins
• Ski
• Snowboard
• Surf

(ALL OF THE ABOVE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.  IT WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY ADDED TO….SO CHECK BACK FOR MORE, THANKS)

Good and Bad…it’s all worth it!

Dear Readers,

I just watched the movie “The Time Traveler’s Wife” for the first time and I was so inspired by parts of the movie that I decided to write a thought as my facebook status.  The thought was as follows:

“Cherish the little moments…don’t rush them…sometimes they are some of the best in your life.  Before you know it life will pass you by…so enjoy each moment slowly or you’ll miss it.  Good and bad…it’s all worth it.  Trust me! –MKO”

One of my best friend Dre responded with:

“I’m a bit skeptical about the bad moments, but I guess it depends on the type of bad moment.”

My response was as follows:

“Dre, some of the worst moments changed me and impacted me in ways I couldn’t imagine.  Granted, it would’ve been nice to have them turn out differently but we rise from the ashes…we learn from pain, mistakes, and negativity.  Some of the biggest in my life are who my parents are and their decisions throughout life, their own and mine.  Growing up with my Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles instead of my biological parents.  My Grandfather’s death, different friends and family member’s deaths throughout time.  My first love and my first heartache came hand in hand with depression at the young age of 14, the only men I have loved and our trials and tribulations.  My DC nightmare which probably prevented a lot of similar nightmares for other women, and stupid less cautious and more naïve decisions on my part.  My Grandmother’s death and many close scares with it beforehand.  Losing friendships throughout my life for various reasons and circumstances.  The death of my dog Peanut earlier this year, who I had since my Grandfather passed.  And many, many, more to name only a few.  The bad moments and hard times make you who you are.  No one said life was easy.  You just have to stay positive like my Grandfather always said, “There is enough bad in this world without you adding to it or finding more fault than there already is.”  Without bad there wouldn’t be good.  So I know and take comfort when something bad happens, I smile eventually and thank God because good is coming around the corner.  Nothing is given to me in life that I cannot handle alone or with help from God, others, or with time.”

I hope this post changes others thoughts or at least makes people contemplate the thought for a minute.

Enjoy, 

Love Katie

2 Years Later I Finally Finished Reading “The Time Traveler’s Wife” I Kept My Promise and Just Watched the Movie

You’re probably thinking to yourself “What?! Why?!”, and I’m assuming you’ve already drawn conclusions as to why the title of this post is written as it is.  But your curiosity is still intrigued…now here is my story.  The author Audrey Niffenegger came out with the book The Time Traveler’s Wife in the year 2003.  Slowly overtime this book became one of the most popular books in the industry and became a favorite of many, many readers across the United States.  The film industry later decided to turn the book into a movie that debuted in theatres in the DMV area (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) in August of 2009.

I had heard many things about this book through word of mouth, through various internet websites, and finally my curiosity peaked when I saw the previews for the new movie based on the famous best-selling book.  I was curious about the plot of the book, not to mention I had always been curious about time travel like most since I was a little girl.  The idea of time travel combined with a love story is quite an entertaining idea and story, as well.  Like many other books turned to movies that had caught my attention and intrigued my curiosity, I decided to finally buy the book and discover what everyone had been raving about.  Upon beginning the book I decided to share my discovery with my best friend Manier at the time.  It was then we decided to read it together.  I also had decided to make it a goal of mine to finish reading the book before I saw the movie.  My goal was to read it before the movie came out in theatres because I originally wanted to see it in theatres, but things don’t always work out the way you plan.

I slowly fell behind in the book as both my best friend and my little cousin Ashley surpassed me in the book, both finishing it.  I had put the book down so many times I continuously lost my place.  “The Time Traveler’s Wife” is not a book you can put down because if you do you’re sure to get lost.  At first glance the book changes the viewpoints from the main characters Clare and Henry so frequently, it’s often hard to follow at first.  Your next roadblock as a reader is realizing not only do you need to keep up with the changing viewpoints but also the changing dates, times, and ages.  This is when you realize you have to keep track of more facets of the story than you have ever encountered before.

At the time I was a few chapters in when life started piling on more work, pressures, and constraints on my free time.  So I had to put the book down and focus on more important things.  I ended up losing the book in my house and brushed off the loss.  I chalked it up to finishing it later or if I was really desperate I’d get another book if I couldn’t find it.  A month later I came across it again and at the time was working passing out flyers at college campuses during the day for the clubs.  I often took metro to and from work during the daytime because not only did it save gas, but also time and money as well.  I decided to turn “The Time Traveler’s Wife” into my metro commute book.  I spent many mornings and afternoons engrossed in that book.  I often couldn’t wait to go to work or leave because I could get back to the story.  Audrey Niffenegger does a great job at keeping your attention as a reader.  Not only does she astoundingly keep your attention but she also elaborately tells you the story of a love throughout time.

I ended up getting a little bit more than half way through the book when I ended up putting it down again.  I forgot about it for quite some time.  Almost two years had passed since I had begun reading the book and I came across it again.  I have a habit of putting books down and picking up a different one where I left off.  This time when I came across the book again I was determined to finish it.  I was tired of wondering and waiting to find out what happened.  I did a pretty good job of stopping others from telling me the ending and all the moments in between that I had yet to read about.  Or of controlling myself from cheating and watching the movie before I finished the book.  But I have to admit, I often came across it on various channels on TV and would always take a sneak peak.  My sneak peaks were equivalent to that of one of Henry’s glimpses in time.  Just to get a taste of what I didn’t know yet.

I finally finished the book early September of this year, 2011.  I was a little disappointed by how slow the pace of the book became towards the end but now I believe I was angrier at the fact that the story was over.  I have to admit the ending was sad yet had a beautiful twist.  If my life were predetermined like that of Clare and Henry I would want something to look forward to throughout time and during the span or course of my life.  Especially if I was aware of past, present, and future events that had yet to occur.  Their love story was beautifully woven web throughout time and it teaches us to cherish all the little moments.  They did not take their time together for granted, despite all of the negativity and adversity they faced.

I have always been curious about the theory of time travel and all of its entities.  I’ve always been curious whether it was possible to change your fate, destiny, or your past.  And whether knowing a piece of your future makes it come to fruition or if it could change your fate.  Henry was correct in the fact that knowing your future will just make you go insane, but is that a risk you’d be willing to take?  And would you take it?  Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if knowing a piece of your future is a blessing or a curse.  I guess it’s like they say, information all depends on how you use it.  But in this situation, is this so?

Most of us are too scared to deviate from the plan but what if by exercising free will or trying to prevent our fate we end up creating our fate?  This is what will forever drive us crazy.  The fact of the unknown, unforeseeable, and the dreaded “What if?”

The way I have always viewed life since I was little was like walking down a dirt or paved road in the countryside.  You are only guided by your instincts, your sense of wonder and curiosity, with the stars and the moon lighting the unknown path ahead of you.  The moon is illuminated by the light from the sun.  While the stars are like your friends and loved ones, some die out, and still effect us years after they’ve burned out.  But with the main basis of the stars is that you can’t always see them at night or during the day but know that they are always there.  Or if you choose so, you can deviate from the path ahead and find your own way, paths, or roads for your journey.

Another way I look at it is most of us are stumbling down a dark tunnel with only a flashlight.  Most of us are so focused on getting to the other side that we often miss what’s around us.  We are often unaware of our surroundings when we are too focused on other aspects.  Some people are too afraid to move for fear of the unknown, they want more, but decide to stay only where they can see.  They are comforted by the sense of the familiar and are use to the conformity.  While others decide to explore or take in their surroundings, meanwhile taking a chance, and not paying attention to what’s in front of them.  While others pay attention to the sidelines and try to stay focused on their goals in life or horizon.  Their dreams and desires.

I do not wish to spoil the book or movie for you but I do recommend reading the book before you see the movie because I believe that the movie is missing a lot of important moments and aspects throughout their lives.  I especially believe that the movie could’ve been longer and covered a little bit more of the book than it did.  In my opinion the movie is like a flash of their life.  The movie is missing a lot of the nitty-gritty and escalating circumstances or moments in their lives.   Whereas, the book takes you in various directions in time in both of their lives and leaves the reader with a better sense of the story and how her life and the story ends at eighty something.  Or just begins with Alba…

Thank you for reading.  I am looking forward to your thoughts.

Sweet Dreams Love Katie

 

My world…without you…sweet August..

Dear Readers,

I originally attempted my first blog on myspace some years ago but due to my lack of focus and attention to it I eventually gave up on that first attempt.  I was talking to one of my friends earlier and due to something he said to me I went to look for a poem I wrote a long time ago and in searching for it I found this and completely forgot I wrote it.  But you never know who’s life you’ll touch or help so I wanted to share the post with you.  I wrote it a few days after I lost my Grandmother.  So I hope it gives hope to someone out there one day.

Enjoy Love Katie

written Aug. 26th 2007 on www.myspace.com/whatmyheartsays

My world…without you…sweet August..

Current mood:sad

“Every story has an END,

but in LIFE every end is just a NEW Beginning”

I’m not ok…it’s a weird feeling…my Nana isn’t coming home…but I wake up every morning feeling as if any moment she’ll walk through my bedroom door.  I enter my house expecting to see her or hear her watching tv or making a cup of tea…expecting to hear her voice and see her face and she’s not there.  I feel like an orphan…my house feels even emptier than before.  All my life my house has been warm and inviting…NEVER has it felt this empty before.  I thought I knew emptiness before when she was away or in the hospital.  But I knew nothing compared to this feeling.  My Grandmother and Grandfather….were the only mother and father I knew growing up.  I had parents but they were never there.  Waiting around for them was like waiting for rain in a drought….useless and disappointing.

My world is straight flipped upside down.  All my Life…in a way I had to take care of myself, but now I have to more than ever.  Over night I found the burden of becoming an adult all too quickly shoved upon my shoulders.  The woman you see before you looks like she’s taking things well…but her all too delicate fascade is in danger of breaking any moment.  A mask…hiding all the hurt and pain…is expected to hide all her emotions from the world.  Anger consumes her and sadness takes over her every activity,  idle hands weren’t the answer to this tulmultuous storm.  Lost and confused…unsure where to turn or what step to take next…I slowly try to find a little bit of light in the darkness that has become my very world.

Two years ago I wrote her a poem and designed a picture for her for Mother’s day in 2005.  In my blog post I revisited the poem and directed it back at her again.  This is what I wrote:

I told you how much I needed you…I told you what my very world would be like without you…I told you my universe would fall apart!  I told you my world would be dark, grim, and cold…like the depths of winter.  I told you without you, my life would have no meaning…I told you if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t be who I am today, and I told you…I’d surely be lost like a tossled ship at sea in the middle of a storm.  I told you thankyou for filling my world with warmth and love, and for helping me to grow into the woman…you see in front of you today.                               

That was the day I told you Happy Mother’s Day Nana…that was the year you battled  breast cancer and colon cancer through treatment.”

(At the time of her death Avril Lavigne’s Song I Miss You was the only thing that got me through)

I miss you…your love would always get me through the day…the days feel long without you in my life.  I need you here in my life.  I need you to hold me tight.  I need to hear the words you use to say to get me through the day.  I miss you…

I need to hear you sing through the long night…I need to hear the lullabies you sung to me…they always got me through a night of sadness or pain…do you see how much I need you right now?  Your voice is missing from my days…the face I came to know and love is missing, too.

I’ve never felt this way before…I’ve never been this lost before…everything I do reminds me of you.  Everything I see is a memory with you.  I miss you…

You kept me from falling…you kept my head up…you never let me look down…you kept me smiling…even when I cried you’d never let me look down.

But that time came…and it hurt to say goodbye…my heart told me to be strong…and let you go.  “Until we meet again”  My heart tells me we’ll meet again…someday.  It’s time to pick myself up…and take that first step forward…you’re no longer in my life but like Papa you live on in my heart and in my every word.  You have always been a part of me through life…and you’ll always be with me…now after.  I will always love you…and my love for you will never change…you were the only Mother I ever truly knew.

Pieces of the following song tell you what my Grandparents did and who they were for me:

“A Song for Mama” By Boyz to Men

“You taught me everything and everything you’ve given me
I always keep it inside
You’re the driving force in my life”

“You were there for me to love and care for me
When skies were gray
Whenever I was down, you were always there
To comfort me. And no one else can be what you have been to me
You will always be”

“Mama, mama you know I love you (I love you, ooh, you know I love you)
Mama, mama your the queen of my heart
Your love is like tears from the stars (Yes, it is)
Mama I just want you to know
Lovin’ you is like food to my soul (Yes, it is, yes, it, is, oh…”

“

You’re always down for me have always been around for me
Even when I was bad
You showed me right from my wrong, yes, you did
And you took up for me when everyone was downin’ me
You always did understand
You gave me strength to go on

There was so many times
Looking back when I was so afraid
And then you come to me and say to me
I could face anything

And no one else can do what you have been doin’ for me”

 

Now dear Readers….I hope that gives you an idea of what I had gone through and how far I’ve come.  I’ve been in your shoes and there will be sunnier days ahead.  I promise you.

Love Katie

Baking…a family tradition forgotten so easily…but still touches many lives and hearts

Baking…a family tradition forgotten so easily…with the passing of time and each year.  No, I haven’t forgotten how to bake, I’ve just forgotten what baking teaches you and how important it is to practice daily or weekly in your life.  I’m sitting up late at home alone, restless because I don’t feel good and can’t fall asleep.  I don’t know what made me decide to start baking right now but I just felt the need to focus on something other than feeling icky.  The rest of my family is currently in Everett, Massachusetts at the moment visiting our sick cousin.  My brother and I were the only two who didn’t end up going to visit with the rest of the family.  We couldn’t take off at the drop of a hat, our responsibilities took precedence over our wants.  It’s the first time my whole family has been in Boston since my Grandmother was first diagnosed in 2005 with breast cancer and colon cancer.

Our families, “The O’Donnell’s” (Arlington, VA) and “The Riley’s” (Everett, Mass.) made it a tradition, since my birth, to visit each other every year for Thanksgiving.  During our visit each year we also took the liberty of celebrating our birthdays and Christmas together as well.  When I was little it was one of my favorite concepts because in our family we celebrated Christmas alone three times.  Once in Boston normally the Friday after Thanksgiving, then in Virginia on Christmas day, and later on January 6^th due to the Irish tradition of “Little Christmas.”  My family strongly believed it was important to celebrate those times of the year we didn’t get the chances to be together for.  I always admired our tradition for its distinctiveness.  I use to look forward to Thanksgiving in Everett, Massachusetts all year round.  Christmas is my favorite holiday but I use to anxiously await Thanksgiving because I got to spend time with parts of my family that I didn’t get to see on a regular basis.  I also always admired how close both families were from the start, even before I was born.

Each year before we left for our trip for Boston to visit at Thanksgiving my Grandmother who raised me would bake up a storm.  She made her famous old-fashioned brownies, carrot cake, and Guru Goodies…which was an interesting twist on a candy bar.  These were her signature desserts but she always made a variety of munchies, traditional foods, and goodies for our trip and for our visit.  She made it a point to bring everyone we knew up North his or her own batch of her goodies.  That was one of the things I loved the most about her, no matter how many people our family knew or had to bake for she never got tired of giving to others and she never gave up on or grew tired of her baking.  She had a unique way of making everyone feel special when she handed out his or her care package.

My Grandmother had a gift.  She was a magician in the kitchen and her passion definitely showed in her creations and in her traditional family recipes.   My Grandmother use to believe that baking or cooking could fix anything.  I loved that about her because she taught me that if you’re mad, sad, or even upset, that cooking and baking will always calm you down and make you feel better than when you started.  My Grandmother was a firm believer that by cooking or baking for someone you could change someone’s life, if even only one day at a time.  She use to always say that a recipe made with love is sometime all anyone really needs.

She was the type of cook who made everything from scratch.  When she found a recipe she liked, she would treat it like a problem in life and work on it and perfect it until she was finally happy with it or loved it.  She put so much time and effort into her recipes and creations that she always kept them under lock and key.  She was a firm believer in family tradition and only believed in passing recipes down to family members or a close loved one who would truly appreciate it, which was very rare.  She use to say recipes are a lot like life some are good the way they are, while others you have to play with them or keep trying different ingredients until you find the one that works best for you.  When you have achieved the best recipe you add it to your family’s collection and share it with your loved ones.

My Grandmother was a firm believer that cooking and baking with love is what kept our family together and friendship ties strong.  She strongly believed that when someone you knew was going through hell, that you should bake or cook for them.  She always loved to give nice gifts but believed cooking from the heart was a better gift than money could ever buy.  It doesn’t cost much and you will enjoy the process and the end result.  The person you cook or bake for will definitely be grateful for your love and kindness.  You never know what someone is going through, what battles they’re fighting, or what kind of day they are having until you reach out to them.  I guarantee your kindness will change their day and make everything a little easier to bear or handle.

If there is one thing my Grandmother taught me, it’s that traditions are what keeps the family strong and love is what keeps us alive.  Always reach out to others because even after time passes, they will always remember your kindness and how you made them feel.  They will never forget that no matter how many years pass.  True story.  I’m in college now and my elementary teachers still talk about my Grandmother’s famous brownies to this day.  My Grandmother is the first person to ever teach me how to cook and I fell in love with cooking because she shared her passion for it with me.  She put such emphasis on cooking that I regard cooking so highly that I believe it is one of the cornerstones to living a good life.  I developed my love for cooking from her lessons and emphasis on tradition throughout the years.  One of my favorite things about cooking is when you get the chance to share the experience with a loved one or even teach someone new how to cook, it’s one of the most unforgettable moments you will ever experience together.  You can learn a lot from another based on the differences in your homes, traditions, and even cultures.  Through cooking you learn to work together, teach eachother, try new things, and grow.  Cooking is one of the ways I remember my Grandmother, whether it’s baking something simple or cooking a complicated dish…cooking is when I remember her the strongest.  She lives on in many ways in my life and her recipes and the lessons she taught me are just one way of remembering her legacy.  I look forward to teaching many more friends and loved ones in the years to come and I looked forward to passing our family’s traditions down to my children one day, God willing.

Time to eat my late dinner tonight.  I got off to a late start and decided to tackle making Jerk Chicken.  Yummm…. Sweet Dreams

Love Katie

You Can Learn Alot About Someone Based On Their Answers To Some of The Most Interesting or Thought Provoking Questions in Life

Dear Readers,

I love to stay up late often and when I’m up during the wee hours I love to research questions, thoughts, or ideas.  I do alot of writing and reading late at night.  I came across a blog called “Marc and Angel Hack Life.”  I googled for interesting and unforgettable questions.  I like to always google questions because I am a firm believer in asking the right questions.  If you ask the right “deep question” then you’ll be surprised of what answers you’ll get in return.  You can learn alot about someone based on their answers to some of the most interesting or thought provoking questions in life.  Not to mention you can connect with new people you’re just meeting on the most interesting levels.  Their answers often show you pieces of them that you normally wouldn’t get to see or experince.  When I google I came across a blog post and had to share their collection of questions.  I fell in love with every question and truly believe everyone needs to hear these questions.  So I chose to repost their blog post for you.

Love Katie

REPOSTING

From the blog: “Marc and Angel Hack Life”

http://www.marcandangel.com/2009/07/13/50-questions-that-will-free-your-mind/ 

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind

These questions have no right or wrong answers.  Because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer.

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do?
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back?
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
22. Why are you, you?
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
25. What are you most grateful for?
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now?
30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
32. If not now, then when?
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?
50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

And check out these books for more thought-provoking questions:

• The Book of Questions
• If… (Questions For The Game of Life)
• The Complete Book of Questions: 1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion

Dear Readers,

I hope you loved their post as much as I did and maybe apply these questions to your own life or conversations.  I strongly recommend reading some of their other posts as well.  They have a section called “Thought Questions” and another section called “Makes Me Think.”

Thanks for taking the time to read and if you have something interesting please feel free to share with me or my readers,

Love Katie

Somewhere along life’s path….Who we WERE, who we ARE & who we are to BECOME

I found this amongst my vast array of random papers I’ve written on throughout the years.  I wrote this on January 17^th, 2008:

“Somewhere along life’s path we lose sight of the person we once were…the fire that shined so bright* starts to dwindle with the winds of immense change and time…somewhere down that path we look at the horizon and remember who we are…and admire not only where we are from but who we’ve become…and question who we are to BECOME.  Sometimes the reality of our truth is so hard to believe that somewhere along the way we lose sight of our reality.  We even start to question our certainty in the truth.  For is the truth of our reality truly possible?”

–Monique “Katie” O’Donnell

(Written remembering Papa’s promise and the reality of me vs. others.  Which I will go into another day in a different post.)

Dear Readers,

I honestly wouldn’t have written this post if it wasn’t for my power going out overnight.  The county is doing some work on the power lines in my neighborhood and had to cut off the power until later this afternoon.  So like a genius, I didn’t charge my cell last night after work.  Instead I curled up on the couch to watch my recorded episode of my TV show “Pretty Little Liars” but ended up falling asleep like a baby.  I’ve been so determined this week to finish my client’s pictures from our shoot this past Thursday that I disciplined myself to focus on nothing but her pictures.  And if anyone knows me well they know I have trouble focusing.  So I was proud I got her pictures back to her with a quick turnaround, even though I barely got any sleep.  But I am determined to work hard this summer.  I want to succeed and achieve success in my dream careers, or at least make some progress in the direction of my dreams this summer.

Before this summer started I couldn’t wait because there was so much I wanted to do and accomplish.  Whether it was going out, traveling, spending time with friends, family, and loved ones, doing something I have never done before, or even doing lots of photo shoots to build up my portfolio.  Well, as the saying goes “time flies” and summer is already a little more than half over.  Sitting here it seems as if I haven’t accomplished much this summer, but as far as my personal life and myself I have made a lot of progress.  I have grown immensely as a person this summer.

The second part to that saying is time flies but luckily you’re the pilot, but in my opinion the twist is that the co-pilot is God.  One of the greatest questions in everyone’s life at some point in time is “Who am I?”  This question pops up continuously throughout our lives especially when our circumstances or our stages in life change.  Life is a continuous search about finding oneself.  Like life, our sense of self is ever-changing but in the rare moments or time periods that you find your footing everything changes.  When you find your niche in life itself, the moments where you find the perfect footprints for you, are some of the best moments in life.  You have found yourself like two puzzle pieces in time fitting together perfectly like fate or destiny.  Meant to be, meant to be discovered.

There was a part of me that was missing until this summer and there was a part of me that I thought I had lost long ago until now.  A part of myself that makes me feel more alive than I have felt in quite some time.  Even my best friends have noticed the change and fire in me lately.  A side they haven’t seen in years.  When something changes you so immensely, you don’t just let it go or ignore it.  It’s funny how life works out and the curve balls that life throws you.  When you least expect it life switches up on you.  It changes up the equation and experiments with different elements.  Sometimes throwing in the most conflicting elements with the only hint being that in some crazy explicable way all these elements can work.  As out of this world and incomprehensible as that sounds at the moment, the fact is it’s possible.

When specific elements are removed from the equation your first reaction is how can it or does it function now?  You have to reevaluate everything because the answer is no longer the same, or is it?  This is something that you have to determine or evaluate yourself.  Sometimes when we are so focused on the specific elements in our original equation that we lose focus.  We fail to remember that the whole purpose of the equation is the answer, the end result.  When we take our eyes off the end result, we sometimes lose sight of the whole equation and it’s purpose, our purpose.  When we focus on the elements we lose sight of everything else but we do not realize this.  We still think we are evaluating the equation correctly when in fact we didn’t keep our eye on the answer and while we were distracted with the details, the answer has changed.  Which means the whole equation has changed and what we were originally searching for, is no longer the same thing we are searching for now.

Life has a funny way of doing that to us, sometimes what we think we want and what we really need are two different things.  But we cannot realize this unless life switches up the elements of our equation on us.  Sometimes it’s hard to focus on the end result or what we want in life, because we have become so focused or obsessed with focusing on or worrying about one specific element that we forget all the other elements.  We even forget about ourselves.  We lose sight of ourselves and our wants, our desires, and dreams.  We forget that we deserve better or that we can achieve better because we are so focused on making the current equation work.  We are so determined to make it function that we are afraid to upset the balance or when the balance is upset we are quick to go back to the norm.  But is the equation meant to be that way?  Or is there a better equation and a better formula for our lives than we can currently comprehend?  Why do we forget this small fact so easily?  Why do we overlook the obvious?  More so why are we so blind or only focused on the details?  How do we get so lost?

Before this summer started I was too focused on rushing through life, through everything.  I often put a lot of my own heart’s desires on hold to cater to others or to focus on work and other aspects of my life.  I was doing enough to get by and always worrying about upsetting the balance in my life.  I was so use to my comfort zone and the choices I had made.  But little did I know how much my life would change this summer.  I didn’t expect for this summer to change my life or impact it as much as it has but it did and I don’t think I can go back to the woman I was before.  There is a difference in me now that is irreversible.  It was unexpected and unexplainable.  I am still having trouble putting it into words or fathoming the depths of it’s impact.  This summer I have had to make some of the biggest decisions of my life.  I had focused so long on worrying about others that I forgot about myself and my own dreams.

‎”The expected is what keeps our
 lives steady, it’s the unexpected
 that changes our lives FOREVER.” – True Story

One of the biggest problems for most people in life is that they are afraid to give up what is comfortable in order to achieve that which they desire most.  People are afraid to let go of what already fits or works in their life in order to get what they want or to go where they want in life.  They are afraid to take the chance, to let go of the familiar in order to chase or try for the unfamiliar.  Most are afraid of fear or are afraid of failure.  While others are more afraid of losing what has taken them so long to achieve already, mainly being who they are at this exact moment in time.  But what they do not realize or forget to remember is that life is always changing.  It never stays the same, nothing in life does.  Most people are looking but aren’t really seeing.  Is that what you’re doing?  Does any of this sound like you?

I came across this next quote and it definitely sums of some revelations of my summer.  “What you are is what you have been, and what you will be is what you do now”. –Buddha   This quote is very true, so follow your heart, do what makes you happy, and forget what others think or believe.  Sometimes in life we need to wake up and realize what is best for us.  As hard as it is to focus on yourself solely, you need to sit down and ask yourself what it is that you want out of life in this moment?  What do you want in the future?  What will make you happy?  What will you regret?  What can you live with and what can you not live without?

At some point in the last few years I felt like I needed to wake up and stop being so naive and that I needed to come to terms with the reality of my life.  The reality that maybe my childlike way of thinking wasn’t the best thought process for my situations.  I started to deflate my head out of the clouds a little but not completely because I still held out hope and still believed in my fairytale-like way of thinking when it comes to life.  No matter how many curveballs life threw at me or how many times I got knocked down, I kept fighting and pushing forward.  At some point though I started to settle in some aspects of my life that you should never settle in.  I started to believe that maybe my hopes, dreams, desires, or wishes were too high and maybe in the reality of life I started to believe maybe you had to settle.  I started to contemplate that maybe life wasn’t like the fairytales or books and stories you read.  At this moment in time or over time I began to lose pieces of myself.  My flame started to dwindle and wasn’t burning as bright as it once was.  Until this summer, something awoke and changed in me for the better and I cannot ignore it.  I believe everything happens for a reason and this summer taught me that I had forgotten how to live.  I had forgotten my self worth and what I truly had to offer.  I forgot what is was like to live a life worth living.  I stopped doing what made me happy and I stopped spending time with my friends and loved ones.  I even abandoned my writing and photography at different points.  My two first loves and the biggest passions in my life.  My reasons for my existence.

Sometimes in life you forget the fire that’s deep inside of you, but more so you forget how to make it burn as bright and fiercely as it use to.  When it was an unwavering beacon of light inside of you.  You start to lose your faith and hope little by little everyday.  Even your optimism diminishes, you find yourself contemplating negative thoughts that you would’ve never given a moment’s thought to before.  You start to let reality creep into your life a little too strongly and forget that optimism, a strong heart, and belief system is what kept the wolves at bay.  You forget that anything is possible and you start to settle more and more.  Somewhere along the line you lost sight of the answer to your equation.  You focused too long on certain aspects that you forgot who you were and the person that you wanted to become.  God knows this and life knows this all too well, which is why we are thrown curveballs.  This is why our equations get shaken up.  To show us what is possible in life.  Our world changes and our equations are shaken up not to take things away from our lives but to make sure we want the path we are currently focused on in life.  Sometimes we are so consumed in the different facets that we forget the big picture.  We tend to not even realize that our own hearts, desires, and mindsets have changed with time.  It is in this moment that we remember our distant hopes, desires, and dreams.  And in this moment that we realize they are more attainable now than ever.  Nothing is set in stone and we are not dead yet.  We are very much alive.   When we least expect it life teaches us that what we want and what we need are two very different things.  Are you courageous enough to take a chance to pursue what you need in life?  Are you willing to change your course in life for the better path?  The path that will lead you to everything you had dreamed of but began to lose hope of achieving.  I ask you this, Do you know your self-worth? And what you truly have to offer?  Trust your heart don’t forget who you are, your roots or where you came from.  Do what makes you happy.  What choices will you not regret in the years to come?  Today the possibilities are endless but will you be courageous enough to take advantage of them?  Or will you be too afraid?

Just something to contemplate that I have been dealing with throughout my life and all summer,

Love Katie

Fear and Failure…Where Will Your Potential Take You?

Fear paralyzes even the strongest of individuals.  Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear to try something new or out of your comfort zone, fear to be completely honest with yourself or others, fear to take a chance, or change your mind and your path in life.  Fear is one of the most paralyzing emotions that we experience in our everyday lives.  Sometimes it can touch us once and leave us forever paralyzed or reminiscent. People are often so afraid to take a chance because they often want a guarantee, but nothing is guaranteed in life.  Their current situation works only because it’s feasible and they’re accustomed to it.  But what if I said your life would change for the better if you took a chance.  It is better to try than to waste time by regretting or wondering for the rest of your life.  Sometimes what we are most afraid of isn’t as big of a deal or as hard as we often make it out to be.  Sometimes out of fear we cause ourselves more frustration or stress than is really necessary.  The longer we avoid it the bigger it becomes, and the harder it is to conquer and overcome.  The fear can consume your life and take control of or effect your everyday choices.  Fear causes us to miss out on a lot of moments and opportunities in life.  Ask yourself, in the end is it worth missing out?

Believe it or not failure can be a good thing.  It brings our attention to that which we want or desire most.  It inspires and encourages change.  Sometimes we can stumble or fall because of it but it teaches us to get back up and try again.  If we hadn’t tried to conquer our fears we wouldn’t be where we are today.  To get to where you are currently at in your life now, you had to conquer some form of fear.  Don’t tell me “No” because I can name multiple moments just in your childhood alone when you were afraid of simple things that seemed so overwhelming, simply because you were afraid.  I know things are different as adults but sometimes we need to remember that even though we are afraid, we are often afraid of the smallest things.  Nothing is impossible.  Believe in yourself and in your ability to overcome your fear.  You never know what is just around the corner or what is awaiting you on your path in life if you just take a chance.

We’re all afraid of failure.  You’re not human unless you possess fear.  Most humans are actually afraid of the unknown.  Everyone wants to know what will happen, what the future holds, or what the best path in life is.  Everyone wants to know the good but fears the bad or the path, choices, and decisions to get to the good.  Fear teaches us to be cautious of the unknown.  But why do we let fear limit us?  And what are we missing out on in life because of our fears?

One of my biggest fears is taking a chance on a new day job.  I have the biggest problem with waking up early in the morning.  I wake-up to alarm clocks but once in awhile I have the ability to sleep through my alarm.  My fear is losing a dream job because of my failure to get up on time.  I know I am capable, hard working, determined, and a very dynamic individual but my only fault is not being able to wake up on time.  I have a tendency to do well but every once in awhile I miss my wake-up alarm and oversleep.  My fear is that I will get connected to a job through my family or a friend of the family and that I’ll fail to wake-up on time just once.  I fear losing a dream job or an incredible day job because of my inability.  I don’t want to be jumping from job to job or have my inability to wake-up once in a blue moon be the only reflection of me and who I am as a person.  It may sound silly but it’s true.  My other fear is to pursue a job that is not even related to my desired career field.  I fear getting stuck at a day job unrelated to my field because I’m worried about wasting more time than I already have, I’m not getting any younger.  Now as I sit here writing this, I am starting to realize how silly my last statement is.  I know I am not currently working in my career field other than doing random jobs as a free-lance photographer but I am just afraid I will not have as much time to focus on or pursue my photography.

If you spend every waking day being afraid of failure you will never learn your true potential.  Most people wait until they are forced to make a change but it always better to act on your own accord instead of being forced into it by a drastic change in your circumstances.

Fear forces you to challenge yourself and your current direction or path in life.  Fear is one petrifying emotion but you have to ask yourself if you’re always afraid, will you ever realize your true potential?  Can you maximize your potential, your circumstances, or your life without facing your fears and possible failure?  Everyone is afraid of something but it is the ones who accept their fears and challenge them that make the difference.  The ones who courageously face their fears and either conquer them or don’t give up until they do so.  Do you honestly believe you can get anything you want, dream of, or desire without facing your fears?  Everyone is afraid at some point or another in time.  Don’t forget that everyone is new or was new and inexperienced at some point in time.  The first step is admitting and realizing your fears, while attempting to overcome them.  As long as you keep moving forward in your battle against fear, that’s all that matters.  Sometimes failure will set you back, but you cannot be afraid of moving forward.  You cannot be afraid of taking chances or achieving what you desire and deserve.

People cling too easily to the familiarity and comfort of their everyday lives and what they’re use to, that they fight so hard to keep it from changing.  If they put half as much effort into conquering their fears, they might be surprised of what they can accomplish or change.  If you freed your mind and allowed yourself to keep an open mind instead of putting limits on yourself, the possibilities are endless and may surprise you.  By giving into fear you are paralyzing your free will.

This year I decided to stop being so afraid and take more chances, even if I fail or make mistakes.  Surprisingly because of the chances I have been taking new doors are opening and new opportunities are presenting themselves.  If I hadn’t taken some of the chances I’ve taken this year I wouldn’t be where I’m currently at, especially as far as my dreams are concerned.  The process is slow but I am steadily progressing and improving little by little every month.  I’m just trying my best to move forward no matter how afraid I get or what I encounter.  I sometimes get scared and have to pause or take a moment to re-evaluate the situation and my fears, but I eventually take the next step and hope for the best.

What are you waiting for?  Stop waiting and cease the moment conquer your fears, maximize your potential, and achieve what you deserve.  Nothing is impossible…so don’t limit yourself.  If you run into an obstacle along the way or maybe even reach your limits, just remembering to keep pushing forward.  Try to achieve better and above all do your best, that’s all that matters in the end.  No one can say you failed if you gave it your best.

Where will your potential take you?

Love Katie

Excited Beyond Words

I am an extremely passionate free-lance writer and photographer in the DMV area (Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia).  I am currently working on my dreams of pursuing a career in writing and photography.  I am also working on building my own photography business. (www.flickr.com/PassionateFocus.MKO)  At night I currently work as a cashier, promoter, and event planner for various night clubs in Washington, D.C.

I’m excited beyond words, because there are lots of changes and big things currently in the works.  I’m finally doing it and really pursuing my dreams on a whole other level.   I’m loving every minute of the journey and every step of the way.  All this time I just needed someone to help invest and believe in my dreams and me as much as I believed in myself.  It’s hard traveling a path you have never traveled before and it’s always great to have help along the way.  Especially when the help is experts who can contribute pearls of wisdom to follow or heed.

Over the past few weeks I have been receiving alot of help with my dreams.  My friend is helping me create and build a website for my photography business, while at the same time helping me follow and better understand the process for starting my own business.  My photography business website is currently under construction, but here is the address to check it out when it’s finished:

www.PassionateFocus.com

I am also excited because I received a few new photography books as gifts.  I’m excited and can’t wait to start reading each book.  I look forward to learning all the tricks and new creative ways to improve on my photography.  The books I received are as follows:

• Exposure: Digital Field Guide By Alan Hess
• The Digital Photography Book Vol. 1 By Scott Kelby
• Microstock Money Shots By Ellen Boughn
• Night Photography By Lance Keimig
• Studio and Location Lighting Secrets By RIck Sammon & Vared Koshlano
• The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure By Sean Arbabi
• The Photoshop Darkroom: Creative Digital Post Processing By Harold Davis & Phyllis Davis

As I read each book I will be posting lessons or new things I learn along the way.  I love to share my thoughts or progress as I read a book.  So stay tuned for more trials and tribulations.  Feel free to check out my other blog as well “What My Heart Says”:  http://ODonnellKM.wordpress.com

Wish me luck in all my endeavors…fear hear I come…focusing on my dreams and following my heart.

 Sweet Dreams Love Monique “Katie”

At this moment…

At this moment it’s almost 7AM,  I’m just now getting home from work.  I helped a friend out and then went to breakfast.  All in all a good night…aside from getting lost on a detour because of a road closing.  It’s funny because lately everything has always seemed rush, rush, rush…but when it comes down to it and you decide you’re so pissed off at one aspect of your life that that very same attitude trickles into other aspects.  And you to come to a realization and you ask yourself “why are you always rushing?,  And why can’t today be different than usual?” 

I didn’t start off my night saying I don’t care, or where ever my night leads me…only time will tell.  But it ended up like that…and sometimes nights like tonight are a welcome surprise in the monotonous routine of daily life…

Sweet dreams I’m exhausted….
Love Katie

Eventually…

I’ve come to realize as I lay awake in my bed…that eventually what every woman wants is to love and be loved in return. Someone she can be with who can love and appreciate her.  Sometimes all we look for is someone we can be ourselves with and someone we can let our guard down with.  Whether we make it official by calling it a relationship or keeping it a secret as friends.  Sometimes all we want is to feel loved and cared about…and I truly believe if even, only as friends and nothing more.

I’ve heard it from both men and women.  People who are gay and straight.  I’ve even heard it from the promiscuous women and the player types.  Or those who say they’ll never get married or don’t want children.  At some point you stop and wonder what it’s like or how nice it would feel for a change.  For some it doesn’t have to be permanent as long as they feel like they’re loved for a little bit.  Then that taste is enough to suffice for the time being.  But like all addictions the feeling comes back.  Your back to nights when your body is finally relaxed, laying awake contemplating what it’d be like to love or feel loved once again.

Just something I contemplate everytime I hear a woman talk about a new man/woman in her life or their current or past relationships.  Something I contemplate everytime I hear someone question their past loves, their current ones, and hear the way they talk about what they want from the future ones…or eventually just from that “one.”

Women and men just want to be happy and eventually they find what they deserve…if even only for a little while.  The taste suffices until they can quench their thirst.

Time to rest these pretty brown eyes…sweet dreams
Love Katie

(Little does my friend know L.W. but you were my inspiration for this post.  You texted me at 5AM one late night after I got off work and asked me why men do women wrong?  Why men treat women the way they do?  You asked me why you couldn’t find love?  You also asked me what was wrong with you?  And so many other endless questions.  My love there is nothing wrong with you mama….you just haven’t found the man meant for you.  Trust me it takes alot of wrong ones and broken roads to find your North Star.  You will know it when you find him no matter where you’re at in your life, you will know, and it will haunt you until you listen to your heart.  He will fight for you just as hard as you fight for him and he will not make you cry, at least not as much as all the others….and he will see you in ways you only imagined or dreamed.  I promise you.  I love you and I am always here for you bestie)

GOP: Attempting to Pass a Bill to Deny Life-Saving Abortions

(Image courtesy of MoveOn.org)

Dear Readers,

I recently found out from: MoveOn.org that the Republicans are attempting to pass a bill that would allows hospitals the right to not perform a life-saving abortion on a dying pregnant woman.
It is time for our society and youth to speak their minds before outdated bills are allowed to be passed.  Our Government and society needs to move forward not backward into the Dark Ages. 

To speak your mind and sign the petition follow this link (or to share on Facebook, Twitter, or via E-mail):

http://pol.moveon.org/backalley/?r_by=-18618926-hFovykx&rc=confemail

Here was my short message to the Senators and Representatives:

Dear Senators and Representatives,

I strongly believe it is a woman’s CHOICE to decide to keep her baby or have an abortion.  In some cases it is in the woman’s best interests be it complications, loss of her life, rape, or other various circumstances.  Just as I believe a woman can choose to give up her own life to save her baby’s or so that the baby has a chance at life.  I do not agree with a bill that encourages a woman’s death to prove a point.  Let alone do I agree with a bill that would allow hospitals to let a pregnant woman die rather than performing a lifesaving abortion.  It is cruel and unusual punishment.  Hospitals are to save lives not to torture or demonstrate political stances. 

More to to say…just getting started!  Stay tuned for the longer version and more fired up posts and responses,

-Monique K. O’Donnell

Http://ODonnellKM.wordpress.com

My Blog “What My Heart Says” 2010 WordPress Review

Dear Readers,

This blog “What My Heart Says” is my first true attempt at blogging. When I finally decided to begin my blog it was towards the end of July. I decided to start this blog so that I could share my writing with the world and people it wouldn’t normally reach. I’m hoping this blog will also be a fundamental stepping stone to pursuing my dreams.

WordPress is one of the best blog websites I’ve ever encountered and I highly recommend it. Whether you’re just a beginner like I was or an avid blogger, this is a great site to be a part of. So far I have been a part of wordpress for a little less than 6 months. I just found out today that WordPress and their team of stat monkeys send out reviews at the end of each year for each and every blog. Following this short intro is WordPress’s look back at mine. I believe it’s not bad for less than 6 months of being a member. I still have 8 posts (drafts) waiting to polished and finally published for everyone to read. They’ll be coming soon, promise.

Enjoy & Thank you for reading,
Love Katie

My Blog “What My Heart Says” 2010 WordPress Review

(Courtesy of WordPress)

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Fresher than ever.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 4,400 times in 2010. That’s about 11 full 747s.

 

In 2010, there were 24 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 22 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 10mb. That’s about 2 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was November 15th with 144 views. The most popular post that day was Charlie St. Cloud & inspiring poem “Dive For Dreams” By E.E. Cummings.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, ODonnellKM.wordpress.com, twitter.com, givemefreedownload.info, and touch.facebook.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for dive for dreams ee cummings, ee cummings dive for dreams, e.e. cummings dive for dreams, dive for dreams, and “dive for dreams” ee cummings.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Charlie St. Cloud & inspiring poem “Dive For Dreams” By E.E. Cummings August 2010
2 comments

2

For my little brother…a letter I found that I wrote to him when he asked me “Why does life f*** up, when you just figured everything out?” October 2010

3

Do you ever miss someone? October 2010
5 comments

4

Christmas Correspondence (Letters, Cards, News, and Packages of Love) November 2010
2 comments

5

About ME July 2010
1 comment

Where’s Christmas? (Don’t take this Christmas for Granted)

Dear Readers,

I wrote this December 9th, 2008 and I wanted to share it again at this time of year.  I know some people are currently going through similar emotions or have in the past.  So I wanted to share my thoughts and what I went through with you  I hope you enjoy it.

Love Katie

Where’s Christmas?

Current mood:blessed

It’s 3 O’clock in the morning on December 9th…and as I’m driving I can’t help but wonder and ask….where are you Christmas? December started in a rush and it didn’t quite feel like Christmas as fast as it usually does every year.

Now you can start to feel Christmas in the air and it blesses each town with it’s first kiss of crisp cold December air.  But as I drive down a new street each night….I ask over again…where are you Christmas? I can’t see you. Very few houses are kissed by the glow of Christmas lights, doesn’t anyone feel Christmas in the air?

I see glimpses of Christmas here and there, be it in the warm smile of a stranger or a holiday glow on a passerby’s face.  Or that familiar twinkle in multiple stranger’s eyes.  I see it in kind and simple acts done for loved ones and even deeper in those done for a complete stranger.  I can’t help but wonder did Christmas touch their heart this season?  As I spectate, I can’t help but wonder what each person went through this past year, and what battles they’re still currently fighting.

About 2 weeks until Christmas and I’m still conflicted with mixed emotions. One part of me is starting to take in the excitement and believe once again in the magic of the season and what this month brings.  While another part of me feels alone and shut off emotionally from others and the world.  Almost numb to it all.  I’m confused because my life is changing and I don’t know what direction to pursue.  Take a chance and believe in the spirit of Christmas?  or shut it out and let my emotions pull me down and get the best of me?

I wonder why can’t I feel the warmth of Christmas?  Why does it feel so faint and distant.  Or is it closer than I realize.  Am I not letting the Christmas holiday into my heart?

Two years ago, on Christmas Eve I felt alone…at the time I underestimated what alone meant.  To me alone was without a significant other to pass the night with.  I took my company for granted that Christmas Eve, for only two rooms away sat my Grandmother watching Christmas shows on TV.

One year later, after my family left so abruptly that night Christmas Eve and after my Mom and brother started to feel sleep weighing on their eyes, was truly when I realized what alone really meant.  That Christmas Eve 2007, I realized what alone truly was…as I baked cookies and brownies and sat writing Christmas cards in my empty house.  I realized how much I took OUR last Christmas for granted in 2006.  I didn’t know that year would be our last year decorating the tree or I wouldn’t have waited so long to get it done with my Grandmother!  I didn’t cherish that Christmas the way I should have and now 2 years later after my Grandmother’s passing I regret it more than ever.

This is my second Christmas without my Grandmother in my life and I still wonder if I can find Christmas without her.  She was all I had in my life, for she was the only Mother I had ever known.  To lose your only lifeline is incomprehensible.  It feels as if someone knocked all the air out of your lungs and you’re struggling and gasping for another breath but it just isn’t possible.  The only justified emotion is a simple tear down one side of your cheek.  You can’t even begin to describe the emotion and pain you feel after such a loss.   The only things in Life you have left after such a loss are your memories, thoughts, lessons,…and your regrets.  These things teach you to continue on with life, to NOT take things for granted, to cherish and live each moment with all your heart, and to make ‘em count.

Because when your heart is filled with such pain the only cure is to slowly fill it back up with love.  You learn not to close-up and forget…but to revel and relive the simplicities and better moments, when they were in your life. When they were a part of your life!

There’s something magical and wondrous about this time of year because no matter how bad things are you can’t help but be lifted by the Christmas Spirit.  Even if only in the tiniest form.  Christmas spirit touches you in the most profound ways, at the most unexpected time.  I refuse to be upset. I couldn’t possibly bear this Christmas if I let my problems and sadness drown my spirits.

I’m blessed because I get to spend Christmas in my Grandparent’s house one last time, before we sell it in the Spring 2009. (which we didn’t end up doing) And I’m thankful for my loved ones and for the opportunities and moments that I have experienced in the last year. This Christmas I can only hope and pray everything works out for the best. For I want nothing more than to be truly happy and to enjoy what this month has to offer.

Make this Christmas count and don’t take it for granted….Love always Katie

 

R E F E R E N C E S & I N S P I R A T I O N

1. Hill, Faith.

Song: Where are you Christmas?

December 2008.

 

A person’s heart remembers pain and sadness like a scar from a burn…

Dear Readers,

I was flipping through some old writing of mine in a notebook and since November is about remembering and being thankful for your blessings I wanted to share something old with you.  I’m thankful because I am truly lucky to have my boyfriend and the love that we share.  Despite how hard is always is to trust again after a past of hurt and pain.  So I thank my boyfriend for having patience with me and with us.  Hope you enjoy this:

A person’s heart remembers pain and sadness like a scar from a burn…

8.01.10…Sometimes I wonder if I’ve been hurt and damaged so bad…that I continuously wonder if I can ever live through one day not paranoid someone I love will hurt me or walk away.  I struggle everyday with these two fears and I can’t breathe, for the fear is suffocating and killing me.  The tears fall down like rain.  But no matter how much someone I love eases my pain, I always fear the unforseen.  The forecast for my love life is predicted to be sunny, but I can’t help but fear the chance of a thunder storm.  Where one day of rain goes on for years in my heart.  A person’s heart remembers pain and sadness like a scar from a burn.  The pain hurts so bad you rarely forget that feeling and you are forever cautious.  Got too much on my mind…sweet dreams.  -M.K.O.

Guide Me To Your Direct Line

Dear Readers,

I have been extremely tired lately due to playing catch up with a lot of unfinished business.  So, I’ve been thinking…November is about remembering and thanking God for your blessings.  So, I wanted to revisit some things I wrote a little while ago, but never shared with the public.  I have learned a lot since I wrote these words:

Guide Me To Your Direct Line

8.22.10…I wish I knew what was wrong…I only wish I could take the pain or sadness away because it’s looming overhead like a dark cloud about to storm.  I try so hard to get through to you and sometimes I can’t find the right connection.  Please guide me to your direct line like a lighthouse guiding home a ship with its beacon.  I wish I could communicate my emotions and thoughts better than I have been.  But I don’t know how to find my way through the unknown other than stumbling clumsily.  My love for you may be beyond your comprehension but I am trying my hardest to teach you the language of my heart and soul.  All I want to do is study the language of your heart and unlock your encrypted ways.  But I cannot unlock what you refuse to open up to me.  Please teach me instead of getting angry.  That is all I ask of you.  -M.K.O.

Christmas Correspondence (Letters, Cards, News, and Packages of Love)

For those of you who know me well, you know that I lost my Grandmother back in August of 2007.  In case you don’t know anything about me, she was the woman who raised me as one of her own daughters.  Christmas that year was one of the hardest times in my life.  It was hard to find the Christmas spirit when she was no longer physically with us.  It took me all December to find her again and my Christmas spirit.

I believe that when people pass away they leave lots of unfinished business but I also believe that they leave behind little helpful landmines to help those that they have left behind to move on.  By landmines I mean little reminders, memory triggers, distractions, or something that will help ease the mind of the grieving loved one.

I can’t remember exactly whether it was the Christmas of the year she passed or whether it was the following year, but I came across some correspondence.  Most of which was Christmas correspondence.  Letters and cards written between my Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles, and other family members and friends up and down mainly the East Coast.  Most of the letters were written from our cousins in Everett, Massachusettes or my Grandfather’s mother in Florida to my Grandmother.  I didn’t know my Grandmother use to write so many letters.  I guess I always assumed because my Grandfather was the writer in the family that he was most likely the one to keep up with all the letters and such.  But I was wrong.  My Grandmother exchanged letters and cards often with a variety of family members and friends across the miles.

A few letters in particular that stood out to me were the everyday letters and the holiday letters exchanged between my Grandmother and her mother-in-law.  My great Grandmother had the most beautiful cursive hand writing and she wrote so eloquently.  My first thought was envy and remorse.  Envy because I wish I kept in better touch and wrote as much as she did to family, friends, and loved ones.  And remorse because since the progression of technology and the internet people are less and less in touch with their loved ones.  Our nation’s postal volume has declined over the years not just because of the slow migration of clients to electronic alternatives, but also because of the decline in the economy.  My curiousity was sparked and I wondered how much interest the nation had lost in old-fashion holiday correspondence.  I did some research and according to the Washington Post the U.S. postal volume has sharply declined during the seasonal and holiday quarter, which was previously projected to be the best time of year for the United States Postal Services.

My Great Grandmother’s letters to my Grandmother inspired me to improve on my old-fashion correspondence.  My goal was to send out an unbelievable number of Christmas cards last year, but due to unexpected debt my Christmas goal was downsized.  But this year I get another chance to achieve my holiday goal.  One of my biggest problems every Christmas since I was a kid was always procrastinating until the last minute to write my Christmas cards.  Since I always procrastinated I  never gave myself enough time to complete all my cards, especially to my standards.  I am a passionate writer and part of my goal was to write a detailed letter in every card, longer than your normal Christmas card, to various loved ones across the miles. 

I have recently been working on various projects for Hallmark’s greeting card competition themes and also for my own collection.  I actually want to have a greeting card line one day.  Anyone that knows me will agree that I should already have one by now or in the near future.  Anyways each competition is held a month or two before its projected release date.  So, this inspired me to start my holiday correspondence early this year. 

My first 15 Christmas cards were written yesterday burning the late night oil.  I figure if I complete a projected number of cards each day throughout November and December I will have a better chance of meeting my goal.  This way I won’t feel rushed or stressed out.  Plus, financially it’ll give me time to budget my expenses and plan for Christmas.  It’ll also give me time to plan which to mail and which to hand deliver.  So come early December I will be contacting people for addresses.  Ahead of time, if I missed you I am extremely sorry.  I decided to write as people popped into my head.  When I write Christmas cards I love listening to holiday music and watching holiday movies to inspire and get me into the early spirit of Christmas.

On a similar note I came across a book a few years ago called Christmas letters and it’s perfect to go along with my Christmas goal.  I began reading it awhile ago but never finished it.  So I will keep you up to date on my progress and my status in the book.  I will also share my thoughts along the way both from writing holiday cards and reading the Christmas letter book. 

I hope I inspire someone somewhere in the world to attempt a similar goal, if even only to mail out a few.

Sweet Dreams everyone, just wanted to share one of my new endeavors….Love Katie

P.S.
I wish you could see the piles and piles of cards left over from previous attempts.

Sometimes it’s hard to thank someone enough…

Sometimes in life it is hard to thank someone enough be it for their act of kindness, their helping hand, or a good deed when you honestly needed it most.  Sometimes a person is there for you in the most profound way when you thought things couldn’t possibly get better.  Sometimes even just an ear to listen is all we need.  Sometimes we cannot put into words how much an act of kindness or act of the heart has meant to us. Or changed our lives or even made our days better.  Sometimes tears of joy and a tight embrace is the only way we can express our gratitude.  Sometimes we try to repay or express our gratitude our whole lifes, but it is impossible to do so.  While other times we live our whole lives never being able to thank someone or explain or put into words what their act meant to you.

Sometimes we worry and struggle so much in life that it is sometimes hard to keep your head up or even keep the faith.  But every once in awhile, when we least expect it, and sometimes when we need it most or more than we know…someone, somewhere gives us hope.  Someone lifts us up or helps us in some profound way.  When they do so, it is sometimes harder to express our gratitude.

I have had various things happen to me recently in life, that are easy to get angry at.  But with the help of friends and family, things aren’t as bad as they could’ve been.  Like they say sometimes you can’t help what happens to you, but you can help how you respond to it.  Or who you let in, or to help you when you’re down or when things are at their worst. Sometimes bad things happen to us in life to turn our lives around. Sometimes these bad things act as a wake-up call or introduce new people or relationships into your life that you never knew you needed before. Sometimes what you think you need and what you truly need are two different things.

Sometimes we are harder on ourselves than we actually need to be.  We believe we brought things upon ourselves, we believe we deserve bad times or bad luck, or we swear things won’t get better or change.  But with a little love or kindness from a stranger, a friend, a co-worker, or even a family member we can change the way we perceive things.  With a little help or even a small attitude change we can accomplish what we thought was impossible or unachievable. 

People that help you never realize the magnitude of their act of kindness.  Sometimes these angels never truly know how bad things were for you before they came along or how low your life was at that point in time.  And sometimes all you need in life is one act of kindness to turn your life around.  Be it a single moment or even repeatitively thoughout your life.  They in a way save your life and sometimes they’ll never know.

Just a late night thought.  I am thankful for all the help I have received recently when I needed it most.  Sometimes I question whether I could make it through without the angels along the way.  You never know how much you mean to someone and sometimes they don’t know how to express it.  Just keep this in mind…

Sweet Dreams
Love Katie XoXo

Do you ever miss someone?

Do you ever miss someone?  It’s something I’ve been thinking about constantly over the past few days.  The thought originated when I woke up on my Grandmother’s birthday.  But lately I have been running into a lot of people from my past.  I don’t know why recently, but it definitely makes me contemplate the very idea of missing someone and the various facets of those thoughts.

Thursday October 21st was my Grandmother’s B-Day.  She would’ve been 83 this year, but she passed away August 20th 2007.  My Grandmother was so secretive about her age, that she’s probably rolling in her grave because I publicized something she believed should be kept private.  But I miss her dearly and every year that passes since her demise makes me really treasure the time that I had w/ her those last 3 years or so.  
In 2005 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, polyps, and colon cancer.  We weren’t sure if she could handle it, or if she was strong enough to fight it.  Don’t get me wrong, that woman had one hell of a spirit.  She was fiery and full of spunk.  But we thought breast cancer or colon cancer with the polyps was either going to get her in a combo or one would be more detrimental than the other.  But she definitely shocked and amazed us and thanks to God, fought through and overcame both.

A few years later she was admitted to the hospital because she was losing blood, which is normally a sign of an infection or cancer.  She ended up having an infection but they couldn’t pin point the type of infection.  So they admitted her for an over night stay, that turned out to be a longer stay than expected.  She was also diagnosed with Pneumonia, which weakened her lungs.  Her lungs were so weak that one collapsed and they were forced to put her on respirator.  The respirator was so uncomfortable for her and because of that, her body was rejecting it.  The medical staff was forced to sedate her.  They had to keep her continuously sedated because it was for her own good to keep her alive.  After sometime her body began to fail and unfortunately her stomach began to bleed internally.  This was the day they had to take her off the respirator and one of the saddest days of my life.  I cannot forget her last breath.  She passed away August 20th, 2007 and my life has never been the same

My biggest regret is not getting to the hospital in time before they originally sedated her.  In a way I felt like I never really got the chance to say “Goodbye.”  I had just gotten out of a dance instructor class and we stopped at McDonald’s on the way to the hospital because I was hungry.  It kills me to this day because I keep going over the situation in my head and I still can’t stop contemplating how I could’ve arrived earlier than I did.  But even though it’s in the past and can’t be changed, it still haunts my thoughts.

I was lucky because I got to say “Goodbye” as we let her go off life support.  I know I should be thankful because most people don’t get the chance to be there for someone’s last moment on Earth.  But for my Grandmother, I got the chance.  I also know that some people go years without learning about another’s demise.  Be it an acquaintance, a teacher, a friend, a family member, an old flame, a lost love, or whatever they once were to someone.  The fact is at some point in time they were missed for how they made someone feel and for the type of person they were.  Someone missed their personality, or some facet of the person that they couldn’t quite let go of in their memory.

People are missed for various reasons.  Amongst these are loss, regret, fear, anger, love, sadness, pain, jealousy, and so on and so forth.  You come to realize at a point in your life that reason and cause for missing someone are often one in the same.  While other reasons are completely out of our hands and sometimes we do have “no effect” on the reason.

People often miss what they once had.  Sometimes they regret moving on, while other times it wasn’t their choice.  People believe wholeheartedly they know what they want.  But honestly people only know a mere fraction of what they want and they are often missing the rest of the puzzle pieces to complete the whole picture.  Sometimes what we want from someone or in life and what we need, are two entirely different things.  Some people don’t know what they want until it arrives.  While others regret and miss their past when they just haven’t found what they need yet.  But a person doesn’t know this until it arrives.  Some people learn this fairly quickly, while others it takes years or even an entire lifetime to learn.

I don’t know why things turn out the way they do or why we miss people for the reasons we do.  You can call it fate, divine intervention, destiny, or whatever people believe it to be.  I can’t explain it well at this point in time but it never ceases to amaze me why people blow in and out of our lives.  Or the odd coincidence that paths cross once again.  It’s funny because you can’t help but wonder why?  Sometimes we cannot see the whole web in its grand design and you can’t help but wonder the various choices or paths that could be taken.  Sometimes they are the ones less traveled, while other times they are a commonly traveled road, with lots of traffic.  Sometimes they are full of temptation or risk.  While other times it was the road you should’ve taken or were “meant” to take all along.  That is, if you believe in that sort of thing.  But in the end the choice is up to you.

You can’t help but wonder what life throws your way and the lessons it teaches you or the ideas, thoughts, and choices it provokes you to contemplate.

I’m ending on that note, but if I come up with anything else to add I’ll definitely notify everyone.

Goodnight and I hope you liked what I had to say…

Sweet Dreams Love Katie