The Soundtrack of my Life

Theme from Cheers
I come from the small town of Green Island (less than 2,500 residence, 1 square-mile large… or small depending on who says it). Everyone not only knows your name but your history as well – and depending on the topic … that can be a positive or a negative!


Seasons of Love, Rent
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes, how do you measure the life of a woman or man.
Think about all the things one does over the course of a year. How much of a difference can be made? I won’t be moving mountains, but I will always try to make a difference. It’s not always about doing something grand and great, but the small things, helping out that can make a difference as well.


My Wish
My wish, for you, is that life becomes all that you want it to, your dreams stay big, your worries stay small and you never need to carry more than you can hold.
As a mom it is My Wish for my kids. Not that their lives will be perfect and free from trials and tribulations because that will only make them stronger. If they never fail, they will never learn some of life’s lessons. My wish is that their suffering or heart aches are few and far between - and if so, that they realize what a blessing that is.


Grown up Christmas List
Ahh, continued from above with My Wish, Christmas-ized. If I could make that wish to Santa today through the eyes of an adult … it would be for no more wars, no lives torn apart, time would heal all hearts and most importantly, right would always win – good over evil.


Georgia
I was in a drum corps for several years during my teens (in the color guard and rifle squad). Many songs were played and heard over the years, but the one that always brings me back to those wonderful days, is Georgia on my Mind. These people I formed friendships with, over 25 years ago had such a lasting effect on me. We spent more time with each other than with our families – and it was a truly amazing experience. I’m so glad I had the opportunity.


What a Wonderful World, Louie Armstrong
I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
I really can’t pinpoint exactly what it is about this song that I’d say this belongs in My Soundtrack. Just this segment from above, I think about in my lifetime all the changes that have come about and the technologies developed – it is truly amazing, and we’re just getting started.


Proud to be an American, The Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America
I refer to them as the patriotic triology - they give me chills when I hear them – The Star Spangled Banner, God Bless America and Proud to be an American. At the Smithsonian in Washington, I’ve viewed both one of the flags that ‘survived’ 9/11 – and the original American Flag that flew over Fort Sumter, inspiring Francis Scott Key. Both these symbols gave me a feeling that is indescribable.


Arrivederci Roma
Both of my parents are from Italy – my mother being from Rome. They came to the United States as adults, in hopes of establishing a life here – both leaving their families. I’ve tried to imagine what my life would have been like if they never did that, but it’s impossible for me to piece together a what-if to people and a place I only know stories about. Whenever I hear this song on the radio or in a restaurant, I think of my parent’s decision to come here, what they gave up … and what they gave us.


Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
I’ve always loved Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. When I was pregnant for both my daughters, I played the CDs all the time - now, the car soundtrack varies by whose iPod is plugged in. Four Seasons is always relaxing and soothing – and I’m a 4 seasons person, I love the Northeast!

Warm & Comfy Cozy

Perfect comfort – there’s nothing like it! Being that this is my favorite season, it made me think, what brings me that perfectly comfortable feeling. It grew into a Letterman Top Ten list, probably no drum roll though because they just all seem to bring that same type of feeling … warmth and peacefulness, and lots of contentment.

Cross-country skiing at Pineridge Ski Center on a day after a beautiful snow. If Norman Rockwell were around, he’d be painting there. Gi-normous trees covered with just the right amount of snow, fluffy white snow to ski on, and the right amount of hills to make us laugh as we wipe-out, if our skis go in the opposite direction that our brain is telling them to go.

Being at the ocean. From the rocky coast of Maine down to sweltering Florida, give me some good books, sand to run my hands through as I’m reading (very weird but I do it all the time … maybe because I’m think of ‘like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives’).

Sitting on my front porch, first thing in the morning, or at night, in my wooden rocker with a Mary Higgins Clark book (all books are acceptable, she’s just my favorite). When we had our house built, I wanted to have a wooden porch with rockers on it so I could literally curl up with a good book and a cup of coffee. Autumn nights are the best!

Reconnecting and reminiscing with friends. Lately it seems like a lot of paths cross have made me reminiscent of some really wonderful memories. And even though lives have taken us in different directions, sometimes it’s just good to have that coming home feeling.

Movie nights with my daughters. Get me any old chick flick or tear-jerker movie, or even a comedy, throw in some Homestyle popcorn, a glass of Zinfandel (hot chocolate for my daughters) and plop myself on the couch.

Taking a walk on a crisp autumn day in the evening, after the leaves have started to fall. I enjoy walking. I take walks everyday, just a peaceful time to think, sometimes just about nothing. The association with the autumn and leaves probably is because I get transported in time, and I can see my brother and our friends, jumping into huge piles of leaves … and even more fun seeing my kids play in the leaves.

The smell of cinnamon or the smell of sauce cooking. Really, simply just that – the savory aromas. Those two scents can make my mouth water and make me feel relaxed. There are some days, when I need to smell that scent – so it’s time to bake (or cook). When all else fails, Yankee Candle comes to the rescue.

Thanksgiving morning. We celebrate Thanksgiving at our house with both families. I do all the prep the day before, so Thanksgiving day is normally just putting things in the oven. But the aroma of the turkey and other foods cooking, while I’m watching the Macy*s Thanksgiving Day parade and making my plan of attack for Black Friday brings me feeling of comfort.

Christmas Eve. The traditions, family, friends. In my family, Christmas Eve has always been the big celebration of Christmas. Christmas Day was a different type of celebration. Christmas Eve is spent with the whole family – dinner, mass and gift exchange. There isn’t a single year that has gone by that I don’t that feeling of, ‘yes, this is exactly where I want to be.’ Even with all the exhaustion of activities leading up to the day and activities of the day, it’s just a homey comfortable feeling.

And the number one feeling peacefulness, warmth and contentment?

Big hugs. I’m from a family of huggers – it’s in the blood.

Give love, and let it come in

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." Morrie Schwartz

Did you ever have one of those really bad or frustrating weeks where you think, My God, can it get any worse? You’re late for work, you had an argument with someone, you burn the meal or your car breaks down? Last week, was just one of those weeks with me, starting with a bit of a battle between my daughter and I, my car broke down over 50 miles from home, and I had to get 5 people home, and then, there were those moments of just stupid frustrations. That hit me all in one day. As one thing led to the next that Sunday, my frustration level grew.

After a long day, I got home flicked on my computer to check messages and Facebook. It was then, that reality hit me with a huge slap in the face. A family that I’ve been friends with all my life had organized, attended, and posted pictures of a neighborhood event that they had for their neighbor, a young boy who has been battling cancer for 3 years. Though you saw a picture perfect day, and smiles ~ by the sheer sight of this poor child, and the notes and messages that were posted, I knew, that the prognosis was the unfathomable. Here I was getting myself worked up over what really was nothing that mattered the next day … and this little boy was battling a disease that the largest and bravest of men and women cannot always win.

I first heard of this boy, Ben, when our family friend’s 5-year old daughter decided to have a lemonade stand last year to raise money for her friend, Ben. That lemonade stand got some pretty awesome press in this article, and in this one, because it raised over $10,000 – that’s not a type-o, that was indeed, over ten thousand dollars. Young Aiva learned at a very young age, what Morrie Schwartz lived, “The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and let it come in.” From all accounts, she loved her very special friend and he loved her too.

This past weekend, my daughter’s college soccer team dedicated their soccer game to an 8-year old boy battling cancer. He wasn’t able to be at the game because he was having a treatment. Fans from both sides willingly bought up bracelets that had been made for this young boy. He isn’t as famous as LiveStrong ~ but ShellStrong’s impact on a team of girls and the fans, was as powerful. None of us sitting in the stands ever want to know what it’s like to have a child take on this battle.

Sadly, Ben lost his battle yesterday afternoon. How can hearing about the tragedy of someone I’ve never met snap me back into the reality of, ‘is this problem that I’m experiencing that terrible? Will it matter tomorrow?’ Not that I didn’t hug my kids tight, but I hugged them a little tighter and wanted to protect them a little more. This horrible disease discriminates against no-one - gender, religion, nationality or age. Show your support – give out your love, and let it come in, it is a beautiful gift.

I do promise to find a brighter and cheerier topic for my next blog.