Your choice.

If the weight of the world is upon your shoulders, put it down. 

Admit that you cannot control the world.

You cannot control others.

You can only control yourself.

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“An entire sea of water can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside you.” – Goi Nasu

Mother’s Day

Sophia's 9th Birthday 359

Ever since I can remember, even as a small child, Mother’s Day has been a significantly special day for me. Like many who are lucky enough to have an amazing mom I feel blessed to have mine. This has always been the case although I’ve admittedly had a tumultuous relationship with my mother in adolescence.

Even in my rebellious years my mother always showed her love and never gave up on me. She also never waivered with her strict rules. Looking back it must have been difficult for her. I know it’s hard for me to say no to my daughter! I also know that if it wasn’t for my mother, I probably would not have made the best choices in life. I’m thankful to her and when it comes time for me to keep my daughter safe I’ll do the same. Although I don’t plan to be as strict as my parents, I’ll do the best that I can, just like they did.

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My mother has always been my champion. She has always pushed me to shoot for the stars. Even when I thought something was impossible to achieve she would say, ” no it isn’t! Anything is possible as long as you want it, you can achieve it.”  My mom is an educated, stylish, beautiful sophisticated woman who has spent her life giving to others. She worked professionally as a teacher but she always says her greatest job is to be a mother. She has raised five children including her nephew for seven years of his life. She is the person I look to for strength, comfort and advice. She is my best friend. Not a day goes by that we don’t talk. Some people think that’s too much and that we are too close but for me, every day spent with my mom in this world is one that I cherish.

There is a song by Celine Dion that always makes me think of my mom “Because you loved me” by Diane Warren. It’s  almost like the lyrics where written about our relationship.


You’re the one who held me up
Never let me fall, you’re the one
Who saw me through, through it all

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see


You saw the best there was in me
You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand, I could touch the sky


I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love, I had it all

I’m grateful for each day you gave me
I was blessed because I was loved by you
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

Thank you mom for always believing in me. You continue to be my strength and example of what a mother should be. I hope I’m half the mother you are to my Sophia. Being Sophia’s mother is a privilege and being your daughter is an honor.

I love you.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you hardworking moms…and to my friends that have lost their precious moms…..you are in my heart and prayers.

 

Our children

I love taking pictures of beauty and innocence. I’ve captured some lovely moments with the children in my life. With a blink of an eye they grow and move on to make a path of their own in the world. This poem expresses what it means to have these little gems in our lives for a beautiful yet brief time.232323232fp83232_uqcshlukaxroqdfv3674=ot_2376=44_=648=XROQDF_2_5875933523;ot1lsi

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, “Speak to us of Children.”
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable. -Khalil Gibran

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