Wednesday, May 30, 2007

an unhappy so-long...

i am saying goodbye to May reluctantly. not so much that its end is the reminder that time goes quickly but because it was a great month. graduations, parties, birthdays, picnics and seeing old friends.

May had its downside too unpredictable weather, funerals, moves. but i feel these sad episodes in life more keenly because May is a month that is hard to cry in. once spring arrives, we all want to put our face to the sun and rejoice. but we can't cast off what it means to be human. joys and sorrows, wonder and woes, smiles and frowns.

if only May came twice a year. no, i take that back. spring is good once a year. or else we'd hate winter all the more and not enjoy summer or fall as much. so farewell May, a wonderful month. see you next year.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

the lure of summer...

the warmest months of the year are just about to begin. and with them, adventure. warmer weather must bring out the dare devil in all of us. we go places we've never been, play hooky from work, plan vacations, bare our body parts to the sun, fall in love.

summer flings are notorious. social animals, we find ourselves flirting and playing with those we meet. but what we don't do is realize whether or not these days of adventure are good for us. will we jump into the careless romance only to wait to deal with heartbreak in September?

this year use the warm summer months to fall in love with a sport, hobby, volunteer organization. we need interpersonal relationships, but maybe teaching a child to read is the adventure that will help us grow.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

is courtesy gone?

i have a neighbor who complains that she only gets bills in the mail--no private correspondences. and yet she sends letters, thank yous and answers surveys all the time. she says it's just no one understands courtesy any more.

think of all the times you have never answered emails, phone calls or text messages. society is so adept at "getting." we have been trained to receive and not to give. or give back. we expect. having no patience to extend ourselves beyond our own limitations.

i don't think courtesy is gone, but it is surely dwindling. today make it a point to reply, to give feedback, to answer the questions that have gone unanswered because you were busy, or just didn't like the person sending it.

thanks...

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

fascinated by love...

it is May. month of bridal showers, engagement parties, anniversaries and weddings. brides surrounded by flowers walk down the aisle to their grooms, surrounded by nervous-looking men.

weddings are joyful occasions. we celebrate love all year long but in May it seems to be at the top of our list. brides do love June weddings, but recently the trend has moved to earlier in the year. traditional church ceremonies have nearly been eclipsed by non-traditional weddings; on beautiful beaches, in Las Vegas, in mid-air and on mountain tops with amazing vistas.

though some may argue it doesn't matter where a couple is married, all they need is love. but what is love? is it the giggly feeling when a pretty girl sees a handsome man? is it the peace that best friends share? is it the creative collaboration between couples who fight on every successful project? is it the innate knowledge that there is no one else to share your dreams with than this one person? truly, love is the setting aside self-interst for the benefit of the other, but the trappings and the fanfare is too irresistible to ignore.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

the golden pig is now...

a very dear friend reminded me that i was living in the past. it is not the year of the monkey (duh!) that was a couple of years ago. but it is now the year of the golden pig...not just any pig, mind you, but a very beautiful element added to a rather peaceful but often-scorned animal.

the Chinese take this stuff pretty seriously. while the rest of us are reading our daily horoscopes, the Chinese are using what they've known for thousands of years to determine their now. unlike the predictive angst horoscopes convey, Chinese give the window to self-knowledge and practicality.

oddly enough, medical science bears this out. babies born at different times of the year are subject to daylight duration, environment, weather--all manner of influences earthly and heavenly. thus their behavior is also different. who knew?

let us live peacefully in the year of the golden pig.

Friday, May 4, 2007

missing life?

time to take a risk.
this year is 5 months old, have things gotten better for you? are you stuck in a bad job? still trying to lose weight? finish your memoirs? grinding through finals?

whether you know it or not, you are a success story. but because of the many excuses, feeling inferior, worrying about the competition, we set ourselves firmly in a deep rut. and we can't move forward.

so get unstuck. make a call to a new employer. take that walk for exercise. start typing your last chapter. study now.
it wll be over before you know it. let this year 2007--year of the monkey--be the year of your susccess.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

spring fever is contagious...

yesterday was the first day of May--a beautiful day to remember that spring is indeed here and summer is soon to be upon us.

but it made me anxious, too. spring is half over. there are still trips to take, gardens to plant and parties to plan. spring fever seems to be as much about tackling a to-do list as it is about shaking off winter depression. spring cleaning is a result of that as well. out with the old, in with the new.

what would make this spring extremely exceptional would be to slow down. trips are taken, gardens get planted, and parties happen. the best thing to do is forget the roses and smell the cherry blossoms. revel in the fresh new everything.