mary is covered in henna and has escaped india in just the nick of time. she has seen the taj at it's moment of peace, meditated in new delhi and luckily, escaped before something horrific could have happened to her. i spent three days in a panic, walking on eggshells, and sighed such a huge relief upon receiving an email from her late friday night. someone was on her side. i question how bad things can happen to good people, and the attacks in india are just so questionable. attacks on anyone, are so questionable. why? lives lost who were so innocent. families broken up and last breaths were had in desperate measures. it's not fair. 

thanksgiving is, as always, beautiful. i am thankful for so much. i express gratitude on a daily basis, and have no issues with thanking those who help me become me. my biggest thanks this year, was probably the beautiful support system i have. the friends who really put up with my crazy schedule and are my own personal cheerleading team. they are good people.

however, with each holiday, comes a moment of solitude. a moment of grasping as many memories as i can with the family i love. being thankful for them, but knowing this could be it. and i do not mean to sound morbid, but i truly never know. i always worry where i will go when the moment comes, when i do not have a "home". where will i spend christmas eve? who will open gifts with me in the morning? it's a scary thought, but we should all face the thought. because really. you never know. 

i caught up with a beautiful old friend last night and drank vanilla chi's and frozen hot chocolates while splitting rainbow cake and listening to some beautiful folk music. we let it all out on the table and it was so refreshing. i felt so new and felt so re-newed. 

with change in the air, im looking for one. i dont know what, but im keeping my mind open. a change of heart? air? maybe even just bedsheets. but im looking.

day before thanksgiving.

and my little world-traveler, mary, is in india right now...

prayers that she is safe and sound. please.

from the universe:

Be selfish for a moment and think of something material that you want... something fantastic, something awesome, something wonderful.

Now, double it. Whatever it is you want, think of owning two of them. They're yours free and clear. Think of the implications their possession would have on your life. What would your neighbors say? Where would you keep them? What colors would you choose, what dimensions, what characteristics?

Okay, you're about to receive a third one, more than you could possibly use (at the moment), so who would you give it to? How would you tell them? What would their reaction be? Would you be able to help them take ownership? Would you be there to facilitate the transition, if necessary? What would your friends and family say about your generosity? Would you do it again? If so, for whom?

This exercise has now concluded. Drop it from your thinking. Resume enjoying the here and now, because it's the only place happiness resides, and every so often, as your mind wanders to thoughts of the above, smile with gratitude.

saturday morning

Meditate.

Live purely.

Be quiet.

Do your work with mastery.

Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds!

Shine

(buddha)

smile

I will not play at tug o'war.

I'd rather play at hug o'war,

Where everyone hugs

Instead of tugs,

Where everyone giggles

And rolls on the rug,

Where everyone kisses,

And everyone grins,

And everyone cuddles,

And everyone wins.

__Shel Silverstein.

under the same moon

i watched this movie in spanish and sobbed my little heart out. adorable. a story of a nine year old boy who leaves mexico, determined to find his mother in LA. learning life lessons along the way, seeing the harsh realities of what it means to live undocumented in the USA, and still going, with a positive attitude. he is my type of man.

smiling

i had the privilege to prepare a thanksgiving dinner this past week. my FIRST thanksgiving dinner, that i prepared, mind you.

we celebrated thanksgiving a week early at work, which ultimately meant that shea & i got a sneak peek of the deliciousness that will be entering our bellies this upcoming week. turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed taters, sweet potatoes, stuffing... you name it, it was there. even homeade gravy!
this also meant, preparing a full thanksgiving dinner for approx 90 hungry individuals.

yes. i said it.

90.

the amazing part of this, is that despite the stress, chaos, mess and craziness that occurred, it was well worth it. those 90 hungry individuals are individuals whose thanksgiving dinner, prepared by shea and i, may be their ONLY thanksgiving dinner. some of them do not have families to go to on thanksgiving, so they will spend next thursday in their apartment eating meals on wheels, warmed up in the microwave, in front of a tv, alone. while all of us, sit around a big table with our families, laughing and making memories. some of those 90 individuals do not get to eat a hot meal on a daily basis, unlike all of us, and for them, that meal that we worked so hard on, was a meal fit for a king. that plate of food was worth so much then we can ever imagine. despite my aching back and sore feet, i really GAVE - which is what this season is about. i gave my heart and my soul into preparing that meal, and only saw smiles and felt so much love in return.

it really strikes me this time of the year how i am so grateful for everything in my life. spending the past few months working in social services with the geriatric population has put my life into perspective. yes, i commute four hours a day to work and am cranky by the time 7pm rolls around, but i make lives easier for people who are unable to help themselves. i make people happy. i feed people who do not have the money or energy to make a meal on their own. i help them with their needs. i am their advocate. i speak when they cannot speak or are afraid to. i stand up for them and i give them all of my attention and smiles throughout the day. yes, i get a paycheck every month, but what is more important is the respect and love i get in return from my old folks in astoria.
i am grateful for a supportive family, and for a beautiful job that truly allows me to give back to the world. when my parents passed away, i could have went a million different directions, but i was saved. saved by two generous people with gray hair, who i can never repay. my job right now, is my form of repayment. my way of giving back my heart and soul that was given to me by grandparents.

i hope one day, everyone can have a job where they feel complete. where their heart is filled with love from the people they work with, and from the people they work for. where your job doesn't feel like a job, but a home. a happy home where when people smile at you - they mean it.

“Smile at each other, 

smile at your wife, 

smile at your husband, 

smile at your children, 

smile at each other -- 

it doesn't matter who it is -- 

and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.” 

_mother teresa

bliss

just booked a week long vacation to this very magical land --



napa valley, california :)

for my 25th birthday. i know i know, i just celebrated my birthday - but a girl always has to plan. i am wishing it was tomorrow, as a vacation is something that must come into my life as soon as possible. a week long retreat to catch up with myself and life is much needed. until then, i am awaiting thanksgiving break next week and the holidays around the corner.

in other news - anthropologie's new winter catalog came in the mail today and there are so many things i am craving. if i was in an apartment now, this little guy would be a total purchase. yes, i would spend the money on that. he is SOO darling! i am hoping after the holidays he goes on sale and i will snatch him up and save him for next christmas :)

girl talk.

i feel as though this month i have seen/witnessed two historic moments.

1.) barack obama becoming president.

2.) seeing girl talk. live.

obviously, i am going to express my feelings on the second historic moment. because really, that is how i am currently rolling.

girl talk was introduced to me by g & co early this summer / late spring. as soon as i heard girl talk was performing, tickets were purchased. in a large amount. sadly, a few days before the show, my most excited friend was rushed to ER, and had to (literally) sit out girl talk. so g and i were left. alone. we sold some tickets, got a party group - and made our way to the low 50's to experience a really sweaty hipster-style dance party. it was insane. terminal 5 favors as one of my favourite venues, because of the three floors and numerous locations to sit, dance, drink, etc. 

we began on level 3, which is where we saw mika - but i may add, girl talk was (strangely enough) an all ages show (which in my opinion is SUCH a bad idea). this being said, level three was packed with underage high school'ers making out in the booths. vomit-icious. we decided then, at that moment, to experience girl talk, head on, and moved to level 1 - the dance pit. girl talk himself has expressed in many interviews that full on debauchery occurs at his shows. he has said that he has lost teeth - and has to keep his dj-supplies covered in plastic wrap so no "liquids" get put on them. here i am, a polite, warm hearted girl with her gay best friends who are defined as "twinks" in the middle of a dance pit with people on god knows what over the counter pills. insanity. that is what it was. 

i will end this 'historic moment review' by saying -- we lost george within the first ten minutes of the show (he was found at the end, soaking wet from sweat), alex had a shoe thrown at him (this is a very true statement) and my favourite plaid shirt kept unbuttoning, from the amount of people rubbing against me - thus taking off buttons (this is meant very NON-sexually). it was a brilliant show, however. we do not know how long girl talk expects to be around, so i am so grateful i was able to see him live in new york, for what could have been his last shows. 

ps: dont know who girl talk is? well friends... do not log onto girltalk.com. trust me.

just watch this:

(ps: this was my view the entire show, except i was the third row of people squashed. amazing).

:)

to be happy
help
help someone
help someone who needs it
help someone who needs it badly
help someone who needs it badly and you know there will be no return
help someone who is not related to you
help someone who is not your close friend
help someone who does not expect you to
help when it is not your duty
help in whatever way you can
help
and you will be happy

MOTTO.

LIVE IT. be it. do it. 

nov 13 : world kindness day.

the purpose of World Kindness Day is to look beyond ourselves, beyond the boundaries of our country, beyond our culture, our race, our religion; and realize we are citizens of the world. as world citizens we have a commonality, and must realize that if progress is to be made in human relations and endeavours, if we are to achieve the goal of peaceful coexistence, we must focus on what we have in common. when we find likenesses we begin to experience empathy, and in such a state we can fully relate to that person or those people. while we may think of people from other cultures as being ‘different’ when we compare them with our own customs and beliefs, it doesn’t mean that we are any better than they are. when we become friends with someone from a different culture we discover that despite some obvious differences, there are many similarities.

we can be co-creators of a better world, and we can have a positive effect on world peace, when we bring order into our lives. be what you want the world to be. is that difficult? only if you think it is! when we accept the reality that we can create positive change, we move beyond ourselves, our limitations, our doubts, and realize our infinite power. 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has".

ten ways to spread kindness:

1. Leave something special on the neighbor's doorstep. Flowers, a baked good, an invitation to share a meal or a dessert.
2. Make someone's bed. A parent, a brother/sister or roommate. Then spray the room with lavender.
3. Make a contribution toward a charity/cause close to your heart. Change and one dollar bills from piggy banks count too.
4. Write a thank you or draw a picture for someone you love. Tell them what you love about them and thank them for being themselves.
5. Pay the toll for the car behind you or swipe your metrocard for a stranger.
6. Pick up some trash. Even in the hallway at work.
7. Make Hope Notes together as a family and spread them all over your city or town for complete strangers.
8. Try to smile at 10 people today.
9. Visit a grandparent or elderly friend.
10. Start an Acts of Kindness list.

Creating without claiming, Doing without taking credit, Guiding without interfering, This is Primal Virtue.

-Lao Tzu

Investment Advice for Turbulent Times

Kindness pays HUGE dividends, Marvelous Melissa, materially and ethereally, forever and ever.

Love on,
The Universe

I am deeply saddened by the decision made in California on proposition 8 (and also in Arizona and Florida...). It seems like every time America takes a step forward, it takes 20 steps back.

I have very dear friends who this is affecting more than myself. My heart breaks for them, it breaks for the entire gay and lesbian community who do not have the same civil liberties as myself, it breaks for America.

Love should be enough.


Mothers, tell your children: be quick, you must be strong. Life is full of wonder, love is never wrong. Remember how they taught you, how much of it was fear. Refuse to hand it down - the legacy stops here.

-Melissa Etheridge

smiles all 'round.

Try to make at least one person happy every day. If you cannot do a kind deed, speak a kind word. If you cannot speak a kind word, think a kind thought. Count up, if you can, the treasure of happiness that you would dispense in a week, in a year, in a lifetime!

:)

The beauty of life is, while we cannot undo what is done, we can see it, understand it, learn from it and change so that every new moment is spent not in regret, guilt, fear or anger but in wisdom, understanding and love.

YES WE CAN

tears in my eyes. huge smile on my face. shaking hands. dancing heart.

i will never forget.

change has come to america.

obama/biden 2008. we did it.

YES WE CAN.

"never in all my life have i seen something like this" -my grandfather.

november fourth

i am so anxious right now with election nerves. i dont even know where to begin, really. i am prepping myself for everything. i am shaking just thinking about going into the polls. 

no matter the outcome, this election is already so historic. we are all becoming a piece of history, just by casting our vote today. it's exciting and nerve-wracking. our country needs something new. lord knows it.

life as of now:

someone who makes me proud: nyt: campaign diary

someone who makes me cry: i vote for hope