My Mom-Shirt Says It All!

Awakened by the sounds of supressed giggles & loud shhhushhing, the aroma of 24 roses and strawberry-cream chocolates, the sizzle of bacon, scrambled eggs & smoked salmon, the juiciness of a delightfully sweet fruit bouquet, and the sparkle of a gorgeous diamond droplet necklace, it was actually my new Mother’s Day t-shirt that said it all:   

Thank you to my dear husband for noticing…you know…how exhausted active Moms are!! Hahahahahaha!!!

 

But really, above and beyond all else, the cuddles & snuggles of my wonderful children, the sumputous kiss from my incredible husband, the birthday hats, the Mother’s Day song, the handmade cards & gifts created with such care, 

& the pure joy of sharing breakfast in bed as a family was the best Mother’s Day gift of all!

A Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there – now go put your feet up!! 🙂

The Bright Spot  – remember as you plow through the fog on a particularly tiring day – exhausted because everything you do is for your family because you love them so much, go ahead and take a moment to grab your kids and snuggle the daylights out of them, because time is short and those are the moments you’ll remember…not the dishes, not the laundry, but the special cuddle, the eskimo kisses, the sweet memories. Then go take a little time for yourself…the laundry will still be there when you get back!

A Letter From My Love

My darling husband, Phillip, underwent a major surgery ~ what was to be a 3-hour surgery turned into over 5 hours because of complications.

I was very scared.

But the support from our family, friends and community was overwhelming – letters, e-mails, prepared dinners, child care, phone calls, hospital visits, you name it, people were there.

Because of this incredible support, he wrote a long letter to everyone when he was finally home recuperating – I’d like to share a part of it with you now.

When I married Phillip, he was a widower. He knows the deep heartache of losing one’s spouse.

This letter will give you an idea of why I love this man so much. Why it was so easy to fall in love with him instantly and marry him after only being in his company 46 days.

 

My Dear Friends,

These last few weeks have been quite daunting for me. Thankfully, when it comes to surgeries, I do not get fazed. If it needs to be done, get on with, just get it right.

My deep concern has been for my wonderful wife, Bianca, and for my children. Should anything go wrong with the surgery, frankly, I wouldn’t know a thing about it. 

But I know, only too well, the pain left behind for loved ones when the unexpected happens and your spouse is suddenly gone.

Without going into too much detail, the operation ran to almost twice its planned time; the surgeon told me it was the most complicated case he’d ever seen in his career.

During all this time, I needed to prepare myself physically, and most importantly, mentally for a speedy recovery.

Also during this time, Bianca was preparing so she could help me get through this. So many of you overwhelmed us with your help, your kind words, your compassion and your prayers. I am thankful for your concern for my health and for Bianca’s well-being. We are truly blessed to have friends as great as each and every one of you.

What has gone unseen during this time is the enormous amount of stress this has put on Bianca.

She has kept on the brave face, looked after the kids, looked after me, and made the house extra welcoming and cozy for my recuperation.

But I see the pain in her face at the thought that something horrible could have happened.

I cannot bear to see my beautiful wife suffer after the amount of goodness she has brought into my life.

 

I love her more than life itself and if I spend the rest of my life loving her as much as she has loved me, I will still not be able to repay her in full.

I truly am THE luckiest man on the planet to have found such an incredible person to share my life with.

Thank you,

Phillip

The Bright Spot  – my friend, Susan, told me about a quote she heard and I love its truth, “The greatest gift a father can give his children is loving their mother.”

 

The Diamond Celebration

My Grandparents were married 61 years. It was a beautiful model of love and kindness that I model my marriage after.

My Grandmother says their recipe to a long and happy marriage was communication and holding hands, walking arm in arm through a lifetime.

  

My Grandfather told me years ago what the key to a beautiful marriage is, “Don’t marry someone you can live with. Marry someone you can’t live without.” (Below: My Grandparents with my Mom)

A few years after my Grandparents’ Golden Anniversary, my Grandfather said, “I am looking forward to our 60^th wedding anniversary – our Diamond Anniversary.”  (Below: my Grandfather & I dancing the night I was crowned Miss Connecticut)

He worked hard until he was about 85 and then Lyme Disease and cancer hit him aggressively.

But he affirmed, “I will be with My Love for the Diamond celebration!”

And he was, thank God!

We all flew to Europe for the big event. The province they lived in together for over 6 decades presented them with a beautiful certificate and a large bronze medallion along with a mention in the newspapers and on the television.

A year later, he passed away.

That’s the marriage I strive for – I found the right man for me. It took a long time and a lot of crazy boyfriends – not all – but enough to make me realize that when I found him, I knew what my Grandfather was talking about – Phillip’s not just someone I can live with, he’s someone I can’t live without.

My Bright Spot  – my husband, my lover…

Hello & Welcome!

In a world of curdling sippy cups, crushed gold fish crackers under the car seats, and perhaps even your white-knuckled grip on your last ounce of sanity after a day with the kids, the boss or both, this is an exciting day!!

I personally invite you to journey with me together ~ through this blog, its stories, tips, videos, photo galleries & the upcoming radio show ~ as we discuss life, love, parenting, relationships, and empowerment by finding your Bright Spot.

What is the Bright Spot?

When the world deals you a rough hand, it’s looking for the good in any situation. You know, the silver lining, the lesson learned, the insight, the blessing, the take-away value…ultimately, the hope!

But how can I help empower you?” Oh, believe me, I’ve been there -click on Mission “Bright Spot”  in the navigation bar above to get the whole story, but here’s just a glimpse of finding that brilliant spot of hope in my life to empower myself over and over again.

Oh, the extremes!!

I’ve dined at Parliament, and have grabbed dollar burgers at Mickey D’s.

I’ve been chauffeured around England in a Rolls Royce, and I’ve had my finely-coiffed hair sucked out of a tornado-ravaged-blown-out back window of a pick-up truck driven by a wannabe cowboy on a first date. Dear Lord, help me empower myself!

I’ve been served decadent dinners on Caribbean beaches by full moon; and served up my own mac&cheese at home on the fly.

I’ve been interrogated by the FBI (nerve-wracking!) and I’ve been hit by lightening (more nerve-wracking!!); when store registers freeze, my husband smiles at the cashiers, “Oh, that’s just my wife; she’s electric!”

I’ve kissed fools and I’ve kissed princes (yep, the kind with crowns and egos) and sometimes the fool was the prince.

I’ve enjoyed scrumptious escargot within Ascot’s Royal Enclosure, and sputtered up chunks of meat when I found out it was black snake soup in China.

I’ve traveled in private planes, & have been scrunched in the back row of economy class next to the toilets.

And I’ve certainly dated my share of losers and learned the hard way what the lesson – the Bright Spot  – in each sour relationship was – finding out exactly what I didn’t want in a man or a relationship!

So when my husband came along, I knew instantly. We were only in each other’s company 46 days when we married.

Look, I love flowers but I’m no gardener. I love to eat but I’m no cook.

So who am I? Ultimately, I’m a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister, a woman seizing every minute with gratitude. Enjoy these moments with those you love.

Look at the lesson, the gift, the blessing in every situation – good or bad – find your Bright Spot  and start empowering yourself today!

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