It's been a while....

September seems like yesterday, but so much as happened. We put the house up for sale. It is sort of a bummer and sort of a relief. Karl has been out of work for almost 11 months. It has been a tough year, but one that has really allowed us to get back to the basics, so to speak. We spend a lot of family time together. Lots of time for playing games and getting creative. Liam and Karl have really bonded, no that they weren't close before, but Karl being him every day allows for loads of quality time with our little guy. So, in all the upheaval, there have been great blessings. We are surrounded by lots of love and support that reveals itself in ways that I am often quite surprised by. The generosity of family and friends has been overwhelming at times. We are surrounded by abundance of all things good. While the storm is blowing outside, I have managed to stay rather centered, calm and faith filled. A few weeks ago, Liam told me to stand next to Karl and then he put his arms around our legs, hugged us and said, "We are a family". So, so blessed!

Thoughts for the day...

Insight enables you to know your own heart. Clarity enables you to accept without illusion.

-Deepak Chopra

Let me be fearless in the examination of my motives and intentions. Let me be boundless in love and compassion for myself and others.

-Me

13 is a lucky number...

So, yesterday K and I celebrated 13 years of marriage and it was a wonderful day. In the morning K had a meeting in downtown SD, so L and I went along and spent some time at the San Diego Children's Museum. L loves the mattress room, which is just like it sounds, a room full of mattresses. He jobs around and slides down the on propped against the wall. When K was done, we took a ride over to the San Diego Zoo and spent some time wandering around one of our favorite places. After the Zoo we went to our fav place in Little Italy, Filippi's Pizza Grotto, to chow down. L loves th spaghetti and we don't have to worry about his allergies when we dine there. It was a really wonderful family day for us. Spending our anniversary as a family was really special! Afterall, L is the very best thing to come from our union.

No truer words...

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. -Rumi


Today I will carry this in my heart as a reminder that happiness is an inside job.

Surrender, Dorothy!

Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the light, even though for the moment you do not see.
--Bill Wilson


Sometimes in life the greatest power comes from acceptance and surrender. Often, both are very difficult for me because I am a fighter. I need to be reminded that the Universe is always conspiring in my best interest, even if I can't see it at the moment.

Sad news, a joyful life.

Bill Petry died the day before yesterday. Bill is our dear friend, Hisham's, dad. I met Bill on several occasions over the years and he is a really warm and sweet man. He and his son have a wonderful rlationship. They did several biking trips togther and always appeared to really enjoy each other. Theirs is a deep and abiding love based on acceptance and respect. Bill is a teacher, in both life and profession and I am profoundly grateful that I got the opportunity to know him. He made Karl and I feel like family and in turn, I hope we did the same for him. He will be missed, but truly lived a life worth celebrating. His passing reminds me of a saying I heard in my Al Anon program:

In the end what matters most is
How well did you live,
How well did you love,
How well did you learn to let go.

here is a story about Bill:
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20090827/NEWS01/908270346/1221/LANSING

Generosity

Even after all this time the Sun never says to the Earth, "You owe Me"

Look what happens with a love like that,

It Lights The Whole Sky

Hafiz
- Sufi Master, 14th Century