Rain Rain Wash Away

Oh, how I just love a calm rain on a sultry day in the summertime. The smell, the sound, and the cleansing nature of it all. Today it is raining and I find myself relecfting on it's literal (as well and figurative meaning) for me.

We all know the importance rain holds, in it's crucial and essential relevance to our existence on this planet. Without water we cannot survive, nothing can. Metaphorically speaking, we also cannot survive without the hopes carried by the rain to wash away our sorrows, to cleanse our souls, and to wait for the sunlight to break through the storm and shine upon a brighter path to peace and harmony in our lives.

At this moment in my life I find that there are many unsettled things around me. We all have these times, dear reader, in which we are experiencing some form of limbo or another where major and minor decisions need to be made. Seeking answers, not knowing what the outcome may be, while moving forward with a bit of fear and anxiety.



If only the rain could wash away our fear on the unknown, enabling us to walk without worry. If only we could see a break in the dark cloud cover to help guide us to this place of peaceful destination and fulfillment. These are the hopes I hold today as I ponder my next move. I must zone in on my fears and overcome each one. At this point it's a difficult task for me, as I'm sure for others. Being a confident individual does not make you immune to moments where you feel that confidence lacking. It happens to the best of us depending on the situation at hand and the tools we feel we do or do not posses.


And so, today, as it rains, I look out the windows of my home and at the same time need to take a look also into the windows of my ego. Two different views which must come to the same conclusions. If you are also, dear reader, battling with yourself in one way or another, I wish the rain to wash away your worries, fear, anxiety, and apprehensions  May the sun break through and shine upon your being with much hope and grace while showing you the path to a peace of mind.

Sweet Justice.......

After hearing ( and seeing) today's verdict of "not guilty" in the Casey Anthony trial today and walking around initially feeling full of angst, anger and dismay because of it, I decided to take a step back and reevaluate the situation. In doing so, I thought that this would be a great opportunity to speak to the justice we feel entitled to, on a personal level, when we are the victims of personal and emotional crimes committed by those around us.

In other words, we have all felt, amongst a myriad of circumstances, at one time or another, taken advantage of, lied to, defamed, etc. These personal affronts to our being, leave us feeling a need to avenge the perpetrator, whether justified or not. We feel that we cannot have closure unless we can get whoever "back" for doing us wrong. These are all normal initial responses of self righteousness and justice. Acting upon them can be quite risky and in some instances, may leave us feeling worse about our situation rather than better. The satisfaction factor we expect may leave us unfulfilled and empty instead of victorious and proud.

If the opportunity to confront such bad behavior of another does not present itself to you, you may feel cheated out of justice. You may also feel cheated, in the same way, if you do not see the negative consequences of their abhorrent behavior struck upon them, in what you deem a timely and severe enough manner.

Life is funny in many ways. One of them being, in the way in which people who behave badly get "paid back". You see, dear reader, justice knows no time. Justice knows no limits. Justice follows an evil soul through out eternity. On occasion, we are allowed to see or hear about the just rewards handed back to the offenders.

There are also times in which we do not have this privilege, this satisfaction, this triumph over evil. We must know this, in order to accept the fact, that all will be justified in the face of honor and balance, even if we do not have the opportunity to serve the sweet justice ourselves. That it will be done, at some point in time, whether in this life or the next.

We should also realize that people have to feel horrible about themselves in the first place, in order to be horrible to others. Which confirms the fact that their daily lives are not happy and peaceful ones. Their souls do not smile, they frown. Their hearts are not open, they're closed. Their eyes do not see the beauty in others, only the pain and suffering that reflects back to them in the mirror, every single day they walk this earth.

Time, as we know it, truly does help heal all wounds and there is comfort in knowing that you do not have to be there to see sweet justice served. Just know, dear reader, that it will be done. It is the way in which the universe keeps itself in balance. It's the way in which you must feel in order to move forward with a sense of peace. This is a difficult task, I know, but I also know that the balance of life holds true.

Family far and away........

Growing up in the northeast, I moved around a lot, but always lived within a 50 mile radius of my very large family. This made them all very accessible at all times and therefore a constant part of my life, until the the age of 18 when we (my immediate family) all packed up and moved across the country. Waiting for us in Arizona were a few family members that had moved there a couple of years back. For the next 15 years or so, I stayed in Arizona, far away from the bulk of my family members. It was an adjustment at first, but as time went by, it became my new norm.

Married with a toddler and pregnant with my second child, my husband and I decided to take the position offered to him in Texas by his current employer at the time. He went ahead of us, and after my son was born, me and the kids met him there and stayed for 4 years. After that, he was offered another position in the Mid-Atlantic, across the country; and off we went.

I was done with the desert and longed to be back east. This is where I wanted to raise my kids. This is were I felt they would thrive and this was the place that I wanted to call home forever more. 11 years later, we are still here and I am grateful every day. It was one of the best decisions for my little family.

I share this with you, dear reader, so that you know where I am coming from when I speak to the many issues faced when living far away from your family. Making these choices to leave your loved ones is never an easy one. I have based my own decisions to move by what I thought would be best for my family. If that meant having to move away, then so be it.

My children have never known what it is like to be raised in a large family. They have never had the experience of playing with all of their cousins. Nor have they had the opportunity to be able to go the Grandma and Grandpa's whenever they wanted. They do not know the joy of great family gatherings during the holidays or the fun of an impromptu visit from aunts and uncles.

The fact that they have not been able to experience the love and closeness that comes with being surrounded by family makes me sad for them. They know no different, but I do. They have not suffered a loss, but I know what could have been. With all this being said, I still feel that these decisions were the right ones. The fact that they have thrived, regardless of the absence of extended family, is proof that is was.

I want to let you know, dear reader, that if you have to or have made the choice to move away from family that it will be alright. You will adjust and can start a new chapter in your life with a relocation away from your loved ones without any guilt. If you choose to move for the betterment of your family's quality of life, let no one guilt you into staying. You must do what is best for you and your family. If those around you love you, in a true and selfless way, they will let you go and not try and selfishly hold you back. (I know that there are extenuating circumstances to these statements, but for this post, I must generalize)

The other motivator for writing this post today is the current situation many are finding themselves in due to the poor economy. We all know someone, if not ourselves, who is suffering with financial difficulties. During these unfortunate times, we are having to make the most difficult choices. In some instances, one of them could be the decision to have to move their family far and away from their loved ones in order to either keep their current job or find a new one. If this is the case, I want you to know that even though these moves are difficult, you will find peace of mind in the end. I want you to have faith that you and your family can get through this life change. I want you to hold out hope for the brighter future that awaits your family, even though it may take you away from those you love.

Please remember that once you and another person are close at heart, you are forever close souls. No matter how far apart you may reside from each other, your love has no boundaries and your soul does not know space and time. You are forever bonded. You are always near and dear to those that matter most, no matter how close you live to each other or how far.

I wish you well. I wish you success. I wish you peace of mind.