Standing behind a elderly woman at a grocery check-out when I was in Florida recently, I picked up a gift card that had accidentally slipped out of her hands - hands that were trying to keep her steady on her walker as she attempted to remove contents from her wallet - and fallen to the floor. As I handed the card back to her, she turned to me and in a sweet but frail voice looked me right in the eyes and said,"Thank you so much. You'll know how much I appreciate this when you get to be my age." Her words sent shivers down my spine and the unexpected gratitude touched me deeply. I think what really hit me was that I knew she was right and I wondered how many times are we confronted with a similar situation but instead of bending out of our way to help, we 'turn a blind eye' away from someone else's struggles?
And so the other day, when I heard about the 79-yr-old man who was robbed and beaten by two 20-yr-old lowlife scumbags on a Toronto subway platform while people just stood by and watched, I shuddered at his helplessness. The woman's words from Florida shot through me like a lightening bolt and I almost cried at the thought of this poor defenseless man who would have appreciated a stranger's help but instead, none came!
There are many small ways that we can extend a helping hand which will make a big difference in someone else's life - and doing so has an incredible power to make you feel good. Whether it's helping someone in distress, volunteering at a local shelter, or something as simple as holding open a door, just remember the ole' lady's words and that sooner or later each of us will find ourselves in a situation where we can use a helping hand... and hopefully it won't be as dire as the 79-yr-old man's.
5 down, 95 to go!
April 29, 2010
April 24, 2010
#4 - Celebrate your parents
My dad turned 69 yesterday and what better a reason to celebrate him! I decided to treat dad, and give mom a break for a change, to a mouth-watering gourmet meal prepared by - you guessed it - moi! Last evening's menu consisted of Cheddar & Apple Stuffed Pork Roast & gravy, Mashed potatoes, Cubed Squash drenched in butter & maple syrup, Broccoli, and a tasty Baby Spinach Salad dressed with apples, avocado & almond slivers all drizzled in a freshly made tangy-sweet dressing. Mmmmmm....
Sorry no pics of the feast, I was too busy preparing and serving to think of snapping some shots! But I will offer a few handy dandy tips to those of you who may want to (and have never before) stuff a roast. Tip #1) Don't over stuff it! Tip #2) Don't tie the roast too tight! If you do either or both - as I did - you will find that your stuffing will ooze out and you will be left with a stuffless roast :( and stuffing as a side dish instead. All tasted good, but lessons learned for next time!
My aunt and uncle also joined us for dinner and upon their arrival we quickly uncorked some vino and made a few toasts! Prior to serving the main course, I served some warm Ricotta Gnudi - deliciously cheesy and sprinkled with parmesan cheese... to die for! And despite my over-stuffing and constricting of the roast, everyone devoured their meal in fine form. Dinner was followed by coffee and birthday cake... and everyone crashing on my sofas afterward!
Turning onto that 40-something road, I've come to truly appreciate how lucky I am to still have parents in my life. Each day we get to experience, is a gift... and so my point is to cherish time with loved ones while you can and however you can. Life is short as we all know - but that's what makes celebrating and spending time with those you care about most even more compelling.
4 down, 96 to go!
Here's dad, with Daisy the dog, waiting for mom to finish singing before making a wish and blowing out his candles!
Happy Birthday Dad!
Sorry no pics of the feast, I was too busy preparing and serving to think of snapping some shots! But I will offer a few handy dandy tips to those of you who may want to (and have never before) stuff a roast. Tip #1) Don't over stuff it! Tip #2) Don't tie the roast too tight! If you do either or both - as I did - you will find that your stuffing will ooze out and you will be left with a stuffless roast :( and stuffing as a side dish instead. All tasted good, but lessons learned for next time!
My aunt and uncle also joined us for dinner and upon their arrival we quickly uncorked some vino and made a few toasts! Prior to serving the main course, I served some warm Ricotta Gnudi - deliciously cheesy and sprinkled with parmesan cheese... to die for! And despite my over-stuffing and constricting of the roast, everyone devoured their meal in fine form. Dinner was followed by coffee and birthday cake... and everyone crashing on my sofas afterward!
Turning onto that 40-something road, I've come to truly appreciate how lucky I am to still have parents in my life. Each day we get to experience, is a gift... and so my point is to cherish time with loved ones while you can and however you can. Life is short as we all know - but that's what makes celebrating and spending time with those you care about most even more compelling.
4 down, 96 to go!
Here's dad, with Daisy the dog, waiting for mom to finish singing before making a wish and blowing out his candles!
Happy Birthday Dad!
April 22, 2010
What did you learn?
"So, what did you learn?"
Huh? I stared back at my friend as I was temporarily thrown-off by her question. I'd been back for over 6 weeks and no one had asked me this yet. "What do you mean, what did I learn? Didn't you follow our blog?, I puzzled, "I wrote about everything, well... almost everything..."
A flashback to the numerous places Dyl & I visited and people we met during our travels flooded my thoughts. What had I learned? That America's history is both captivating & controversial; that I would become enamored by Lincoln as I learned about this charming and intelligent man; that the places we visited deemed 'National Historic Treasures' are some of the most spectacular places I've been to in North America thus far; that as small as the world may seem - it's not! What, in addition to everything I'd seen and experienced, had I learned?? Perhaps that I dislike travelling in cold weather, resorting to frozen dinners, and that I can't stand public facilities?!?
"Yes of course I read your blog" my friend interrupted my thoughts, "but what did you learn from this trip? What did you get out of it?" What did I learn? What did I learn?! ... Oh, wait a minute... I see... I got it. And a glass (or two) of wine later, what I had "learned" was rolling off my tongue...
That time keeps going whether you're going with it, or not ...but that we certainly have the ability control (slow) the pace if we really want to choose to.
To live for the moment and to be IN the moment - enjoy the present and take care of tomorrow when it arrives.
To pause and absorb every detail - take in as much as possible as you never know when or if you will ever visit or be in the current situation again; no regrets!
That I could live with basic necessities (food, clothing & a roof over my head), and that I didn't 'need' my huge collection of shoes, closet-loads of clothes and other 'things' to enjoy the journey.
That yes, we can all get along - as proven by my living side-by-side, 24/7, for weeks on end in a shoebox with my husband! - all we have to do is choose to.
That the only way to fulfill a dream is to live it - to dream the dream is ok but to make it come true is far more rewarding, even if it means taking a risk in life.
"Ok, ok... I got it... sounds like you learned a lot " she interrupted again before I could fire off my next thought... yeah I suppose we sure did. And every moment from Maine, where we started our trip, to the furthest south we got to in the Florida Keys has become sewn into the cloth of our memories that will last a lifetime.
We only get one kick at the can, so best to make the most of it! That's what I learned! ;)
Huh? I stared back at my friend as I was temporarily thrown-off by her question. I'd been back for over 6 weeks and no one had asked me this yet. "What do you mean, what did I learn? Didn't you follow our blog?, I puzzled, "I wrote about everything, well... almost everything..."
A flashback to the numerous places Dyl & I visited and people we met during our travels flooded my thoughts. What had I learned? That America's history is both captivating & controversial; that I would become enamored by Lincoln as I learned about this charming and intelligent man; that the places we visited deemed 'National Historic Treasures' are some of the most spectacular places I've been to in North America thus far; that as small as the world may seem - it's not! What, in addition to everything I'd seen and experienced, had I learned?? Perhaps that I dislike travelling in cold weather, resorting to frozen dinners, and that I can't stand public facilities?!?
"Yes of course I read your blog" my friend interrupted my thoughts, "but what did you learn from this trip? What did you get out of it?" What did I learn? What did I learn?! ... Oh, wait a minute... I see... I got it. And a glass (or two) of wine later, what I had "learned" was rolling off my tongue...
That time keeps going whether you're going with it, or not ...but that we certainly have the ability control (slow) the pace if we really want to choose to.
To live for the moment and to be IN the moment - enjoy the present and take care of tomorrow when it arrives.
To pause and absorb every detail - take in as much as possible as you never know when or if you will ever visit or be in the current situation again; no regrets!
That I could live with basic necessities (food, clothing & a roof over my head), and that I didn't 'need' my huge collection of shoes, closet-loads of clothes and other 'things' to enjoy the journey.
That yes, we can all get along - as proven by my living side-by-side, 24/7, for weeks on end in a shoebox with my husband! - all we have to do is choose to.
That the only way to fulfill a dream is to live it - to dream the dream is ok but to make it come true is far more rewarding, even if it means taking a risk in life.
"Ok, ok... I got it... sounds like you learned a lot " she interrupted again before I could fire off my next thought... yeah I suppose we sure did. And every moment from Maine, where we started our trip, to the furthest south we got to in the Florida Keys has become sewn into the cloth of our memories that will last a lifetime.
We only get one kick at the can, so best to make the most of it! That's what I learned! ;)
April 21, 2010
#3 - Network!
I've got myself a bit of catching up to do since not having posted in a coupla weeks.. so let's get to it, shall we?!
Having been out of the workforce for 7 months now, upon returning from the U.S., one of my many priorities was to reconnect with friends and to rebuild my network of former colleagues and business professionals with whom I've dealt with in the past.
Thank goodness for social network sites like Facebook but better, LinkedIn - a business-oriented networking site that allows you to maintain and build your network of business contacts and associates. Quick and easy sites where you can seek old friends or acquaintances, no matter where they might live or work, in a matter of seconds and where you can share/exchange business ideas or concerns with individuals of similar backgrounds but from different companies.
In a matter of weeks, I have tripled my network and reconnected with former colleagues and friends - some of whom I haven't seen or spoken to in years - and I'm not done! Occasionally while doing the odd task around the house - like today, I was sanding and re-staining a patio table and chairs - someone I used to deal with, popped into my head so I rushed into the house and over to the laptop to do a look-up on LinkedIn!
Many professional recruiters and companies now use LinkedIn (and Facebook and even Twitter) as a source for seeking out potential employees - so having an up-to-date profile, listing current & past experience as well as having an overall summary, etc., can certainly be worth your while.
Whether you use any of the social networking sites, or even basic email, there's no question that while building and maintaining your network of friends and associates takes time (and who has any to spare these days?!), the upside is that making that extra bit of effort will keep you connected to the bigger world out there... and you never know when you might need to tap into it or what it might have waiting for you!
So if you're not LinkedIn yet... chop! chop!
3 down, 96 to go!!
Having been out of the workforce for 7 months now, upon returning from the U.S., one of my many priorities was to reconnect with friends and to rebuild my network of former colleagues and business professionals with whom I've dealt with in the past.
Thank goodness for social network sites like Facebook but better, LinkedIn - a business-oriented networking site that allows you to maintain and build your network of business contacts and associates. Quick and easy sites where you can seek old friends or acquaintances, no matter where they might live or work, in a matter of seconds and where you can share/exchange business ideas or concerns with individuals of similar backgrounds but from different companies.
In a matter of weeks, I have tripled my network and reconnected with former colleagues and friends - some of whom I haven't seen or spoken to in years - and I'm not done! Occasionally while doing the odd task around the house - like today, I was sanding and re-staining a patio table and chairs - someone I used to deal with, popped into my head so I rushed into the house and over to the laptop to do a look-up on LinkedIn!
Many professional recruiters and companies now use LinkedIn (and Facebook and even Twitter) as a source for seeking out potential employees - so having an up-to-date profile, listing current & past experience as well as having an overall summary, etc., can certainly be worth your while.
Whether you use any of the social networking sites, or even basic email, there's no question that while building and maintaining your network of friends and associates takes time (and who has any to spare these days?!), the upside is that making that extra bit of effort will keep you connected to the bigger world out there... and you never know when you might need to tap into it or what it might have waiting for you!
So if you're not LinkedIn yet... chop! chop!
3 down, 96 to go!!
April 5, 2010
#2 - Reconnect with your friends
Many of us have spent the past number of years focusing on our careers or raising a family... or both. Occasionally thoughts of a friend you haven't seen in what seems like AGES pop into your head and you make a mental reminder to give them a call or send them an email, only to then be distracted by the everyday happenings of life that take up whatever little precious time you have left over... and so those intentions of reconnecting become afterthoughts that eventually die of suffocation in your brain's overstuffed 'to-do-someday' filing cabinet... and then the weeks pass, the months... and more months...
What was my excuse for those friends I hadn't seen in ages? Certainly being out of the country for 5 months didn't help, but what about the months preceding that? That I was tied up in wedding planning by night and work-o-holism by day?!? Or that I was perpetually stressed at the prospect of trying to find a smidgen of time to squeeze in certain other necessities of life like laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping... eating!.. sleeping!?!? Time was passing and there didn't seem to be any of it left-over for anything else... not even my friends.
Well that all changed when I returned from the U.S. and made a conscious effort to start reconnecting.
This past Thursday, I got together with a few friends in the busy hub of downtown Toronto. And in the 5 months that I was out of the country, I was utterly amazed at how all of their lives had changed somehow while I was away. My one girlfriend, who was hosting the evening in her beautiful new home (newsflash #1), got married (newsflash #2) in November shortly after moving into their new pad and now has a bun in the oven! (newsflash #3); another girlfriend bought and moved into a condo in December (newsflash #4) and is co-habituating (newsflash #5) with a rekindled flame (newsflash #6); another friend-couple came by with their precious baby girl who's a cute bundle of 3 months already (newsflash #7)! Wow! I started to wonder what else might be new with some of the other friends I hadn't seen or spoken to in a long time and had they been experiencing the same joi de vivre? Were any going through difficulties? Had any suffered personal set-backs of any kind? What else was I missing out on or unaware of???
While time is a precious commodity that needs to be handled, or juggled, with precision and care... it comes as fast as it goes. And like everything else that we have to 'schedule' and make time for in life, we need to find some of it for our valuable friends too. Don't underestimate the power of friendship. I always feel enriched after spending time with friends, and last Thursday was no exception. I went home glad that I kept my commitment and happy for having shared such a blast of an evening.
Helpful Tip:
Set a date far enough in advance, so that you can keep your schedule for that particular week relatively 'free' of other obligations. And while you may find that as the day or night of the event approaches, that familiar feeling of dread washes over you, don't bail! Go and spend time with your friends, you'll feel better for having done so after wards.
What was my excuse for those friends I hadn't seen in ages? Certainly being out of the country for 5 months didn't help, but what about the months preceding that? That I was tied up in wedding planning by night and work-o-holism by day?!? Or that I was perpetually stressed at the prospect of trying to find a smidgen of time to squeeze in certain other necessities of life like laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping... eating!.. sleeping!?!? Time was passing and there didn't seem to be any of it left-over for anything else... not even my friends.Well that all changed when I returned from the U.S. and made a conscious effort to start reconnecting.
This past Thursday, I got together with a few friends in the busy hub of downtown Toronto. And in the 5 months that I was out of the country, I was utterly amazed at how all of their lives had changed somehow while I was away. My one girlfriend, who was hosting the evening in her beautiful new home (newsflash #1), got married (newsflash #2) in November shortly after moving into their new pad and now has a bun in the oven! (newsflash #3); another girlfriend bought and moved into a condo in December (newsflash #4) and is co-habituating (newsflash #5) with a rekindled flame (newsflash #6); another friend-couple came by with their precious baby girl who's a cute bundle of 3 months already (newsflash #7)! Wow! I started to wonder what else might be new with some of the other friends I hadn't seen or spoken to in a long time and had they been experiencing the same joi de vivre? Were any going through difficulties? Had any suffered personal set-backs of any kind? What else was I missing out on or unaware of???
While time is a precious commodity that needs to be handled, or juggled, with precision and care... it comes as fast as it goes. And like everything else that we have to 'schedule' and make time for in life, we need to find some of it for our valuable friends too. Don't underestimate the power of friendship. I always feel enriched after spending time with friends, and last Thursday was no exception. I went home glad that I kept my commitment and happy for having shared such a blast of an evening.
Helpful Tip:
Set a date far enough in advance, so that you can keep your schedule for that particular week relatively 'free' of other obligations. And while you may find that as the day or night of the event approaches, that familiar feeling of dread washes over you, don't bail! Go and spend time with your friends, you'll feel better for having done so after wards.
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