Friday, November 30, 2012

My Hometown.


My place is always my own. Here 'm a stranger, a tourist in an unknown land, who came to seek the gold pot at the end of the rainbow. But till now not even the rainbow has come out of its hiding place.


I was a person who cheered for Pakistan in cricket and who prayed India to lose her crown in Miss World (but i was just 6 years, so guess it can be forgiven).


But now after living with her for more than half of my life i began to respect her, take pride in been her daughter, to have a space in her land and to be known to others as hers.


When compared to this strange land she may not have the perfect silky roads. But i can go where ever i want or walk till my feet ache and without fearing any sun stroke.


She may not have sophisticated malls and hangouts. But the street chaats and exhibition grounds reveal part of her soul, culture and lot of memories.


She may not have a 10 on 10 ruling authority but everyone enjoys the power. She doesn't show partiality in religions. For her every religion is the same and everyone is her child.


She doesn't believe in monopoly. A different telecom company is born every day offering the least call rates or even zero rates for their existence. But due to which I can actually talk to my people without checking my credit thrice in five minutes.


Her shopping outlets may not be air conditioned but they won’t burn a hole in your pockets.


She may not provide a stable electric power 24x7, but always opens the door to the freshness of nature.


The rain at her place may ruin your plans but keeps you cool during your grumpiest hour and will be your companion in solitude.


The beaches may not be seen with white sand, palm trees and calm, clear, blue water but it comforts and soothes your soul.


After dark it may not be safe to roam about in her land, but the courage and feeling of independence she provides is immense.


The street eat-outs won't be providing you with international cuisines but will serve you with a genuine smile.


The people in her land even thou a bit narrow minded, value family and relations above their job, status or worldly pleasures.


It’s said, ‘You don't realize the value of something unless u lose it.' Here i didn't lose anything, rather i gained knowledge of the love and passion i have for my place. The land which provided space for every mood swings of mine.


My country is not perfect, but she is mine and she makes me feel at home.


Whenever i came back to you in the past, you welcomed me warm heartedly and the nectar from the skies embraced me.


I miss u.


I just miss being with you.



P.S. Keep Smiling.


God Blez.

Happy Birthday MOM! :)




Mom and me had all the usual Mother-daughter fights and never got along much during my teenage/college days. She’s one sensitive woman. Temper, happiness or sorrow everything is too spontaneous for her. So certainly we had our fights. And even now I dread her temper. If she is not in her good moods, Brat & I will just flew from there.

I was also never the best child one could dream. I knew my Mom had to look after the three of us alone, as Dad was aboard. But that didn’t stop me from been rude or back answering her, which she absolutely hated. And been the elder, I should have been more helpful for her, but regretfully I never was.  But in last two years, we began to get along pretty well. Maybe I began to understand the role as a Mother is not easy, or she began to see me as a bit more mature child.

She gave me all the freedom in the world, even when we had our fights. And I proudly used to say, and will continue to say that none of my female friends had such freedom at home. Been from Kerala, usually girls are entitled not to do so, go there etc. etc. And I never had any such boundaries. As long as my Mom knows where I am, and with whom she’s ok. She doesn’t even call me in between to check up on me, which I love soo much in her. There are times I have wondered when I stay out from home the whole day, “Doesn’t she want to know where I am?” She trusts me, and believes that I am able to look after myself. If I am bold or able in any way, hats off to my Mom. She taught me to live independently and to do your, whatever work it is, by yourself. It was coz of her, I learned to ride and drive. If I had to go out after dusk, I don’t hesitate, coz she never did, when we were sick or needed something for our school the next day. She never backed out from her responsibilities and took up more even when her plate was already full.

Gave permission to almost whatever we asked for. Brat & I was one of the those kids  in school who never had to ask for permission from home to say yes for tours or excursions, coz we know our Mom would never say No.

We both get out from house @6pm, just to roam about or have an ice cream or to elope to the beach. And she just says be back before it’s too late. We started going for almost every movie we wanna see in theatres right before I entered college. There was a time when I was away for a week, been in the same town or 20 minutes away from home, I couldn’t call or see her. No complaints from her side, she just turned up to see me.

All these doesn’t seem much, but been from a place where most girls are not permitted to go out alone after dark or are not allowed to go out with their male friends or are not allowed to step into theatres without a huge gang, ‘m truly blessed. Coz these little things mean a lot to me.

For me freedom is everything, and she gave me that. She gave me more than anything I could ask for.

 Happy Birthday to an awesome Mom and the best cook (wish I had your love for cooking)!

I love you but still gonna be the same old irritating, back answering, immature, lazy kid, coz, where else I can be like this except with you.



P.S.  :)

God Blez.



Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Home Sweet Home! :)





It’s been almost 7 months since I landed here. This place despite been a foreign land was somewhat like a second home. Coz right from the age of 9, my vacations, even it was for one week or two months, were here. And ever since then my Dad’s here. So this place was and is the bread and butter of our family.

But living for almost whole of my life till 6 months back, except for 2months of every year, in my hometown and coming back here for settling was different. Vacations end in two months, but life doesn't,  and this migration was life.

What is different here compared to home?

Homeland! That’s the difference. You can’t attach the word “home” unless it’s your own. No matter what, you belong there. Your place, your language, your people.

A feeling of been in a strange land is always there in the air. At least for me.  I missed the sound, glow and liveliness of all the festives. This place is sophisticated but it lacks the warmth we feel back home. This place is far safer for everyone, but still it lack the familiarity. Well mannered, well ruled, disciplined but at times the wild child in me missed the unauthorized nature @home.

Do whatever you want, wear whatever you like, go where ever you wish. No one other than your family is gonna question you here, but I missed the poking noses of the society.

I missed my dear ones. I missed the divinity and the glow of my holy place. I missed my room which saw me grow. I missed my wheels, which tagged along with me. I missed the crumpled highways (God only knows how many times they have scraped my knees and hands), the roughness of the sea, the over crowed shops, the noisy nights, the not so posh theaters, the ice cream push carts in footpaths, the balloon vendors (setting a bunch of balloons free into the sky :D, that's just an happy feeling).

All these don’t mean I am betraying this place that’s providing me. No! I respect this place and love for the opportunity it gave me and the freedom it bequeathed on me.

This is absolutely home away from home but that is just more close to heart.

And I am leaving to her. Yup! Going back to visit her! :)

I used to come here for vacations in my early days, now I am going back home for vacation!


Countable days more to go......


P.S. Home is where the heart is. :) 

God Blez.


Wordless...





Sunday, November 25, 2012

Ramblings



Why do i feel a pricking feeling deep down, when i was so ready to leave....???

Maybe coz I’ll miss seeing the Turkish Handsome... :P or the foreign colleagues or the familiarity of been employed.

God! Let this not be a wrong decision I took! Fingers Crossed!

An Eve!


Yesterday evening after work, rushed off to home, after an hour or something again rushed out to one of the best looking malls. Me and along with S (my childhood friend and henceforth) was off to meet our friend Ash’s fiancée.

We both have talked and chatted to the Mr. Groom to be, several times. But a face to face meeting was for the first time. And absolutely no initial awkwardness was seen among anyone of us. We roamed through the mall, and came to a spot where there’s a theme park. And the Miss. Bride to be had to leap into the Roller coaster ride as if her marriage depended on that. And much to my protest I was also forced to jump in that madness. And I have to admit, its soo much less creepy than the theme park ride we have in India. And coz of that I survived.
And we had our food, obviously in KFC! How much we plan to dine in some other food outlet, we end up in KF at the end. I am thinking of declaring KFC as the official gang food! Then the usual trauma of photographs and back to everyone’s own den! :)
So overall it was a happy evening with my 2 cranky friends, and one more who’s a new addition to the lot.
More than the fun we all had, it was just an assurance of how happy Ash is, in her new relation. The one she is gonna vow for lifelong. And she definitely looked so gorgeously happy with him and he also was in his best. :)

May they have the Best life!


P.S. We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.

God Blez.





Thursday, November 22, 2012

Ramblings.

 
At times everything feels so confused.
 
Everyone seems so distant. Every moment looks lonely. Every deeds seems like mistakes. Every dream looks like nightmares. Every familiar face looks strange.
 
Every smiles seems to have a hidden tear behind.
 
If... life did came with a manual of what to do and what not to do.
 
 
 
 
P.S. Wishing happiness to all.
 
God Blez.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Once upon a time...




We were a gang of six girls in college. In that I was pretty close to one. We were together in hostel for some months, and then she was staying at my house, and even when she moved out, our daily trips to college was also together. So we were really close and could say I did tell everything to her. But after 3years I called off that divine friendship coz I couldn’t tolerate some of her acts. She did almost everything to get back, but I was so damn adamant. I just couldn’t accept anything. Even her tears couldn’t melt my heart. You know, I am a cold hearted person if I want.  And for almost one year I didn’t even look at her face inspite of being in the same class. I would just ignore her as if she didn’t even exist. And after that I did start talking to her, just formal talks, as if she was just an acquaintance. Even now she tries to bring back our relation as it was in the past. Maybe she didn't meant to hurt me and I know we all make mistakes. But still I don’t regret for the way I acted then. But if I was in her position, I won’t be this humble and apologizing even if it’s my fault. I wish, I could get that virtue of hers.

Today is her birthday. And I remembered only when I saw the FB notification. And there was a time when I took days to plan her surprise birthday party and when I religiously called her at 12 am sharp to wish her and today it was just single line in FB. Guess, this is the pattern of life. You have soo much of people in your life and coz of certain reasons, distance, misunderstandings you drift apart from each other. You just lose each one or the other. Today this person will be the most important one for you, and tomorrow someone else will be in their place. Nothing seems to be permanent and no one seems to have a permanent position or priority in each other’s life.

Life just moves on like a train ride. We get on. We ride. We get off. There are soo many who board the train and who eventually become very important to us. Some people on the train will leave an everlasting impression when they get off. Some will get on and get off the train so quickly, they will scarcely leave a sign they ever travelled along with you or ever crossed your path. We will sometimes be upset that some passengers, whom we love, will choose to sit in another compartment and leave us to travel on our own.

Happy birthday to her and thank you for being a co-passenger in my journey!

 

P.S. Wish I could forgive and also forget.

God Blez.



 

Uffff!!!!!.......... Atlast!! :)



I did buy a vehicle atlast. After searching for long 6months!
 
 

 


And that's mine, literally, coz finance from the head office (Dad)! :)


 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Euphony...



 
 
“I will love you always. When this red hair is white, I will still love you. When the smooth softness of youth is replaced by the delicate softness of age, I will still want to touch your skin. When your face is full of the lines of every smile you have ever smiled, of every surprise I have seen flash through your eyes, when every tear you have ever cried has left its mark upon your face, I will treasure you all the more, because I was there to see it all. I will share your life with you, Meredith, and I will love you until the last breath leaves your body or mine.”  ― Laurell K. Hamilton
 
 
 

Monday, November 19, 2012

Wordless...

 

:)




“People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants.  But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.  A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake.  A soul mate’s purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so out of control that you have to transform your life.” - Elizabeth Gilbert



 
 
:) Happy four years!

Four years is a long time. Mmmh….Never know if we would have been together today or we would even have been in touch at the moment.




P.S. Keep Smiling.

God Blez.




 

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Dreams.




Precisely almost every day now some dream will wake me up in the early hours of dawn. And I don’t even remember much about those dreams, except that sadness and empty feeling I get in my insides. After waking up to these insane dreams, it doesn’t even feel like I was sleeping the whole night.

I love to dream… dream about anything, dream about people, but not something that makes me feel so hollow. It's usually said that dreams have meanings and can be encrypted. So these of mine have any meaningless meaning… is something waiting in the tomorrows with their pangs ready to clutch into me?

 

P.S.  Wishing Smiling Dreams to everyone. :)

God Blez.

 

Gemini Woman - II

 
She is as simple as rain yet as complex as a labyrinth.
Marrying one Gemini woman is like living with two different wives. Confused? Don't be, we are just talking about her dual personality. She has a dual nature and is capable of displaying different personality traits at different points of time. However, your major task will be to get her to commit. She is so fidgety that it becomes very difficult for her to become deeply involved with one person or place. The mind of a Gemini female never settles down at one place and her thoughts are always wandering.

However, if you do manage to blend with her at the mental, spiritual as well as physical level, you will be introduced to a woman full of passion. In her youth, she is least likely to be bounded by a relationship or commitment. She may love your most irritating habits one minute and be extremely sarcastic about your new stylish haircut the very next. Maturity may bring a little bit stability in her. All this doesn't mean that Gemini women are not romantic at all. Infact, for them, romance is the one of the easiest means of communication.

Since they always have some thoughts to express, romance never goes out of their life. However, commitment is an entirely different term. A Gemini girl may love your intelligence, but she will also notice your lack of interest in creative arts. It is same the other way round too. Puzzled? You should be, at times, even she is baffled by her own complex nature. She is so vivacious and full of life that with her, you will forget even the deepest of troubles. She has the ability to light up the most somber of surroundings with her presence.

A Gemini woman will be full of the small, sentimental gestures that keep alive the romance in a relationship. She will always find new ways of telling you how much she loves you and will shower you with her alluring charm. She may act like a typical woman at one point of time, be a nervous wreck the other minute and engage in an intelligent conversation the very next second. She has the feminine charms, but she will never be clinging on to you. One thing that you will never find in a Gemini woman's characteristics profile is monotony and boredom.

She finds something good in all the men she meets and then, wants a man who has all of those qualities. However, this can't be and then, she keeps longing for that perfect man! She can be your best friend, your sports partner, your racing competitor and your lover, all at the same time. Just remember one thing, she is single-handedly giving you all this, so don't expect consistency from her. A Gemini female can look at other guys, even when she is sincerely in love with you. Change is in her nature and she has to learn to control her own behavior. Just make sure to keep her interested in you and she will remain totally devoted. She is prone to keeping men on a string, not completely heartlessly, she is evaluating if the man is worth her attention and her time. Once you have her approval, she can easily become jealous. The reason for her jealousy is that if she is going to open up to a man, when she rarely completely opens up to anyone, she does not want to risk her being deceived or hurt.

She will never be suspicious of you and will expect the same from you in return. You may be out till 3 in the morning and she won't even bat an eyelid. A Gemini girl will always respect your individuality and you will be required to do the same. She may forget to do the dishes every now and then, but you can have the most soul-satisfying conversations with her. She will keep your intellect as well as creativity stimulated. Motherhood will come naturally to her and she will make a happy and gay mother, who will respect the individuality of the children.

Gemini woman makes an excellent hostess and will charm the guests with her grace. They will be treated to the best of cuisine, that too in silver cutlery. She can easily get along with anyone, right from your boss to the peon of your office. With a Gemini wife, you will feel as if you are with a different woman every other day. When she wants to speak, she will speak and when she wants to fly, she will fly. You don't know how she flies; just listen to her imagination and you will know. She is full of hopes, desires and dreams and you are welcome to share them. Just make sure that you are with her when she needs you
 
 Gemini women are so exciting that they are worth the effort, you will remember her forever!


:)

P.S. Proud and happy to be one.


God Blez all Adamant Geminians.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Gemini Woman - I

 
 
Here goes the never ending tales of my Zodiac Sign! :)
 
GEMINI!
 
The third sign of the zodiac, Gemini is ruled by Mercury which represents intelligence invested in matter. The glyph symbolizes two pieces of wood bound together. In ancient times this was seen to signify the conflicts arising from contradictory mental processes. Geminis establish their relationship between the self and material substance through a balance of opposing thoughts. This bond may also be interpreted as the link between rhythm and form.Earthlore Gemini: San Marino StampIn Gemini we move from the action, reaction response of Aries, Taurus to the interaction response. The Gemini nature Interacts with the environment, investigating, learning, knowing and exchanging ideas. The intellect dominates Gemini, and all things intellectual are valued greatly. As communication is also of importance to Geminis, knowledge is never a thing to be hoarded. Seldom is a twin more entertained than in the midst of exchanging ideas with others of an intellectual nature.
Gemini Strength Keywords:
 - Energetic
 - Clever
- Imaginative
 - Witty
 - Adaptable
Gemini Weakness Keywords:
 - Superficial
 - Impulsive
 - Restless
 - Devious
 - Indecisive
Gemini and Independence:
Gemini are extremely independent. They will not be pinned down by anyone or any rules. They need to experience the world on their own. Change and freedom are extremely important to Gemini, they will never let anyone dictate them, they are extremely independent and freedom is essential to their mental well being.
Gemini and Friendship:
Gemini make very interesting and exciting friends. They like to leave their mark on everyone they meet. They are very flighty and will disappear for a long time as they meet new friends and explore new places. But when they come back, they will have new thoughts, opinions and interesting things to share and ideas to teach. Life is very interesting and fun with a Gemini friend. If you need any advice, Gemini is the one to ask. They are masters of communication and they can help you get what you need by helping you with persuasion and enthusiasm, and they give good advice too. Do not however, bog a Gemini down with all of your emotional problems, they are not want to deal with it because it depresses them and steps on their freedom if you need too much long term help, support and follow up. A Gemini friend can fill you in with the latest gossip and if you love conversation, the Gemini delivers! They are very generous with their friends, they will spend lots of time with you and share everything with you. Even though Gemini is a social butterfly, they always need time for themselves and that should be respected.
Gemini and Business:
Gemini tends to disperse their energy on different tasks and not just focus on one thing thus leaving a trail of unfinished projects in their wake. If they were to focus their energy in one place, their cleverness and intelligence would allow them to complete their project with success and creativity. Gemini makes an excellent manager, they can motivate a team with their enthusiasm and vitality. They also make excellent salespeople because their ease of communication allows them to be clever and make a comeback to anything a person says. They can persuade and manipulate very well. They can easily justify any move they make and explain any action.
Gemini Temperament:
Gemini have the ability to react instantly to situations, and as a result, they have a very nervous temperament. They can be compared to a wound up spring as they attempt to absorb everything they can about their surroundings at once. The fact that they enjoy various situations and people add to their nervousness and that means they are almost constantly wound up. However, if they experience boredom and have nothing to survey, they get the same emotions, the need for excitement and variety. This is the Gemini duality, constantly conflicting emotions in one spontaneous, excitable package.
Gemini Deep Inside:
One downfall of Gemini is their superficiality. Instead of looking deep into a person's real qualities, Gemini will judge a person by the way they treat them. This can lead Gemini to have wrong impressions of people and can cause problems ion relationships. Gemini's can have feeling of discouragement and moodiness although they never allow this to be seen by anyone but heir closest friends or family. Gemini usually want everyone to think that they are always happy and doing wonderfully and stress never affects them.
Gemini in a Nutshell:
Gemini people are many sided, quick both in the mind and physically. They are brimming with energy and vitality, they are clever with words. They are intelligent and very adaptable to every situation and every person. Gemini are curious and always want to know what's going on in the world around them. They are not one to sit back and watch the world go by, they want to be involved. This can sometimes make Gemini nosy, they do not mind their own business! This is because they really enjoy communicating, more so then most other astrology signs, they are the ultimate social butterfly. Gemini can talk and talk, but they have interesting things to say, their talk is not mindless babble. They have interesting opinions and thoughts on things and are not afraid to speak their mind. They are always in the know and are the one to see for the latest juicy gossip. Lacking perseverance, Gemini easily goes off topic to explore another thought or idea. Gemini are superficial, they will form opinions on matter without diving into them and exploring them fully. This can lead them into thinking they know everything, which they usually do but their mind is too busy to be concerned with fine details. Routine and boredom are Gemini's biggest fears. Gemini would rather be naive then know the depressing truth, they do not want anything putting a damper on their freedom or positive energy.

 

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Random.


Last week in our church here, a guy died of meningitis. He was rather young, recently married and his wife is also working here. Even thou he was a member of our church, he never kept in touch with anyone or came to church. So when he died actually no one came to know, unless someone from Kerala called our parish priest and said the news. And it was with much difficulty they identified the person and their residence and did all the legal formalities to get his body back to Kerala.

As always I say and believe life is unpredictable. Birth, death, accidents... anything can happen to a person. So why make it difficult to the rest of the people. When the guy died, literally the wife was to shaken to do anything. And in a foreign place she was all alone, with a dead husband, no relatives, maybe some colleagues and some huge lot of legal formalities. And when people from our church rushed to her, she was relieved. Atleast she could rely upon someone.

In life it’s always important to have family and friends and a good social circle. Especially if you are in a foreign place away from family and your close relations, get to know someone at that place and keep in touch with the community. There should be someone who knows everything about us. There should be at least a soul, apart from family or better half, who knows us to the core. Human relation are always more important than money, profession, time and whatever follows.

If you have a person or two who could read your mind from your voice or face, I believe you are richest.

 

P.S. Keep Smiling.

God Blez.

Wordless...




You expect too much from me” someone says,
I hear this too often nowadays!!
I sit here today and wonder
What’s going wrong in my life,
It’s suddenly filled with splits and darkness rife?

I sit here and ponder today,
What made them say such words of dismay,
For they are people who always make my day?
I ask the almighty, what went wrong today,
When everything was fine till day before yesterday?
Did I change in these couple of days,

Or did something else change in many ways?
Why are there barriers between me and them today,
Why am I not able to cross then fence, go and play?
What is it that’s stopping me today, Why is it that I am so sad today?

Relationships have limits I know,
But what are the limits I really don’t know,
Friends walk together with you they say,
But what if someone keeps you at bay?

I fear today to talk to them,
I fear today to walk with them,
Barriers unknown surround me today,
Wish I could break everything and run away.

The dawn is not far away now, I tell myself,
Coz the sky is so dark, darker than black itself,
Tomorrow will be a better day,
For You will be able to break the fence and dance and play.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

:)


A selection of 60 tiny love stories I came across. Hope they bring a smile on to your lips. :)



 1.Today, my 75-year-old grandpa who has been blind from cataracts for almost 15 years said to me, “Your grandma is just the most beautiful thing, isn’t she?” I paused for a second and said, “Yes she is. I bet you miss seeing that beauty on a daily basis.” “Sweety,” my grandpa said, “I still see her beauty every day. In fact, I see it more now than I used to when we were young.” MMT

 2.Today, I walked my daughter down the aisle. Ten years ago I pulled a 14 year old boy out of his mom’s fire-engulfed SUV after a serious accident. Doctors initially said he would never walk again. My daughter came with me several times to visit him at the hospital. Then she started going on her own. Today, seeing him defy the odds and smile widely, standing on his own two feet at the altar as he placed a ring on my daughter’s finger MMT.

 3.Today, I walked up to the door of my office (I’m a florist) at 7AM to find a uniformed Army soldier standing out front waiting. He was on his way to the airport to go to Afghanistan for a year. He said, “I usually bring home a bouquet of flowers for my wife every Friday and I don’t want to let her down when I’m away.” He then placed an order for 52 Friday afternoon deliveries of flowers to his wife’s office and asked me to schedule one for each week until he returns. I gave him a 50% discount because it made my day to see something so sweet. MMT

 4.Today, I told my 18 year old grandson that nobody asked me to prom when I was in high school, so I didn’t attend. He showed up at my house this evening dressed in a tuxedo and took me as his date to his prom. MMT

 5.Today, when she woke up from an eleven month coma, she kissed me and said, “Thank you for being here, and telling me those beautiful stories, and never giving up on me… And yes, I will marry you.” MMT

 6.Today, I was sitting on a park bench eating a sandwich for lunch when an elderly couple pulled their car up under a nearby oak tree. They rolled down the windows and turned up some jazz music on the radio. Then the man got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side, opened the door for the woman, took her hand and helped her out of her seat, guided her about ten feet away from the car, and they slow danced for the next half hour under the oak tree. MMT

 7.Today, I operated on a little girl. She needed O- blood. We didn’t have any, but her twin brother has O- blood. I explained to him that it was a matter of life and death. He sat quietly for a moment, and then said goodbye to his parents. I didn’t think anything of it until after we took his blood and he asked, “So when will I die?” He thought he was giving his life for hers. Thankfully, they’ll both be fine. MMT

 8.Today, my dad is the best dad I could ask for. He’s a loving husband to my mom (always making her laugh), he’s been to every one of my soccer games since I was 5 (I’m 17 now), and he provides for our family as a construction foreman. This morning when I was searching through my dad’s toolbox for a pliers, I found a dirty folded up paper at the bottom. It was an old journal entry in my dad’s handwriting dated exactly one month before the day I was born. It reads, “I am eighteen years old, an alcoholic who is failing out of college, a past cutter, and a child abuse victim with a criminal record of auto theft. And next month, ‘teen father’ will be added to the list. But I swear I will make things right for my little girl. I will be the dad I never had.” And I don’t know how he did it, but he did it. MMT

 9.Today, my 8-year-old son hugged me and said, “You are the best mom in the whole entire world!” I smiled and sarcastically replied, “How do you know that? You haven’t met every mom in the whole entire world.” My son squeezed me tighter and said, “Yes I have. You are my world.” MMT

 10.Today, I have an elderly patient who is suffering from a severe case of Alzheimer’s. He can rarely remember his own name, and he often forgets where he is and what he said just a few minutes beforehand. But by the stretch of some miracle (perhaps the miracle of love), he remembers who is wife is every morning when she shows up to spend a few hours with him. He usually greets her by saying, “Hello my beautiful Kate.” MMT

 11.Today, my 21 year old Labrador can barely stand up, can’t see, can’t hear, and doesn’t have enough strength to bark. But it doesn’t stop her from wagging her tail a mile a minute every single time I walk into the room. MMT

 12.Today is our 10th anniversary, but since my husband and I are both recently unemployed we agreed not to get each other any gifts. When I woke up this morning, my husband was already up. I walked downstairs to find beautiful wild flowers brilliantly arranged all over the house. There must be 400 flowers total and he didn’t spend a dime. MMT

 13.Today, my high school boyfriend, who I thought I’d never see again, showed me the pictures of the two of us he kept in his Army helmet while he was overseas for the last 8 years. MMT

 14.Today, my 88-year-old grandmother and her 17 year old cat are both blind. My grandmother’s guide dog leads my grandmother around the house, which is normal. But lately, he’s been guiding her cat around the house too. When her cat meows, he walks up and rubs against her, and then she follows directly behind him to her food, to the litter box, to the other end of the house for a nap, etc. MMT

 15.Today, I watched in horror through the kitchen window as my 2-year-old slipped and fell head first into the pool. But before I could get to her, our Labrador Retriever, Rex, jumped in after her, grabbed her by her shirt collar and pulled her to the shallow steps where she could stand. MMT

 16.Today, my older brother has donated bone marrow 16 times to help treat my cancer. He communicates directly with my doctor and does it without me even asking or knowing when he has an appointment. And today my doctor informed me that the treatment appears to be working. “Cancer cells have been drastically reduced in the last few months.” MMT

 17.Today, I was driving home with my grandfather when he suddenly made a u-turn and said, “I forgot to get your grandmother a bouquet of flowers. I’ll pick up one from the florist at the corner down here. It’ll only take a second.” “What’s so special about today that you have to buy her flowers?” I asked. “There’s nothing specifically special about today,” my grandfather said. “Every day is special. Your grandmother loves flowers. They put a smile on her face.” MMT

 18.Today, I re-read the suicide letter I wrote on the afternoon of September 2nd 1996 about two minutes before my girlfriend showed up at my door and told me, “I’m pregnant.” Suddenly I felt I had a reason to live. Today she’s my wife. We’ve been happily married for 14 years. And my daughter, who is almost 15 now, has two younger brothers. I re-read my suicide letter from time to time as a reminder to be thankful – I am thankful I got a second chance at life and love. MMT

 19.Today, and every day for the last two months since I returned to school with burn scars on my face after being hospitalized for nearly a month for injuries I sustained in a house fire, a red rose was taped to my locker when I got to school in the morning. I have no clue who is getting to school early and leaving me these roses. I’ve even arrived early myself a few times to try to figure it out, but each time the rose was already there. MMT

 20.Today was the 10 year anniversary of my dad’s passing. When I was a kid he used to hum a short melody to me as I was going to sleep. When I was 18, as he rested in his hospital bed fighting cancer, the roles were reversed and I hummed the melody to him. I haven’t heard that melody since, until last night. My fiancé and I were turned on our sides looking at each other in bed when he started humming it to me. His mom used to hum it to him when he was a kid. MMT

 21.Today, a woman who must have her voicebox removed due to cancer is enrolled in my sign language class. Her husband, four children, two sisters, brother, mother, father, and twelve close friends are also enrolled in the same class so they can communicate with her after she loses her ability to speak aloud. MMT

 22.Today, my 11-year-old son speaks fluent sign language because his best friend, Josh, who he grew up with from the time he was an infant, is deaf. Seeing their genuine friendship evolve and grow over the years MMT.

 23.Today, due to Alzheimer’s and dementia, my grandfather usually can’t remember who my grandmother is when he wakes up in the morning. It bothered my grandmother a year ago when it first happened, but now she’s fully supportive of his condition. In fact, she plays a game every day in which she tries to get my grandfather to ask her to re-marry him before dinnertime. She hasn’t failed yet. MMT

 24.Today, my dad passed away from natural causes at the age of 92. I found his body resting peacefully in the recliner in his bedroom. In his lap, facing upright, were three framed 8×10 photographs of my mom who passed away about 10 years ago. She was the love of his life, and apparently the last thing he wanted to see before he passed. MMT

 25.Today, I am the proud mom of a blind 17-year-old boy. Although my son was born without his sense of sight, it hasn’t stopped him from being a straight A student, a guitarist (whose band just surpassed 25,000 downloads of their first album), and a loving boyfriend to his long-term girlfriend, Valerie. Just today, his younger sister asked him what he likes about Valerie, and he said, “Everything. She’s beautiful.” MMT

 26.Today, I waited on an elderly couple. The way they looked at each other… you could see they were in love. When the husband mentioned that they were celebrating their anniversary, I smiled and said, “Let me guess. You two have been together forever.” They laughed and the wife said, “Actually, no, today is our 5 year anniversary. We both outlived our spouses and then life blessed us with one more shot at love.” MMT

 27.Today, my father found my little sister alive, chained up in a barn. She was abducted near Mexico City almost 5 months ago. Authorities stopped actively searching for her a few weeks later. My mom and I laid her soul to rest. We had a funeral for her last month. All of our family and friends attended the ceremony except my father. Instead he kept looking for her. He said he “loved her too much to give up.” And she’s back home now because he never did. MMT

 28.Today, there are two senior boys at my school who have an openly gay relationship. They have experienced verbal humiliation on a daily basis for the last two years, yet they continue to hold each other’s hand in the hallways. Despite threats and vandalized lockers, they showed up to prom this evening wearing matching tuxedos. Seeing them on the dance floor, smiling from ear to ear in spite of all the haters MMT.

 29.Today, my sister and I were in a bad car accident. My sister is Mrs. Popular at school – she knows everyone. I’m a bit of an introvert – I hang-out with the same 2 girls all the time. My sister immediately posted a comment on Facebook about our accident. And while all her friends were commenting, my 2 friends showed up independently at the scene of the accident before the paramedics arrived. MMT

 30.Today, my fiancé returned home from his last tour of duty overseas. Yesterday he was just my boyfriend, or so I thought. Almost a year ago, he mailed me a package. He told me I wasn’t allowed to open it until he got home in two weeks. But then his tour got extended for another 11 months. Today, when he got home, he told me to open the package, and just as I pulled the ring out of the box, he got down on one knee. MMT

 31.Today, my 12-year-old son, Sean, and I stopped by the nursing home together for the first time in several months. Usually I come alone see my mother who’s suffering from Alzheimer’s. When we walked into the lobby, the nurse said, “Hi, Sean!” and then buzzed us in. “How does she know your name?” I asked. “Oh, I swing by here on my walk home from school all the time to say hi to Grandma,” Sean said. I had no idea. MMT

 32.Today, I found an old hand written note my mom wrote when she was a senior in high school. On it is a list of qualities she hoped she would someday find in a boyfriend. The list is basically an exact description of my dad, who she didn’t meet until she was 27. MMT

 33.Today, I’ve been chemistry lab partners with one of the most beautiful (and popular) girls at our school since the beginning of the school year. And although I never would have had the courage to talk to her otherwise, she’s totally down to earth and sweet. We spend our time in the lab chatting, laughing, and getting A’s (she’s smart too), and just recently we started talking a little bit outside of class too. Last week when I heard that she didn’t have a date to our homecoming dance, I desperately wanted to ask her, but chickened out every time I was about to. Then this afternoon, at lunchtime, she ran up to me and formally asked me to ask her to the dance. So I did, and she kissed me on the cheek and said, “Yes!” MMT

 34.Today, on our 10th anniversary, she handed me a suicide note she wrote when she was 22, on the exact day we met. And she said, “For all these years I didn’t want you to know how foolish and unstable I was back when we met. But even though you didn’t know, you saved me. Thank you.” MMT

 35.Today, my grandpa keeps and old, candid photo on his nightstand of my grandma and him laughing together at some party in the 1960’s. My grandma passed away from cancer in 1999 when I was 7. This evening when I was at his house, my grandpa caught me staring at the photo. He walked up, hugged me from behind and said, “Remember, just because something doesn’t last forever, doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth your while.” MMT

 36.Today, I sat down with my two daughters, ages 4 and 6, to explain to them that we have to move out of our 4 bedroom house and into a 2 bedroom apartment for awhile until I can find another job that pays well. My daughters looked at each other for a moment and then my youngest daughter turned to me and asked, “Are we all moving into the apartment together?” “Yes,” I replied. “Oh, so no big deal then,” she said. MMT

 37.Today, I met the prettiest woman on a plane. Assuming I wouldn’t see her again after we made our connections, I told her how pretty I thought she was. She gave me the most sincere smile and said, “Nobody has said that to me in 10 years.” It turns out we’re both in our mid-30’s, never married, no kids, and we live about 5 miles away from each other. We have a date set for next Saturday after we return home. MMT

 38.Today, I’m a mother of 2 and a grandmother of 4. At 17 I got pregnant with twins. When my boyfriend and friends found out I wasn’t going to abort them, they turned a cold shoulder to me. But I pressed forward, worked full-time while attending school, graduated high school and college, and met a guy in one of my classes who has loved my children like his own for the last 50 years. MMT

 39.Today, on my 29th birthday, I returned home from my 4th and final tour of duty overseas. The little girl who lives next door to my parents (who isn’t so little any more - she’s 22 now) met me at the airport with a long stemmed rose, a bottle of my favorite vodka, and then asked me out on a date. MMT

 40.Today, my daughter accepted her boyfriend’s marriage proposal. He is 3 years older than her. They started dating when she was 14 and he was 17. I never liked the age difference when they were kids. When he turned 18 a week before she turned 15, my husband insisted they break-up. They maintained a friendship, but went on to date other people. Now at the ages of 24 and 27, I’ve never seen two people more in love. MMT

 41.Today, after I heard that my mom stayed home from work with the flu, I stopped by Wal-Mart on my way home from school to pick her up some canned soup. I ran into my dad who was already in the check-out line. He had 5 cans of soup, NyQuil, tissues, tampons, 4 romantic comedy DVDs and a bouquet of flowers. My dad makes me smile and MMT.

 42.Today, I was sitting on a hotel balcony watching 2 lovers in the distance walk along the beach. From their body language, I could tell they were laughing and enjoying each other’s company. As they got closer, I realized they were my parents. My parents almost got divorced 8 years ago. MMT

 43.Today, I’m only 17, but I’ve been with my boyfriend, Jake, for 3 years, and last night was the first time we spent the night together. We’ve never ‘done it,’ and we didn’t last night either. Instead, we baked cookies, watched two comedies, laughed, played Xbox and fell asleep in each other’s arms. Despite the warnings from my parents, he’s been nothing but a gentleman and a best friend. MMT

 44.Today, when I tapped the side of my wheelchair and told my husband, “You’re the only reason I want to be free from this contraption,” he kissed me on my forehead and said, “Honey, I don’t even see that thing.” MMT

 45.Today, my grandmother and grandfather, who were both in their early 90’s and married for 72 years, both died of natural causes approximately one hour apart from each other. MMT

 46.Today, my dad came to see me for the first time in 6 months since I told him I’m gay. When I opened the door he had tears in his eyes and he immediately gave me a huge hug and said, “I’m sorry, Jason. I love you.” MMT

 47.Today, my autistic little sister spoke her first word at the age of 6 – my name. MMT

 48.Today, at the age of 72, nearly 15 years after my grandfather passed away, my grandmother remarried. And since I’m only 17, I’ve never seen her so happy in all my life. It’s inspiring to see two people so in love at their age. MMT it’s never too late.



 49.Today, at a jazz club in San Francisco I saw a man and woman enjoying a drink together.  The woman was a dwarf and the man must have been 6 feet tall.  Later in the evening they went out onto the dance floor.  The man got down on his knees so they could slow dance together.  They danced the rest of the night. MMT

 50.Today, as I was sleeping, I woke up to my daughter calling my name. I was sleeping in a sofa chair in her hospital room. I opened my eyes to her beautiful smile. My daughter has been in a coma for 98 days. MMT

 51.Today, exactly 10 years ago almost to the minute, I stopped at an intersection and a car rear ended me. The driver was a student at UF, just like me. He was cordial and apologetic. As we waited for the cops and the tow truck we chatted and started laughing together about all sorts of stuff. We exchanged numbers and the rest is history. We just celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. MMT

 52.Today, I was working in a coffee shop when 2 gay men walked in holding hands.  As you might expect, heads started turning.  Then a young girl at the table next to me asked her mom why 2 men were holding hands.  Her mom replied, “Because they love each other.” MMT

 53.Today, after 2 years of separation, my ex-wife and I resolved our differences and met for dinner.  We laughed and chatted for almost 4 hours.  Then just before she left, she handed me a large envelope.  In it were 20 love letters she wrote me over the last 2 years.  There was a post-it note on the envelope that said, “Letters I was too stubborn to send.” MMT

 54.Today, I was in an accident that left me with a gash on my forehead.  The doctors wrapped a bandage around my head and said I have to keep it on all week.  I hate wearing it.  Two minutes ago my little brother walked into my room wearing a bandage on his head.  My mom said he insisted that he didn’t want me to feel alone. MMT

 55.Today, my mother passed away after a long battle with cancer.  My best friend lives 2000 miles away and called to comfort me.  While on the phone, he asked, “What would you do if I showed up at your house and gave you the biggest hug in the world?”  “I would surely smile,” I replied.  And then he rang my doorbell. MMT

 56.Today, as my 91-year-old grandfather (a military doctor, war hero, and successful business owner) rested in his hospital bed, I asked him what his greatest life accomplishment was.  He turned around, grabbed my grandmother’s hand, looked her in the eyes, and said, “Growing old with you.” MMT

 57.Today, as I watched my 75-year-old grandmother and grandfather being silly with each other and laughing in the kitchen, I felt like I got a short glimpse of what true love feels like.  I hope I find it someday. MMT

 58.Today, exactly twenty years ago to the hour, I risked my life to save a woman who was drowning in the rapids of the Colorado River.  And that’s how I met my wife - the love of my life.  MMT

 59.Today, on our 50th wedding anniversary, she smiled at me and said, “I only wish I had met you sooner.” MMT

 60.Today, my blind friend explained to me in vivid detail how beautiful his new girlfriend is. MMT



P.S.  Life is good when we have lovable people around.

God Blez.