I Will... Remember those who lives were lost, the lives of my family that were spared, and God's grace in all of this. @911Day

I Will... Remember those who lives were lost, the lives of my family that were spared, and God's grace in all of this. @911Day

The planting of trees is the least self-centered of all that we can do. It is a purer act of faith than the procreation of children. ~Thornton Wilder


Two weeks ago I flew across country to plant my tree firmly in his new ground; that is, I took my brother to a summer program at Cornell to kick off his first year of college.  I took my sister to college, Dallas took me to college, and (with no adoption of babies from struggling countries.... ask my mother)I took him to college.  It's a tradition that we didn't mean to create (I mean really.... was my mom supposed to leave the other child in an apartment in Brooklyn during these trips?), but it is tradition nonetheless.  I didn't really have money for it, but despite what appears to be an unconventionally working mind, there is a traditional heart that it is employed by. Planting a tree sounded kind of interesting to me and, since I am comparing my brother to one, I thought it might be wise to look up some tips:


1) Select the right time of year for planting your tree.  Do not plant in late spring or summer because heat will stress the plant.  The best time to plant is fall or early spring:

OOPS.... hmmmm...well, he is only there for six weeks and then we technically will replant him more towards the fall.  Good luck getting through the summer, buddy.

2) The most common mistake is digging a hole which is both too deep and too narrow.  Too deep and the roots don't have access to sufficient oxygen. Too narrow and the root structure can't expand:

My family is my brother's oxygen.  He calls even on days he is not required to except Fridays (hmmmm.... you ain't slick!).  He knows that if he has a question, even as silly as, "Mom, where are my extra pencils?", he will not be made to be embarrassed or feel unsupported.  We are, however, far away enough not to constrict his airway. Check

3) As a general rule trees should be transplanted no deeper than the soil in which they were originally grown:

We were raised to be the best.... it is what it is.  I went to an Ivy; he's at an Ivy.  Check

2 out of 3 ain't bad.

If I'm losing balance in a pose, I stretch higher and God reaches down to steady me. It works every time, and not just in yoga. ~Terri Guillemets 

"Breathe into this."  My yoga instructor always delivers this gentle command at the exact moment when, as my body shakes in an effort not to fall over, I am thinking, "This pose sucks...how long do I have to hold this?"  Every time she says it, I readjust my mind...kinda.  It reminds me to remain in the present moment and feel what I am feeling--good or bad.  And, unlike the advice of the world in your worst moments, it acknowledges that you may be in a tough position at the time and doesn't attempt to change that.  I just end up doing exactly what my instructor says--I breathe into it and accept that although my present condition doesn't feel very ideal (and perhaps yoga ain't for us big-boned chicks), something that flows inside of me will allow me to get through it.  And as I breathe into my pose I can feel my body settle ever so slightly until the next thing I know, I find myself in a different, more comfortable counter pose.

Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you? ~Fanny Brice

Does your title come before your name or does your name come before your title? Take a step back from the mirror. Look at yourself really well and ask, "Who are you?" Once you've responded to the question, evaluate if you are truly happy with the answer. If you are...great. If not....time to check yourself. It amazes me how people will not only define themselves by the title on their business cards, but forget who they once were without it. They go through post-collegiate life (heaven forbid if it is considered an elite institution) stacking titles like rungs on a ladder, moving up until everyone else is squarely beneath their nose (in their minds). They begin passing judgement as if it were a yearly certification to maintain all the titles and material gains in their life. Who or what have you become?

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. -Albert Pike

Death has a heavy hand and its blow is life’s greatest to deal with. No matter when, where, why, or who, it never ceases to surprise us. It leaves us with our mouths open as we take the uppercut of news and no matter who you are it always makes you question a thing or two even if just for a moment…. life, time, love, your spirituality, etc. Sometimes we can justify and reconcile it (“He lived a full life”); other times we can’t (“She was so young”). There are people in our lives that have left indelible marks on our hearts, our human blueprint. Sometimes it doesn’t require for them to be in our lives for long for such an impact to be felt but a piece of their spirit leaked out and touched yours in passing, in talks, in actions. These are the things you remember them for. These are the things you will eventually, along with your own impact, pass on to someone else. This week has reminded me, like the quote above, that when the cards fall and final words have been said, when you’re at your final resting place with flowers at your head…no one remembers or cares what you did for yourself. They remember what you did for them in your words or deeds.

If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again. -Flavia Weedn

Dreams don’t die…they just change shape. I was speaking with one of my dearest friends yesterday and we talked about getting there and not being where we thought we would be. I told her that no matter what wrong path we might end up taking in life, God will re-route us. It may take us a little longer to get to the destination He had planned but He will get us there. Thankfully for many, including myself, He never gets tired of having to pick us up off the side of the road..in fact, it’s a service that is included in His membership plan (like AAA!). Sometimes we make a choice that leads us down the right road and, often unsure of ourselves, we are constantly checking the rearview for flashing lights or something saying we should stop, but He doesn’t send them because we are headed in the right direction. My point is that we don’t necessarily know the big plan…what’s at the end of the road…except that there is a path. And like any good driver, you need to know when it’s time to pull over…give it a rest, take a break…but you eventually have to get off the shoulder and move forward again. Your dream might have been heading north but sometimes you go north-west or completely the opposite direction cause you got hungry, bored, tired, or adventurous and you gain a different perspective by going in a different direction, wrong or right. The destination doesn’t change, the road does. Planning the trip is easy and flawless. Doing the trip can be a very different story. Taking a different route doesn’t destroy your dreams; on the contrary, new life gets breathed into them and they take on a different look, feel and dimension.