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?