Good Morning.

Good morning world!

We use these words to wish someone a great start to their day. But have you ever used it to wish good morning to this world? To your home? To the plants? To the morning sky as the moon finally lies to sleep herself and the sun threatens to share his rays of warmth to awaken each creature within his reach?

I woke up early today. Prayed and gave thanks to God for another beautiful day. I had a few moments of mindfulness. Did some yoga to help with my back. And provided water as nourishment to my body.

But something called me outside to my front yard.

The cool crispness of the outside world hit my face and although I wanted to shiver, I welcomed the icy feeling that actually helped my eyes to focus. My alertness grew to the stillness of the trees and their almost bare branches, to the instant movement caught by my peripheral vision of graceful birds, and the subtle songs heard by some of these birds from afar.

Good morning to all of God’s creatures.

Just as I watered my body to start the day, I turned on the sprinklers and hose to waken the grass and plants that live with me. I thanked them for their brightness, their will to live, and the beauty they offer me each day. I hope they stretched just as I did. I hope they quenched their thirst with the flowing water our Mother Earth provides us with unfailingly. How lucky we are compared to those that must think before drinking.

I hope they feel their cold fingertips growing warm as heat comes from within the center of their heart. We got another chance. To live. To breathe fresh air. To be able to visualize God’s miracle. And to feel all the love that this world exudes and fills our cups with.

May you wish someone or some thing else a good morning and attract all the goodness you put out. Have a blessed day and make sure to make it count! Open your mind and heart and don’t forget to count all the miracles that may go unnoticed but are headed your way.

Morning mourning.

Sometimes we might wake up in a certain mood. Most of the time I try to wake up happy, pray to God for thanks of another day, and begin the day in high spirits.

Today, I woke up sad. I am mourning this morning. I woke up heartbroken. There’s so much going on in the world that is making me SO sad. My heart and mind is overfilling with anxiety, sadness, lack of motivation and I’m trying not to lose hope for this world. As the tears spill from eyes and slowly roll down my cheeks, I have to remember the good.

Without the bad, I wouldn’t be able to appreciate the good. So I know it is ok to sometimes feel this way. My heart is so full of sadness, so empty of the positivity today. I feel sorry. I wish I could fix everything in the world. I wish I could take away others pains. I just wish.

As the tears dry up, the sun outside my window shines through the clouds. I know God is present. He is our present. He will get us all through whatever we might be going through. I needed this cleanse. I need to get back up and try. I have to have faith. May God continue to shine through all of ours hearts. May God’s will always win. I pray to you God, we need you. I pray that God help us through our worries. I pray that God take us out of the situations we are in. I pray that God gives us strength to withstand the things we feel we can’t. I pray that God hold us in his embrace and renew our hope. I pray that God touch us with His love.

It’s ok to feel overwhelmed with emotion.

I hope you fight through your battles with faith. Have a blessed day 🙏🏽

Gift.

Dictionary.com defines the word gift as “something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present.”

What does “gift” mean to you? Is it about the things you get for your birthday or Christmas? Is it about the feeling of joy or happiness coupled with the thoughts one might have had when buying your present? Or does it mean more than the materialistic value that we attach to this word?

A gift can be many things. The key words that stands out to me in the definition mentioned above is “voluntarily without payment in return.” So when something is given to us, the provider of the gift expects nothing back! What a wonderful and altruistic deed.

To me, a gift that I receive daily is the new day brought forth from God. The gift of breathing. The gift of a home, family and friends! The gift of having a job and being able to keep food on the table. The gift of being able to open my eyes and visualize all of nature’s beauty and how much she gives without us even asking. The gift of my mind to be able to think for myself, offer my thanks and sing songs of glory and praise for God! The gift of having my tongue and to be able to speak words of affirmation and love. The gift of having legs to walk up to someone I love and having the gift of arms to hold them in a tight, never ending hug when we both need to feel close.

With people sheltering at home because of the pandemic and unable to see loved ones like they used to, it has been a hard year. Lives have been lost, mental health may not be the strongest, but we still received the gift of 2021! So happiest new year to you!

I know life can be tough. Life can be taken for granted. But 2020 taught me to appreciate the little things. I have learned to thank the universe more for everything she has delivered to me but also for the things that didn’t happen. For the protection that must not have been meant for me.

I hope the gift of having lived in to 2021 yields unbelievable miracles. You WILL be gifted all that is designed for you. Keep your mind positive. Keep thanking the universe for the good and bad lessons. Attract all that is yours. Keep an open mind and be positive!

Sending you lots of love, smiles and magic for your gifts to be presented to you in the most opportune time.

COVID.

This year definitely has been different! There have been both positives and negatives but today I wanted to focus on how Covid has affected my profession.

I am a Registered Nurse and I LOVE what I do. If I wasn’t in nursing, I honestly don’t know what else I would do with my life. Nursing has taught me about our beautiful bodies and how they can heal themselves. It has rewarded me with amazing lifetime friends. It has allowed me to have moments with colleagues at work. But the most important aspect of nursing is that it allowed me to channel my energy into always helping.

Since childhood, the one trait to follow me has been the desire to help anyone that comes across my path. With nursing I am able to help my coworkers but also the patients that come through our doors. That is the best gift that God could have given me. To use His teachings to provide a moment of comfort to our sick patients. My biggest rule for myself is to treat each patient as my own family. What would I want done for my family? To be an advocate and try to make them feel at home.

With Covid, the workflow has changed. We’re constantly bundled up from head to toe and the patient can’t really get to know who I am. Or even see the smile that I am trying to share with them. Our patients are sicker. And sadly, we can’t help everyone the way we would like to in a perfect world. Covid has allowed me to appreciate the “simpler” times of nursing, for the lack of a better word.

It has been hard because no visitors are allowed. So our patients are lonely. They’re feeling sick. They need the human touch. They need interaction. And all they have is us! The thing that Covid has helped me with is becoming a better listener. Sometimes all our patients need is an ear to hear about how they are truly feeling. They might pretend to put up a front for their families for fear of worrying them. Other times I’ve held a patients hand while they have cried because they miss their children. No matter what the topic, each individual leaves a little part of their history with me. They share their stories so I can add them to my collection pot.

I thank each patient because they allow me in to their personal lives. They teach me patience. They teach me about faith. They teach me resilience. But that is only one side of the story.

Covid has changed the definition of nursing. Something that I loved and looked forward to each and every day as a service to others, has become somewhat of a chore.

I am tired.

Don’t get me wrong. I am thankful that I have a job during this pandemic. But the extra stresses Covid has brought upon not only my body physically but mentally and emotionally are taking its toll. I feel burnt out. I feel like I am on this never ending routine of coming to work hyperalert. I go to work and assess all my patients and then see what my sickest one needs. Can I prepare and stop them from getting worse? Is there anything I can do to help them from dying? Sometimes the guilt of someone passing may reside; could I have done something different?!

Standing for practically your whole shift, wearing an airtight mask that might make you dizzy or nauseous, not getting any water or bathroom break until it’s your actual lunch, standing in these rooms for hours on end and always being in an adrenaline mode are some of the things that we experience every day. As a nurse, we prioritize the health and care of our patients before our own. It’s not that I don’t care about myself. It’s just that I am trying to prevent Covid from winning.

There are days I’ve kept my composure at work, when all I want to do is scream. There are days that my feet ache so bad but I have to push through it for the sake of the person lying on the other side of the door. There are days that I get into my car, take a breath of fresh air and bawl like a baby because the stress is finally spilling out of me. After releasing all of last nights work, I get right back up and go back to work. Why? Because I still love what I do. I love helping my coworkers. I love helping my patients. And I pray that all the little pieces my patients give to me, that I can offer them even a tiny glimmer of hope, love and encouragement to fight! To win the battle against Covid. To defeat it and have a healthy recovery. To be with family again.

I hate Covid! I’ll say it a million times. I don’t understand you or why you’ve come to harass us. But I can thank Covid for one thing. Covid has changed my perspective and taught me to love. Love my life. Taught me to live life like it truly might be my last day. Covid doesn’t differentiate between age, race, or how rich you might be. Covid might just be lurking and waiting for the right opportunity. But it won’t take away my desire to live life in a way that I can radiate all the love God has blessed me with.

To my reader: if you have lost someone or know someone that is sick with covid or an essential worker, I am truly and deeply sorry for what you are going through. I understand you. You are not alone. I am sending you lots of hugs, good vibes, prayers and love to help you through this rough time. Remember to live your life to the fullest (safely) because we are not promised tomorrow. Don’t take the people around you for granted. And if you need someone to talk to, I am here. ❣️

Smiles.

Take a moment and while you read these words, SMILE. Even if you’re not feeling like smiling, just try it. Give it about 30 seconds. How do you feel? Do you feel happier? Do you feel lighter? Doesn’t it seem as if whatever was wandering around in your mind has gone to rest?

There’s so many different types of “smiles.” You know what I’m talking about. You have a smile when you’re trying to be polite, you have a smile that is sympathizing for what one might be going through, you have your fake smile, you have a smile that you use for your pictures, you have a smile with your lips closed, and another smile where you showcase all your teeth, you have an awkward smile, a flirty smile, etc. The list goes on. But I want you to feel that genuine smile where you feel that you are on top of the world, your cheeks can’t go any higher, your eyes can’t squint any smaller, and your muscles actually begin to hurt! Smile as if that’s the only thing that could save this planet!

You know that a smile can change a lot within seconds. The greatest thing is that you don’t have to have a reason to smile. But your smile can change not only your mood but that of the person on the receiving end. With COVID and having to mask up it can be hard to translate your beautiful smile to the world. But sometimes even behind our cloaked mouths, when you see someone’s eyes squint and cheeks rise up from behind the mask, you can kind of guess that they might be exchanging a smile with you.

Isn’t it wonderful that even when we are concealed we can emit this human expression? The best part is that it comes at no cost! Smiles have the power to transfer radiating energy from one person to another without any real effort. Plus you get a health benefit for yourself, to feel good!

Remember, everyone is going through hardships right now. We truly can’t see what they’re going through, heck we can’t even see a person’s whole face anymore to read them. But continue to spread smiles even if they go unnoticed by others. At least you’ll be smiling because you carry the key to the first thing that melts a persons heart. Like the first smile of a newborn that spreads a happiness like no other around the room, continue to always curl the corners of you mouth upwards!

May you have a SMILEY day!

“Jin Prem Kiyo, Tin Hi Prabh Payo”

“Jin prem kiyo, tin hi prabh payo.”

This is one of my favorite lines from the Tav Prasad Savaiye ji, which is a Sikh prayer. Now don’t quote me on the meaning because I only take what my heart and mind interpret from each prayer, as I don’t know all the specifics.

If I were to translate this into English, it is stating that “Those that love wholeheartedly, can attain God.” God can be your own definition or belief. I call Him: Waheguru.

Ever since I was young and could understand what this line meant, it has always held a special place in my heart. I always questioned if I was one of those that could love hard enough to attain Him? I questioned if I was pure enough to even think of that thought. I questioned why I would get teary eyed or what made my heart feel heavy with an urge of sadness at times when I read this. Could it be that I was feeling in some ways how God must be feeling when He looked upon the wonderful world He created and how His children behave towards each other? Or worse, how we behave towards Him?

I am not God, but I do believe that all of us have a piece of Him rooted in us. So is it that part of me that feels all these intense emotions of others? I feel as if I am emotionally drained at times and need a time out to reset because the load becomes heavy and I am running on low battery. The hardest part is to remain loving when faced with adversity, challenges, or an uncomfortable change. But I think that is the superpower that God gave us all. To continue to overcome the things that plague our minds daily, we have to take off the armor that we have up against this world and be vulnerable for even a moment. Vulnerability allows us to hopefully attain harmony within ourselves.

For this balance in life, faith is necessary. Think of all the possibilities if only we believe in something unseen. If I use the gift and connection of my mind, body, and soul, I can make it possible to attain God with love. The first step for all that love to even touch me is to learn to have self love. I have to be my best friend, my own cheerleader, and my own soulmate before I can offer myself to others. I can only illuminate the light and love I have for others if I have it for myself. We already are compiled from an invisible thread tethered to Him as our roots. As a result there is a universally collective invitation of myself and others of the love trickling through the warmth of hugs, the radiation of energy through our words, and auras of our hearts. In that moment, we have reached a pure form of love that can only be joined by God.

Think back to the most loving memories you have.

It is almost as if time stood still. Everything is in slow motion. You can hear your breathing. You can feel your heartbeat. You want to keep giving to the person that stands on the other side of your eyes. You feel as if nothing can touch you or bring you down. You are in moment of absolute bliss. The smile that curves upward doesn’t fade. Your mind is blank. There is passion. There is a burning glow within you. All you can simply think of is LOVE.

I hope that you find multiple moments in your day that lead to this frozen picture of time. If you could accumulate all the memories at the end of your life, wouldn’t you want to collect as many as you could? If you knew today is your last day, what significance would anything else have? None. You would only want to be wrapped in that feeling of euphoria and ecstasy.

May you find the love to attain God.

Falling.

It’s odd how time can really change so many things unexpectedly in our lives. Last year I was grieving the loss of a relationship I thought I’d never be able to recover from. I was falling so low in that time of life. I was always in a state of sadness. Almost as if a part of me was ripped away and I’d never be able to experience joy or be myself again. But I was so wrong. I am glad that I am far away from that episode in my life because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to find the other half that God actually intended me to be with.

So I guess, in a different way, I am still falling. I am falling deeper in love. I’m falling deeper in love with myself and more confident because a broken relationship can take a toll and steal that from you. I have slid into a time zone where all moments are full of falling into my comfort zone. Being able to get up and have a desire to outpour all the love that has been given to me so I can touch another soul.

The soul that has touched me and has me falling more than I ever thought possible is named D’von.

He has always been in my life as my friend. And little did we both know, but we had hidden feelings for each other. Sometimes time just isn’t our friend. But time eventually comes to the right moment where the magic of love can start its manifestations. The universe intended this to be our year. After professing our truths during a serendipitous encounter, we eventually began to talk on a more intimate level and voila! I have been blessed with an amazing six months of being his.

God definitely intends all good things to fall in place on their own. I am so lucky to have such a good man in my life. There truly is a difference between a man and a boy. I see it now. He knows exactly what he wants. He does not hold any uncertainties. He takes care of me. He lets the world know that I am his.

D’von has been there for me in ways he probably won’t even know. He has reached me on a different spiritual, emotional and physical level that no one else has. He has the power to make me want to be better not only for him, but for myself. He has a power to lure me in to just sit and listen to him forever. Or just lie there in the quiet moments just looking at his peaceful face. He completely fills my heart in so many ways that I can’t even keep count of all the previous cracks that he’s filled with happiness.

And the best part is that this isn’t even the most love I will have for him. I am continually falling for him, his charming ways, his love filled smile, his comforting arms and his words of love that he cuddles me with. I know I sound like a cliché and sappy, blind-in-love girl but I don’t care to hide it.

Falling can be one of the scariest things in life. I was trying to protect my heart in the beginning because of fear. I didn’t want to lose a friendship. I didn’t want to invest my heart if it had a possibility of being broken again. Now I am not scared. I am so positive about the man that my heart beats for. Sometimes things just feel right. There is nothing that I am more sure of in this life. My soul is finally at ease because the life that I was supposed to be bound to has found it’s connection at last.

I hope to continue falling with this man. I have a partner in crime that puts up with my dorkiness. How lucky am I to be falling so openly. Falling so freely. Falling away from the bondage of pain. Falling away from fear. Falling away from all that can ever hold me back. Falling so satisfyingly in love. I thank you for falling right in to my life at the perfect moment, my D’von. I love you.

Julianna.

I feel like this post will never be enough because not enough is known and yet I know everything about my sweet Julianna. This post will always be a work in progress because it is about one such person that I have met, but also never met. How can that be? Have you ever felt like there is someone you have known your whole life but hadn’t met but only a mere moment?

This post is about my niece, Julianna Bailey Dickover. She is the first child of my best friend, Jessica. Out of our group of friends, Jess was the first one to get pregnant. We couldn’t be happier! Jess and Brian truly allowed such a big and beautiful part of their lives to cause so much joy! And as her belly grew, so did the memories of laughter and the planning of how life would be like when Julianna came and allowed us to meet her physically. We saw Julianna growing inside her mommy.  We felt her moving! Such a beautiful miracle of life. But God had other plans.

***

I still remember the day Jess called me. I was orienting at my new job and saw her name flash across my phone. My instincts told me I had to take the call. My heart dropped. Something didn’t feel right. I ran to the stairway on my unit so I could have some privacy. Jess was crying to me and telling me about her doctors appointment. Julianna had fluid in her brain and later on we learned she also had lissencephaly. At first there were so many questions in my mind to understand and grasp everything. But there wasn’t enough time for all that. Thoughts came at me a million miles per second but nothing made sense. How could this be? Why was this happening to Jess? And why Julianna?! So many unanswered questions but there was only one thing left to do in times of uncertainty. I prayed for my friend and for the innocent soul who I had yet to meet. What was going to happen now? I can’t even imagine what Jess and Brian were going through.

My guardian angel was born on May 31, 2017.

Such a bittersweet day. The day we had all waited for. But some things aren’t meant to be…Jess sent us pictures of such a beautiful angel. Julianna was perfect. She looked so at peace. So precious. So lovely! But she wasn’t meant to be a part of this world. She had better plans than any of us could imagine.

Yet I still couldn’t believe that I would never be able to hold her. I wouldn’t be able to teach her how to say aunty. I wouldn’t be able to give her the biggest hugs when she needed them. Or be there to wipe away her tears. I wouldn’t be able to swing her up in the air so she could fly. I wouldn’t be able to get into tickle fights that would leave us both laughing. But what God did ensure was something different.

Julianna was the one doing all that and more for me…

When Julianna’s journey as my guardian angel began there was so much rain! As if the whole world was crying with us to lose such a special human being from this world. But Julianna never failed to show up with the rainbow that follows to allow us all to know that life is full of color. It is not dull and grey. She was still always there in spirit.

During the month of May is when I truly feel her the most. I feel her in every moment. I do get depressed, but I know I shouldn’t be sad because she is with God who takes care of her much more than we can even imagine. From above she watches me during the night as she guides me being the brightest star that I see. When I need someone the most, that is when I feel her hugs full of love and small whispers in my mind. Any time I see butterflies, I know that she is near. When life becomes too serious, she continues to prank me through life to make me laugh. And the color lavender, which signifies her presence for me, is always present in my life. Seen in flowers in front of my home which always seem to be in blossom. The dusky sky continues to light up as a pinkish, purple to remind me that my sweet Julianna is watching and guiding.

The significance of Julianna in my life is unsaid. Even if I try to, I will never be able to explain how much I love this little girl that I have never had the chance to meet. I am truly lucky and blessed for the moments I was able to feel her grow and kick and show us how strong she is while in her equally strong mommy. The pain of loss and emptiness will always be there in my heart. However, the fulfillment of love and appreciation of life she has given me will always be present as well.

I know that one day I will be able to hold her the way I have always dreamt of. Until then, I hope that all my words reach you baby girl. I hope that you know how much I LOVE YOU! I hope you know that I miss you. Until we meet again ❤

Blinding Colors

Sometimes I like to just be blind. Not literally blind, where I have no vision at all. But my definition of blind, where I am wearing no glasses to correct the lens of this world.

Ever since I was in kindergarten, I have always had trouble seeing so I would have to sit in the front of the class. I tried to tell my parents but my dad didn’t want to face the truth of me being blind I think because I didn’t get glasses until the 6th grade. Even now, I wear my glasses and hide behind them if I can. Other times I am able to see like the rest of the world with my contacts and act like my natural eye can see all. But is it really worth it to see everything around you? I learned from a young age that perspective of where you are sitting can change your view of the world.

Personally, I like to be blind to the world at times. Sometimes, I will just take off my glasses and look at how the world appears to me. If there was no invention of the glasses that allow me to see perfectly, what would I even be able to do? I wouldn’t be able to work as a nurse, which is my passion. I wouldn’t be able to write without getting too close to the keyboard or my paper. I wouldn’t be able to see the beautiful faces of strangers and loved ones because they would all become a magnificent blur. I wouldn’t be able to see the amazing shapes that bless this world! But I would still be able to see color! All the blinding colors of this mysterious world!

Color is one thing that remains constant in my life. In times of ups and downs, color is always around! Whether it is the bright greens of grass, deep blues of the ocean, graying of the cloudy sky impregnated with rain, or pitch blackness of nothing when I look up into the ceiling late at night. Any time I look at a vivid color I always sense that I am taking in it’s energy. I feel my eyes tingle and brighten up with each different shade passing me by. It is almost as if the colors are breathed into me through the souls of my eyes. Even when I am the passenger in the car, I often times love taking off my glasses to see the stoplights because to me they aren’t perfect round shapes of green, yellow, and red. Instead, they look like giant kaleidoscope balls of fireworks ready to burst!

With everything going on in life, there is so much to put into perspective. Currently, as a nurse I am employed on the COVID unit. Now, we are blessed to not be as burdened as those that are working in other countries or New York, which has been hit hard and losing so many precious lives. However, I am stressed in my own way. I don’t want to spread anything to my other coworkers, my parents, my siblings, my friends, or even strangers when I have to go out to get essential supplies. But at the same time, I don’t want to live my life in fear.

All of this is teaching me that instead of being afraid, I need to embrace my gift and passion and take it all in by turning a blind eye. Turning a blind eye to this horrific disease that threatens to pull us all apart. There is so much negativity that we hear about! But I want to take off my glasses and just see that there is another human being lying in that bed. He or she is sick. He or she is alone. He or she is not even allowed the human touch. He or she can’t even see my face. He or she doesn’t have the freedom to still walk in and out as they please. He or she can’t enjoy all the immense and deep colors of this world because they are trapped. Their disease is encaging them to be confined in a room.

At the end of the day, there is one lesson I have learned. All human beings yearn for the main basic needs. Fresh air, water, safety, belonging, shelter, and love. So I choose to turn a blind eye and paint my patient’s worlds with color! What would I want if that were me or my loved one?! I choose to stay in their room to talk to them. If that can create a smile, I will coordinate that with a bubblegum pink. I choose to listen to their stories, which may be labelled as the colors of the rainbow. I choose to try to offer them a chance to reminisce through memories they tell me of their families, which can be a soft lavender! I choose to laugh with them: a fiery yellow. And if needed, I will listen to their anger, fear, or hurt and touch their hand as they cry: a ruby, blood red. If I can bring in an aura of a color and connect with them in my own way, I will.

I hate this illness that is going around. But one good thing that I see coming from this is that people are coming together, including strangers. It is showing me that we need to come together and pay it forward to those in need right NOW because who knows?! In the future, when you are in need that might just come back to you. So continue to see and feel all the hues of this world. And these hues may be an actual color, or it may come in the shape of a person, an animal, an experience, or even you being there for yourself. Continue to feel the intensity of this life. The aura of all that is around you is alive! So inhale all of the colors around you, and exhale all that which you don’t want to spread to yourself or others. Turn a blind eye to any dullness in front of you and change perspective by coloring life however you want to! The best part is, no one can tell you what to paint it with! Have a rainbow day and may you be blinded by a color of your choosing!

Why me, God?

Today I write this because I have finally looked at the other side of the question “Why me, God?” Constantly I am wondering ‘why me’ because of a negative event in my life. No one wants to believe that they deserve something bad, especially when trying to be the best person they can be. However, what if the negative, no matter how undesirable it may be, always leads to a positive moment or realization in life? Maybe we just can’t see it as that in that moment.

Throughout life there will be many ups and downs and episodes of happiness mixed with sadness. The one question that has always been at the back of my mind is “why me?” This doesn’t necessarily have to be only when I go through my “down” days but also when I feel at the top of the world and like nothing can touch me. What is my purpose in life? Why am I allowed to live the life I am, while others have to suffer? Is there more that I can do to help?

We as human beings were given a huge chance to become something, to do something substantial, and fulfill the will of God. We may forget this from time to time. We might not even believe in a God. But there is some kind of force or higher being that continues to follow and guide us through life despite our recognition of Him, Her, or It. He continues to wake you up each and every morning. Why?

Having been given this life is a privilege because not every being or thing in this life is allowed to speak their mind. I believe there is spirit in animals and nature, for example. So why were those spirits not allowed the chance to be me? Because of my belief in reincarnation, I believe that there must have been something in my past life that I did well enough to still have the mind to speak to God and pray, but I committed enough sin that I wasn’t able to get out of this birth-death cycle to stay right next to God in my real home, Heaven. I was blessed enough to get a second chance.

So why me or you who are reading this? Because there IS a purpose. Each of our lives were planned from before we were even born. God has laid out a plan for me and you but we have different routes to get there. In addition, there is a plot twist! He gave us free will! So although we have a mission in this life, we can easily find obstacles and hiccups because we choose to do what our heart desires (which may not always be the right path). But as human beings we learn. Plus, I believe God has always had his hand on our head, guiding the way out of these road blocks.

It is so easy to judge another person. This is especially true when someone does something that is not morally correct. Granted, there are some things in life where we just can’t give another chance. However, who are we to judge? God still allows this person to have another chance, to wake up, and to right his or her wrongs. So why does my ego get in the way and and allow me to be so hard on someone just trying to get their life back on track? I may not agree with their way, but their life is not mine to live. We should never give up the love we have instilled in us for another human being. Even the worst person we know has Gods love running through him or her and we should always allow him or her to feel that. Maybe that is our purpose.

I woke up filled with so much light, happiness, and an intention to write this today. I feel as if God wants to use me to tell people going through it that this is NOT the end. There is heaven! And heaven can be achieved on Earth, if we all truly try. It doesn’t necessarily have to become a reality after we die. Maybe that has always been part of the plan but we have forgotten because of the race to become the best, get the most money, have the flashiest jewelry, etc.

There will always be sadness, suffering, heartbreak, and loss. However, there is always a reason. I don’t know what the reason is. But through these moments in life we also see love, togetherness, and human effort to help one in need. God is in all of these moments. Like have you ever felt the satisfaction of having a prayer answered just when you were ready to give up? It simply cannot be expressed in words. He wants us to see that no matter what we are going through there is always someone he leads in our lives to help. Sometimes it can be a stranger who takes a detour in life to reassure us that God got you! He got you like the pinky promise the sun makes with the moon to let her shine every night as he takes a break from the day.

God wants me to use my words today so you can find that love in your heart. Have you seen someone who has been suffering or just not been themselves? Maybe try to comfort them through words. Tell them you see him or her and are there for them if they need anything. Even if you can’t give them something tangible, give them your time. Like that song by Joan Osborne that asks “what if God was one of us?” Let us hear each others prayers out and try to do what God would. He is watching and listening and I truly believe that every person I have ever met has had a purpose in my life to teach me something. Most of the ups and downs in life have taught me that I am SO VERY LOVED! Everywhere I look, I am always looking at either a familiar or an unfamiliar face full of love for me. They may not express it through the words “I love you,” but it is there. We have all been programmed to love and not hate. Like the pure heart of a baby, we were created to smile, cuddle, hug, be innocent, and enjoy the exact moment we are in. And if you think about it, those are probably some of your favorite moments with the people that you love.

Why me, God? Because He knew I had a chance to touch someones life in a loving way. You have a reason to live even if you may not feel like it. There are so many people that love you no matter what you are going through in life. Life is a hard and long journey. But it could be the most beautiful journey if you only try to find God or the spirit of happiness in every moment. You will be just fine. And if someone hasn’t told you today, I LOVE YOU, YOU MATTER, AND I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU ARE ALIVE ON THIS BLESSED DAY!

Love your life. Love the people around you. And spread a form of love to family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers. ❤