An end and a beginning

They say amputees still reach out and scratch their missing limb...and though that isn't the most eloquent analogy, it is what I have felt like since leaving you for your new adventure.
Noises in the night aren't you coming home, there is no need to make extra portions at dinnertime, and I have no one to blame when I misplace something. A piece of me is missing, or perhaps displaced is a better word. A part of me is sad, but a bigger part of me is unbelievably proud. I have seen so many changes in you, each alteration enhancing the woman that you are and will become.
Grandma used to say children were like trees - When they were young, you had to protect them and brace them so they would grow straight and strong. The elements would batter the seedling as it grew, causing it to bend and sway, but you were there to give it the support it needed and set it straight again. When it no longer needed your help to stand and grow, you would trim and shape it...helping its limbs get stronger. Then, much too soon, you would find it could stand on its own, with strong roots and branches that you yourself would seek solice and shade under.
You are a beautiful young lady, smart and strong, stubborn and righteous. There will be many battles ahead, happiness and disappointment. Through it all, remember this...I will always be there when you need me most.
Maybe one day we will revive the "mantras", but for now, I will leave you with my most important lessons:
1. To achieve true love you must be willing to give everything of yourself, to be your most vulnerable, to trust and in return be trustworthy. You will know your true love by the sacrifices they are willing to make for you, and you them. Love is a compromise, and can only get stronger if both involved are willing to look beyond themselves and into each others' hearts.
2. The only way people will respect you is if you respect yourself. Your self esteem can only be controlled by one person...you. There will always be someone who doesn't like you because of how you look or what you have to say, you must learn to believe in yourself enough to turn away from that kind of negativity.
3. Never stop learning...I believe it was one of the first mantras I ever wrote. Self-education is the single most important part of a person's growth. You must earn the right to have an opinion, and the only way you can do that is by learning.
4. Judge your wealth by those who love you. You have learned a valuable lesson at a young age, material things can disappear with a puff of smoke. It is the love of friends and family that cannot be broken...bruised sometimes, but never broken.
5. You will always be my little girl.

The Higher the Horse, the Farther the Fall

The temptation to criticize someone else's weaknesses can be alluring. Our culture teaches us to feel better about ourselves when we can point out the faults of others. But are you perfect? Have you nothing to criticize? I wonder if you turned that judgemental eye on yourself how would you fair?

Not Just About Trees

The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The next best time to plant a tree is today.

Get Rich in 30 Days!

Every time someone has told me a way that I could double my money, make a quick buck, or get paid for doing nothing...I have ended up in debt, trouble, or both. Hard work, passion, a little luck, talent, and a lot of perseverance...those are the only ingredients to success.
We all measure success in different ways, but I suggest you consider what you had to do to get it a good barometer. If you are not proud of the way you achieve something, then how can you be proud of the results?
I also, once again, must stress that money is not success. I am not the best compensated Director of Sales in New York, but I sure am happy. I strive to earn the respect of my peers, my coworkers, my manager, and my clients. I do so without false promises, disrespect or subterfuge...this I am proud of. This is success.

Falling in Love - Part II

There is no formula for knowing you are in love. There is no divine intervention that tells you that the person you have feelings for is "the one". I only know that being in love should never hurt, you should never have to sacrifice who you are for the one whom you are with. You must ask the question, am I being asked to become someone completely different than who I was when I met this person? If so, why did they love me in the first place?
If I sound dour and forboding, I do not mean to be. I would only hope that you find the kind of joy that I have, before you have given up like I almost did. Falling in love with the right person has empowered me to grow into the person I have always wanted to be. Being in love has taught me the valuable lesson of trust, patience, and faith, not only in the one I love, but in myself.

Bugs Bunny was a Cross Dresser

I mean, really...did you ever see that rabbit with a real girl? Every time he was in trouble...on went a dress, and it wasn't just Elmer that he was cozying up to. Not that there is anything wrong with that...I'm just sayin' that wabbit was into some kinky stuff.

Falling in Love - Part I

Falling in love is the most exciting time of a person's life. The early stages of a relationship are filled with passion, discovery, fear and hope. Love is a heady drug that can be as euphoric or devastating as any illegal substance you may try (I hear). Using that metaphor, it can also distort the way you see, think and feel. It is important to remember that the real substance of a relationship, the real test, is during the hangover, it is then when you can see things more clearly. (It generally coincides with you and your partner's willingness to pass gas in front of each other.)
The most important point I make in this lesson - Part I if you will - is to not make any major decisions before you emerge from the "love haze". Moving in, engagements, financial commitments...this all should wait until you are able to see and think clearly.