\"Can\'t Smile Without You\"What do you remember from your childhood? I remember so many things!!! Being mommy’s special helper while the older kids were in school…coming home to freshly baked chocolate chip cookies after a long day at school…monopoly marathons…family vacations…
I remember loving having two brothers and a sister….and not loving having siblings! On Sunday afternoons, my dad would take us for a drive. He purposely would tried to get lost on back country roads, just to figure out how to get home. No GPS back then to help us. We would go up really really steep hills and my brother Carl would grab my hand and inform me that there was just a cliff at the top of the hill and our lives would soon end. I would begin to cry and after Betsy and Bob got a good laugh, mom made everyone stop picking on me. This happened so many times, and each time, I fell for it!
Bob did his share of stirring up trouble. He liked to tattoo my Barbies. He would tickle Betsy until she threatened to throw up. He and Carl would wrestle until someone got hurt. Yet, as we got older, we played musical instruments together and when our parents weren’t home, my siblings and I loved to dance to music from the 70’s and 80’s.
When I saw this video, I had to laugh. I had a crush on Barry Manilow and his song, “Can’t Smile Without You” was one that I hummed a lot! This video also made me think about how my brothers made me want to cry–I can relate to the little sister!
So, what do you remember from your childhood? Are there siblings or friends you haven’t been in contact with for some time? Why not utilize www.IStillRememberYou.com and begin a search for them? They may just be thinking about their memories of times with you.
Listen to your heart…
Posts Tagged ‘family’
Class Reunions
Sunday, July 11th, 2010
It’s hard to believe that we’re almost in mid-July! Where does the time go??? Trying to make connections with family and friends might be one of the reasons why summer flies by so quickly. There’s graduation celebrations, family reunions, weddings, class reunions, etc.
Class reunions. I’m sorry to admit it, but I’ve only attended one class reunion so far. I live in the town that I grew up in, stay in touch with friends, and honestly have had little interest in going to the class reunions. However, one my friends, Marie, recently attended hers and we talked about it.
Marie noticed that a lot of the “locals” didn’t attend. Yet, others made an effort to be there. Two people traveled by air, one person by train and the rest by personal vehicle. The out-of-towners were disappointed that the locals wouldn’t attend when all they had to do was show up–not travel for hours.
Marie and her classmates had fun looking through the old yearbooks. Little by little, because of existing friendships, they were able to note where most of their classmates are currently living, if they’re married, their jobs, etc. Out of a class of 150 people, nine have already passed away. Another nine or ten are seriously ill. That’s a wake up call!
There were easily twenty people whom no one had any information on. The postcards that were sent out regarding the class reunion were returned with “forwarding address unknown”. Marie said that she and her classmates were going to make a serious effort to find these twenty people and to see how they’re doing.
Marie asked how “I Still Remember You” works and I showed her the website. Hopefully in the near future she’ll begin posting searches. Wouldn’t it be awesome if she’s able to connect with a few of these missing classmates?
How about you? Who are you trying to connect with this summer? Is it a missing classmate from a class reunion? An acquaintance you’ve met at a wedding reception? A relative you’ve not seen in awhile? Let “I Still Remember You” help you with your search and make that connection.
Listen to your heart…
Game Night
Friday, February 12th, 2010
To welcome in the new year, my friends and I decided to play games for 12 hours straight! We started at 6:30 PM on New Year’s Eve and ended the following morning at 6:30 AM with breakfast. You have to understand that we LOVE playing games! If we were to add all of our games together, we probably have close to 200 games! Games of all sorts…card games, board games, kids’ games, you name it, we probably have it! One of my friends typed up the names of the games that he had on strips of paper and placed them in a jar. The winner of the first game then drew for the next game, and so on. We made it a rule that we had to play a game for at least a half hour before moving on to another game.
The first couple of games were ones that we recently played and like a lot — Royal Rummy, Five Crowns and Things. Then someone drew a budget game from the 1960’s! At first we cringed at the thought of opening the box. It was a game that none of us had played before. Bob’s mother picked it up at a garage sale. As we began to set up the game, we were amused by the cards and the tokens. Thinking that we would definitely quit after a half hour, we actually completed the game.
Some of the games the younger kids were able to join us. It’s always fun to see how fast their emotions change. They’re giddy when they’re winning, and they’re fighting back tears when they’re losing. Yet, they really enjoy playing games and like to play with the adults.
We tried out a brand new game called “Kings Go Free”. It actually is three different games, using the same deck of specialized cards. It was a lot of fun and provided us with a lot of laughter. If you’re looking for a new card game, I highly recommend checking out www.KingsGoFree.com or find it on Ebay.
One of the things that I enjoy about playing games is the opportunity to get caught up on each other’s lives. We talk about our families, our jobs and other things. We’re constantly laughing or yelping. It doesn’t really matter if we win or lose a game.
If you haven’t played any games in awhile, I really encourage you to get a group of friends together or your family and have a game night. Who knows, it might become a weekly or monthly event!
Listen to your heart…
Can you really find Someone Without Having A Name?
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010Without a doubt the internet has revolutionized the way we search for information. Just take a few moments to think about how involved and complicated it used to be. Even just ten, twenty or thirty years ago, trying to reconnect with somebody you had lost touch with was a time consuming task involving numerous postal or personal inquiries and searches through directories and registers in different locations. The internet and the development of laptops and mobile phones has changed all that, we can now, almost without exception search for what we want, when we want and get results.
The internet is awash with search engines and social network sites that can search for names but how can you find someone on the internet without knowing their name? It sounds impossible doesn’t it? Would it surprise you to learn that there are many thousands of people the world over trying to get back in touch with someone whose name or full name they don’t know? Well, it shouldn’t, don’t we all have these people in our past? It could be somebody that you struck up a friendship with many years ago on a long journey or at a holiday resort and whose contact details you have lost. It could be somebody from a school or a sports team or theatre group whose nickname you remember. The reality is that people move on, they marry and change their names, their nicknames and pet-names change too as they grow older but this does not alter the fact that you still remember them and they still remember you.
Visit I Still Remember You. This is a network that aims to reconnect people with one another. It works differently from other search sites and tools and you can use I Still Remember You to find people without knowing all or part of their names. It’s really simple to use, all you need is a time and a place. Here’s the technical bit, it uses a chrono-geographic search tool and interactive map which will allow you to create contacts to find someone you are looking for. You’ll know too if anyone is looking for you.
There is no doubt that we remember the impact that certain people have had on our lives for the rest of our lives, but now and then the finer details get lost along the way. Finding someone without knowing their name is not as daunting a task as you might think. What are you waiting for? Visit I Still Remember You and reconnect today.
Heroes
Sunday, January 24th, 2010
Bri...my hero
Heroes. What do you think about, when you hear the word “hero”? Do you think of cartoon or comic book versions of Superman, Spiderman or the Incredible Hulk? Do you think of someone saving another person’s life? Are you reminded of a situation in which someone helped you out? Maybe you picture an athlete or a star.
Sometimes a hero is someone who inspires you, someone who regardless of his or her disability, lives life to the fullest. For our family, my great niece Brianna is our hero. Brianna was born without her lower right forearm and hand, caused by Amniotic Band Syndrome (ABS). While in utero, her forearm and hand were caught in fibrous amniotic bands. Although we were all initially shocked and saddened by the news, Brianna quickly proved to us that having a missing limb is simply a way of life and not something to feel sorry about.
Brianna had to endure surgery prior to the age of one due to a different complication. While in the hospital, she kept a happy disposition and was loved by the nurses and doctors. Brianna is spunky, loving and adoring. She will be two in May and thoroughly loves her older brother Zach.
Bri naturally compensates for her missing hand. She can beat on a drum, she can push her toy baby stroller and she has mastered jumping from the coffee table to the couch to the floor! When other children inquire about Bri’s missing hand, they accept the fact that she was born that way. It’s not a big deal to them.
It’s not a big deal to them…but at what age does our society make a BIG DEAL out of people who may look a little different? Obviously it happens–we rarely see a person with a noticeable handicap in the limelight. Maybe we need to learn from kids–it’s no big deal if someone is blind, walks with crutches, or has a missing limb. It’s no big deal.
Bri is our hero because of her love for life. I actually think her mother, Amanda, is a hero as well. Amanda opened her own tutu business to help get the word out regarding ABS. According to Amanda, “The tutus and bows are all made in honor of my little princess Brianna (aka Bri) Even the name All Brianna’s Style represents her. She’s one stylish little girl and she also has amniotic band syndrome (ABS). It hasn’t stopped her one bit from doing everything the other little girls do.” Amanda encourages Bri to figure out things on her own. She is an advocate for children with special needs.
We know as Bri gets older, there may be rude or ignorant comments made. However, I believe that Bri will be able to take it all in stride and won’t let it knock her down. We believe that she can be anything she wants to be. Her dad loves to golf and we’re waiting for the day she can beat him on the golf course! May Bri continue to inspire others for many years to come. We thank God for the blessing of Bri (and Zach)!
How about you? Who’s a hero in your life? Why?
Listen to your heart…
Whisper “I Love You” Day
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
Today, is Whisper “I Love You” Day. I did a quick search on Google and there are sites that actually sell e-cards in honor of today! If you don’t tend to let family and friends verbally know that you love them, why not give it a go today? When you shock them with those three little words uttering from your mouth, you can also add a disclaimer, “Just trying to honor the day!”
But in all seriousness, why are we hesitant in letting people know that we love them? Why does it cause such an awkwardness? Perhaps you come from a family that freely says, “I love you” and hugs a lot. For some of the rest of us, “I love you” tended to be a form of good-bye when someone was headed off to the service, to college, etc. Within my circle of friends, we sometimes sign our cards “Love ya”, but rarely speak the words. When the words are spoken, it’s usually during a crisis or at a wedding.
Over the past few months, I have been trying to make more of an effort to let family and close friends verbally know that I love them. The usual response is “I love you too” or the person makes some sort of joke. Once in awhile someone will say that they really needed to know that someone loved them and cared.
If you’re like me and not used to saying “I Love You” a lot, how about challenging yourself? At least once a week, let someone know you love them. It might make a big difference in their day!
Listen to your heart…
Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
The people you love…
The places you’re a part of…
The experiences that make you smile…
The blessings that shower you…
The memories you hold onto…
A new year is a reminder to celebrate all the things that are good in your world….
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Listen to your heart…
The Gift
Friday, December 18th, 2009
Christmas is just one week away. Are you looking forward to the reaction on someone’s face when he/she opens the gift that you put a lot of thought into? Do you reminisce about past Christmases and some of the special gifts that you’ve received? This time of year makes me think about Isabella…
Isabella, an elderly woman, was feeling somewhat down. Her husband passed away two years ago and her children lived in different states. Her best friend just went into an assistive living facility. Rather than dwelling on these things, Isabella decided to haul out one of her closets and get rid of things that have been stored for decades. She began to pull out blankets, framed pictures, old souvenirs, books and other odds and ends.
In the far corner of one of the shelves, Isabella spotted a small box. Using her cane, she inched the box toward her until she was able to safely reach it. The box was a simple cardboard one, adorned with Christmas stickers. She took the box and sat down in a chair. Lifting the cover carefully, Isabella saw the white tissue paper with cute little drawings–a Christmas tree, Santa, a stocking and an angel. She instantly knew what was wrapped inside of the tissue. It was a bell given to her by her oldest son, Roger. Isabella removed the bell from the box and began to ring it gently. As it was ringing, a note fell out. In Roger’s eight year old handwriting, the note said, “Mommy, whenever you need a hug, ring this bell.” Isabella had no recall of ever seeing the note until that moment.
As she continued to gently ring the bell, her thoughts centered around Roger. He was such a thoughtful little boy, always caring for others. As a teen, he worked hard at a gas station. Roger got married in his 30’s and raised three children. Recently retired, he and his wife have been doing a lot of volunteering.
So lost in her thoughts, at first Isabella didn’t feel the hand placed on her shoulder. Then she heard his voice, “After all these years, you’re finally ringing my bell.” Realizing that Roger was in the room, Isabella turned around. Roger gave her a long hug and asked her to go downstairs with him. Gathered in her living room, were her children, their children and grandchildren! Isabella’s feeling blue quickly faded away as she talked and laughed with her family.
How about including a personal note with some of your gifts this year? You’ll never know when and how they’ll impact someone’s life.
Listen to your heart…
