fearless

There was a sense of hesitancy in her before she went back stage
I wasn't sure if she would dance or hide in the background
If I was her, I may have choosen the back ground
But she was FEARLESS

She got up there with confidence
I saw her bravely step into the moment
The light was on, and she shined
I was in awe

There was no second thought
No hesitancy
It was just her, in the moment
Dancing

Remember when you didn't have that fear of what others thought?
Remember when you let loose, had fun, and just did it for the sake of doing it?
That is where she was
In the moment

Oh how I wish I could get back to that mind
The mind of believing in myself
Of letting go
Of not caring what others thought

She has it
And my hope is that she holds onto it for as long as she can
Because it is magic
And it is light

It is how we should all be
Dancing to the beat of our own drum
Letting go
And having the music guide us

finding my way

On wobbly legs I traveled to the land of the bean with him.  With each step I took the ground felt uncertain.  I wasn't sure where I was going or what my heart would encounter.  I was losing the path I had been traveling on, but I boarded the plane anyway.

This new city greeted us both with sunshine.  We made our way to Millennium Park where he slept off the early morning flight and I wandered around.  Notebook in hand I found a cozy spot to write and spilled my words onto the page.  Opening up, letting go, releasing the fear and worry.  Within that park I stumbled upon my path, finding my way again.

I felt the weight of the worry lift from my shoulders.  This whole time I knew where I was going, I was just fearful of losing my way.

letters across the miles

Dear Kristine,

Oh how the time has flown since our last letter to one another.  I apologize for not writing to you last week.  I was off in the land of the bean and I had a letter in the queue to go, but it never published.  Such is technology some times.

This time of year is filling my soul with sunshine and happiness.  I have been riding my bicycle and have gotten back into running.  I am scheduled to run a 5k in July and I want to be ready for it.

I have been thinking a lot about the choices we make and how even one small choice can change our lives forever.  We never know the outcome of what we choose until we choose it.  We have to trust our heart, take a leap, and see where the path opens up to.  People ebb and flow into our lives constantly and others stick around for a long while.  We never know upon meeting someone if the moments we have together will be fleeting or last a long long time.

Because of this, I am learning each day to appreciate the moments.  To soak in the sunshine, the flower blooming, the quick encounter at the grocery store when the gentleman let me go ahead of him.  It is the small things that make a big difference and we never know when those small things will happen.

There are so many different ways we can touch others lives.  Have you ever heard of the Warrior Canine Connection (WCC)?  They are a Non-Profit Organization from Maryland that raises and trains Golden and Labrador retriever puppies that will be placed with disabled Veteran's as Mobility Service Dogs.  Before the dogs go to a disabled Veteran WCC works with Soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who train the puppies.

My Aunt Alice, who is a total dog lover introduced me to the organization.  They have a live puppy came that you can watch online and see the nine new puppies that were just born about two weeks ago.  I warn though watching them can become addictive because they are so darn cute.  Even for me who isn't an animal lover checks in on the cam to see how big they have grown.

The organization has been entered into the Veterans Charity Challenge where they could win up to $35,000 to put towards raising and training the dogs.  I have been to WCC and was amazed.  They are a top notch organization doing everything they can from their hearts to help these wounded Veterans and Soldiers with PSTD.  These men and women have given up so much for our country and they need our help.

If you know anyone that would be interested in donating they can head on over to HERE to make a donation.  No amount is to small because as I have learned through this blogging community when we come together in our own small ways we can make big things happen.  The contest is running until July 3rd and all the money that is raised goes to WCC, so it is a win win.

I love the power of the internet and how we are able to help one another so easily.  It is such a beautiful and strong thing.

I hope you are doing well in your part of the world and that the summer has been treating you kindly.  What have you been up to?

Sending you so much love and looking forward to hearing back from you.

xo
Jennifer
{09}

favorite things

Baseball
One of my favorite things

When I used to live alone I did not have a television.  I would sit on my couch in my apartment and listen to the Yankees on the radio.  There was something magical about listening to the games on the radio.  I loved it.  

I really enjoy going to baseball games.  The energy of the crowd.  The excitement of being there.  It thrills me.  One of the things on my life list is to visit every baseball stadium.  I have a few checked off and more to go.

What is one of your favorite things?

one moment

In a moment everything can change
In one split second your life could flip upside down
One small decision
One micro movement
Changing everything, forever

What brings upon that thought
What has spoken in your heart to lead to that moment
How did you get there
Where do you go from here
How did it all unfold, like this

These moments creep up on us
Strike when we are least expecting
We are left breathless
Our insides shaken up
Our minds a flutter of indecision

The world is now altered
Once we see something, we cannot un see it
So where do we go from here
How do we step through this moment
And arrive on the other side ok

choose love

It is here where the dreaming begins
Right in my backyard
Ideas filling my mind
Heart fluttering
The picture of a full life motivating me to take the
LEAP

I sit here scribbling away
My pen unable to move as quickly as my mind
Thought after though bringing a smile to my face
I am glowing
I am in awe that I ended up here
In this moment FREELY dreaming

There were times when it was dark
Dreams shattered before even given a chance to bloom
Jelousy hindering my inner desires
A closed enviornment closing me in even tighter
There was no space to sit and breathe
No sunshine filling my SOUL

I traveled a journey to get here
Falling down many times
Learning how to stand on my own
I choose to cling onto faith and hope
I choose to reach high
LET GO

And now I sit here
In this serene enviorment
Encoruaged to go further, dig deeper, find what moves me
I no longer have to hide my inner desires
I am free to dream, to be, to open up
TOGETHER we brainstorm and I take action

I didn't know that my journey would take me here
All I knew was that I had to follow my heart
With each step I took, I had to listen to that inner voice
And here I am in full bloom
Choosing love
Leaping freely into my soul, letting go together