Dear Universe, It’s hard for me to believe, but I started this blog a year ago. I had the idea for some time before it actually came to be. And then last Thanksgiving I shared with my brother that at some point I wanted to try and start this—maybe even months from then. After all, I told him, I wasn’t …
Day of Thanks-Giving
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” ~William Arthur Ward Dear Universe, You already know I’m a fan of reading lists and making lists. So here are a few things about me—Thanksgiving edition. 1. For as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has been my favorite time of year. I like that …
Express Yourself
Dear Universe, I talk… a lot. I’m a chatter, a gabber, a socializer, a silence breaker… So when I got an email from my friend with the link to an article, “40 Things to Say Before You Die,” with her subject heading, “absolutely the best thing I’ve read, ever,” I had to read on. What were these 40 things and …
Take a Timeout
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Dear Universe, For a while …
It Moves You
Dear Universe, For the past couple of weeks I keep seeing the same billboard off the highway as I crawl through traffic. It’s for a car—don’t ask me which one—and the slogan reads, “It moves you.” I’m always struck by the line. Every time I read it I wonder: what is it that really moves me? Not in the physical …
Moment to Moment
Dear Universe, In life we often remember “moments.” Whether they were ones that stole our breath, ones that we anticipated or ones that we’d rather forget—somehow life can be strung together in a series of moments—almost like a photo album of our lives. Birth, first steps, first birthday, first day of school, first friend, first dance, first kiss, first job, …
Joie de Vivre
Joie de Vivre… Joy of Living Dear Universe, You know I love Paris and all things French. More often than not, one can find me wearing my “joie de vivre” necklace. For me, it’s a reminder that each day is a gift and a joy. Each day is meant to be enjoyed. The French know how to live. Specifically, they …
Give Love
“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ~Mother Teresa Dear Universe, A little over a year ago I was in the library doing research for my last grad class. By accident, or more likely by fate, I stumbled upon on a book with a title that grabbed my attention: 29 Gifts: How a …