To thine own self be nice.

So what have you done for yourself today?


I had the great fortune of spending time with two great friends. As I sat there for well over an hour I was feeling guilty about not working on many other things. However, in that time I became fueled for the rest of the day and I found that when I feel better about myself I can actually get more things accomplished. 


If we don't take the time to love ourselves we diminish our own capabilities. And we devalue the love we receive from others. 


Take time to feed your soul. Accept the love of taking care of you. 


Love and value yourself and the world will love and value you.

A tough day for a parent.

No, it wasn't anything tragic. Not even a little bit. It was just a bad attitude. Not even on my part. This is something that really gets to me. And I don't know how to deal with it.

My beautiful, amazing, son has a bad attitude and I can't seem to get through. He is only 7. He has a great life. Things could be so much worse. We could be homeless, or trying to survive countless other tragedies. We are not. And yet he comes home from school with this bad attitude.

This seems small, but I fear it could turn into days, weeks, or years of bad attitudes. What do I do? I would love some suggestions. My only answer at this time is to explain how I am worried, to tell him I love him, and to love him. All of him, bad attitude and everything.

Tomorrow will be a new day. I can make sure it is full of love. Beyond that I have no control other than to love him. I hope you have a day full of love too. And a good attitude.

Love. ~J

Eavesdropping with Love

What does it look like to love another? Some say it means buying expensive things. Some may say it's treating them like no other. Some may even think it means being strict with that person. I've never really understood that one. While I love spoiling the special people in my life there is something I don't do very well. Listen.

Okay, we all listen to those we really love, right? Maybe not. I picked up a book the other day, one that was very popular a few years ago.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff--and it's all small stuff byRichard Carlson, PhD.

I opened it midway and read the page about listening to others and it reminded me how important this is. It also made me think of a time I was out with a good friend of mine, Paula. Now Paula is a great friend and I really value our friendship but this time we were out came screaming back to me when I read this passage.

Paula and I were out shopping and having a good time. I was going through a hard time and really needed a friend to listen. While we were out and I was venting my frustration she kept saying "aha" like she was listening. Then all of a sudden she shushed me! She was actually eavesdropping on the mother and daughter next to us and hadn't heard a word of what I was saying! I was hurt and felt a bit upset.

Now everything worked out as Paula has a great way of making me laugh and she ended up making me feel better but I don't think out friendship is as strong as it could be.

So now I am going to try and give the people I love the gift of listening. Not just saying 'aha' but listening to them like I'm eavesdropping on their every word. Not trying to say anything but just really hear what they are feeling and needing. What a great gift.

Why am I blogging about Love?

So I started this journey looking for love. No, I am not a lonely person by myself all the time not talking to anyone. Actually my life isn't like that at all. I'm actually very lucky. I have a very loving spouse and a wonderful child. I also have both my parents in my life, my extended family and a slew of great friends. So why has this become a theme in my life? Maybe it's a midlife crisis, maybe it's something of an empty feeling from just living my very average, sometimes boring life day in and day out. While these are all possibilities and more than likely part of the equation I really think more of it is that I just have the time to think about it. It has always been there and the last couple of months I've had time to think about it.

So I have started this blog with the hopes of continuing the process and the conversation about love. I hope I can stick with it.

What is this....

What is love. Hmmm... So many options here, I guess. More importantly the question may be what kind of love is important? Motherly love, love of nature, sexual love? I guess I would say it is all important. The only real problem to me is that there isn't enough. How do we create more love? Can we? Or is it finite?

Well, this may not be the best spot to jump in but that's just what I plan on doing. I'd love to hear your ideas.

Hope you have more love in your life tomorrow than you did today. ~j