…Happy Birthday Titi Monin…

I wanted to take the time out to write this today just incase I can’t find the time to tomorrow. Tomorrow, June 7, is my Aunt “Monin’s” birthday. Unfortunately, she passed away almost 4 months ago on February 24th. Her death was unexpected and shocking to us all.

In December of 2011 my aunt decided to spend the holidays in Puerto Rico in order to avoid the fact that this would be the first holiday season since my grandmother had passed away. A week before she was due to come home she fell down a flight of stairs and was badly injured. She was somehow able to muster up all the strength she had in order to make it home. Once she got here she learned that she needed to have a serious surgery to her leg. One that was life threatening because of the amount of blood she would lose. Miraculously, she made it through the surgery like a champ.

She was released to rehab and was doing phenomenal!  The doctors and physical therapists were impressed with her speedy recovery! She was walking on her own (something that the doctors told her she could possibly never do again), and she was full of positivity! The nurses loved having her around and were really impressed with her high spirits! She was only there for about a month but she impacted many of the staff members.

At 6 o’clock in the morning on the day she was to be released from rehab, my aunt woke up because she had to use the bathroom. She made her way to the bathroom all on her own when she suddenly fell to the floor from what is believed to have been a heart attack. My beautiful aunt passed away at the young age of 64 and just 9 months after my loving grandmother.

My aunt and grandmother were so close that they were more like sisters. They  spent every single second together and did everything together. My aunt took it the hardest when my grandmother passed away. I remember when my aunt passed away we all thought that she just couldn’t handle life without my grandmother. The only bright side of this tragedy is knowing that they are together again.

My aunt was more that just an aunt to me. With no kids of her own, she truly treated me and my brothers as her own. A good friend of mine reminded me of how thankful I should be for not only having had my aunt, but also for the amazing and unique relationship I was able to have her. She provided for me in ways that no one will ever know. Her love is the kind that will live on even though she is not here.

May 22, 2011 – Titi Monin and her nieces and nephews ❤

This picture was taken a little over a year ago. It was a couple of days after my grandmother had passed away and we were celebrating my cousin’s college graduation. All my aunt wanted was a picture with all of her nieces and nephews. It’s the last picture we all have with her and it’s one of my favorites. I’m so glad we were able to take this picture even though we were all hurting with the loss of our grandma.

My aunt will be missed greatly, but I will always cherish her kind heart and the millions of memories she has left me with.

“When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.”

-Unknown

PrettyInPink

…The Life Diet…

As we all know, I’m getting married this summer! I am super excited and can’t wait for the day to just get here already!! However, there is still a lot of preparation to be done for the big day! One of the items on my to-do list is to shed a couple of those unwanted lbs. and inches!

Photo Taken from: activerain.com

You know what I’m talking about, that extra weight that once upon a time made its home on my body and has now become that stubborn tenant that I just can’t seem to get rid of!

I tried getting rid of it on my own but I didn’t seem to have what it takes. I would try to work out on my own but as soon as I got tired or the pain was just too unbearable I would give up. So to help me in that department, I enlisted the help of a good friend of mine. He’s a former marine who knows exactly what he’s doing. I started working out with him about a month and a half ago and I’ve been trying to work out with him 2-3 times a week. His workouts are  insane!! The first time I worked out with him I couldn’t walk for 5 days!! His motivation is just what I need. He pushes me far past my limit and makes me work through the pain!

Photo taken from: Kidshealth.org

The workouts have been great but I knew I needed to supplement them with better eating habits! The problem was that I didn’t know how to do this! I heard about this program called The Life Diet and I thought it might be a good time to give it a try. The Life Diet is an individualized weight loss program that is specific to your metabolic system. In simple terms (and this is the only way I understand it) there are 18 different metabolic types and each person fits into one of these types. Depending on your type, there are certain foods that are ideal for you to eat, there are other foods that are “ok” for you to eat, and then there are those foods that you should avoid at all costs. It all has to do with how your body responds to those foods. (Please don’t cite me on this, I’ve only just started the diet and am still learning about it!)

Last week I made my appointment at The Life Diet and just yesterday I received my individual food list. I’m sure you would all love to know the list of foods I should avoid at all costs. So here’s just a few of those foods. I’m sure those who know me personally will soon understand how difficult the next few weeks will be for me:

Rice, Pink/Pinto/White Beans, Potatoes, Onions, Garlic, Tomatoes,

 Ham, White meat, Milk, Artificial Sweeteners (Crystal Light), Fruit Juices, 

All fruits except for Apples, Bananas, Coconuts and Pears, and….ICE CREAM!

Photo taken from: coolchaser.com

I don’t think I even have to tell you how hard this will be for me! I love food and those of you who know Lou know that he loves food too! We love cooking together and trying out new recipes! Here’s a fact for those of you who don’t know me as well as others: Lou and I use onions and garlic in almost every dish we make! Her’s another fact: I am obsessed with Ice Cream! And here’s one more fact for you: I absolutely hate water and can only drink it if I add crystal light to it! Some of you may think the list doesn’t seem so bad, but bear in mind I only mentioned a few of the items I need to avoid.

The plan is to drink 70 ounces of water a day and eat 5 times a day; Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and 2 snacks in between. After about a month or so I will get a new food list that will have additional foods I can eat again (I’m hoping onions and garlic make their way onto that list!). I also have to write down everything I eat during the week and once a week I have to go in to be measured and talk about my progress.

This diet isn’t something that I have to do for the rest of my life. It’s basically supposed to correct my metabolic system and bring me to an appropriate balance (I could never give up onions and garlic for life!). I’m hoping that I will find the will power to stick through this! I know that there are those out there who may be skeptical about this diet but the way I see it is it can’t hurt to try. I know the exercising is working but I also know that it can only go so far. Adding a healthy eating regimen that works for me will only add to my success!

Hopefully by the time my wedding comes along I will have finally gotten rid of the unwanted tenant who has overstayed his welcome! I’ll keep you all posted on my experience with The Life Diet.

I keep trying to lose weight… but it keeps finding me!  ~Author Unknown

PrettyInPink

…Post and a Picture…

Ok. So, I’ve been horrible with this whole blogging thing. But I promise you that’s going to change this time. Not only have I been really busy lately, but I guess I always thought that every post had to be a long, intellectual post. A post that had a purpose and a lesson. But I’ve finally realized that’s not true. So from now on, unless I have something really relevant and important I want to talk about, I plan on posting a “post and a picture.”

The picture may be a semi-current one, one taken that same day, or one from the past that I happened to stumble upon and that for one reason or another is special to me that day. Either way, it will be a picture that means something to me at that very moment!

So here’s the first one:

One Month Anniversary – 2006

Three months from now Lou and I will be tying the knot and starting our lives together as husband and wife. It’s so crazy to think that this wonderful romance started almost six years ago! We’ve had a wonderful (almost) six years and I’m looking forward to what the future will bring. He’s been by my side through all different kinds of hardships and pains and he truly is my rock. So here’s to you babe and to our last three months as “fiancés.” I look forward to falling in love with you over, and over, and over again ❤

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
-Mignon McLaughlin

PrettyInPink

…My Favorite Movie ABC’s…

If you were to ask me to name my favorite movie, I’d probably list off 5 before you’d finally stop me and tell me I named four too many. See, Lou and I love to watch movies in our free time (and in our not-so-free-time) and the truth is, I have lots of favorite movies and I have trouble naming just one!  Even though I have trouble naming just one, I always feel like I’m cheating on one of my original favorites when I find a new favorite! So I came up with a way to make my multi-favorite movie collection work. Check out my top 26 movies!

A for Avatar – Awesome Movie! I absolutely love this movie and the message it taught! This movie was definitely a game changer in the movie world!

B for Burlesque – Kind of cheesy, I know! But, I loved the signing, and the dancing and the love story behind it. Give me a movie with a good love story and I don’t care how cheesy it is!

C for Catch me if You Can – Every time I see this movie on t.v. as I’m surfing through the channels I have to stop. It draws my attention every time! It’s such a great movie! Love Leo!

D for Dirty Dancing – Definitely in my top 3! I could watch this movie 100 times and never get tired of it! It’s a classic and I’m in love with Patrick Swayze because of this movie!

E for Elf – I remember the first time I watched this movie. I HATED IT! I thought it was so corny and I couldn’t understand why everyone was so infatuated with it! Now, I find it hilarious! Buddy the elf has won me over!

F for Fast and the Furious – I’m not talking about the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th installments [who knows why there are so many!]. I’m talking about the Original Fast and the Furious!  Loved it!

G for Grease and The Godfather – Ok so, I broke the rules here a little bit because I picked 2 for the letter G. Oh well! Haha! I mean seriously though, who can pick between Grease and The Godfather! The two couldn’t be more different but it just so happens they both begin with G and I just had to mention them both!

Grease is another one in my top 3. I can basically watch this movie with no volume and recite all the words and sing all the songs! John Travolta is gorgeous in this movie! And Olivia Newton-John is beautiful!  It’s my favorite!

And then there’s The Godfather “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse!” I saw this movie for the first time 2 years ago (what took me so long!). I have yet to watch the other two but I can’t wait to find out what happens! I have a crazy girl crush on the Godfather himself ❤

H for the Hangover – OMG! Whoever doesn’t find this movie funny has absolutely no sense of humor whatsoever! It’s hilarious! Absolutely hilarious! I love comedies! I’ll pick a comedy over a drama any day (especially if it has a love story in it; which this doesn’t but I’m not complaining)!

I for Ice Age – Ok, I’m definitely a little kid at heart. I can watch Disney/Pixar movies all day! They are truly my favorite! And I couldn’t make a list of my favorite movies without having at least one kid movie in it! John Leguizamo is hilarious and I like just about anything if he’s in it!

J for Just Go With It – I saw this movie as I was flying home from vacation and I was bummed when we landed early and I couldn’t finish the last 10 minutes of the movie! It was pretty funny! Jennifer Aniston is GORGEOUS and Adam Sandler and the rest of the crew are hilarious! I’m a big fan of Adam Sandler. His classic movies (like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison) might not have made my Movie ABC list but it’s not because I don’t love them! They’re definitely high up there in my list of favorites! {P.S. I did eventually finish the movie!}

K for Knocked Up – 2 words: Seth. Rogen. I think he’s the man! He’s so funny and I love just about any movie with him in it! Katherine Heigl definitely is an added bonus! {she’s also in another one of my favorite “K” movies -Killers with Ashton Kutcher!}

L for The Lincoln Lawyer – This is an awesome, awesome movie!!! This is one of the newer movies that made it on my list! It was intense! And obviously I loved it because I’m in law school! Lol. Honestly though, if you haven’t seen it, RENT IT!

M for Meet the Parents – The crazy, funny chemistry between Ben Stiller and Robert De Nero is brilliant! I laughed so hard when I saw this! My favorite part of the movie is at the end when Ben Stiller is on the plane going home and he says the word “Bomb”! Way too funny for words!

N for the Notebook – Can you say ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE! Here it is, Definitely my number 1 favorite movie! Yes, I’m one of those lovesick, can’t sleep, can’t eat, cheesy girls who is absolutely obsessed with this movie! I could watch it over and over again and never get enough! I’ve probably seen it over 100 times and each time I do it gets better and better!! {The movie was the inspiration for my Engagement Pics!!}

O for Ocean’s Eleven – Brad Pitt and George Clooney in one movie! Can it get better than that? Enough said.

P for Pirates of the Caribbean or The Proposal – I ran into another dilemma here with the letter P. Pirates of the Caribbean is an action, drama, comedy, and love story all wrapped into one! Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley are fantastic in this movie!

The Proposal just happens to be one of the newer movies (newer than Pirates of the Caribbean that is) that made it on my list! My favorite scene is when Sandra Bullock and Betty White are dancing in the woods! Priceless! Ryan Reynolds and Sandra were awesome together! Another cute and funny love story ❤

Q for {couldn’t find one! Guess I have room for another favorite movie when I find it!}

R for Remember the Titans – Such an inspiring movie! I cried  like a baby the first time I saw it! It’s definitely one on my list that is irreplaceable!

S for Selena –  Bidi Bidi Bum Bum!! I was 7 years old when Selena died and I remember it like it was yesterday! I was heartbroken. Jennifer Lopez was awesome in this movie! I loved it! The movie was so real to me that to this day I still despise the actress who played the woman who killed Selena! Lol

T for Titanic – I remember when this movie came out. I was 10 years old and it was rated PG-13 and my mother wouldn’t let me go see it! I was crushed. So I had to wait for it to air on TV. Watching a 3 and a half hour long movie on tv with commercials is punishment! But I did it! I remember crying for at least a good hour after the movie ended!! I’ll never let go Jack! {We’ve all done this pose at one time or another!!}

U for Up – How could anyone not love this movie! It’s so cute! I laughed so much! Carl (the old man) and Russell (the little boy) are hilarious together! And the ending is just so cute!

V for Vantage Point – To be quite honest, there aren’t too many movies that begin with the letter V. Although it may not be one of my all-time favorites, I still thought it was a great movie! It was definitely a cool and different way to watch a movie! Seeing the same thing through so many different “vantage points” was really creative!

W for Wedding Crashers – Another hilarious movie! This is another one of those movies that I stop and watch every time I flip through the channels and catch it! It’s definitely been the cause of lots of procrastination! Lol.

X for X-Men: First Class – By far the best X-men movie to date (although I still haven’t seen X-Men: Origins – Wolverine). I thought it was great to finally understand how all the characters connect and where they came from! Growing up with two brothers I was one of those girls who loved super heros so I was definitely waiting for this! I couldn’t stop talking about this movie after I saw it!

Y for Yes Man – Anything with Jim Carey in it is Hilarious! So although this isn’t his best movie, it’s still an awesome movie! Plus it has Zooey Deschanel in it and I LOVE HER!

and

Z for {another movie I can add once I find it!}

Whoooo! That was a mouthful! Although I don’t have a favorite for “Q” or “Z”, I still have 26 favorites because I have two favorite “G” and “P” movies! I’m glad I no longer have to feel guilty about having too many favorite movies! Plus I still have two letters that need filling! Now that I’ve listed mine, what are your Favorite Movie ABC’s?!?!

“Everything I learned I learned from the movies.”

-Audrey Hepburn

PrettyInPink

…The Year of Change…

Today is January 1, 2012! I thought it would be cool to use today to reflect on 2011. If I were to put a label on the past year, I would call it “The year of Change.” The change I experienced has been both good and bad. Some of the change has been hard to adjust to, while other change has been for the better. Change is not always good; but it’s not always bad either.

January 1, 2011 we brought home Snickers! And as precious and adorable as he is, he was definitely a change I had to get used to! The first couple of months were definitely the hardest! Lou and I had to wake up at 3 o’clock and then again at 7 o’clock in the morning for at least a good month and a half to take him out to use the bathroom. Now anyone who knows me knows I am NOT a morning person. But I guess you do what you have to do for those you love! And I definitely love Snickers!

For the first 8 months we had him he was CRAZY! Getting into everything, biting into my lip glosses, eating through his gate and successfully escaping, using the bathroom EVERYWHERE except outside, and being extremely hyper! But those days are long gone and now Snickers spends his days cuddling up to me and just relaxing! (Thank God for that change within a change!) So although it took some getting used to, I wouldn’t trade Snickers for anything in the world! He was definitely the greatest change of 2011!

Five months later came the biggest change I’ve had to experience to date. On May 19, 2011 my loving grandmother passed away. Because of how sudden and unexpected her death was, I have yet to adjust to her being gone. The holidays haven’t been easy and I think about all the future events she will miss. My graduation from law school and my wedding to name a few.

My grandmother was so proud of me and was looking forward to joining in on the celebrations that are coming up in 2012. She will be missed.

Her sweet touch, her loving voice, and her wonderful presence could always cheer me up. Losing my grandmother is a change that I’ll have to continue adjusting to even into the new year.

Four months later in September of 2011, my brothers had the bright idea to move to Florida! My feelings on the matter were (and still are) bittersweet. I’m happy that they’re able to experience this while their young. They were able to do what many people only dream of: Pick up and start over! Many doors have opened up for the both of them while they’ve been down there. They’ve been able to grow on their own and learn some real-life   lessons.

As great as that all sounds, I miss my brothers! I miss hanging out with them, I miss being with them, and most of all I missed having them home for the holidays. When they visited in early December it was such a tease! They were only here for about 6 days and because I had finals I wasn’t able to spend as much time with them as I would have liked! I know that this change is good for them and that’s why I support them in making it. However, for my own selfish reasons I wish they would come home soon!!

All in all it was a year filled with ups and downs. This year marked a year of living on my own with Lou. We’ve learned a lot as homeowners! I started my last year of law school! I picked out my wedding dress! And lots more! It was definitely a great year! Some of the lessons I learned:

1. I love my little Snickers and the lesson of responsibility he’s taught me.

2. I value my family now more than anything! Losing my grandmother taught me a serious lesson about losing a loved one. Everyone has to leave us at some point and it’s important to remember the great times you’ve shared with them and the impact they may have had on your life.

3. I am proud of my brothers and I respect their quest for change (although I do miss them terribly)! They taught me how important it is to follow your heart and do what’s best for yourself!

In 2012, I will graduate law school and get married amongst other things!! I’m thinking next year when I reflect on 2012 I will call it “The Year of Accomplishments!”

What would you label your 2011?

PrettyInPink

…Hey Big Spender…

I’ve never been one to ‘bash’ the Kardashian sister’s on the manner in which they make a living. I know people always say that Kim Kardashian is “famous for being famous.” Those girls make millions of dollars each year because they allow us to follow their every move. Yes, they are reality stars. But hey, I don’t knock it. Kudos to them for finding an easy and fun way to make money and running with it.

They’re all over the place! And if you’re like me (have a crazy, busy life filled with work and reading stuffy law opinions all day), then you enjoy the entertainment these girls provide! I like that I can watch their show and not have to analyze ANYTHING!

I’m getting off topic here, so let me find my way back!

Oh yeah — good for the Kardashians for finding something that they’re good at and making a career out of it.

So, the other day I was thinking about all of this and I finally realized that I do have a problem with this! I don’t care about how shallow others may find them, or how much they may spend on their 72-day marriages (like I said, I’m a fan). My problem lies in the fact that they make money by doing exactly what they would be doing anyways and here I am spending money so that one day I can MAKE MONEY!!! 

I have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars (literally) to educate myself so that one day I can make enough money to provide for my family and just — live. I think it’s disgusting how much it costs someone to invest in their future! I mean, I’m looking to do something positive with my life, and I’m working hard to get there, but it’s costing me an arm and a leg!!

I’m not saying that the Kardashian sisters don’t have to work to get to the top, I’m sure they work longer hours than most folks with all those businesses they endorse and own!  However, they sure don’t have to dish out thousands of dollars to only make hundreds!

So many people don’t attend college because they’re turned off by the massive amounts of debt that come along with it. It shouldn’t be like that. Schools need to take a step back and realize that they’re doing a disservice by charging so much money. And don’t get me started on the government; in my opinion they’re just not doing enough. If only there were more incentives for going to college (like a job market for one!!), people may find it easier to make the decision to enroll.

Enough with my ranting though. I’m probably writing this because Sallie Mae recently flooded my inbox with emails about the balance of my loans!! Lol.

In the end, I don’t have a problem with celebrities like the Kardashians. Like I said, I do believe that they have worked hard to get to where they are. And I have to admit I love some of the items in their clothing lines (I bought a pair of Kardashian shoes from their line at Sears and they’re to die for!)!

The problem isn’t that they have it too easy, it’s just that us college students have it too hard.

So I guess I’ll continue being a “Big Spender” against my own will.  =)

But enough negativity, let me leave you with something positive:

“The secret to success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching.”
– Dennis Green

PrettyInPink

…Forever In My Heart…

This is a topic that I’ve been meaning to write about for a long time. And I don’t just mean on my blog (because I haven’t had it for that long), but in general.

As I looked online at “Suggested Blog Topics” I found this:

           Remember Something Important You’ve Lost

To keep things simple and open to your own point of view, please remember something important you’ve lost that you want to remember and think about. And write about what you chose and why.

Of course the first thing that came to mind was My Loving Grandma. It’s been a little less than 4 months now since she’s been gone. To be honest, time has gone by both fast and slow if that makes sense. It still feels like it all happened just yesterday. But it also feels like I haven’t seen her in years. Every day I play back the scene of that day when the doctor told us there was nothing they could do for her. I still feel as though I need to go to her house and visit her. It’s still not real to me that she’s gone.

I was always very close with my grandma. In fact, my grandmother was the one who named me! She was addicted to her novelas (spanish soap operas). One novela she watched was about this grandmother who had an amazing granddaughter who she was so proud of. If you can guess the granddaughter’s name you win a prize!!! You got it — Yesenia!! So the day I was born, my grandmother begged my mother to please name me Yesenia so that I could be the amazing granddaughter who would always make her proud. And for some reason my parents went along with it. I used to think they were crazy for it, but today I have this beautiful story to hold on to.

I miss her more than words could ever express. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced loss up until 4 months ago. The downside of that is that it hit me so hard it knocked the wind right out of me. To go from never experiencing loss to having your one and only grandma taken from you in a matter of hours is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to endure.

She was my only living grandparent. My father’s parents died before my parents were married, and my maternal grandfather died when I was just two. The only grandparent I had was my Liti. For those of you who didn’t have the pleasure of knowing her, she was the greatest, gentlest, kind-hearted woman  on earth. She brightened up any room she walked into. She was always laughing and smiling and acting as though she didn’t have a care in the world. As long as she was with her family, she was happy.

Not only did she have a beautiful soul, but she was STRONG! I have memories of my grandmother mowing her backyard! Can you picture my grandma mowing her yard!? She must have done this into her 70’s. Thankfully she stopped that years ago! We would go to her to open up the tightest sealed jars, and she would open them with no problem! She was the strongest woman i know. But not just physically, emotionally too.

My grandma had a hard life. She was an orphan by the time she was 5 and in her early 20’s she moved from Puerto Rico to America all alone with a baby to care for. She had 5 children and she made sure that they had a great childhood! She put her family above everything and everyone. Through all of her struggles and battles, she made sure that above all else they were Loved.

She had 5 grandchildren (including Lou, who she loved like one of her own) and we were most definitely her pride and joy! She would do anything for any one of us! She was proud of us all for our individual accomplishments. Her love was unconditional, and we felt it every day. Now that she’s gone I wish I could have just one more day with her.

We will miss her at family gatherings, and during the holidays. We will miss her during celebrations and milestones. I’ll miss her at my wedding next year and I’ll miss her every day for the rest of my life. I’m happy that I had 24 glorious years with her. She was the best grandma a girl could ever ask for and her memory will live on forever.

I plan on spending the rest of my life living up to my name so that I can be the amazing granddaughter who she will always be proud of.

                                             Te amo con todo mi corazon, mi Liti.

PrettyInPink

…To choose or not to choose, it doesn’t really matter…

Fate. Such a small word with so much power. The other day as I watched The Adjustment Bureau, I tried to imagine where my life might be today had I decided to veer left instead of right. Where would I be if I had chosen to go to Western CT State University instead of the University of New Haven? Or if I hadn’t accepted a few extra friends on facebook who would one day lead me to Lou?

And what about the small things that aggravate us but may in fact happen for a reason. Like having to turn back home because you forgot something, or how about that extra time it takes to change just as you’re ready to walk out the door because you spilled something on your shirt. These small inconveniences can prevent us from being at the wrong place at the wrong time. But even crazier, it can prevent us from being at the right place but at the wrong time.

I believe that everything happens for a reason. And I also believe that if it is meant to happen, it will happen. The only question left worth asking ourselves is: when will it happen? The answer is simple. Everything in due time.

In The Adjustment Bureau, the two main characters, David & Elise, were destined to be together. However, the Adjustment Bureau had other plans for David and did everything in their power to keep him away from Elise. But no matter how hard they tried, it was impossible to keep the two apart.

David and Elise were destined to be together and David made sure that he was prepared to fight when fate came knocking on his door.

See, I used to believe that veering right would place you on one path and veering left would place you on another. But now I realize that it doesn’t matter what path you’ve choosen to take to get somewhere. In the end, you’ll get where you were supposed to be. You may have taken the longer, scenic route, but eventually you’ll get there.

It doesn’t matter if I went to WCSU or UNH. And the steps I took that brought me to Lou are also insignificant. When two people are meant to be together, they’ll find a way to each other. When anything is meant to be, you’ll find your way to it.

So the next time you’re worried about a choice you have to make, don’t be. Choose the path you will. In my opinion, the only difference between your options are the life experiences you’ll learn on each. They’ll both lead you to your fate. It’s like David said:

“All I have are the choices that I make, and I choose her.”

PrettyInPink

…Don’t Forget to Remember…

The other day I finished reading the book What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. A lot of the books I read are “chick lit” types and I usually don’t get much out of them except for a good laugh and some relaxation. However, this book ended up being worth more than just a few giggles to me. It really got me thinking.

The story is about a woman who falls down and bumps her head only to realize that she has forgotten the last 10 years of her life! Lucky Alice, huh? Not really. In Alice’s case, she’s forgotten both the good and the bad. She wakes up to find that she now has three kids (who aren’t too fond of her), she’s a stay at home mom (and completely unhappy about that), and she is going through divorce proceedings (a complete nightmare).

She doesn’t understand what went wrong because the last thing she remembers is being completely and madly in love with the love of her life and excited on welcoming her first child. Her family and friends are very distant and cold towards her and she notices that no one is comfortable around her. It seems that in the past 10 years she’s gone from being the bubbly, energetic, low-key Alice to an uptight, rather snobbish and controlling Alice. Needless to say, she is not happy with what has become of her life, let alone her personality.

I don’t know what it was about this book, but it definitely struck a chord with me. I, like Alice, don’t want to wake up one day and not recognize the person I have become. Every day there are millions of people who experience this wake up call (sans the head injury). They realize that they aren’t happy with the choices they’ve made and the options they have created for themselves. They aren’t happy with the person they are.

I hope that 10 years from now I can look back on my life and be proud of the decisions that I made and the tactics that I used to get me wherever it is I may be. I hope that 10 years from now I will have made my loved ones proud. I hope that every day will be a “wake up call” for me where I can evaluate my life and put it into perspective. And I hope that 10 years from now I can remember the past 10 years; the good and the bad.

And so I leave you with this:

“When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.”

John M. Richardson, Jr.

I will not let my life pass me by.

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