James Clear

 Loving what he's got to say; bookmarking here for future reference. 

"Don't spend too much time around someone whose primary way of engaging with life is as a martyr.  When suffering becomes your identity, you only see the hard parts of life"  

Prayer for volunteers

 This was shared at the Villanova volunteer weekend I joined in May.   Sharing it here to easily retrieve it. 

Prayer for Alumni Volunteer Leaders
Inspired by St. Augustine

 

Gracious and loving God,
You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.
We thank You for gathering us here as alumni, united not only by shared experiences but by a shared calling to serve.

Guide us, Lord, with the wisdom of Your Spirit.
Let our work be rooted in humility, inspired by love, and directed toward the common good.
May we give generously of our time and talents,
remembering that in giving, we receive—
and in serving others, we come closer to You.

Bless our efforts, strengthen our unity, and lead us always in Your truth.
Amen.

 

Shakira!

 On a complete whim, last weekend we headed to Miami.  We had airline credits that would expire and J is spending quality time with his grandparents in Rio.   While there, a guy in the hotel elevator asked if we were there to see Shakira....   nooooo.....  but should we be??!!   I immediately went on Stubhub and got some last minute seats!   I have wanted to see her perform since I saw her Superbowl show with J-Lo a few years ago.    and Shakira, in Miami, is like seeing a team on the home field!  

As always, S was happy to go along with a plan.  It is not lost on me how lucky I am to have a partner so willing to always say an enthusiastic, YES.   So, we went to Zara, I got a fun dress to wear and we danced the night away.   I never want to forget the beautiful evening!  

Cliff House - Cape Neddick

Took S away for a quick trip to the Cliff House in Cape Neddick.   A stunning property that we haven't visited for a few years.  Amazing nature just a short trip from home.  Happy birthday to my favorite guy! 

Flowers

God spoke today in flowers.  And I, who was waiting on words, almost missed the conversation. 

I am from

 J did this assignment for school this year.  I was so inspired I did my own.   Here is his and mine. 

I am from the era of the iPhone 5. 

From Apple and Android. 

I am from the house on the hill.  Golden yellow, sweet and the cold pool. 

I am from the land of tulips; red orange and blue. 

I'm from dyed eggs and dark brown hair. 

From my father and my Uncle Paul 

I'm from the creative side and the energetic side. 

From when the tooth fairy left money and when Santa was real. 

I'm from the Lord's home and God's water. 

I'm from Brazilian, Irish and Italian ancestry. 

Pizzelles and pasta Bolognese, 

From Grammy's funny stories and warm bed. 

The yellow blond hair and sky blue eyes. 

The house of the old is where the photos remain. 

The tokens of the past are ancient gold coins to us.  

J, sixth grade, May 2025

I am from a morning mug of tea, 

from piles of books and from Boggle. 

I am from the cul-de-sac. 

Familiar curves, Big Wheels and friends who were family. 

I am from Weirs Beach

Cool air, happy mother, late nights. 

From Christmas sing-a-longs and painful sunburns

From Lil and Steve and Dot. 

I am from the hospitable and the unforgettable. 

From hope and determination to have their third baby. 

I am from wooden pews and forgive us our trespasses. 

I'm from Maple Ave and Wareham Street, from Irish hills and Italian coastlines. 

My mom's simmering sauce, ice cream sundaes and well-done pizza left out for late night friends. 

I am from an annual party where nobody is excluded and everyone is loved. 

From white hair and fair skin, from the telephone cord stretched into the nearby bathroom. 

The tall cabinet, hardly opened, holds memories of earlier decades. 

I am from five.  We are now eleven.  We are a miracle, a work in progress, an answered prayer. 

may 2025 

Division or connection

 If division is easier than connection and connection is needed for growth and forward progress, the clear conclusion is that keeping people divided - fighting over the issue: there is an infinite number of issues for people to choose - creating division is a way to limit people and maintain control.   

I choose connection.  It fuels me, makes me feel good and helps me get things done.   

Networking

 As I think of what this Villanova Alumni Club will be for the 2025-2026 year, something that has come to my mind is the power of networking.  I book marked this Linked In post from a while back and am trying to get back to this "online filing cabinet" vs. screenshots on my phone. 

In the post I saved, the author says, "If the networking involves nametags and drink tickets, you're not networking, you're just working.   If you want to build a strong network, it's simple.  Build something that matters with other people.  Be curious about other people.  Help them.  Drink a beer (or a coffee), play sports (or do a service event...), live life with them and your list of networked connections will grow.

Easter Week

I speak with incredible people:  a devoted and selfless teacher, a person who serves the less fortunate, or someone committed to the lives of people managing disease.   The inner strength and selflessness of some people, never ceases to amaze me.   Today I spoke with a young woman who has battled cerebral palsy her entire life and has done incredible work in spite of her obstacles.   It was my pleasure to introduce her to a few people who may be able to help her professional journey.     

On days when I question what I'm doing, why I choose to be involved with some of the non-profits that I am, I am reminded of this line from Pope John Paul II, "faith leads us beyond ourselves."   When in doubt, help someone else.  

 

Aging

 "Aging is not for the weak.  One day you wake up and realize that your youth is gone, but along with it, so go insecurity, haste and the need to please.   You learn to walk more slowly, but with greater certainty.  You say goodbye without fear, and you cherish those who stay.   Aging means letting go.  It means accepting, it means discovering that beauty was never in our skin....but in the story we carry inside of us." - Meryl Streep

Smart - David Perkins

"How can people be so stupid" - we hear comments like this all the time.   Or we may wonder how someone "so smart" in one area of life, business, etc. may have a total and complete blindspot or weakness in another area.  Harvard Professor David Perkins breaks down "smart" in the way that most resonates with me.   Far beyond IQ, Perkins explains: 

1. Smart as planful: you think ahead, you organize your thoughts, you may use pros/cons to plan for an outcome.  

2. Smart as dispositional: an attitude: open-mindedness vs close-mindedness, curiosity vs. who cares.  how thoughtfully we figure things out.   It does not correlate with IQ.  A high IQ, could be low open-mindedness, low curiosity etc....  

3. Smart as Multiple:  smart is many ways of engaging the world.  Mathematic intelligence, inter-personal intelligence, linguistic intelligence.   Let's remember all of the types of intelligence and broaden the spectrum. 

4. Smart as performative: Smart is not just "knowing a lot"; it's what you do with that knowledge.  What problems do you solve?  How do you make sense of the world with your knowledge.  Do you use actively what you know. 

5.  Smart as intuitive.   It's not what people articulately say about their craft.  We cannot just be analytical, when to draw on pattern recognition to understand how things may work.   

We can and should cultivate each of them. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esZdD-xRhTU&t=4s

Nashville

Returning from an amazing and rejuvenating few days in Nashville with my college best friends.  Such a wonderful time away - we laughed, line danced, sang in bars and left feeling grateful those girls are in my life after more than 20 years and many miles between us! 

I always screen shot messages like this on the internet.... the older I get, the more I recognize that I have a sensitive system and the people I'm around are so important to how I feel.   

"Surround yourself with people that push you to do better.  No drama or negativity.  Just higher goals and higher motivation.  Good times and positive energy.  No jealousy or hate.  Simply bring out the best in each other"  

"Girls need other girls in their lives who think they are amazing.  No competition, no jealousy, no hate.  Only I love you, I'm here for you, I believe in you, you can do this kind of energy. 

Cheers, Nashville 2025!