Summer 2024

 Before I forget all the fun stuff we did this summer, I wanted to jot it down here.  This was a summer on-the-go.  From Joe in Brazil and S and I on the boat in Nantucket and Cuttyhunk to days with our forever friends in Aptos, CA (Joe's first time sitting at a bar - hello, Cliff!), Atlantic City for a Classic Birthday Bash to celebrate Grammy's 78th birthday and lastly, Spain!  Where the 3 of us enjoyed the beaches of Cabo de Palos and Alicante and time together with a beautiful, loving, kind hearted extended family.   So much to be grateful for - my heart is filled with the warmth of loving so many great people.  

Optimistic?

From a post written by Faustin Weber:  

Trying to put some thoughts to my Teen Faith Group this week.   With that on my mind: 

Too often we are not bold enough in our aspirations for our students!  CS Lewis, in Mere Christianity, gives us an arresting analogy for the Christian life, which I believe beautifully summarizes the mission of our schools.  Imagine, Lewis says, we are living in a house: 

"God comes in to rebuild that house.   At first, perhaps, we understand what He is doing.  He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the house and so on; you knew those jobs needed to be done so you are not surprised.  But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense.  What on Earth is He up to?  The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one we thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.  We thought we were being made into a decent little cottage but He is building a palace.  He intends to come and live in it Himself."

Highschool is a time of genuine growth and character development for teenagers.  With an elevated vision of what's possible for them, with a clear understanding that genuine growth includes the development of their bodies, characters and spirits, we believe that God can truly build palaces - cathedrals even - in the lives of our students and they, in turn, can turn his love outward in a life of learning and service to others.  

Optimistic? You bet. 

But it's not superficial "polly-annish" optimism that believes that teenagers will always be gushingly positive and happy throughout their years with us.  Growing up is tough.  When God starts knocking about the house, as CS Lewis reminds us, it hurts.  This is the time we must be bold as a school, convinced of our mission. There will be times when teens cling to their childishness.  There will be occasions hen students don't do well on a test or when they come home in tears over what someone said.  At times, they may feel estranged from us.  During these times, let us take the long view.  Remember that a teenager's best friend can become an enemy in a day, a teenager's favorite teacher can become a villian in one class.  The life of a teenager is rollercoaster, but our job is to stay the course.   

Our audacious optimism in kids, after all, is born out of our abiding belief in God's grace and the magnificent things he can do with teenagers if they're placed in a culture that challenges them to live their faith, stretch for their goals, and provides support to them when they stumble. 

If we can create such a culture, the sky's the limit for them.   

Detachment

As we enjoy cruisers life in Cuttyhunk, more on that later, I think about what it means to become unattached.  Unattached to the comforts of home, unattached to having J with close by, unattached to our daily routine.  

I believe in the importance of finding the balance between appropriate attachment (security) and being unattached (freedom, risk, independence). 

   The Laws of Detachment - Liz Tran 

1. Allow others to be who they are

2. Allow yourself to be who you are

3. Don't force situations

4. Solutions will emerge

5. Uncertainty is reality 

(Cuttyhunk 2024) 

Live Aboard

Tomorrow we move on to the boat for a few weeks.  Looking forward to a new adventure in live-aboard life!  

Relaxing is not the only way to recharge.  Finding meaning is a source of fuel.  A restorative break doesn't just avoid tasks that burn you out.  It includes people and projects that fire you up.  Detaching from stress prevents exhaustion.  Attached to purpose elevates energy - Adam Grant

(taken a few weeks ago in Bald Head Island, off the coast of Wilmington NC.  Part 1 of our summer boating adventure)

Wings!

My J took off for Rio!  He's been going there for Christmas or winter breaks for a few years but since it's summer time and this trip is a bit longer, it felt a little different!   My boy, 11, headed to a Middle School, a new school - which should be his home for 6-12th, , inching towards that freedom he craves, right back to his mama and back out again.....    As they say, give them wings to want to fly and roots to know where home will always be.  

He's been taking Portuguese classes via Zoom and his favorite phrase is "Sao um mintinio mai"  - let's see what he comes back saying!   11.  Loved beyond words.  

Welcome Summer 2024

 We kicked off summer this weekend with my friend and her girls.   We mini-golfed, made fresh pasta, played ping pong and board games and caught up.   A perfect weekend to fill the soul and prepare for a great summer!  

                                                     A few rules for happiness: 

                                                            Go outside

                                                                Move

                                                  Spend less than you earn 

                                            Don't take yourself or life too seriously

                                                Look for ways to make it work

                                              Contribute more than you consume

                                                    Be happy for others

                                                        Say hello first

                                                          Be reliable 

                                                                James Clear                                                                    

Life Lessons: James Simons

 via The Free Press

1. Do something new; don’t run with the pack. I am not such a fast runner. If I am one of N people all working on the same problem, there is very little chance I will win. If I can think of a new problem in a new area, that will give me a chance.

2. Surround yourself with the smartest people you can find. When you see such a person, do all you can to get them on board. That extends your reach, and terrific people are usually fun to work with.

3. Be guided by beauty. This is obviously true in doing mathematics or writing poetry, but it is also true in fashioning an organization that is running extremely well and accomplishing its mission with excellence.

4. Don’t give up easily. Some things take much longer than one initially expects. If the goal is worth achieving, just stick with it.

5. Hope for good luck!

Luxury

 Saw this list via @thelovelandfoundation 

Real Luxuries in Life: 

Slow mornings, freedom to choose, A good night's sleep, Peace of mind, calm and "boring" days, being present, people you love, people who love you back.  

(NH lakes) 

Wedding Week!

Smiling ear to ear as we return from our amazing wedding celebration!   Santiago and I were joined by our immediate families for a simply magical week away at La Semanna, Saint Martin. 

In 2011, I started this blog.  It's namesake was Lelaina Pierce from Reality Bites.  She was a 23 year old trying to discover herself.   I didn't know why I needed the space here but I started it without attachment to an outcome.   I know now, that like Lelaina, I needed to love myself. My first post was called Namesake and my 100th Post was the quote below. 

Through a series of life events, and believing, like Steve Jobs, that the dots would eventually connect - I find myself here on April 2, 2024.  Heart full.   Because I have found love, externally and internally.  Like Lelaina, I broke hearts and had mine broken. But I didn't give up and those closest to me didn't give up on me.  Love held me up through the darkest moments, made me laugh through the best moments and gave me strength to send it forward.   God, J, S, my family and my closest friends - eternally grateful and forever changed because of you and your love.    

                                  Lelaina Pierce: I was really going to be somebody by the time I was 23. 

                                                Troy Dyer: Honey, all you have to be by the time you're 23 is yourself.

Lelaina Pierce: I don't know who that is anymore.

Troy Dyer: I do. And we all love her. I love her. She breaks my heart again and again, but I love her.

 

Collector of Quotes

 I collect words.  My phone is filled with screen shots of words that speak to me.  In an effort to tackle two resolutions: 1) get back to this space more frequently and 2) get my phone into some sort of organized order.   

"The only people for me are the mad ones: the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirious of everything at the same time, the ones who.... burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow Roman candles."  Jack Kerouac

The One You Feed

We are kept from our goal, not from the obstacles, but by a clear path to a lesser goal. - Robert Brault heard in a discussion with Ben Hardy on The One You Feed podcast.  

Choice

 "To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily.   Not to dare is to lose oneself"  - Soren Kierkegaard

Not choosing, status quo, staying small, staying home are also choices.  Driving life forward in purposeful direction, even with set backs, even in uncertainty, keeps the trend line moving up.   

March 5, 2024

I used to write here for a few reasons.  1) I went to an office every day so sitting down on this page with my coffee was a ritual and not too difficult to maintain.  2) I had knots to work out.  By that I mean, life didn't feel quite aligned with where I wanted to be - and while there was so much goodness - and so many reasons to celebrate (which I'm glad I documented many), there was also a place I needed to get to - writing my way through it genuinely helped. 

Today, life is different.  My beautiful J is 11 and prepared to attend SJP in the fall!  I am so thrilled for him, for us, and for what that will hopefully mean for his own development.  He is the most beautiful and special soul, always has been, and my hope is that SJP can help keep him on his wonderful trajectory through adolescence with meaningful friends, inspiring mentors, safety and a place to help him understand himself.    The plan, today, is that he will stay there from 6th - 12th grade, so my hope is that we hand over a beautiful, healthy 11 year old and at the end of the journey we have an 18 year old young man, capable, strong, faith-filled and sure of himself.   I'm hoping this space can help me document some of that growth. 

I have a job that I love.  I pinch myself to say it but I have a job that allows me to utilize my strengths in a productive way, is not overtaxing, affords me plenty of free time for meaningful volunteer work and compensates me in a way that allows me to truly live a comfortable life.   I have only gratitude for where I am and hope I can pass that forward by contributing positively to a few people's journeys.  

In June, I will begin a 3 year term as the President of Villanova's Boston Alumni Chapter.  This is a chapter I didn't see coming as my own involvement with the school was never particularly active or involved.  However, I am hoping to fill a gap that I experienced when I returned to Boston 20 years ago.  Maybe I can make the Villanova network a bit stronger and more helpful to more people than it was for me.  Maybe I can get some people reconnected to their faith, or connect them to a like-minded friend or a new job.  I'm keeping the possibilities of where this role may lead and why I am doing it purposefully open-ended but I thought returning to this space could be a place to work out what I'm trying to achieve and why.  

So, as life is a series of small chapters, here we are ready to embark on a new one.  I return to these blank pages to perhaps write my way towards deeper discovery.  

My first bit of marketing - always fun to learn something new! 

New Year

 "If you must look back, do so forgivingly.  If you must look forward, do so prayerfully.   The wisest thing you can do is to be present in the present gratefully" - Maya Angelou. 

Happy 2024 to this space of mine - cheers to more posts.