IT'S ALL A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

I was just in NYC with my daughter and had the distinct pleasure of spending a wonderful evening with a Nepali friend of hers, her friend's boyfriend and her father, who was visiting from Nepal.  It was so interesting talking to her dad, especially because this was his first visit to the USA!  One of the first things he said to me was also one of the most fascinating:  he could not believe how QUIET it was in NYC, [compared to Nepal], because there were hardly any honking horns!!  I, on the other hand, have always told my daughter that one of the things  I really DON'T like about NYC is the honking horns!!  Isn't it interesting how different our perspectives are?
Then, when I told him how difficult it was for me, having my kids living on opposite coasts, he said to me:  "try having them live on different CONTINENTS!  While this particular daughter lived in the USA, his other daughter lived in Australia!!  Australia took him 10 hours to get to from Nepal and NYC took him 20 hours!!  I told him I will never complain again about my kids not living closer to me!  Not only that, but his daughter told me that she had once gone 3 years without even seeing her parents!!  3 years??  I go crazy going 3 months!!
   Lastly, in the Nepali culture, children would never THINK of putting their parents up in hotels or nursing homes or retirement communities!  No matter how small their living quarters, (and you know how small NY apartments can be!), when parents come to visit, the whole family stays together.  And they come for weeks at a time!  It's plain ol'  r-e-s-p-e-c-t.  No if's, and's or but's about it!  Wouldn't we all go nuts if we had to live with our grown families for more than a week at a time??
   I have always loved seeing how different cultures function, from the Amish to the Asians to even how Americans in the South live and think differently from those in the North!  If only we all could just look at these differences as something to be admired and valued, rather than judged and criticized, I think this big wide world would be such a better place to live.......and we would all be the better for it!
 

OH HAPPY DAYS!

Want to know what makes a BLISSFUL day for me?  I have been fortunate enough to have 9 in a row, this past week!
1.  Perfect 70 degree weather in the city I'm visiting, which, this time, happened to be NYC.
2.  Spending most of everyday, for an entire week, with my daughter in NYC, where she lives.
3.  Going on a 2 hour bike ride on a cool, overcast day (with her)
4.  Outlet shopping (with her)
5.  Getting our daily Starbucks together
6.  Spending an hour in Sephora (with her)
7.  Getting manicures side by side
8.  Working out together, while introducing her to new songs on my ipod (not the other way around!)
9.  Going through her wedding box of souvenirs, reliving every moment
10. Spending lots of one-on-one time with my son-in-law
11.  Watching him cook for me, while enjoying every single bite
12.  Watching him WANT to clean up afterwards!  (It relaxes him!)
13.  Playing my favorite game of Mexican Train with the two of them
14.  Coming back home to a 24 hour day of beauty products on QVC
15.  Taking a long bubble bath after stressing, trying to make plane and hotel reservations for 2 hours, online
16.  Waking up to a dark, cloudy morning on a weekend, able to stay in bed and watch the morning news.
17.  Relishing an entire rainy weekend, if I don't have anywhere I have to be
18.  Going to my 2 favorite local Starbucks, which have both just been remodeled beautifully
19.  Making myself a wonderful lactose free, gluten free healthy breakfast
20.  Hearing my good friend tell me that I'm the happiest person she's ever seen (see above list as to why that might be true!)
I wish days of bliss- whatever those might be- for you, too!

INSPIRATION FROM AN OLYMPIAN

You may not be familiar with the name, Oscar Pistorius, but you have probably heard his nickname, "The Bladerunner".  This inspirational human being was born with a genetic defect in his legs, so severe, that both legs had to be amputated below the knees, when he was only 11 months old!  Several months later, he was fitted with prostheses and went on to live a normal life, thanks to his parents, who did not believe in pampering him.  His mother would say to his brother, "Go put on your shoes," while, at the same time, she would tell Oscar, "Go put on your legs!"  Now, he is an Olympian!!  Unfortunately, his mother died when he was a young teen (as if he didn't have enough heartache as it was, right?!)  When interviewed a few days ago about that, his reply was this:  "Don't mourn the time you don't have with them; celebrate the time you did."  An inspiration in more ways than one!!