My Inspiration of the Week..

This week was an interesting one for me because along with the 11 jobs and side projects I was doing, I also got a chance to have my parents visit me in NJ.  As always our visit was filled with food, conversation, fun but most of all love of the family.  Although we aren't perfect, which we are the first to say, I have come to accept and love my family for who exactly they are and the great gifts that they have given me. 

As they left on Wednesday, I spent some time reflecting about how thankful I was for them travelling up to see me and also how amazed I was that I was able to fit in everything we did in that short amount of time.  I have seen my family go through things that most families would not have been able to handle.  However, they did it with grace and it really has brought all of us much closer.

Through my reflecting, two really fabulous things came to my awareness that I wanted to share with everyone.  The first was a poem by Maya Angelou, the great poet of whom my dog shares a namesake.  The poem is called "And Still I Rise":

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

The second was a lovely story about a homeless man in Ohio who the media is calling "The Golden Voice."  He was a panhandler on the side of the road and for many years, he struggled with addiction.  However, he always had a dream of being able to make it and looks as if he finally did.  Both of these things really warmed my heart and I am hoping it will give you something to reflect upon in this new year. 

Remember when you are feeling down and discouraged, you will rise above and do something great!  I believe in all of you and am happy that you are a part of my blog.