the bold and the beautiful

beautiful things and moments inspire. it could be a good book, the falling of autumn leaves, jazz, a child hiding playfully behind their mother, or my favorite, dinner at the Parlor Market. these moments are all around us daily, but how often do we miss them when we are caught up in the mundanities of life. not noticing them is like fog covering a stunning view— although the view is still there, you aren't privy to it.

in order to dispel the fog, one must make the decision to not only look for the beautiful moments but to create them. when you do this you open up to all that is good and pure and true. it is the essence of that Emily Dickerson quote that says "I dwell in possibility." although beauty is subjective, it's powers are limitless. no one can tell you what beauty is for you, you know it when you see it. you know it when you feel it open you up. such is its power.

fashion for yourself a world in which you become intimate with the beautiful. if you have to, mail yourself a floral arrangement of hydrangeas or go to the reservoir to watch the sunset while sipping a glass of Riesling. learn to tango with your lover. whatever it is, come to it with all of your being and bask therein.

this could change your life.

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who are we when we love? Honoring Nelson Mandela

I remember very vividly the summer I first read Nelson Mandela's A LONG WALK TO FREEDOM. I was living at my grandmother's house then. At nineteen years old, it was the longest book I had ever attempted to read. But I felt my soul leaping and growing and telling me that I had to live courageously. I could not afford to not fight for justice. I could not afford to not dedicate my life to love's purposes. By reading Mandela's story, I saw what the best of humanity looked like. I saw that no matter how much oppression and humiliation others may inflict upon us, we can rise above it. We can choose to not let their evil define us. Nelson Mandela is my hero. He was a giant of a man who had the unique ability to make others feel even larger than he was. You see, that is what great people do. They remind us that the light they have is inside all of us as well. We only need to let it shine, fearlessly and with the intent of eradicating evil by the power of love....

i am grateful for OPRAH

Yesterday, my "Angel Mother" as i like to call her, Ms. Oprah G. Winfrey received the highest honor in the land-- The Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Obama applauded her for... "reaching the pinnacle of the entertainment universe." For twenty-five years, The Oprah Winfrey Show helped to extend the conversation about topics that were taboo; from sexual abuse to cellulite, she made it okay to tell the truth. She created a safe space for people to come and leave their shame and the secrets that blocked their light. Because of this, millions of others were liberated by the knowledge that they were not alone in their suffering. I started watching the Oprah show when I was around eight or nine years old. Her voice was soothing. Her insights were as wise and profound as those of my own mother. I saw the same light in her eyes that I saw in my mother's eyes. I believe it was because of this that she would go on to mean even more to me after my mother lost ...

your life is sacred: honoring every moment

on this day, exactly eleven years ago today, my mother entered the Baptist for her second mastectomy. the cancer was vicious, relentless, and evidently insatiably hungry for the life of my mother. She had already had the other breast removed and she went into this surgery confident that it would be best. i remember her strength and her faith most vividly during this week. i also remember her strongly rejecting my request for funds to purchase a new shirt for the pastor's appreciation that was coming up that Friday. i'm not sure if my mother knew this was her last week on earth. there were no "final conversations" or any discussion of what was next for our lives without her. she would leave behind her four children, her dreams, and ultimately, a life well-lived that same night of the pastor's appreciation, which also happened to be All Saints Day. my mother's life, her struggle with breast cancer, and her early demise at thirty-three helps def...

YOGA BEAUTY WELLNESS

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