the soul sisters of our lives...

just what would we do without them?  can i get an “Amen Sister!” AMEN! that’s right. i hear you ladies! you’re thinking “wow” it’s like we’re somehow already telepathically communicating with each other right? so say it with me.“SOooooUL-Sister” i could say it over and over again and not get sick of hearing it~ SoUl-sista, SOooooUL sista, SOUL SISTER. ooo-ya!  don’t you just love the sound of it?  i’m sure at this point you’re wearing the same silly grin on your face as i am. i say it with pride and joy, "SOUL-SISTER"  and my thoughts shift fondly to the women in my life who fulfill the role. so how is it that we (as in us ‘women’) just ‘get it’ like that?  i’ll tell you what i think.. we are not just any created being. we are a specially crafted breed of love, light, emotion, strength, faith, and wisdom, designed by the hand of God Himself to be the perfect companion to men and women. we are women. we are proud!

we were baby girls. we were ‘little’ girls. we were adolescents. we were teenagers. finally ‘adults’ and Oh SO grown up as we turned 18...we entered the door of ‘womanhood’ and the years started flying by faster and faster. for so many of us it was our teen and college years that became vital to all the years to come as our friendships strengthened and our bonds became like intricately exquisite sparkly chains. we realized who had become the ‘Soul-Sisters’ of our life and who we just knew would always be there. is there not this beautiful, unspoken understanding among us as women? my soul sisters--- one more reason why God made us such relational beings. it's all about the girl's night! the girl's brunch. the bachelorette parties. bridal showers. baby showers. girl's weekend getaways. the most WILD and CRAZY Joys of LIFE we share with our girls! we love each other. we learn from each other. we challenge each other. we encourage each other. we grow with each other. we simply need each other.

last night i enjoyed some wonderful quality ‘Soul-Sister’ time with one of my longtime high school best friends, Ms. Rosemarie VanderJagt. heat lamps, spanish tapas, and yummy red sangria at the turquoise bar in PB. we had the patio to ourselves as the (early) live-entertainment gent. serenaded us with his guitar. a picture-perfect evening as we caught up and talked about ‘life’ and everything we’ve been going through. my dear Ro, how i love and adore her! we finished up with our 3 hour-long happy hour and gave one big, long, warm embrace before going our separate ways. driving home, i thought about her and the other ‘soul-sister’s’ in my life and imagined again the beginning of my soul’s creation. thinking, 'i just know' who was in my ‘SouL-pool’ before this life here on earth. and while some of my ‘soul-sister’s’ are indeed in my gene pool here, i decided the ones who aren’t simply had to have occupied the same piece of heaven, the same 'pool' where our souls laughed and played together! i just know that it is the reason i found each one of them here and why i can’t ever let them go

our Soul-Sisters~ just one more reason why we find completion as 'women' ~ and a wildly beautiful and complex species we are. so again, how do we get through life without them? …we don’t. 

One LoVE

Naomi Rose 

this little thing called 'Life'...

the wonderful circle that goes on and on… and if you’re anything like me, every now and then you find yourself in that miserable state of complacency. soon enough the complacency leads to boredom, from boredom to laziness, and laziness to feelings of pure inadequacy…until finally, you find yourself sitting-once again-at the bottom of that wretched, black hole, basking in self-pity, telling yourself, ‘there’s gotta be more to life than this!’ Why!? ‘ Why me?’  we ask…sad right? i sure think so. but this is what we do and we do it to ourselves! if i’m being honest, my so called ‘sorrows’ during these low times are pretty much self-inflicted.

i haven’t blogged since Thanksgiving. i haven’t picked up my laptop to work on my novel since ummm…can’t even remember. i haven’t committed to healthy eating habits. instead i’ve stayed up late eating junk food, watching movies with the hubby, and feeling like a nice big blob before bed time. half the time i fall asleep in the living room and wake up at 2am just to get in bed. i’ve barely devoted time to playing my guitar, and  i’ve barely gone on two runs in the past few months. i’ll look at my Bible sitting on the coffee table, but have barely opened it to really read in the past 2 months…and when i do find the time to do any of these things, i don’t use it. i lay around contemplating ‘tomorrow’, 'the day' i will finally ‘get back into gear’ …but the problem with 'tomorrow':  ‘tomorrow’ never seems to come…sound familiar? it happens to the best of us.

my life has gone through quite a bit of change in the past few months...some exciting times~ Costa Rica which was UNREAL~ but some bittersweet changes like saying goodbye to the family i’ve nannied for for 2 ½ years. with scheduling & budget needs we realize despite the best efforts to make it work, sometimes the ‘family & friendship’ aspect of a job like mine and the ‘business’ aspect don’t always fit in the same box. it’s no one’s fault when it happens. so we celebrated our last night together with a great sushi dinner for little Lea’s 4^th birthday and as of tomorrow, Thursday, i start with the 1^st of 3 new families (2 of which are temporary) talk about changing things up!

even though the Ercegs’ and i will forever remain family, it was still an emotional farewell for all of us…but my eyes are open with optimism and i’m realizing more and more that i can only see so far ahead of myself, where God sees it all…

i was 14 when  multiple people in my life ( in that year)  out of no where, would send me a letter or card with the verse Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper and not harm you; to give you a hope and a future”…in the letter (or card) they’d tell me: ‘The Lord put this verse on my heart for you, Naomi. i’ve clung to this scripture, this promise from Him, for about 14 years now and He’s never let me down so why do i find myself in this place again, this black hole? i am weak.

still, i realize again, if not by Him and the strength that He has promised me with that dependence on Him…then there in that black hole is where i remain~ unsatisfied and complacent. mentally that is, because we still go about our lives right?  just without the zest and inspiration & the big ‘L-O-V-E’ that we are all searching for;  those things we find our worth and purpose in. usually they are right in front of our face but we can be too blind to see it.  i look around sometimes when i’m out and about and wonder how many people are actually suffering inside. how many people feel like their lives are worthless and unimportant. even if just for a day, these feelings take such a negative toll on our health and well being. so what’s the remedy? for me, it came in the form of a song with lyrics from Isaiah, spoken by a child, spelling out what i needed to be reminded of...

Isaiah 40

28: Have you never heard? Have you never understood?

The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.

He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

29. He gives power to the weak

and strength to the powerless.

30. Even youths will become weak and tired,

and young men will fall in exhaustion.

31. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

a beautiful picture of a God who loves me more than i can ever understand …but climbing out of that hole was gonna take some effort and it had to start with a change in my attitude, the 'woe is me' attitude about life and things not going the way i decided they should, when they should. i had to get out of my own head and out of my own selfish and lazy ambitions. i had to get up and DO what i should be doing. take back my life by DOing the things that have always made my Life. we recently watched the movie 50/50. have you seen it? true story about [actor] Seth Rogen’s best friend.  i can’t tell you what an impression it left in my mind and heart. 27 years old and this poor guy finds out he has a 50/50 chance of surviving a rare form of back cancer. he tells his emotionless doctor how many things he’s never done in his life that he’s dreamt of doing, that he’s never told a girl “I love you”...he says: “I’m healthy” “I don’t drink” “I don’t smoke” “I exercise” …do you know anyone that has been dealt this card?

 …this 'little' thing called LIFE. made me think-- how we so easily take it for granted, but why!? why take it for granted when it’s as fragile as it is. i’m realizing i don’t want to waste another second of this fragile life by ‘not’ doing. we all have gifts and talents to offer ourselves and the world. we know what we need to do to live healthy lives and we ALL have purpose in Our Creator whether we want to believe it or not..i'll believe it for everyone! we were made for so much more. we were made to see and understand the spiritual and supernatural things which most of us don't but it doesn't change the fact that we were made to.  it's not too late today, in this moment right now, but it might be tomorrow, or in 10 minutes from now...the fact of the matter is we  truly never know when it's going to be our time. and LIFE is too short and too short to not understand why we are here and what we should be doing...

when i find myself lost in meditative prayer, i always seem to rediscover my Joy. this morning my face was drenched with tears as i imagined myself soaring high on the wings of an eagle. i imagine myself for just a moment in the throne room of God, in all His Glory, Love, and Holiness as my Father, my Maker..and then my whole body was overcome with goose bumps. i was instantly reminded of where i’ve come from…the birthplace of my soul. 

there will come the day when we all ‘cross-over’ and we will ‘remember’ then that it was always Home. we will all give an account for what we did on earth and how we 'spent' our lives. i want to be proud of myself and how i used my time when that day comes...

a dear friend, Heidi, who i've mentioned before in a post, sent me an email with a ‘well-being tracking sheet’, that was sent to her by a friend in her women’s group. i revised it to suit my individual goals for each week and taped it to the refrigerator so i can check them off as i achieve them. the visual aspect of ‘seeing’ what I need to be DO-ing should leave no more time for laziness! :)  if you’ve been like me and have struggled to ‘get into gear’ try it out with me!

i am learning just how important it is to be diligent in the things that i love doing and the things i simply need to do for my health, and to carve the time out to do them. i’m finding that even things like our ‘hobbies’ ~the things that are ‘supposed’ to find their way naturally into our schedules, sometimes need to be redirected and charted as ‘goals'. it’s like the old saying: ‘if you don’t use it, you lose it’. i know i don’t want to lose any  hobby, gift, or talent in this life. i want to gain all the ZEST out of Life that L-I-F-E [GOD]  has to offer, but it is my responsibility to put forth the effort and commitment in order to reap the rewards. so here's my well-being sheet for the week...at the end of every week i'll track my progress on a separate sheet, then erase and start over, likely adding news goals as they come...so don't wait! get going on yours! put it up on the fridge where people can see it and hold you to it! and please DO share! to all of you reading: i wish and pray upon you health and well-being- physically, mentally, emotionally, and most importantly~Spiritually! may you discover and rediscover the Joys of your precious life!  

 Be Blessed in LoVe,


Naomi Rose

Thanksgiving 'Thanks'...

is a state of mind and heart; a consciousness...a Beautiful, Exquisite Awareness within our soul, on one day of the year~ SO strong ~ that it leads us and connects us in Spirit to the ones we love, whether physically present on the day or not, in a way like none other throughout the year. i used to say Thanksgiving was my 'second' favorite holiday to Christmas, but  i changed my mind about that this year...they're officially tied for 1st! 

while Christmas is a holiday meant to remind us of the Gift of Christ to this world, to each of us, a gift so great that we have yet to discover the divine magnitude of it, ThanksGiving is a holiday to remind us of the gifts we were given in each other and the blessings that God has given us to 'give' thanks over.  ultimately, both holidays remind us of the gift of LoVe and because of this great LoVe, we give thanks.

the table was 'set' and ready for all that the day was awaiting...and it started off with quite the 'bang’

i woke up early at 7am [unable to go back to sleep] and felt that still small voice of God beckoning me

sweetly to"Get Up!"  i knew He was pressing on my heart to 'give' the thanks that i felt in my heart, in a physical way. i knew and felt it the entire day before as i spent prepping our bird and side dishes. so i got up, rummaged through the pantry, pulled out all the canned foods that had been sitting there for over a month, and then tore apart my closet for all the things i no longer wear. even when i found myself tottering over a couple things thinking 'well maybe'...i'd start laughing as i heard the voice "Put it in the Bag"

i bagged everything up, put it by the door and looked around. there were two apple pies [one extra] on the counter that the hubby brought home. i knew we wouldn't need both as my dad was bringing pumpkin pie too, so i grabbed it and out the door i went on a 'mission' to the San Diego rescue mission downtown. sure enough as i just barely left the house i was driving around the corner to the store across the street when i noticed a homeless man crossing the street with his cart full of cans.

"random" i thought to myself, as i have never seen a homeless person in the area where we live. so i rolled my window down and yelled out the window "SIR!! i have something for you!" let's just say...the last thing i thought i'd be doing on Thanksgiving morning was chasing down a homeless man to give him an apple pie. i saw him look back at me in confusion, so i yelled "I'm coming to you, hold on!" i can only imagine what he was thinking in that moment. so i drove around the corner to find a parking spot at the gas station, grabbed the apple pie [with a plastic plate and fork i brought] and darted back in his direction. 

i caught up to him as he clearly seemed on a 'mission' himself and i told him "Happy Thanksgiving" as i handed him the pie. he looked at me, again confused, as he took the pie and said "thanks". he started walking again, so i kept up and asked a few questions."what's your name?"  i got all one-word responses. "Robert" he says. "where'r ya from Robert?""Pennsylvania" - i said "wow, you walked

all the way to California? "Half-way" he said; "Hitchhiked the rest"...he started walking faster and so i took the hint, patted him on the back, told him it was great to meet him and that i hoped he'd enjoy the pie. 

i took off back across the street to get in my car and when i looked back, i saw him stop and open the pie and pummel into it with his hands. i smiled and thought"ThankYou God for Robert"...such a small gesture of giving on my part and God would be so gracious to overflow my heart with even more Joy, Love, and Gratitude. the spirit of giving, as it turns out :) is really for our own benefit, our own reward. i'm realizing that the more connected i feel to Him, the more connected i feel to everyone and everything in the Universe around me and the more Joy and peace i experience in the process. that is a Gift from God that nothing will ever compare to...it is the greatest Gift of His Love, the greatest of spiritual gifts.

this year was very special to me for multiple reasons. about a month and half ago, as a result of prayer and a lot of change in my own heart, i decided it was the year for change...the year for 'True' Ammends. this would be the year of 'The Peacemaker'. not unsettled peace, but true Peace..for true Love & grace to conquer, for wisdom, knowledge, fresh understanding, forgiveness, Joy, laughter, and Truth. and with a little devised 'plan' up my sleeve, i decided 'the Goodales will host Thanksgiving this year'.  i have to admit, i'd be lying if i said my guest list wasn't premeditated with a lot of thought and prayer.

those who know me the best know that my family has been through a lot....how many can relate to that!? just like so many others, i come from a broken home and for years our family has gone through a lot of ups, downs, and strain in our relationships with each other as a result. the 'details' of my experiences are irrelevant, but what i've truly begun to see this year is that after all the years, 17 years that is, since my parents divorced and a whole lot of hurts along the way, experienced by each of us respectively, i am finally in a state of true peace and gratitude over all the hardships. to be sitting at the table with both my mom & dad, and grandparents, mom's side, after 17 years...was a picture i never thought i'd see again, but as we took turns going around the table and each of us raising a Thanksgiving toast, i realized... the change hadn't taken place in one of us; it had taken place in all of us.

to see my dad and grandparents talking and laughing again after all the broken years, to see my mom hand my dad a card and loaf of homemade bread for he and April, my stepmom {who unfortunately couldn't make it} to enjoy later, to see my sister Olivia making faces across the table:)  the gift of a daughter God gave to my mom, after our family had fallen apart. to see Josiah, my younger brother, who i've always mothered in a way wanting nothing but the best for him...and to feel the pride i do in seeing how far he's come in his life and career in home health care for the elderly and immobile [i.e. changing diapers], he's one of the most compassionate people i know and i couldn't be more proud of him...

then looking to my right to see my husband, my Soulmate, my better-half and the reason i sing every day:) and then to my left to see my mother...the one i never thought i'd feel SO connected to in ways i was only able to once i gave her a standing chance...really, once i gave myself a chance. i got to spend last weekend [while David was away] with her and Olivia at their home in Lake Elsinore. mom and i talked for hours upon hours for two straight days and the heavens had opened up on us...i realized how much of her has always been in me...even when i refused to acknowledge it... yep, this Beautiful Picture below was the picture of 'Thanks' in my heart on Thanksgiving Day. when my turn had come to raise a toast i broke out in tears that i couldn't contain. toasting to the "Love in God" that carried us through every hurt throughout the years, and the "Forgiveness" that brought each of us to that table in that moment had overflown my heart with gratitude. 

This is what the holidays are ALL about...Family, no matter what that 'picture' looks like:) 

it's about 'letting go' and 'letting God' ...

an ever-present Awareness that God's Love has always been there...

Roots of the Family Tree...

The Eternal Love of Family...

We waved off grandma and grandpa and finished off the night with a 'Family' movie :) 'De Javu' with Denzel Washington... with the exception of a few family members i only wish could've been part of this 'picture',it was hands down one of the best Thanksgivings to date for all of us!

The hubby and i got to sleep-in on Friday and enjoy the whole day together...after some Black Friday shopping, new tires, car wash, oil change, and movie date, Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1~loved it...we got home to enjoy turkey dinner leftovers... the perfect union of Thanksgiving and Christmas Spirit as we listened to some holiday Frank Sinatra while putting up the tree, loving every moment of this beautiful life God has blessed us with!            

Holidays, Holidays, Oh how i LoVe Thee!!!

Merry Christmas to ALL of you and a Happy, Happy, HaPPy NEW Year full of Love, Forgiveness, Thanks, Peace, and Joy!!! 

Be Blessed! 

oNe Love,

Naomi 

learning to "let it be"...

in L-I-F-E requires understanding that only 'time' heals wounds and for that reason, there will be many 'times' in our lives when we need to just "let it be". we are human. we are flawed. we think differently. we see differently. we feel differently. we react differently. 

we are, all of us, whether we like it or not, at some point in time going to hurt someone we love and be hurt by the one(s) we love in return. and sometimes, despite our best efforts, it can be a losing battle when the one(s) we are tying to 'repair' with  refuse to reason with us or step outside their own point of view for even  a moment, if not just for the sake of loVe and moving forward to 'agree-to-disagree'. the obstacle of 'pride' instead, stands tall in the way.

by nature i am a peacemaker and don't like having tension with anyone in my life. it was written on my soul since the day i was born. 'Naomi' "pleasant" 'Rose' "giver of loVe" thanks mom and dad ;) ...and while those who know me best, know that i am a pretty loving, happy-go-lucky, positive-minded individual all around...am i always a 'pleasant' person? no. am i always a positive person? no. are any of us as human beings? 

all we can do is try to remember that we 'loVe' each other in spite of our differences while doing our best to work through them...

our souls are discovering how to 'cope' in a world where we will never agree on everything....in a world where often times, our own 'blood', the ones who we feel are 'supposed' to love us and know us the best are sometimes the ones who know us the least and still manage to hurt us the most. when we are 'hurt' we are 'hurt' and it becomes very difficult to see outside any other perspective [than our own] in the midst of that hurt. we feel defeated by it, and fearful of what the future may hold over it. i have learned this lesson before...and the last couple days have proven that i need to learn the lesson all over again... to "let it be" and wait on God and 'time' for healing.

i am striving toward that and realize more and more, by the day,  that to combat any negativity in my life i must find a way to quickly turn it around in the very opposite direction, so as not to 'dwell'. even if that means temporarily removing myself from a line of communication whether i want it or not.

by nature, i am a strong willed and strong-minded individual, at times to a flaw.  i always have been. when i believe in something i fight hard for it, bull horns and all. when my character is attacked, i stick up for myself and stand my ground~ while simultaneously trying to create the peace again. "agree to disagree" is my mantra when there is no other resolution. 

if i chose to stay angry or 'write off' every friend or family member who didn't 'agree' with me,  i don't know how i'd survive. i'd be one lonely individual. i need the relationships and the love in my life to keep me going. and that is 'life' for you. knowing that the 'hurt' will happen, deciding for yourself what the best thing you can do in the situation  is when you know you've given it your all, and learning how to work through it, for the good of your own soul. whatever that decision entails. my advice remains the same. go to the 'Source' within you with honesty. 

i can only hope and pray that the day will come when things will be different. when there will be laughter again between myself and this person i love...i love dearly and will for as long as i live, even if we manage to never see eye to eye.

i am not a victim here,  i am merely coping and learning how to turn the negatives into positives,  as it happens in my life. i am a writer and this is my outlet. but for the sake of discretion, there's no 'who' or 'details' of the 'what' to this post as it is irrelevant... there is only the lesson learned.. that is, to place mY trust, ALL of it, in God who is the onLy One who knows exactly what is in my heart. He is the only path to take in these times of hurt and confusion. when i don't, i dwell on the negative. i dwell on the anger. i dwell on my own point of view. i dwell. i dwell. i dwell...

i was almost defeated to this hurt and anger last night. about to leave work, on my way out the door to go meet my 'music-producing' friend:) for a second recording session, when a string of hurtful text messages came in.  the first of which i angrily responded to, before i was bursting out in tears that were full of hurt, and anger toward this person. ready to walk out the door, to call my husband and 'unload'..dwell...and already running late at this point to record, my first reaction was to give in. to call my friend Rumsy and tell him, 'i'm sorry', 'i can't come tonight'. 

i felt so emotionally defeated and angered by what i had read. all that my 'flesh' wanted to do was 'dwell' on it. bawling my eyes out, i started the car ready to go home. that is until i heard that beautiful, sweet,  still small voice beckoning my soul. i paused. turned off the car and was ready to seek out my true 'Source' in the matter. closing my eyes, i cried out to God in prayer. 

all that came to my mind was "i trust You, i trust You, i trust You" as i began to say it louder and louder over and over again....i finally asked my 'Source' the question. 'what do i do?' ...and the answer as blunt and blatant as it could've been; "GO SING".

ironically enough, the cover song i had planned to record [prior to the start of all the personal drama] was none other than "Let it Be" by the Beatles... coincidence, maybe? or maybe, the Father of my soul~ His own way of helping me move past it and allow it to 'be'.  'the show must go on' ...

despite hearing my incoming text messages (i knew who they were from) i had to make the active decision not to check them at that point or even on my way home. i had an incredible recording session and i was on a pure natural high the whole drive home.  followed up with the video shoot this morning, my SoUL is Singing ON... "Let it Be!!!"

oNe Love,

Naomi

it's the simple 'sweets' and 'unexpected funnies' of life...

like going straight for a nice spoonful of green tea ice cream after a great sushi dinner and  instead ending up with a chunk of wasabe in your mouth.  painful. true story. can you picture it? hope so because unfortunately, the unexpected 'funny' moments in life,  much like these, don't usually provide notice for "on the spot photo opportunity".

although, i'd have to say that neither Lea, Mia, or I were laughing too hard about it at first, as we were the victims of this horrendous tragedy;) now 'mama', the girls' mother, on the other hand... mY near and dear friend Severine, the birthday girl, and the only one who had yet to taste her own birthday "ice-cream" dessert, candle and all,  just got to sit back, watch, and laugh when she'd realized [after i'd had a moment to compose myself and tell her] "wasabe" ..."definitely not ice cream"... i have to admit though, i couldn't blame her for laughing. the look on the faces of all three of us had to be quite the site to behold. at least for the few remaining patrons in the restaurant, sushi chefs, and sweet waitresses, all  baffled and confused by what was going on  in our corner.

all three of us reacted simultaneously to the unexpected foul taste in our mouths. both girls instantly gagging and coughing, on the verge of crying, reaching for a napkin to vigorously wipe their tongues off, while i went straight for my glass of water, on the verge of vomiting all over the table....oh BoY! and did i mention... i HATE wasabe? there are few things in life i 'hate'.  truthfully i don't  like to even use that word...but wasabe, i hAte!  it's actually the flavor that makes me nauseous, not the spiciness, so i always substitute it with siracha...the red, even spicier sauce that i absolutely LOVE,  so much i put it on eVerything...but wasabe  i've always found repulsive.  needless to say a large chunk of it working its way down my throat was one 'great fear' come true.

of course, after we all cooled down, we definitely found the humor in it and laughed away;)

so how did the wasabe end up in our ice-cream? on accident i suppose, off a plate on our table is what Severine concluded... truthfully, i am still wondering for certain myself.

they kindly brought us a new scoop and it was green tea ice-cream all the way!

in any case it was a much needed "sweet" "sweet" treat and night with mY 3 giRLs in celebration of one very special Birth-day of LiFe. i celebrate the day this wonderful friend of mine was born...for all the reasons that brought us together around that table, in that restaurant, wiping the wasabe off our tongues...ALL for this beautiful SoUL...right there below.

the girls, for the most part of the night got to entertain themselves...napkins soaked in soy sauce. 'baths' for the table, talking chopsticks-soy sauce-dipped and licked...while my dear friend and i got to catch up.

she's such a hard worker and when she gets home there's usually little time for us to just "be" ...there's the occasional glass of wine of course before i have to jet out and get home to the hubby, but rarely do we get our 'girls' nights like this..of course we missed you Vinko and David ! but without your business trip/ soccer game...we couldn't call it what it was...GIRLS' NIGHT!

Great conversation, great food, great sake, GREAT time! i love this family and feel more blessed by the day. than words can convey to share the bonds we do... tune in for the "Erceg Family Photo Shoot" post coming soon...of course nanny-Naomi had to jump in every other shot. but that's the 'Sweet' of life and freedom to CHOOSE the people you call 'family' .... and ForEver, i choose this one!

xoxo's

Happy Birthday Severine! 

'true LoVe lets go'...the poetry of my soul

Surreal'

smiling at you, smiling back at me

no words need be spoken, our thoughts speak loudly

here in this moment, emotions arise

as you hold me close and gaze into my eyes

i feel for you, what you feel for me

when i close my eyes, its you i see

don't want to hold back but scared to 'let go' 

knowing now these feelings will only grow

don't live for tomorrow, live for today

live for 'this' moment, i hear you say

could something so right be so wrong?

only time will tell as it carries us along

but as for this moment and the way that i feel...

i'm awake but still dreaming

it couldn't be more surreal

bY mE;) 

...i wrote 'surreal' nearly a decade ago and submitted it for publication through the 'international library of poetry'. they sent me my copy with my poem on the first page, along with a letter from the editor commending the "imagery" emanated from the words... i'll never forget that pure sense of deep satisfaction i felt over it ... 

this one was not written for my husband...i'll just put that out there:) ...and as the poem questions..could something so 'right' be so 'wrong'? ....a year from writing it my question was answered...YES! 

but hey...if i said i regret dating anyone other than [of course] my husband;) ...in my life, i'd be lying. eVerything, EVERY person, and eVery experience has been a learning lesson in my life that has made me who i am today... 

and NOW for a poem, I DID write my wonderful husband, after we had gotten back together...

'TRUE LoVE LeTS Go'

they say if you love something, let it go; and if it comes back to you  it's yours FoReVer...

i Am a believer

if not for him, could i have known the very essence of this truth...

to love and be loved within the depths of the soul...

to feel the power of that love take over even when the time comes to 'let go'...

loving someone so much that it hurts to be without them but hurts worse to be with them

when the timing isn't right...

TRUE LoVE LET'S GO...

for LoVe is not selfish and because of him i understood

Just a young woman...

wide-eyed, full of dreams and spirit, set free to find herself...

to find her path 

broken-hearted and devastated, yet free she was...because of him 

Still through the years he stood by

Always a there for her no matter the cost

through eVery moment of heartache and loneliness...

LoVe remained

a best friend he always was 

because of him 

i understood 

it's because of him that i truly understand the meaning of LoVe...

when the happiness of another supersedes that of one's own heart's-desire...

there lies true LoVe

and so it's been said...

"the best kind of LoVe is the kind that awakens the soul, makes us reach for more, plants a fire in our hearts, and brings peace to our minds" 

It's what he's given me and what I hope to give him Forever.

you can read our story in another post... 'i do' 

http://playlovelaughlive.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-do.html

oNe LoVe,

Naomi