I've found myself saying, "life is crazy" quite often this past year. I've come to realize that it's not life that's crazy... this life is simple. Things exist. Plants grow. Time passes. We're the crazy ones. Our minds are complicated and unique; our biggest gift while at the same time our most challenging obstacle. Even though I’ve known this, it's recently become, in the most confusing, intimidating, exciting meaning of the word, simple. Tend to yourself. Stay mindful. What makes YOU happy? What makes YOU tick? Love YOU. Marry YOU. Live happily with YOU. Only then will you find the person, the people, the stories that truly complement and add to who YOU are. Only then will you be the happiest, most true form of you.
KA

                             

                                                       

Love after Love

The time will come

when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
 
and say, sit here.  Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine.  Give bread.  Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
 
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
 
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit.  Feast on your life.

-Derek Walcott 

"I shook my tambourine the whole time, because it helped me remember that even though I was going through different neighborhoods, I was still me." -Jonathan Safron Foer (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close)

A Superb Cast

It is the smallest acts of kindness that leave the biggest impressions in the world. A smile, a kind word, a thoughtful gift, a listening ear, respect, and a heartfelt interest in others that are the most appreciated. It’s the sincerity in your actions that speak the loudest. It’s a happiness that is deeper than a smile. It’s something that triggers your soul and gives you chills. It is the perfect present, a daily goal, a passion, a contagious laugh, the kindest of words, the most genuine of actions, and the most rewarding of gifts. Especially in today’s world where war, animosity, greed, and ambiguity reign, it is these small acts that allow people to feel the compassion. It is removing the facade of security and allowing yourself to feel vulnerable that allow for the most fulfilling of pleasures, often in the simplest of ways. At the end of the day, it is the hug from a best friend, that smile from an old woman, ‘un bacio’ from your Italian mom, or that beautiful white rose from an old man on a late night walk home that are the most meaningful. 
KA

        

"Do stuff. Be clenched. Be curious. Not waiting for inspiration's shove or society's kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It's all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager." -Susan Sontag

“He was a major part of your life. Of course you’ll miss him. It’s perfectly normal. It’s like getting a tooth pulled out. After the dentist pulls it, you’re relieved. But how many times do you run your tongue over the spot where it once was? Probably a hundred times a day. Just because it was hurting you, doesn’t mean you don’t notice it. It leaves a gap, and sometimes you find yourself missing it terribly. It’s going to take a while, but it always takes some time. Should you have kept the tooth? No. It was causing you pain. Pulling the tooth was the right decision, but it’s still going to hurt.”

real life stories