My Dearest Nana Lucy

They say that those who truly love Nature, will find beauty all around them. But, to the woman who never spent a day without fresh flowers in her home, the woman who never neglected a garden and cherished every moment outdoors, she not only found beauty everywhere, but carried it everywhere she went. 

Today, we say goodbye to our dear Nana Lucy: a beautiful woman who loved many and was loved by many more. To those of us who knew her, and ache with her passing, we remember her as a gentle, kind, and sometimes stubborn soul who made the best out of every obstacle thrown at her.

September's End

Torn and tangled,
Thrown and trampled
Upon the beaten path.

Crushed and smashed
Before the glass
Can shatter life at last.

With each new batch,
The masters’ catch
Of sweet and bitter feasts,

We Are "N." I Am "N."

I truly have the deepest appreciation and respect for government. It's a brilliant institution that builds a nation, feeds and teaches; it shelters its people, leads them by the hand, and is arguably the parent of society.

But politics, the tainted government dealings that are controlled by the inherent failures of humanity--I have very little respect for that.

For the most part, I stay silent in political discussions, even with some of my dearest friends. Opinions are fickle creatures, you see. Depending on their nature, they can poison the mind and fill the heart with pride. Often times, when threatened by the enemy, it morphs into a violent predator, unaware of its own strength and size. It can sabotage its herd and strip the pureness of its habitat.

Opinions are a dangerous species. And frankly, I'm unfortunate to have enough of them wrecking havoc in my life without the political kind becoming a factor.

Small Fish, Bigger Ponds

A pond, a lake, and the ocean; which do we live in?

It's a question I was posed with this week and am still racking my brain in trying to answer it. In the midst of ending one career path to journey upon another, I was asked one common and questioning cliche:

"Would you rather be the big fish in a small pond or get lost in the ocean?" 

I'd be lying if I said it isn't something I thought about, but I never thought it'd be something I'd have to answer to.

Cross It Off the Bucket List

St. Ignatius Catholic Church in San Francisco, CA

Six years have passed since I last visited this artistic wonder. Reminiscing on the physical and spiritual beauty, while remembering the first time it took my breath away at 18 continues to leave me breathless. God has blessed me with amazing opportunities in life that I will forever be thankful for, including the chance of visiting spectacular sites such as this so early in life.

Having said that, it's an awakening to take a step back into the past and realize how far I've come in these past few years--specifically to realize how much I've changed. The 18 year old girl who first stepped into this church is no where near the one stepping in it today. But I suppose that's one of life's own artistic wonders created by the master painter himself...allowing Him to finish one part of the painting so that we can take a step back to look at the full masterpiece.