Month: March 2015

Nieces are a gift from God

/ Denise / 2 Comments

Having only sons I often wonder what it would be like to raise a daughter. They are different – boys, for the most part, like boy things. Trying to teach my boys the wonders of sewing one day, I realized very quickly how boring it was to create things from cloth, in their eyes anyway, as I found myself surrounded by no one after a very short explanation on the art of keeping the cloth and the needle in sync, trying to sew a straight line. They just wanted to be outside exploring.

Having failed miserably at the concept of changing the status quo and raising sons to appreciate ‘girly’ stuff (I know this is not socially correct – but bear with me), I soon realized that my mission in life was not to change, but to lead by example.

That’s where my nieces come in. I am from a family of 5 – 2 girls and 3 boys – and guess what – the girls have the sons and the boys have the daughters – for the most part anyway. Why Oh Lord Why? It’s not often we find the answer to this type of question in one’s lifetime, but fortunately I’ve discovered that nieces are in fact a gift from God.

Your brothers by some sort of misguided chance and the love of their wives, deal with the daily struggles of raising daughters, and you, the unsuspecting but very loving aunt, reap the benefits of the young female adult, eager to share, create, experience, learn, from and with you, the old aunt – who has not a care in the world but loads and loads of love to give, many stories to tell, and lots of wine to share.

I thought the Lord was playing a dirty trick on me, but now I realize that He has given me the best of both worlds – young men who will care for and cherish the women in their lives and young ladies who will share their simplest of dreams, their most creative of talents, and most of all their love.

Always cherish your role in life and Never, but Never, under estimate the value of a niece.

If “Peace” were a place, where would it be?

/ Denise / Leave a comment

You know the feeling – it’s the moment when your body physically relaxes, sometimes without warning. Your mind stills, sometimes floats away. You become one with your surroundings and nothing, but nothing, can put you in a bad mood. The moment is surreal, your body warms, your heart smiles, there is a beauty around you that you’ve never noticed before, and you don’t ever want to leave.

Interestingly, for most people, that peaceful place lives in a dream – it’s far away and you’ve never been there before. We tend to look beyond, instead of around. We keep this place in our dreams, instead of bringing it to life.

Personally, I love places that seem untouched by man. Places that lure you in to the depth of their being – a mysterious place filled with wonder. It’s an empty beach with a lone palm tree beckoning you to lay there, relax, watching the waves gently caress the shore. It’s the rugged coast line with danger looming with every explosive sound of the water pounding against the rocks. It’s the flower gently swaying in the breeze, awakened by the early morning sun. It’s the sun dropping from the sky ever so slowly at first, then quickly sinking to rise again on the other side of the world, leaving behind a sky painted with the most amazing hues of orange, pink and blue.

Some people find peace within themselves, and luckily, can take the moment with them wherever they go. We all long for peace. We actively seek it. Not all of us attain it.

If “Peace” were a place, where would it be, and will you be there to enjoy it.