Give thanks

I am grateful to...

Grandma for her prayers
Mother for her hopes
Moryeo for his tenacity
T for her strength
KC for her eccentricity
Joshie for his innocence
Frankie for her smile
Christi for her belief
Tom for his love
Krista for her warmth
Tiffany for her optimism
Adriene for her constancy
Kim for her candidness
May for her shoulder
David for his open arms
Jahnavi for her smile
Zach for his persistence
You for all that you are

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Happy Thanksgiving.

Dear Paul

Michael Altman lied, suicide is NOT painless.

For those left behind it leaves a feeling of guilt, not all that dissimilar to the evisceration of your insides by a fiery poker stick.

I weep, not for you because you are too far to hear my cries, but for those you left behind.

For your family, your friends, those who knew and loved you, and those who will never get the chance.

For your sake, I pray there is a heaven where your soul has found rest.

You hid your pain behind your precious smile and now we are all the worse for it.

You will be missed.

Francesca

My darling sister has just given birth to my sweet niece Francesca (aka Frankie courtesy of her favourite Aunt - myself of course), at a healthy 7lbs, 6oz at 21 inches.

Upon hearing her tiny cries, I've covered the gamut of emotions from joy, to ecstasy, to nostalgia. My body may not have been present in that room, filled with those I love more than life, but my heart belongs solely to that little angel - reminding me of the last stanza of one of my favorite poems:

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

(excerpt from E.E. Cummings' 'somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond')

I really can't wait to meet you little Frankie.

Blast hurts 62 in Thailand

Blasts hurt 62 in Thailand
Posted: 01:59 AM ET
BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) — Two near-simultaneous explosions in insurgency-hit southern Thailand wounded 62 people Tuesday, police said.
A car bomb blast ripped through a fruit market in the Sukhirin district of Narathiwat, a predominantly Muslim province along the Thailand-Malaysia border.
Two minutes later, another explosion took place near a tea shop, police said.
The blasts occurred a week after Thailand’s new prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, visited the violence-plagued region.

This area is a good 18 hour drive from Bangkok so I'm not concerned about my safety but please keep those that were injured close to your hearts and minds.