attitude of gratitude | All Things Gwen

Posts Tagged ‘attitude of gratitude’

Creating Moments That Last Forever

December 2, 2010

The best things in life are so simple — to me, it’s moments and memories with family and friends. No one can take them away. They keep us forever tied to those who mean the most to us.

Family first
Some of the closest people to me are my cousins. Although half of us are in NJ, and the other half is in Canada, we are like brothers and sisters. My aunts and uncles are like parents to me as well. We spent weeks together in the summers and over holidays — travelling to Virginia, the Jersey shore, camping — and used to stay up all night playing cards, coloring and laughing. We’re the only ones that can laugh about how I flew off the see-saw, into the air and pretty much knocked myself out … how we found some of Uncle Paul’s (real) Easter eggs the following year … and how Sarah used to wear bright red lipstick.

Now that we are older, our time together has shaped how we want to raise our own children. I want my (future) children to have what I had … what I have. A close-knit family is something that my husband and I can always provide — no matter what the economy looks like or whatever else is going on in our lives. It’s a gift that’s free and lasts a lifetime.

Saying goodbye and moving on
A few weeks ago, we buried one of our youngest “sisters” — Margaret. It was a sad, sad day. So unbelievable, especially since we had just been together a few weeks before. She read at my wedding and was glowing — so beautiful, wise and grown up. It was something so unexpected, but the opportunity for me to grow and be strong. In my saddest moments, Margaret helped me do the things I was afraid of … and I did things for her that I am proud of. I spoke at her viewing, touched her hand, shoveled dirt on her grave and visited the place where she passed away.

Margaret’s death taught me to live life with no regrets, to be thankful for family, memories and moments. It reminded me how precious and short life is, and to live it to the fullest. During that time, I also learned how to let go and forgive.

I’m so thankful that shared moments together that will stay with me forever.

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Back and Better Than Ever

November 22, 2010

Wow, it’s been a looooong time. Too long. Sorry.

Well, I have good news. I’m back and better than ever. Why/How? I’ve had so many life-changing experiences since the last time I blogged. There were so many that I was really distracted and had to find myself again.

I lost my job. It was a good thing, actually. I was free from the stress, toxic environment and immoral leadership that I didn’t agree with. It was an emotional roller coaster. When I got let go, I questioned myself, my abilities, the next step. I went through stages of letting go and acceptance, but I also needed to regain faith. I stopped doing things I loved — I stopped writing.

I got married. After our 10-month engagement, I had the best day of my life. Things were exactly how I wanted it. I was surrounded by family and friends. It was amazing. However, it was really stressful … but all worth it.

My cousin passed away. Three weeks after she read at our wedding … after we were all together as a family … she passed away. I never felt so devastated before. Never experienced grief, pain, forgiveness like that before. She was such a beautiful 22-year-old.

Life now
I’m back and I’m happy and feeling great. I’m so thankful for the people I have in my life. My husband, my parents, my brother, my cousins, my friends …

My goal now with my blog is to be even more personal. Honestly, I started it because I needed to force myself to be positive. My old job was really draining me emotionally, and I tried to smile and make the most of it. But, I’m human. I have bad days. I question myself, and I have doubts. I used to write all happy things, lessons and inspiration. But now, I’m going to be even more real. I’m going to talk about the pain of losing a cousin, about letting go of the past, forgiving people, things that scare me. I truly believe that the more open you are with yourself and with others, the more rich your life will be. People love you. They will love you at your best and worst times.
Read the rest of this entry »

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“Teacher”

April 20, 2010

A true blessing! Friend, inspiration and teacher - Matthew Rich, Jr.

A few months ago, I met Matthew Rich. Although we’ve only hung out two times, I consider him a good friend. In fact, I’d call him my inspiration. He’s taught me so much about life.

How we met
It was interesting how we came to know each other. See, I have this Fit Friends fan page on Facebook and one of my friends suggested that Matthew fan the page. Right away, I noticed him. He was really enthusiastic about the health and fitness information I was posting, and was adding a lot of interesting comments. He really loved the purpose of the fan page — to motivate others to be happy and healthy.

We decided to chat on the phone — we were both interested in creating a video with workout moves and other fun stuff. After a little while, I had to go, but we made plans to keep in touch and get together to do more brainstorming. I’ll never forget what Matthew said before we hung up … he told me that there was a lot more he still had to tell me. Matthew told me he has cerebral palsy and is in wheelchair. That really caught me off guard because I knew he was a personal trainer, loved karate and just started dance classes. He uses his crutches whenever possible.

The key here is that I didn’t know he had any physical challenges. With his attitude, his accomplishments and his goals — you’d never know it. That’s how he lives his life. He doesn’t let things hold him back or feel saddened by what he can’t do. Matthew pushes ahead and does the things that people wouldn’t expect. He does it for himself, but he does it for other people too. He’s an example of how with hard work and determination, anything is possible. He says his place in life is to inspire others. I LOVE IT.

Appreciating the small things
After we hung up the phone, I got emotional immediately. I never told Matt this, but I called our mutual friend right away and cried. “Meeting” Matthew really put things into perspective. At the time, I was really stressed out with work, managing my time and meeting my personal and professional goals. I’m often really hard on myself … looking ahead to the next big thing … but Matthew’s influence has helped remember the little things.

It’s easy to forget how fast and easy it is to tie my shoes, go out for groceries or make myself a meal. For him, it’s more challenging. It takes more time, or maybe he needs help. Read the rest of this entry »

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