I tell wonder-filled stories about hope and healing
Birthdays are declarations that we’re here now and in some way, however small, the world will be different as a result of our presence. I’ll be watching the fireworks on the Mall tonight with friends (provided the rain holds off) and when those colors flash across the sky I’m going to think about how lucky we are that we get to live in a country that fervently believes in the power of new beginnings and our ability to make a difference.
Yesterday I was scolding Phin on the sidewalk because he got ahold of a chicken bone and wouldn’t let go. A mom walked by us with her two toddlers, and one of the two toddlers raised her arms up to the sky and said, “Phineas! Phineas! Phineas!” Her mom started laughing out loud and said, “That’s amazing! Phineas is my daughter’s sixth word.”
By then Phin had noshed on the chicken bone and swallowed it. He sat there like a little prince, quite proud of himself as the little girl cheered him on. As angry as I wanted to be, I just couldn’t find it in me. If someone was on the street chanting my name, I’d continue doing exactly what I was doing, too.
Have you ever started over from zero? I’ve learned to not be afraid of these times. With seemingly nothing left, just being able to keep going is a remarkable feat. To still believe in a better tomorrow, despite a grim today, is an act of courage and strength. That’s what this season teaches us.
With all of these holidays about renewal coalescing—Easter, Passover, and Spring—I’m reminded of what it means and what it takes to begin again with faith and hope. During these times, we find in ourselves a wellspring of untapped potential that we would never know existed if life always handed us an easy road.
To be down to nothing and look up to find a hand, a smile, and a heart willing to help us when we can do nothing for them in this moment is a remarkable gift. Some days I’m the one who’s down to nothing and looking up for help. Other days I’m the one who provides the hand up to someone else. I’m grateful for all of the opportunities I have in each role. They’re all blessings.
From my heart to yours, happy Easter, happy Passover, and happy Spring.
Today we’re getting a cold, icy, snowy mix of weather in the D.C. area. Here’s the thing – it’s temporary. Everything’s temporary. In a month, spring is going to be here (and almost everywhere else, too) and it’s going to be amazing. This city, and many cities in the Northeast, explode with life and joy once spring arrives. And why shouldn’t they? After this winter, we deserve to bask in the sun as much as we can.
D.C. will welcome its outrageously beautiful cherry blossoms from March 20th – April 13th during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The end of the festival is supposed to be the peak time for these pink and white flowers that magically bring a smile to everyone’s face. Phin and I will be there. I hope you can join us. So hang in there. I’m going to chug some (very) hot chocolate now and dream about the spring that is only days away for all of us.
Tonight, I’m going to ring in 2015 with Billy Joel, one of my favorite artists. He’s giving a concert in Orlando, and I’ll be spending it listening to him with my sister and brother-in-law, two people who made one of my wildest dreams possible and offered me the opportunity to write full-time.
My cup of life is overflowing with gratitude for the miracles I never saw coming. Billy Joel gets that. His story was improbable—from an oyster fisherman to world-renowned rock star—all because he took huge chances and leaps of faith. When he was down and out, he kept right on playing.
Like me, Billy Joel carries a New York State of Mind everywhere he goes. And though I live in Florida at the moment, the very best aspects of New York City are never far from my mind and heart. They never will be. We believe all things are possible with love and luck and creativity. Sing me a song, Piano Man. I’m in the mood for a (celebratory) melody. Carry me along the River of Dreams in the middle of the night. I’m ready for the journey. Happy New Year!
Today I turn a fabulous 38 and I’m doing…nothing. It’s me, my dog, Phineas, and the start of my House of Cards addiction. Saint Patrick’s Day in New York City is always a bit of a mess so I’m more than happy to spend it relaxing. Your birthday is your day to just be. To enjoy. To reflect. To do anything you want. No to-do list. No deadlines. Just celebrate you, exactly as you are.
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” ~ Joseph Campbell
Why are we afraid to take some actions and unafraid to take others? So often I’ve found when I do exactly the thing I am afraid of, when I go where I don’t think I can go, that’s when and where I find exactly what I want. Now when I find fear, I celebrate because it lets me know I’m on the right path.
“Optimist: Someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster. It’s the cha-cha.” ~ Robert Brault
Forward, back. Forward, back. This is exactly what happens whenever we try to build something. It’s the dance of trial-error-and-trial-again. This is true of everything I’ve ever done. Nothing has ever been a linear progression from 0 to 60. The fun is in learning to ride the wave. When the roller coaster pulls up beside you, hand over your ticket, grab a seat (I recommend the front one because you can see better!), buckle up, and learn.
“Those who wish to sing, always find a song.” ~ Swedish proverb
If ever you find yourself with nothing to celebrate, here’s a list that I hope will help:
The sunshine and the rain
Trees draped in leaves of any color or in snow
Smiles and tears that remind us how deeply we can love
Times of plenty and not-so-plenty because they help us appreciate what we have
Dreams fulfilled and those we must release because they show us that a new dream is just a thought away
Courage and fear because they let us know that we are on the right track
As long as we’re learning, every experience has value. Give it its due.
Many of my friends are now going through or considering big life changes. New jobs, new homes (temporary and permanent), new relationships, new babies. So few of them are actually ready for any of these changes. Hardly any of them could have predicted even a few months ago that the situation today would be what it is. Opportunity abounds and it doesn’t consult us. It just appears and we are left to decide whether to take advantage of it or pass it to someone else.
All of the big changes of my life came about when I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t been planning on their arrival or possibility. They just appeared. My recent move is one example. I didn’t realize that chapter was over until it was.
The Universe works in mysterious ways, and mostly out of our view. It is that (wo)man behind the curtain to whom we pay no attention until it’s ready for us. All change is hard, even joyful change. It brings about memories that are stored deep within us, in our minds and in our bodies. We toss and turn over our decisions. We find it difficult to let go of our ideas of how our life should unfold.
And yet, the actual act of letting go is not difficult at all. We simply do. Like clinging to the side of a pool, we often stay where we are out of fear. But to physically let go, all we have to do is uncurl our fingers, release our grip, and we find that we can float. We can only take one day at a time, one moment at a time, and this allows us to move with grace.
We can’t wait to be ready for change. All we can do is give ourselves over to it when it arrives, find the beauty, the joy, the light in it. Celebrate it and welcome it. Get swept off your feet by it, and have faith that eventually you will be able to root when the time is right.
Christa Avampato 