Deer and Fireflies

This week is my late week at work.  I do not get home until ten at night daily, only to come home to a cooked dinner (or nearly cooked, depending on what's on the menu) and a couple of hours to ourselves before bed beckons to me.  It is hard to enjoy what is around you that late when all you can think of is what you need to get done.  The chores pile up as the day wears on.

Last night, however, I was made aware of things I would otherwise ignore.  I first passed by deer, two does to be specific.  What is significant about this is the fact that I spend the majority of my drive dreading seeing deer.  When I first moved to this area, I had hit a deer (see previous posting!) and had tried to avoid them like the plague.  But what it took from me is the beauty and amazement that the deer bring to my life.  Last night, these two does brought a little bit more peace and serenity into my life.

I pass a lot of fields on my drive, being in the countryside.  When you pass something repeatedly, you begin to ignore what it is you are going by.  Last night, I passed one such field, just prior to a well-lit area and my eye was immediately drawn to it.  Lights were flashing in the flied but these were not any lights made by electricity.  The field was filled with fireflies, shining in their lighting pattern to attract a mate, hoping to find their match.  I found it difficult to take my eyes off of such a sight.  I had never seen it before.

In these two examples, I had taken these simple things for granted or feared them, only to discover how much I was really missing.  It made me wonder how much I pass by everyday and miss in my life.  With all the wedding plans, one of the important things has to be photography.  My fiance and I will be too busy to take pictures ourselves, to capture those moments before we see one another that day.  So it was important when we spoke with our photographer to find someone who can capture those moments we want to cherish.  The moment he sees me coming down the aisle, the secret glances we give one another, the candid moment that create beauty in a moment.

Our photographer, Anthony V. Smith, has a photo journalistic style and this is what will give us what we desire from our wedding day.  And we should take this approach towards life as well.  Treat each moment as a secret glance from nature or something you can never recapture.  Those moments in life pass so quickly that, as soon as they are over, we are wishing we had them back.  I hope my fiance and I can get our friends' pictures and out photographer proofs and fall in love with the day anytime we view those moments together. In the meantime, our memories will serve as our cameras and our hearts will download the emotion.

Remembering Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day for the United States, a day that many people are happy to celebrate.  Often times, it is for the wrong reasons that they look forward to it, a day off to relax and have cook-outs.  But the reasoning behind this day is more significant than that.  Today is designated to remember and commemorate those men and women who had died while serving for our country.  We had traditionally extended that to cover the entirety of our armed forces, with Veterans' Day being used to honor those who have served.

I have a man in my family that did his duty to his country.  Although he did not die during his service, the fact I could never have the opportunity to meet him saddens me.  It is my maternal grandfather, Harold McKeon, who served during the Second World War.  Passed away before I was a twinkle in my father's eye, my granddad was kept alive by the medals and awards my Nanna kept and the stories she told us.  I remember coming home from school and running upstairs, eager to know something new.  I would go to the bottom drawer of her dresser and see all the military honors my grandfather achieved and, one by one, take them out, asking my Nanna, "What was this for?"

I wish I had written the stories down.  I wish I could remember everything that she told me.  My Nanna has also passed away since I was a young girl, running up the three steps that separated our home from the apartment we built on for my grandmother to come live with us.  She had by then moved into an assisted living facility, the highlight of my Sundays.  And, although it hurt sometimes to see her advancing in age, I cherished every moment I had with her.  While she wasn't able to physically see me graduate college and won't be able to physically attend my wedding, I know she is smiling down on me, my grandfather by her side, along with all my relatives that have gone before me.

My Nanna and Granddad on their wedding
day.

My fiance and I do not have a chance to celebrate Memorial Day by having the day off.  We have to go to work.  But I am glad I can do this.  I work on a project that is meant and designed to assist those in our military in some of the most basic needs, to improve their quality of life.  I can also work towards helping myself grow and excel in my place of employment.  While others will be having fun, spending time with family and enjoying a day to relax, my fiance and I will be doing our civic duty.

If you are in the United States and have today off, please enjoy it.  But keep this in mind.  When you go to a restaurant or to the grocery store today or simply going for a walk maybe in your hometown, be aware of those businesses that are still open.  These are the people who are also sacrificing so you can better enjoy your day.  When interacting with them, try to keep that in mind if they are not the cheeriest.  Take it from someone who has had to work when everyone else has the day off: it is sometimes hard to be happy when it seems everyone else can relax.  Enjoy today.  If you are not celebrating Memorial Day, take a deep breath and celebrate what you can today: Life.

Celebrating Life One Meal at a Time

My family got to have breakfast
with Pooh and friends when
we were at +Disney World 

This morning, my late morning during this week, I woke up leisurely.  Meanwhile, I could hear my fiance rushing around the apartment, getting ready to leave.  In typical fashion, we always joke about how I get to sleep in and he has to go work.  Imagine how he feels when I don't have to be at work until noon for all week long.  But where something seems beneficial, there is always a trade-off.  I don't get home until 10 PM with the drive.  And tomorrow I am back up in the morning hours to live at 8 AM.

This morning, I wandered around the apartment, pondering what I might make.  I settled on trying to make a poached egg, as we only had one egg, and to have it on toast.  When I sat down with my plate and coffee at my side, I recall how meals have marked milestones in my life.  First of all, breakfast, while the most important meal, is just about my favorite meal.  I also love what a meal represents which is the family togetherness and taking time to share what you have.

I remember meals like dinners after my graduation from school, eating when we first arrive in Dublin airport with my uncles meeting us at the gates.  I recall the first meal in Estonia with the wonderful use of herbs, especially with dill.  I recall the farewell meal we had in Lithuania, set out on the water before we flew away from a trip most people would love to have the chance to take.  I recall meals my fiance and I had on birthdays, with our families together.

I remember the +Dublin Airport well.

I think fondly of these meals for a multitude of reasons.  It could be because of the occasion it marked, celebrating the success that had been achieved.  Perhaps it was the location I got to indulge, almost feeling surreal in where I am getting to eat.  I think the most important reason why I remember meals is because of the people I enjoy and shared the meals with.

As we come into the summer months, there are several memorable meals coming up.  Memorial day is this upcoming Monday (unfortunately, I will be working) and July 4th, as well as pool parties, barbecues, cook outs and ballgames to attend.  The thing to remember is that the occasion isn't what makes a meal important or memorable.  It's the people you are with and the company you may be celebrating.  Even just making up an excuse to celebrate something can make a meal memorable.  This summer, I will more than likely been celebrating aspects of my upcoming nuptials, as well as family birthdays, fiance's birthday and other holidays.  Make every meal a memory and every day something to look forward to!