Ok, so we all have friends that forward us emails about life, perspective, tasteless jokes, funny jokes, and the email that if you don't forward on you will have bad luck for the rest of your life. Every once in a while though, you actually get some good ones. The 2 following are from emails that I recieved -

A young woman went to her mother and talked to her about he life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggeling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the frist she placed carrots, in the 2nd she placed eggs and in the last she placed ground up coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled out the coffee and palced it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter she asked "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs and coffee", she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. she did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take and egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted it's rich aroma. The daughter them asked, "What does it mean, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faxed the same adversity - boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile, it's thin outer shell had protected it's liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, it's inside became hardened.
The coffee beans were unique however. After they were in the boiling water, the had changed the water. "Which are you?", she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"
Think of this, which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hour is the darkest and trialsare their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, and egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

I think that we would like to all be the coffee, but I think a lot of us are eggs and carrots right now. All we can do it choose to grow from the things that happen to us. It does nothing to live the same mistakes again. And now onto #2 -

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken, probably more then once, and it's harder everytime. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt, because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.
-Anonymous-

Happy Mother's Day!

Today was a much better holiday then the last. After feeling kinda blue for the last couple of months, I was forced (by a persistant sister and mother) to get out of the house on the weekend and do something. So something I did. Headed midtown to the movies, I left with plenty of time. 50 minutes on what should only be a 25 minute train ride. Oh, stupid me. I forgot, it's the MTA... slowest, most unreliable transit. it took 50 minutes to get to times square. No real reason... I watched in frustrated silence as the "C" train (running local) zoomed by the "A" train that I was on (running "express")... We never did catch up to that train... such is life. I missed my movie and had to wait for the next showing. Normally not a problem, but when you're on 42nd street, there's not a whole lot to do, unless you want to get lost in tourist traps. This area of town is my least favorite place to be, but usually where I end up at the movies, as they have the most choices... Still...My friends tell me that I get this look on my face when I am in midtown, and I start to walk alot faster. I think it's my "get out of my way and stop using your camcorder while you try and walk" look. For those who have ever lived in NYC and not just visited, you should know exactly what I mean. Tourists are great for the economy, but such a pain in the arse.
So, back to my story.. I used the wait to catch up with some old pals. Ahren, I miss you a ton and wished I got to talk/see you more! The older I get, the more I realize just how much friends who have been around 12+ years really mean. Anyways.. I'm so all over the place today. Sorry.
After the movie, I took my bum knee up to central park, where I decided to just sit and watch people. It was beautiful. There was kind of a drizzle coming down, not enough for you to actually get wet, but just enough to feel it on your face. The sky was gray without being dark. It was awesome! Decided to walk through the park, up to 82nd st. I wish I'd had all day to sit in the sun with a book and enjoy it. Hopefully the rain will stop soon and I will be able to. Rented Match Point on the way home. After watching it I must say brilliant.. If you haven't seen it you must. And trust me.. watch it all the way through. The beginning and middle can seem so long winded and dull, but oh how does it turn. Really brilliant. Which is a word that I don't use much.

Ok - didn't really have much to say, just hadn't written in a while.