Independent Woman

My yesterday started out not so great. I didn't get much sleep (roommates) and it was raining. I caught the bus, which wasn't too crowded, so I got a seat. (minor victory there.) I had to get up from my seat to let the lady sitting next to me off at a crowded stop, and got shoved about 15 different ways. I was cussing to myself about how unfair it is to start the day being pushed and shoved, and how this is one of the things in my NY life I could definitely do without. I was feeling sorry for myself. Poor me.

And then I saw her. Sitting in the front seat of the bus was a woman I had seen before. She is developmentally disabled. I sat next to her and her caregiver about a month ago. She was learning how to take the bus all by herself. Her caregiver was pointing out landmarks and showing her how to press the strip to indicate she's requesting a stop. I remembered how anxious and nervous she was.

And there she was today on the bus. All alone. An independent woman. I praised God then and there for the gift of allowing me to see her beauty, to put things in perspective. I hope to remember that my little annoyances are someone else's great achievements.

My Guilty Pleasure

Well, I did something I promised myself I would never do this week. And I can't believe I'm posting about it. They do say that admitting you have a problem is the start of solving the problem, so I guess that this is the first step. OK, here goes! After years of waiting for dentist and hair appointments to get my fix, I broke down and bought a Cosmopolitan magazine on Wednesday!

I honestly believe that what you put into yourself, you get back out. And that includes information and entertainment. I try to read papers to inform me of what is going on, or books that inspire me to be a better person. But there is just something about those titles on those magazines that grab my attention! And on Wednesday I was weak. Step One: I admit I am powerless over trashy magazines!

But, I admit, Thursday's commute seemed to go by really fast!

Acupuncture

One of the benefits of my job, apparently, is Acupuncture. On Wednesdays at our main location in Long Island City (that's in Queens to you non-NYers!) employees and clients are allowed to get free acupuncture. Kind of a weird benefit, but a benefit nonetheless.

So today I was in LIC for a meeting and thought, what the heck, I'll do it. 5 needles were put into each of my ears for about 15-20 minutes. And I felt so relaxed! And a little loopy. Like I do after a massage or yoga.

Acupuncture. I'm for it!

"Only in Brooklyn"

This is one of my favorite phrases to say lately. I come across something every day that makes me smile and think, "only in Brooklyn."

A recent example? Well, if you were a parent and wanted to take your kids to the beach on the weekend, and wanted to make that trip extra special, wouldn't YOU want to let them ride the bumper cars where they could "bump your ass off"???



Yep, Only in Brooklyn!

Beach

As I sit on my bed this rainy, overcast day writing this post, I am so grateful that my friend, Maria, called me to cancel our trip to the beach for today. We went yesterday instead. And I must say that yesterday was a picture perfect, not a cloud in the sky, kind of day. We spent almost 5 hours on the beach at Coney Island, and not a thing was missing, except for sunscreen!

Which is why I'm really doing nothing today. My backside is lobster red. It hurts to sit, it hurts to shower, it hurts to stand! I promise to never go out in the sun without sunscreen again! I've made that promise before, but this time I mean it!

But it was honestly a spectacular day. Relaxing in the sun with encouraging conversation from a friend; standing in the ocean and letting the waves lift me up and propel me backwards towards the shore; the pure joy on the faces of the people around me in the water, young, old, men, women, as the waves came upon them and knocked them over; watching the kids and adults (mostly adults) flying kites along the shore reminding me of my friends Mr. & Mrs. Dan (hope you can see the kites in the picture); and seeing all types of bodies in all types of swimwear (this was actually quite frightening in some instances!)

What will I remember most from this day? That I am a child of God and am deserving of happiness. I can ask God for what I want and what I need. I need to trust Him with my life. That He is always with me. That Satan is sneaky and puts doubt in my mind and my heart when I let him. Oh, yeah, and WEAR SUNSCREEN!