Moments of Musing

You are smart, important and (more than) enough.

Filed Under: perspective, positivity //


For as long as humans have been alive, there have been judgments made about one another. In my experience, most of the judgments people make are based on material possessions or outward appearances as opposed to character or personal information. 

In elementary and middle school, it was about who had the best name brands. In high school, it was about who was the prettiest and most stylish. In college, it was about who was the skinniest. It wasn’t until law school that I felt intelligence was really even a factor. 

Now that I’m a mom, I am more mindful of what I say. For instance, I don’t curse or call myself “fat” (as much). I constantly tell my baby boy he is loved and he is smart. I just think it’s important to hear those things. 

These days, much of our lives are now displayed on social media. And that invites comparison and critique. Well apparently, National Compliment Day occurred this week, which was a joy to see amid this controversial political time.  

On Twitter, I came across this National Compliment Day poll in which each person voted for a compliment about him or herself. Of the options, I chose “I am important.” I was pleased to see that most people did, too. More than beautiful, people seemingly valued their worth. 

My hope is that the feeling continues long after a day like National Compliment Day. I think the world could use a whole lot more self-love. And to anyone struggling with their own self worth, I want to tell you:

You are smart. 
You are important.
You are (more than) enough. 

Don’t let anyone tell you differently. 

So take that new job offer. Go on the first date. Do that challenging workout. Pamper yourself. Be good to yourself. Believe in yourself. 

The good in the world

Filed Under: perspective, positivity //

With all the bad news and not-so-good people in the news lately, I’ve sometimes found myself being effected by the negativity and my feeling of nervousness for what may come. The thing is, I know there’s still so much good in the world. Good people. Good deeds. Good things.

For me, the good is my baby and being his mom. My husband and being his best friend. My family, friends, co-workers and their support. Being featured on Mother.ly today! The friendliness of the strangers on the NYC subway who strike up a conversation and wish each other a good day. The generous employees at Subway who chat with me and give me a free cookie with each order because I’ve been going there consistently for one and a half years. The kind woman who helped me carry the baby’s (heavy) stroller up the subway stairs. Being healthy, educated and aware of my privileges. My list could go on and on. Focusing on these things, rather than the not-so-good, is what has always helped keep my spirits high. 
It’s important in times of adversity to hold onto the knowledge that good still exists. That there is still much to be grateful for and to look forward to. Have hope and faith that good will prevail. That valleys are temporary, and peaks will follow. Negativity divides. Positivity unites. Hate fails. Love triumphs–and heals.  
So this week as millions of Americans are feeling scared and sad about the upcoming inauguration, while millions of others are happy and excited– to all I say: show some compassion. Show up for one another. Be an ally. Educate yourself. Open your eyes and your ears. Empathize. Give hope. Have some heart. 
Be the good. And not just today, or tomorrow, or Friday… everyday.

Don’t count Mondays out

Filed Under: Monday, perspective, positivity //

This morning, I slept in with my husband and baby boy. When we got out of bed, we relaxed over breakfast, coffee …and planned some life goals. Not exactly your average day off but I’ll take it. 
Then I realized, this is what life is about. Being together. And ambitious. And enjoying our time. This was proof that Mondays can, in fact, be good days. Really good days.


Mondays give you the opportunity to reset your week on a good note. To make your to-do lists. To start, or continue, getting stuff done. To motivate yourself and others. To purge and be healthy following a weekend of indulging. 
To me, Mondays have always represented a new beginning. A chance to start over and to make myself better. To keep loving and living well but to push myself, too. 
I know, I know, the end of a weekend stinks. Who doesn’t wish they could chill out and do as they please 24/7? But what good does starting your week out on a negative do? I believe negativity breeds negativity and positivity breeds positivity. So if you want to have a good week, start off on a good note. 
Give Mondays a little more credit–don’t just count them out–and they just might surprise you. 

Time is a thief (AND a giver)

Filed Under: motherhood, perspective //

Recently, I was folding the baby’s laundry as he sat and played on the sofa in his room. Above him was a frame, which held some of his ultrasounds and hospital birth momentos. 

It got me thinking.

About how precious time is. And how it seemingly flies by. It takes moments quickly with regard for how we feel. Time goes on, as much as we sometimes might not want it to. We can’t press pause or rewind. We can’t truly relive the best times of our life. Once they happen, they become memories. We can only remember them. 
In these ways, time is a thief. 
But on the flip side, time also takes its “time.” There are moments we wish we could skip but there they are, happening as they should for one reason or another. Then there moments that we have looked forward to and have wanted to have more than anything before. Finally, there are treasured memories–that we can look back on to see how far we’ve come, to reflect on how we’ve felt and to enable us to grow as people. 
In these ways, time is a giver. 

So while I was a bit sad in the moment seeing my now 6-month baby sitting below his fetus and newborn memories, a feeling of gratefulness swept over me. Yes, I feel as though my pregnancy and his newborn days went by in a blink. 

But I remember how I felt in those moments and how at ease I felt with how time was progressing. How anxious and excited I was at becoming a mom. How I sometimes wanted time to speed up. And how happy I am to have him here, siting and playing idly by while I do housework. 

So here we are. Life is happening. We might not be able to pause or rewind it but we can press play and live in the present. And realize that the very presence we are living in a gift–that time has given us. 

Through the Years

Filed Under: life, new year, perspective //

This year brought the biggest and very best change: mommyhood.

As I’m preparing to enter the new year with new goals and a not-so-much-new but modified life plan, I’ve found myself reflecting on the past few years. During my reflection, I came back to my blog to read my old posts. It’s always nice to read about where I’ve been, where I’m at now, and where I’d like to be in the near future. 

While reading some of the posts, they still resonated with me. Even though life is a bit different now, I was still inspired and touched by them. Those life lessons and times have served as a guide for me at one point or another. 
Before I set life and blog goals for 2017, I figured it’d be the opportune time to share some of my all-time favorite posts with you. I’m starting with my very first post because it’s gotten me here, it’s representative of the reason I started the blog (long distance), and it shows how far I’ve come since then.


It’s pretty neat reading how much life has changed throughout the years, just as it is to see how much these succulents have grown since my baby shower.

I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane as much as I do. As always, thank you for reading and supporting this ever-evolving writing space of mine. Cheers to much peace, love and growth–both personal and professional- in the new year! xoxo

2012

2013





2014





2015
2016