My eldest son has one very interesting characteristic; he is brutally honest. Although he is only fifteen years of age, and frequently oversteps his boundaries, all in all, his mature way of thinking is oftentimes correct.

His approach may not be the most friendly or the most respectful, yet his words, although often critical, usually touch upon some very important truth.

In the past when my son responded with negative feedback I had a tendency to become quite defensive and most argumentative. Several times I asked him to stay out of my space and stop unfairly judging my ways. Of recent, I have learned how to embrace the wisdom behind the words. Let’s say, I have unwrapped another layer and let go of the false belief that I, as mother, should know best.

After months of not writing, I called my son in to get his opinion on the rough draft for my long-awaited and much-anticipated Blog entry. When I was only half way through my piece, he had clearly decided that it would not appeal to a very broad audience, and that it was, in fact, quite boring. There was no need to defend myself, for in that moment I recognized that he was clearly right. In that same moment, my epiphany was most evident; I will always appreciate my son’s most intriguing point of view. He is clearly one of my great mentors and teachers.

Yes, he does have some maturing to do, as far as his approach is concerned, yet I have made a promise to myself. In the future, I will listen carefully and pay close attention to all of the advice that is frequently dished out, even without request, from my brutally honest, yet most perceptive son.

I am grateful to my Dear Son for his very open and honest approach to life. His depth and passion help me to grow daily. Nowadays, I welcome him into my space and often request his opinion. At the same time I remind him not to over-step, and a balance is being achieved.

For those of you who have not yet awoken to the fact that our children are often our greatest teachers, I say try to unwrap this layer, as it can be quite revealing.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the issue.

PS- This entry was approved by my son.

Dear Reader,

For the past several months I have experienced Life MOST Unwrapped, and I do sincerely apologize that I was unable to share this with you at the time. Although I said that I was ready to project my voice, I was unaware of what was about to unfold in my life shortly after I wrote those words.

To make a very long story short, a potentially very serious medical condition was diagnosed within my family, and all other aspects of life were put on hold. To be honest, I continued to write my poetry, as this is my form of therapy and the way I converse with G-d and self-reflect. Writing always helps to soothe my soul, yet I found it far too private to share with the world.

Throughout this most trying chapter, I learned so much and received many gifts and blessings. Most important, I learned the Power of Prayer, the Power of Thought and the Gift of Faith, Family & Friendship. I believe with all my heart that my faith, family and friends kept my thoughts positive and my vision hopeful. I am also certain that prayer and healing energy affected my son’s condition for the best. Although his condition continues to be monitored, our family has been given the blessing of good news and much hope.

To be perfectly honest, upon hearing the news of my son’s condition, I was most confused and my faith was shaken. I had several conversations with G-d before I was able to shift my anger and disbelief into Blind Faith and Acceptance. The Waiting Game is dreadful, but it often becomes a part of the journey, and this is when Trusting in the Uncertainty comes knocking like never before. You have to trust, there is no other choice. You have to pray, you have to have faith and you have to be strong for your family, for what is the alternative? You can choose to become a victim and create a script of doom, gloom and helplessness, and then what?  A Resilient Spirit is what I preferred and ultimately found.

Here are a few verses from one of my poems that I would like to share:

It takes work and great discipline

to believe that all will be well,

but as far as I’m concerned,

this is the only story to tell.

Whatever the diagnosis,

no on can take away your faith.

Miracles can happen;

any time, any place.

Please forgive me for my absence. I will continue to blog and share my poetry and thoughts with you.

I wish you well in your unwrapping. I have to admit that Life Unwrapped was an invaluable resource for me and my family as we journeyed through this difficult chapter. It helped us to always find the light within the darkness.

Sincerely,

Your Friend,

Terri

PS- I thank G-d every day for the Gift of Second Chances.

Dear Reader,

I used to consider myself a very ‘private’ person. My Diary was for my eyes only; it was my very own ‘sacred space.’ I have chapters of my life documented and scattered throughout journals, buried deep within closets and drawers. On occasion I read some of the entries and take a nostalgic trip down memory lane, reliving some of the moments of my life.

My final Diary entries were written upon my Dear Mother’s passing, in January of 2009.

Before my Mother passed away, she had one final request of me. She asked that I please share my positive messages with the world, and in so doing, helped me to self-explore and discover my passion. Last year I was able to give myself the permission I needed to write and self-publish my very own book of inspirational poetry entitled, Life Unwrapped.

Now, I would like to give myself permission to begin writing my very own Blog. Whether or not I am a certified teacher, writer, poet, life coach or motivational speaker, is of no consequence to me. Personally, I was never very fond of labels, as I always found them to be far too constricting, and at times even suffocating.

I prefer to call myself, “an extremely passionate student of life, whose intention is to inspire and make a difference with her messages.” Thus the Blog. To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t even know the true definition of a ‘Blog,’ nor am I familiar with any ‘blogging guidelines.’

I am simply convinced that surrendering to this uncertainty is the way to go. I believe that if I follow my heart, I will find a way to yours. My mission is to open hearts and therefore to open minds to my new philosophy on living life to the fullest and celebrating the entire journey, with all of its chapters.

So, somehow, in my journey, I have allowed myself to move from fearful and controlling to trusting and allowing. I have ‘pushed the envelope’ from private to public; from “Dear Diary” to “Dear World.” I am ready to project my voice for all to hear, and not for applause or validation, but for the mere satisfaction of being of service to others.

Please give yourself permission

to journey now with me,

and I will open your eyes to the Gifts of Life

that you may not otherwise see.

I look forward to sharing my life with you, and to experiencing Life Unwrapped together.

Sincerely,

Your Friend,

Terri