One Day: The Movie

I find the movie One Day to be very lovely.  The movie came to theaters in 2011 and stars Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.  The movie's based on a book with the same title.  I don't think the movie was well received and I don't think there was a lot of advertising about the movie either.  I became aware of the movie when I saw the above poster at an airport, as I was boarding my plane.  It stuck in my mind and I finally rented the video in 2012.

The movie follows the relationship of Emma (played by Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess) over twenty years, and specifically focuses on July 15th of each year, the day that they both became friends.  I didn't think the movie was all that bad and I like it.  It made me think of soul mate connections (be it friendship or romantic) and moving on with life, even when one is forced to.  I love Anne Hathaway as an actor and Jim Sturgess is really cute in this movie.  I now want to go and read the book.

 

If you haven't seen this movie, I hope you check it out and let me know what you think of it.  If you've seen this movie, let me know of your opinion about it.

Friday's Quote: Edith Wharton

"There are two ways of spreading light:  to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."---Edith Wharton

There were moments in my life where I thought I had no light to share and believed there was no light to reflect (there may have been, but I couldn't see it).  During those moments, I felt my world shrouded in darkness and/or felt very lost.

It was also in those moments that I've seen the kindness of people shine through the darkness like a beacon of light to help me carry on.  Sometimes, it can be as simple as someone sharing their umbrella with me or something as extreme as someone barging into my life and sharing with me all of their sunshine (even when I didn't want it).  To each person that has brought their light into my world, to help guide me through the darkest moments in my life, I thank you.

It's always darkest before the dawn and I hope that I have enough light inside of me to spread.  At the very least, I hope I can try to reflect back all the light that is currently shining on me.

How do you spread the light, are you a candle or a mirror?

Three Musketeers

Wonderful Tonight

I've always loved Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight.  I love it.  The song is also one of my former beau's favorite song.  I've rarely associated him with a song, until this song came on the radio the other day and the first person I thought of was him.  It's funny how a song can transport one back to a certain time and/or remind one of a certain person.

 

Anyhow, the song has been stuck in the back of my mind for the last couple of days.  Regardless of the fact that this song makes me think of a former beau, I really love this song and wanted to share it.  The following is my favorite rendition of Wonderful Tonight:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUSzL2leaFM

 

Isn't Eric Clapton awesome?  Do you have a song that takes you back to a different time or reminds you of someone?

An Autumn Hike

Today was a gorgeous autumn day.  It was so beautiful that I couldn't bear to stay indoors.  The weather was perfect (around the mid-6os), the colorful leaves were fluttering in the breeze, and the blue sky was so intense that it was hard to take my eyes off of it.  So, I went out for a hike.

I went back to a trail near Taylors Fall, one that I had hiked several summers ago.  The difference between then and now, the weather.  It made all the difference in the world.  I don't know why I didn't realize it until now, but autumn is the best time to go hiking in Minnesota.  I didn't have to worry about ticks or fight off mosquitoes or even worry about constantly hydrating myself.  The cool weather kept everything perfect and it was a great hike.  The wonderful foliage was an added bonus.

Maybe I'll start a tradition every autumn and go hiking at least once.  Last year, I found Barn Bluff.  This year, I checked out Taylors Fall in autumn.  I hope to be able to get away sometime soon for another hike or two before it gets too cold.

Are you enjoying your day so far?  Do you have any hikes planned in the near future?  If so, where are you going?

Friday's Quote: Pablo Picasso

"Action is the foundational key to all success."---Pablo Picasso

For the last several days I've been at a conference among like-minded people from my profession.  I will say that my profession, especially the sector I work in, is hard work and a noble cause.  I don't forget the population that I serve, but the drudges of my profession can get me down and I can lose focus on why I'm even in this profession.  

Somehow, this time around, the conference has been good to my soul.  I don't know if it has anything to do with where I'm at in my life or if it was just a better conference.  Yet, it was wonderful to be reminded that our actions and future plans of action are foundational to successfully help the population we serve.  It will be time to go home soon, but it has been a good experience so far, and I'm glad to be reminded of the "big" picture and why I do what I do.

I hope you're having a great day.  I hope you can identify in your own life, actions that are foundational to your success.

Adventures of the Adventurous Kind

[My dear Friends, thank you for some wonderful memories!]

My Dear Friends,

Most of the time when I write, I write for myself.  Sometimes, I pretend that I'm writing for someone else.  Today, I write for two of my dearest friends.

For the past several days, two of my oldest friends visited me.  It was actually a reunion of epic proportions.  It had been 19 years since the three of us last saw one another.  We each have different personalities and lead very different lives.  Yet, once the three of us were together, it was as if time had stood still; we just picked up from where we last left off and moved forward.

I showed them what Minnesota had to offer, despite the rain and cloudy skies, and I even roped my Friend to take them drifting, like Tokyo drifting, on his boat.  (BTW, drifting on a boat is super awesome!)  We cooked, ate my birthday cake, and hiked.  I even took one of them (the other had an early departure) to Barn Bluff, one of my most favorite spots.  The three of us had so many laughs, shed some tears, and even created a new dance together.  We made new memories and promised one another that we would meet up every three years.

So now that my dear friends have departed from my home, but not my heart, I'm feeling a bit lonely, but not so lost anymore.  I am so thankful that they both made time to see me and spend time with me.  I am also so thankful for their patience, their understanding, and their friendship.  I don't know what the future will hold for us because we did lose contact with one another at various points in our lives, but I believe we all are going to keep holding on to one another.  Unlike some people that make friends easily and call every other person they meet a "friend," I know that these two are truly my friends in its most sincerest form.

Thank you, my dear friends, for truly brightening up my life, my day, and my birthday week.  Thank you.

P.S.  In three years, we're supposed to remember this song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF8BRvqGCNs
BUT, I think this should've been our song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeIJmciN8mo
I know this will be the song I will most remember: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtwQiueNLWI

Thanks TY.

Sometimes being with old friends and talking about the past helps me remember a memory in a positive light and reflect on what I was going through at that time.  I was talking with a dear friend and was reminded of my senior winter formal date, who was also my senior prom date, TY.

I asked TY to both dances.  Yeah, I really did.  I remember being scared, but I didn't think too much about it because if I had, I would've never gone through with it.  I recall being so shocked each time he agreed to go with me.  As I was telling my friend, TY was one of the "cuter" boys at school and if he had a girlfriend, she sure wasn't going to our school.  So, I thought to myself, why not?  Never mind the fact that he and I hardly ever interacted, he was a complete stranger to me, and we were totally different in many ways.

I won't go on and on about TY and my dates with him.  In my memory, I will always remember him as a perfect gentleman who gave to me some of the most beautiful corsages that I've ever gotten in my life.  I thank him, as brief as our time was, for helping make a girl feel beautiful and less of an ugly duckling.

What a Great Birthday!