Our Kitchen table has another place setting there,
Our Joy is overflowing cuz our first grandchild is here.
So many memories made, so many yet to come,
These moments fill my heart, it's why I became a Mom.
Ninety-six inches long when all the leafs are in,
A Kitchen table, is where many stories begin.
So much laughter, arguing, and agreeing to disagree,
It's the place we sit around as we grow our family tree.
No conversation is ever out of bounds,
My family conversing at our table is one of life's sweetest sounds.
Now Leo's cry is saying "Listen to Me",
And in years to come, may he be joined by many cousins who will add to our glee.
I'm sitting alone at my kitchen table as I write this Ode,
And I look forward to future memories made at the table in our Naugler Abode.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Thursday, May 7, 2015
The Story Goes On
And so our story goes on....two teenagers who fell in love at 16, married at 20 and had five beautiful children, now have a grandson.
Our son Ryan who at birth was given a 5% chance of survival, did just that....he survived, met his wife Annie at 16, fell in love got engaged at 20, married at 23 and at 26 became a father of a beautiful healthy little boy, who will continue our story.
Our grandson is blessed to have 4 great grandparents, 4 grandparents, countless great aunts, and uncles and many many cousins who can't wait to meet him, love him and welcome him into the Naugler, Dougherty, Lilly, and Cincotta families.
When Donnie and I were dating at 16, we knew at a very young age, that we were destined to be together. We always knew we wanted to have a large family, and God Blessed us with our five children. Today, looking at my grandson, who looks so much like my son, my heart was filled with so much joy, because he is just the beginning of this story that never ends. The circle of life.
My blog has always had a theme of gratefulness, and today, I am so grateful to have a healthy grandson with two loving parents. I am grateful to have had Donnie's grandparents, and my grandparents alive and full of stories rich in family history when my first child was born. I am grateful that Leo will have my parents and Donnie's parents to share their family history's with him. I am grateful that Annie's parents are going to fill Leo's life with stories of Lilly and Cincotta history. This is how the story goes on.....it goes on, in the story telling by all those who came before Leo, and will be passed on to all those that are still to come.....
Welcome to the Story Leo Salvatore Naugler.....I look forward to seeing how your story will unfold.....but one thing I know for sure....your story started with LOVE
Our son Ryan who at birth was given a 5% chance of survival, did just that....he survived, met his wife Annie at 16, fell in love got engaged at 20, married at 23 and at 26 became a father of a beautiful healthy little boy, who will continue our story.
Our grandson is blessed to have 4 great grandparents, 4 grandparents, countless great aunts, and uncles and many many cousins who can't wait to meet him, love him and welcome him into the Naugler, Dougherty, Lilly, and Cincotta families.
When Donnie and I were dating at 16, we knew at a very young age, that we were destined to be together. We always knew we wanted to have a large family, and God Blessed us with our five children. Today, looking at my grandson, who looks so much like my son, my heart was filled with so much joy, because he is just the beginning of this story that never ends. The circle of life.
My blog has always had a theme of gratefulness, and today, I am so grateful to have a healthy grandson with two loving parents. I am grateful to have had Donnie's grandparents, and my grandparents alive and full of stories rich in family history when my first child was born. I am grateful that Leo will have my parents and Donnie's parents to share their family history's with him. I am grateful that Annie's parents are going to fill Leo's life with stories of Lilly and Cincotta history. This is how the story goes on.....it goes on, in the story telling by all those who came before Leo, and will be passed on to all those that are still to come.....
Welcome to the Story Leo Salvatore Naugler.....I look forward to seeing how your story will unfold.....but one thing I know for sure....your story started with LOVE
Sunday, April 12, 2015
I found my Pot of Gold in Ireland
If you asked me over a year ago, Do you think you would ever go to Ireland and find your Pot of Gold? I would have said, " probably not!" But I did indeed find my Pot of Gold in Ireland last week.
Our youngest daughter has been studying abroad in Brussels and when she had a two week semester break, we decided to go visit her for a week in Europe. We chose Ireland to visit because it was only a short plane ride for her from Brussels. Did we have the money to go? Was it a good financial decision to go? Did we miss Jane like crazy? Would it be a worthwhile trip? NO and NO to the first two questions, and Heck YES to the last two!
Letting Jane go abroad was probably one of the hardest decisions we have ever made, but our hearts told us, she needed to go and that it was the right thing for her to do. I cried so hard for a week before we put her on the plane to leave, I prayed that this would be a positive experience and would change her life.
So how does this all lead up to finding my Pot of Gold? Well I will tell you.
I first found my Pot of Gold when I first saw my baby girls smiling face when we met up with her in Dublin after not having seen her in months. To see that smile was priceless and its shine warmed my heart and my soul.
I next found Gold in Ireland by having 7 straight days of Golden Sunshine. Something the locals in Ireland said is very rare at this time of year. God was smiling down at us each day in those beautiful rays of sunshine, he knows how special this trip was to us.
I found Gold in finding the birth place of my Great Grandmother Julia Marie Kelly Tobin. The house was still standing with only three walls, but the connection I felt to my ancestors and knowing that this is where my Nana's mother was born, gave me the strongest sense of awe and connection to my roots. No money on earth can give you that feeling, but there is definitely Gold in knowing how precious that moment of finding her house gave me.
I found Gold in being with my husband and being so grateful to experience Ireland and all the different counties that my relatives came from with him by my side. And definitely Gold in the fact that he did a great job driving on the Left Side of the Road.
I found Gold in the sheer beauty of the Waterfalls, the landscape, the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the golden daffodils all in bloom, the mountain side, the counties, and the music we heard in pubs and on the streets of Ireland.
I found Gold in having Jane travel with us, and having her be so engaging, and talkative the entire time. Not once did she use her phone to call people, text people, or play games. She sat in the back seat and regaled us with stories of her months in Brussels, all the people she has met, all the different sights she has seen, and her excitement of her future plans. She and Donnie marveled at the history of all the castles and sights we saw. We talked about politics, science, evolution, religion, life and love. She was and is "Happy" and to me that is worth more than all the Gold in the world.
It didn't rain, so we saw no Rainbows, but we saw so many stars each night as we finished our days of sightseeing. I didn't meet any leprechauns, and I didn't see any fairies, but I felt the magic in the air, and the spirits of my ancestors.
We didn't need a rainbow to find a pot of gold at the end of, because the Gold was with us every day, and is still with us. My Pot of Gold was with me all along, because whether I'm in Ireland or here at home, my Pot of Gold comes is the warmth of Family, Friends and Love.
Our youngest daughter has been studying abroad in Brussels and when she had a two week semester break, we decided to go visit her for a week in Europe. We chose Ireland to visit because it was only a short plane ride for her from Brussels. Did we have the money to go? Was it a good financial decision to go? Did we miss Jane like crazy? Would it be a worthwhile trip? NO and NO to the first two questions, and Heck YES to the last two!
Letting Jane go abroad was probably one of the hardest decisions we have ever made, but our hearts told us, she needed to go and that it was the right thing for her to do. I cried so hard for a week before we put her on the plane to leave, I prayed that this would be a positive experience and would change her life.
So how does this all lead up to finding my Pot of Gold? Well I will tell you.
I first found my Pot of Gold when I first saw my baby girls smiling face when we met up with her in Dublin after not having seen her in months. To see that smile was priceless and its shine warmed my heart and my soul.
I next found Gold in Ireland by having 7 straight days of Golden Sunshine. Something the locals in Ireland said is very rare at this time of year. God was smiling down at us each day in those beautiful rays of sunshine, he knows how special this trip was to us.
I found Gold in finding the birth place of my Great Grandmother Julia Marie Kelly Tobin. The house was still standing with only three walls, but the connection I felt to my ancestors and knowing that this is where my Nana's mother was born, gave me the strongest sense of awe and connection to my roots. No money on earth can give you that feeling, but there is definitely Gold in knowing how precious that moment of finding her house gave me.
I found Gold in being with my husband and being so grateful to experience Ireland and all the different counties that my relatives came from with him by my side. And definitely Gold in the fact that he did a great job driving on the Left Side of the Road.
I found Gold in the sheer beauty of the Waterfalls, the landscape, the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the golden daffodils all in bloom, the mountain side, the counties, and the music we heard in pubs and on the streets of Ireland.
I found Gold in having Jane travel with us, and having her be so engaging, and talkative the entire time. Not once did she use her phone to call people, text people, or play games. She sat in the back seat and regaled us with stories of her months in Brussels, all the people she has met, all the different sights she has seen, and her excitement of her future plans. She and Donnie marveled at the history of all the castles and sights we saw. We talked about politics, science, evolution, religion, life and love. She was and is "Happy" and to me that is worth more than all the Gold in the world.
It didn't rain, so we saw no Rainbows, but we saw so many stars each night as we finished our days of sightseeing. I didn't meet any leprechauns, and I didn't see any fairies, but I felt the magic in the air, and the spirits of my ancestors.
We didn't need a rainbow to find a pot of gold at the end of, because the Gold was with us every day, and is still with us. My Pot of Gold was with me all along, because whether I'm in Ireland or here at home, my Pot of Gold comes is the warmth of Family, Friends and Love.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Feeding my Soul
Spring is a week of way. My Birthday is the first day of Spring. The snow is starting to melt, and my heart is feeling lighter now that the past year is where it belongs...in the past. I am working to shed the weight that weighed heavy on my soul last year, and the weight that I gained as well. I am going to feed my soul with lightness, positivity, continued gratitude, spending time with loved ones, music, and a sense of wonder and joy at the thought of the memories that I will make in each new day.
Feeding your soul, should be a priority. It is good to find the things in life that bring happiness. For me, I will begin feeding my soul the day after my birthday, auditioning for another musical. Last year, I took time off from performing, to spend the summer being with my family. We were building an addition to our home for my parents to come live in, and I wanted to spend time just being with my husband and kids. In May, we took our 5 kids and daughter in law to Aruba, for a vacation filled with so many wonderful memories. It was much needed. In November my parents moved into their new addition, and are now happy and content. All our kids are doing well, my husband has a job he enjoys, and my job is flourishing. All these things I am grateful for, and they feed my soul. But I think my soul is still hungry and it is craving more music in my life, so that is where I will look to feed the hunger. I will sing everyday, I will audition for another show, I will listen to music, that makes me smile, and in May or late April, I will enrich my soul even more by singing to my new grandson who will be making his debut into our lives.
May you all find the things in life that will feed your soul. Happy soon to be Spring!
Feeding your soul, should be a priority. It is good to find the things in life that bring happiness. For me, I will begin feeding my soul the day after my birthday, auditioning for another musical. Last year, I took time off from performing, to spend the summer being with my family. We were building an addition to our home for my parents to come live in, and I wanted to spend time just being with my husband and kids. In May, we took our 5 kids and daughter in law to Aruba, for a vacation filled with so many wonderful memories. It was much needed. In November my parents moved into their new addition, and are now happy and content. All our kids are doing well, my husband has a job he enjoys, and my job is flourishing. All these things I am grateful for, and they feed my soul. But I think my soul is still hungry and it is craving more music in my life, so that is where I will look to feed the hunger. I will sing everyday, I will audition for another show, I will listen to music, that makes me smile, and in May or late April, I will enrich my soul even more by singing to my new grandson who will be making his debut into our lives.
May you all find the things in life that will feed your soul. Happy soon to be Spring!
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Traditions
It seems like ages since I have written a blog. It's been over a year. I think the Holidays bring out the Nostalgia in all of us, and this is what motivated me to write.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I am remembering Christmas Eve's from my youth. The tradition was to go to Nana and Grampy Dougherty's and have a roast beef dinner, with all the fixings. We would eat dinner in the living room with the sound of Bing Crosby in the back round. Every time I hear Bing sing a Christmas classic, it transports me back in time to Lincoln and the warmth of 25 Old Winter Street. After dinner, Grampy would sit in his chair, Nana would pass out the gifts and the family would enjoy a peaceful night, with the possibility of the neighbors coming over to join as well. If I close my eyes I can still see the Charlie Brown Christmas tree with the big lights on it. Grampy always waited till the last trees were left for sale and he and Nana somehow made that tree Shine! I think it was Love that made that tree shine. I am so grateful that for so many years my oldest three children were able to share in that tradition with my Nana and Grampy. I still see Grampy playing his drumsticks, and my son Ryan singing Jingle Bells for them. The Dougherty Christmas Eve is a fond memory for me.
Christmas Day was usually a louder affair at either my Aunt Carol's house, My Uncle Gary's house, our house or Nana Rose's house. We alternated for years. There was always food in abundance and usually it was a boisterous Irish affair. It saddens me that today, My mother is the only living Feeley from my grandparents Rose and Charles Feeley, and those Christmas's of past are now just memories. In my nostalgia, I am hoping that My Aunt Carol, Aunt Gina, Uncle Gary, his son Danny, and my grandparents are all at Peace in Heaven, with nothing but love in their heart for each other and for us, as they smile down on us from heaven.
After I was married, the Holidays got really hectic. By the time we had our first three children, our kids had 4 grandparents and 8 great grandparents. We were truly blessed, but we also made sure that we saw all the grandparents during the 2 day span.
It went something like this:
Christmas eve..dress three little ones, and get to Mass. Go to Nana and Grampy Dougherty's in Lincoln to see great grandparents and Nanny and Papa, eat quickly, sing a few carols and then dress the little ones and head to Bedford to celebrate Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa and Great Gram and Great Grampa and all the Vaudo/Naugler cousins. Drive home in time for Santa, and wake up for the next round.
Christmas morning....open Santa's gifts dress three little ones, and head to wherever Nanny and Papa were, and Nana and Grampy Werner. Visit with all the Dougherty cousins and then head back over to Grandma and Grandpa Nauglers to see Great Grammy and Great Grandpa Bodine. It was a whirlwind.
Whoosh all eight great grandparents and four grandparents....lots of memories, lots of chaos, but most of all truly blessed with lots of Love.
Those years passed, and by the time Mary and Jane came along, we had lost many of our Great Grandparents. We were truly blessed to have Donnie's grandmother with us until last year. We all went into her room on Christmas eve and were able to lovingly wish her a Merry Christmas and a sad farewell. She died three days after Christmas,at 102 years old. But up until that day, she always made Christmas eve with the Vaudo/Naugler clan a memorable occasion (even if I never ate the 7 fishes or lobster sauce)
Now we do Christmas Eve with Donnie's family and Christmas Day with mine.
Christmas is a bittersweet time, and this Christmas, I am blessed to have my parents now happily living in an addition they built onto our home. A new tradition will begin this year and they will come in Christmas morning after our children open their gifts and they will spend Christmas morning with us for hopefully many years to come. Donnie's parents in the last few years have come the week before Christmas and we decorate Christmas cookies together. Another new tradition.
Traditions will change many times in the years to come, but the memories I hold in my heart from Christmas's past will live on in my heart for years to come, and I look forward to the new memories and new traditions. Next year, God willing, my grandson (who will be born in the Spring) will have 4 loving grandparents and 4 great grandparents. So many more Christmas memories to make.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my family and friends, and no matter how you celebrate, find the time to remember the memories of your loved ones who have passed and of your past Christmas's. Make new memories and may you know, Peace, Joy, and Love this season and always.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I am remembering Christmas Eve's from my youth. The tradition was to go to Nana and Grampy Dougherty's and have a roast beef dinner, with all the fixings. We would eat dinner in the living room with the sound of Bing Crosby in the back round. Every time I hear Bing sing a Christmas classic, it transports me back in time to Lincoln and the warmth of 25 Old Winter Street. After dinner, Grampy would sit in his chair, Nana would pass out the gifts and the family would enjoy a peaceful night, with the possibility of the neighbors coming over to join as well. If I close my eyes I can still see the Charlie Brown Christmas tree with the big lights on it. Grampy always waited till the last trees were left for sale and he and Nana somehow made that tree Shine! I think it was Love that made that tree shine. I am so grateful that for so many years my oldest three children were able to share in that tradition with my Nana and Grampy. I still see Grampy playing his drumsticks, and my son Ryan singing Jingle Bells for them. The Dougherty Christmas Eve is a fond memory for me.
Christmas Day was usually a louder affair at either my Aunt Carol's house, My Uncle Gary's house, our house or Nana Rose's house. We alternated for years. There was always food in abundance and usually it was a boisterous Irish affair. It saddens me that today, My mother is the only living Feeley from my grandparents Rose and Charles Feeley, and those Christmas's of past are now just memories. In my nostalgia, I am hoping that My Aunt Carol, Aunt Gina, Uncle Gary, his son Danny, and my grandparents are all at Peace in Heaven, with nothing but love in their heart for each other and for us, as they smile down on us from heaven.
After I was married, the Holidays got really hectic. By the time we had our first three children, our kids had 4 grandparents and 8 great grandparents. We were truly blessed, but we also made sure that we saw all the grandparents during the 2 day span.
It went something like this:
Christmas eve..dress three little ones, and get to Mass. Go to Nana and Grampy Dougherty's in Lincoln to see great grandparents and Nanny and Papa, eat quickly, sing a few carols and then dress the little ones and head to Bedford to celebrate Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa and Great Gram and Great Grampa and all the Vaudo/Naugler cousins. Drive home in time for Santa, and wake up for the next round.
Christmas morning....open Santa's gifts dress three little ones, and head to wherever Nanny and Papa were, and Nana and Grampy Werner. Visit with all the Dougherty cousins and then head back over to Grandma and Grandpa Nauglers to see Great Grammy and Great Grandpa Bodine. It was a whirlwind.
Whoosh all eight great grandparents and four grandparents....lots of memories, lots of chaos, but most of all truly blessed with lots of Love.
Those years passed, and by the time Mary and Jane came along, we had lost many of our Great Grandparents. We were truly blessed to have Donnie's grandmother with us until last year. We all went into her room on Christmas eve and were able to lovingly wish her a Merry Christmas and a sad farewell. She died three days after Christmas,at 102 years old. But up until that day, she always made Christmas eve with the Vaudo/Naugler clan a memorable occasion (even if I never ate the 7 fishes or lobster sauce)
Now we do Christmas Eve with Donnie's family and Christmas Day with mine.
Christmas is a bittersweet time, and this Christmas, I am blessed to have my parents now happily living in an addition they built onto our home. A new tradition will begin this year and they will come in Christmas morning after our children open their gifts and they will spend Christmas morning with us for hopefully many years to come. Donnie's parents in the last few years have come the week before Christmas and we decorate Christmas cookies together. Another new tradition.
Traditions will change many times in the years to come, but the memories I hold in my heart from Christmas's past will live on in my heart for years to come, and I look forward to the new memories and new traditions. Next year, God willing, my grandson (who will be born in the Spring) will have 4 loving grandparents and 4 great grandparents. So many more Christmas memories to make.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my family and friends, and no matter how you celebrate, find the time to remember the memories of your loved ones who have passed and of your past Christmas's. Make new memories and may you know, Peace, Joy, and Love this season and always.
Monday, February 17, 2014
My Park
These last months have been quite the roller coaster ride for me. But I paid the price of admission to get into this Park, and I chose to take this roller coaster ride called life.
At this park, there are many rides to choose from. The first ride I chose, was the Marriage ride, and for the most part this ride has been a blast, with more highs than lows. This ride is one that I am strapped firmly into, and plan on riding it into the sunset, with my ride partner and best friend. My husband Donnie. (We actually lined up to get into this Park at the age of 16, and now 34 years later, we are enjoying all the thrills that this particular roller coaster ride is bringing.
The second ride I chose was called the Motherhood ride. Again, I take this ride with my ride partner Donnie and I guess you could call this a dual roller coaster with two parts "Motherhood and Fatherhood" Its a dual roller coaster that you ride together, but with various twists and turns. The Motherhood side of the roller coaster can reek havoc on your emotions as you take the ride to all its peaks and valleys. The Fatherhood side of the roller coaster is the main support system of the ride, as he shoulders the weight of the structure on his shoulders.
It is a ride we freely chose to ride together, and I am grateful to have my ride partner with me all the way. I found the first few hills easy to handle, but as it turned out, the ride can get really bumpy. At first I thought I could handle all of the rides ups and downs with ease, but I found during the course of the ride, that I was very grateful for the hand that held mine tightly as parts of the ride got very scary. But as scary as this ride can be, it is is also full of thrills, laughter, and constant anticipation as to what is coming around the next bend.
From the first hill called infancy, to the hills called teens, and the hills called adulthood, I would gladly buy a ticket to ride the coaster called Motherhood and Fatherhood, over and over again.
My Park is always open, always changing, and always full of exciting, exhilarating, scary, and ever changing amusement rides. My Life is full and I really like going to the Park and experiencing all it has to offer. I know that in the future there will someday be a "Grandparent Ride", and someday, there will be particular rides that we really won't want to get on. But in this Park called Life, its all about the ups and downs, and we should cherish every ride we are freely willing to take, and enjoy it to its fullest.
At this park, there are many rides to choose from. The first ride I chose, was the Marriage ride, and for the most part this ride has been a blast, with more highs than lows. This ride is one that I am strapped firmly into, and plan on riding it into the sunset, with my ride partner and best friend. My husband Donnie. (We actually lined up to get into this Park at the age of 16, and now 34 years later, we are enjoying all the thrills that this particular roller coaster ride is bringing.
The second ride I chose was called the Motherhood ride. Again, I take this ride with my ride partner Donnie and I guess you could call this a dual roller coaster with two parts "Motherhood and Fatherhood" Its a dual roller coaster that you ride together, but with various twists and turns. The Motherhood side of the roller coaster can reek havoc on your emotions as you take the ride to all its peaks and valleys. The Fatherhood side of the roller coaster is the main support system of the ride, as he shoulders the weight of the structure on his shoulders.
It is a ride we freely chose to ride together, and I am grateful to have my ride partner with me all the way. I found the first few hills easy to handle, but as it turned out, the ride can get really bumpy. At first I thought I could handle all of the rides ups and downs with ease, but I found during the course of the ride, that I was very grateful for the hand that held mine tightly as parts of the ride got very scary. But as scary as this ride can be, it is is also full of thrills, laughter, and constant anticipation as to what is coming around the next bend.
From the first hill called infancy, to the hills called teens, and the hills called adulthood, I would gladly buy a ticket to ride the coaster called Motherhood and Fatherhood, over and over again.
My Park is always open, always changing, and always full of exciting, exhilarating, scary, and ever changing amusement rides. My Life is full and I really like going to the Park and experiencing all it has to offer. I know that in the future there will someday be a "Grandparent Ride", and someday, there will be particular rides that we really won't want to get on. But in this Park called Life, its all about the ups and downs, and we should cherish every ride we are freely willing to take, and enjoy it to its fullest.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
CHANGE
Change is a word, that is easy for some and hard for others. In 2013, our family has experienced a lot of changes, many highs and many lows. It is what we do with these changes (highs and lows) that help us define what direction our lives will take in the year to come.
I welcome 2014, after saying a bittersweet goodbye to Donnie's grandmother at the age of 102. Knowing her and having her in my life and the life of my family, has been a positive and loving experience, so I take my memories of her, and I will carry them forward with a positive light and attitude. The change of not having her here with us in body, will be that I will carry her with me in spirit.
September 15, 2013 was the hardest day and month of all, in the year of 2013. The months that followed were truly some of the hardest months I have ever lived through. I don't share here, what happened in those months, because, I am going to put them behind me, and look forward to the positive changes those months are going to bring to all of the us. We will be stronger, more focused, healthier of body, mind and soul, and we will, all of us (my family) take on 2014 with passion, drive, happiness, and goals that will be accomplished.
Today is January 1, 2014, and Donnie and I just watched our oldest child Danielle, drive off to follow her dreams in LA. This is a change, that left me crying in the driveway. Tears for missing her, tears for being so proud of her, and tears of joy for raising a daughter who is not afraid of Change, but takes it all in stride.
She is taking the drive with her two sisters and they will have an amazing adventure. When the younger two return home, there will be more changes to take on. Mary will be graduating from college and taking on the world as a nurse. Jane will be transferring to a new College, and turning her life around. And the boys who are not on the trip with the girls, are living their own adventures and taking on new changes everyday.
My wish for 2014 is that whatever changes come our way, that Donnie, Kelly, Danielle, Michael, Ryan, Annie, Mary and Jane Naugler, all face those changes and enjoy each day to it's fullest. I think Gram at 102 saw a lot of changes in her life, and two weeks before she passed, I had the chance to sing with her....She was lying in her bed and we sang Que Sera Sera, whatever will be will be, the futures not ours to see, Que Sera Sera....One Day at a Time, One Change at a Time.
I welcome 2014, after saying a bittersweet goodbye to Donnie's grandmother at the age of 102. Knowing her and having her in my life and the life of my family, has been a positive and loving experience, so I take my memories of her, and I will carry them forward with a positive light and attitude. The change of not having her here with us in body, will be that I will carry her with me in spirit.
September 15, 2013 was the hardest day and month of all, in the year of 2013. The months that followed were truly some of the hardest months I have ever lived through. I don't share here, what happened in those months, because, I am going to put them behind me, and look forward to the positive changes those months are going to bring to all of the us. We will be stronger, more focused, healthier of body, mind and soul, and we will, all of us (my family) take on 2014 with passion, drive, happiness, and goals that will be accomplished.
Today is January 1, 2014, and Donnie and I just watched our oldest child Danielle, drive off to follow her dreams in LA. This is a change, that left me crying in the driveway. Tears for missing her, tears for being so proud of her, and tears of joy for raising a daughter who is not afraid of Change, but takes it all in stride.
She is taking the drive with her two sisters and they will have an amazing adventure. When the younger two return home, there will be more changes to take on. Mary will be graduating from college and taking on the world as a nurse. Jane will be transferring to a new College, and turning her life around. And the boys who are not on the trip with the girls, are living their own adventures and taking on new changes everyday.
My wish for 2014 is that whatever changes come our way, that Donnie, Kelly, Danielle, Michael, Ryan, Annie, Mary and Jane Naugler, all face those changes and enjoy each day to it's fullest. I think Gram at 102 saw a lot of changes in her life, and two weeks before she passed, I had the chance to sing with her....She was lying in her bed and we sang Que Sera Sera, whatever will be will be, the futures not ours to see, Que Sera Sera....One Day at a Time, One Change at a Time.
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