"Sometimes Being a Sister is Even Better Than Being a Superhero"

This week I got the honor of spending some quality time with my younger brother.  I say honor because I find my brother to be very special to me and not like anyone else in this entire world.  Events such as these always hold a particular place in my heart.  There is nothing more heart warming than the time spent with family and to know how happy you make someone and how happy they make you in return.  My little brother and I have had our share of sibling battles over the years but have both come out winners as we both consider one another our best friend.

"Gi, I want to celebrate my birthday in a mosh pit!" - Joey Liberatore

As an early birthday present (His birthday is actually October 6), I decided to buy tickets to a concert where Joey's favorite band "Of Mice & Men," were going to be playing along with the headliner, "August Burns Red," which he also loves.  I happen to be a fan to so I jumped right on the opportunity to get us tickets to the show.  Now, mind you the bands are heavy metal and I knew it was going to be quite the experience but I was ready for it and I knew how excited he was going to be to go to it.  As by request, Joey wanted to stand right up front and on the rail, so we did... and it was awesome!!  The look on his face even just when the bands were warming up made me smile and realize how happy he was to be there.  Of Mice & Men begin to play and my "future husband" (as Joey calls him) Austin Carlile, comes out on stage to sing and scream.  The crowd begins to surf over the rails, start circle pits and Joey and I mind our own and just sing a long or...completely rock out if you will. :)  It was a blast and an event I am so glad I was able to share with none other than my brother.
                                                          Austin Carlile - Of Mice & Men

     
                                                                    August Burns Red

These are the moments that stick with me and I reflect on and realize how wonderful it truly is to be a big sister.  To me, it really is an empowering as well as honorable feeling.  I take care and look out for him and as he is getting older he sure has been building his brotherly protective fortress around me.  He has seen me at my best and happiest as well as my lowest where I feel stuck.  He has been one to always have hold of my hand and pull me up and through difficult times as needed.  We share more inside jokes with each other than probably anyone I know and we have the ability to hold an entire conversation via movie quotes...I confide in him and trust his advice and words of wisdom.    

"Sometimes being a sister is even better than being a superhero."

Sometimes I feel like he is more of a superhero to me than I am to him.  I can only hope to be as much of an inspiration and important factor in his life as he is in mine.

Getting back in the saddle

As I am concluding this emotionally draining week, I have been working on staying in the positive and improving the way of handling situations life may throw at us.  Rather than run away and hide when times get tough I am learning to just bite the bullet and take things as they should come.  Hiding and cowering in a corner does not solve anything but in fact lets what weaknesses we may have shine through.  I intend to face every situation face forward and learn how to start from scratch again if the situation calls for that.

With trying to juggle a million different tasks and priorities there is bound to be a mishap her and there that may leave you all the way back at start.  My inspirational thought abut this was that sometimes we have to fall to the bottom to prove to ourselves that we can rise to the top.  This week I experienced a shocking reality that is common in today's society and quickly had to bear with the situation and think of my next move.  I had my breaking down moment and after a phone call from my brother he reassured me of my strengths and the courage I have to pick myself back up and move on.  Being my brother and knowing my life and love of riding horses, he of course referenced the phrase "Get back in the saddle Gi." and closed it with the remark of, "It's what you do best."  Now, horseback and competitive riding is a strength of mine, however I knew my brothers meaning was much more deeper in context.

Often we are confronted by a sudden halt or instance in our lives that can be can be considered a major game changing play.  Some may take it as a construction zone or road block, while others (such as myself) will take it as falling off a trained horse that has suddenly gone wild.  We don't always have control of where the block lands, or what the horse spooks at, but we do have the control to grip the reins as best as we can and hold on for the ride.

Now, although getting thrown off a horse entails some physical pain, I still see it as a method and lesson of perseverance both mentally and physically.  I see tackling a situation in which you feel knocked back down to the bottom like so...

The horse (or situation) throws you for a loop and you find yourself sitting helpless for a couple seconds in the dirt, catching your breath from the initial shock and realizing you're still alright.  You get up onto your feet, walk yourself over to the horse (situation) and think to yourself that this isn't a matter of being beaten, but rather a test of your endurance and durability.  Left foot in the stirrup and hand on the saddle horn you pull yourself back onto the animal (situation) swinging your right foot over and securely into the other stirrup.  You are locked in and ready to conquer what you set out to do.  That being to enjoy the ride and be prepared for anything that may be thrown your way.

I think I will use the phrase, "Get back in the saddle," as a life long motto. :)        

09-07-12 - "Time is Love"

This weeks lesson, and more so challenge was time management.  I experienced a couple different ways in which I had to balance my time accordingly, find the time to make time for other opportunities and even take note of the time in a different country.  Oddly enough, my current song I have had on repeat is "Time is Love," by Josh Turner, which I highly recommend for all you Country music fans.  

"I know I gotta put in the hours, make the money while the sunlight shines." - Josh Turner
With so many priorities, obligations, and other activities going on it is difficult to balance the time allotted for each  task.  For instance, for being both a full time employee as well as student I often get a sudden urge of anxiety as to what all I have to do and what I will be doing next.  Being able to plan ahead and look at my timeline of tasks, determining which task to tackle first as well as reassuring myself that IT WILL get done, definitely helps me to power through.  I liked this verse from "Time is Love," by Josh Turner because it illustrates that I have to put in the hours to accomplish what needs to be done in a timely manner.

"But anything I gotta get done, it can get done some other time." - Josh Turner
An interesting phrase relating to time and my attempt at time management.  When an opportunity arises, sometimes you have to just bite the bullet and take a chance right then and there.  I have learned that just as time is not replaceable, neither are certain opportunities.  Chances, are also not consistently granted from a genie.  I decided to take a chance and made a time sensitive decision this week.  One that is very important to me and I feel is a huge priority at the moment until it is resolved.  It is one of those instances where I feel as if the right situation comes up "anything I gotta get done, can get done some other time."  Sometimes we have to make way and push other assignments to the side for a little bit, only to officially complete others and ensure the fulfillment of the decision made.  I intend to do just this.

"Time is love, gotta run.  Love to hang longer but I've got someone, who waits." - Josh Turner
My last incident of time for the week has been keeping track of the time difference between Arizona, and a country across the seas. Now why in the world would I be doing such a thing?  A very close friend of mine was recently deployed again it has been quite a task keeping up with the time difference when we are actually able speak.  Here I thought eastern standard time was hard adjusting to, but I never thought I would have to be aware of someones time zone that was a day and a half and so many hours ahead of ours!  It is so nice to talk to him though, even for a split second to let him know he has someone at home thinking of him ("But I've got someone").  I enjoy devoting my time before I go to bed and when he is getting ready for work a whole day ahead, just to say goodnight (or good morning in his case) and wish him a good day.  Time is love and we both cherish the duration we get to speak but unfortunately, we both gotta run as well.  

This week has been a challenge I am thankful I have accepted.  I am looking forward to experiencing even more factors that will test my timing capabilities in the future to come.