I grew up in a family where love was our sweetest Haven, be it around my Parents, Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, Brothers, Sisters, Cousins, Nephews or Nieces and not forgetting close Friends too.  Within that love and growing up with my family , I learnt that in a family you may get angry, you may shout at others and even say things that can hurt. But what makes people come together as family is understanding, love and trust, concern for each others happiness and making things right. A family is made by fights and by love.They are sewn together with the bond of love and trust. Just a smile on your loved ones face makes you forget all your worries and you forgive everything that was hurting.  A family is made by people bonded by love and trust for each other. The only rock I know that stays steady and the only institution I know that works is the Family. But somehow, time, distance and the passing away of loved ones, do weaken the the pillars of love.  A common family relationship problem is jealousy from other family members. Ego, jealousy, gossip, negative feelings, anger, resentment, can ruin friendships and put a wedge between family members. Do not fuel the fire for their gossip and negative talk. Family and all our interactions with them are supposed to be a blessing, but if you have a jealous family, you feel absolutely cursed. Sometimes family is the most cruelest form of love, for no one could hurt more than the people who created you. Family, love them or love them not, there's often a limit to what you can do with the difficult ones.

You are allowed to terminate your relationship with toxic family members, you are allowed to walk away from people who hurt you, you are allowed to be angry, selfish and unforgiving and you don't owe anyone an explanation for taking care of you.  It's not that easy when there’s a lifetime of emotional investment involved, and spiritual principles you've been taught your whole life. It’s likely that any response will hurt, whether it’s walking away or fighting for the relationship.  

There will always be those whose love and approval comes abundantly and easily. They’re the keepers. As for the others, if the fight leaves you bruised, you’d have to question whether the relationship is worth it. Just remember, Life is short and if you were upset with a family member and never spoke to them for the rest of your life, you're not only going to be tormented with guilt and anger, but you're likely going to regret it at their life's end. How sad would it be that you perpetuated a grudge and refused to forgive if they passed away tomorrow. If it was a parent or grandparent, wouldn’t you spend the rest of your life, after they’ve passed, regretting your decision not to talk to them? Won’t you feel guilty for not repairing the family bond and allowing for past wrongdoings to remain in the past? Life’s too short to carry grudges. You and the person who hurt you will eventually move on from earth. Why continue to allow the hurt and pain fester?  FORGIVE to live without regrets. Forgiveness heals. When you forgive, your heart begins to heal. The pain, sorrow, guilt, and sadness begin to thaw in your heart. The wounds of the wrongdoing begin to heal and lead you back to a more joyful life. Forgiveness is like medicine. And therapy. And a heart song. When you forgive, you’re allowing for your life to rehabilitate and for you to move on. They’ve already hurt you once but why are you allowing the pain of the past to haunt you repeatedly? If you continue to replay the past hurt in your mind and allow your emotions to bubble up each time you replay the past, you’re giving the wrongdoer the opportunity to continue hurting you. When you forgive, you won’t have to be stuck in the past any longer. You’ll free yourself from the heavy feelings of anger and release the pain you’ve been holding in your heart. You preserve relationships with people who care about you most. No matter what happened, your family has known you your whole life and has your back.They’ll be there in the tough and rough times. Excuse their trespass now and they’ll hopefully be there for you in the future. While your friends may be there for you today, you never know about tomorrow. Nothing holds people together like a family bond so give your relatives the benefit of your forgiveness. Love them who hate them, they are still the attachments of your Heart.

I find that quotes often express profound truths in the most elegant ways. It's true that a good quote can sometimes be so strong in it’s message, that just for a moment, you stop in awe to fully take in the wisdom they express so efficiently. Encouraging us to live, to learn and ultimately evolve to become a better person. For those days when the well is feeling dry and empty, I keep a running list of my favorite quotes, things I have read, things I’ve edited, things I’ve found in the archives, things I learn from people and daily happenings. Some of my following favourite quotes about life have been specially chosen to inspire you and uplift your spirit. Some are profound, some are simple and some are fun. But one thing they all have in common is that they hold wisdom and guidance to help you on a more positive life path, when we are going through some of our darkest moments, it helps us to remember that our personal wounds can be healed.

WHAT ARE SOME QUOTES THAT INSPIRE YOU?

There is a WOMAN at the beginning of all great things....a MOTHER, a DAUGHTER, a WIFE, a SISTER >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape, but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape. A strong woman isn't afraid of anything, but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her, but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone.A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future, but a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessings and capitalizes on them. A strong woman walks sure footedly, but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls. A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face, but a woman of strength wears grace. A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey, but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong!

If I only had five minutes the day you passed away,
I would have had time to tell you all the things I needed to say.
I never got to tell you how much you mean to me,
Or that you were the best dad, better than any man could be.
The last time that I talked to you on the phone
I wish I would have known.
I would have said I love you, and kept you on the phone.
If I only had five minutes, the morning you passed away,
I'd give you one last hug so tight and see your great big smile.
I'd tell you that I don't think I could live without you,
not even for awhile.
I'd kiss your cheek and take your hand and tell you it's okay to go
And tell you that I'll miss you, more than you'll ever know.
But you were gone so quickly,
One last car ride you took to the hospital gate
Before you even knew it, you were standing at Heaven's gate.
Now God has called upon you,
It's time to get your wings.
To leave this life behind you,
And enjoy all of heavens beautiful things!
Always loved...Always remembered...Always my Valentine!
Love does not leave you but you leave love....♥

VALENTINE'S DAY...A CELEBRATION OF LOVE!!! ♥

Valentine's Day is a celebration of Love and it is an opportunity for us to truly reconnect with the real meaning of this day. Everyday should be about LOVE, SHARING and GIVING.

Love is NOT the highly commercialized circus we see on Valentines Day. It is much deeper and much more profound than sending someone a dozen roses at hugely inflated prices. It is much more than candle lit dinners and fancy chocolates. It seems we are madly clamouring for this special day of love, as if all it takes to prove and validate our love is just one day of being nice to our partners and loved ones. It is amusing to see so many people rushing around to prove their true love for that “special” person/persons in their life. But what happens when the roses have died and the chocolates have all been gobbled up? The commercialism has gone so far that people are made to feel inadequate if they are on their own on Valentine’s Day. Why limit yourself to having some fun for just one day of the year? This time of the year, we are bombarded with all sorts of commercial pressure to go out and spend a fortune to show the true merit of our love.
But rather than just focusing on what fancy gift you can give to your loved one, or how elaborately you can celebrate the day, why not focus on what you can actually give of yourselves. Even if you are single, it is time to give more of yourself to others. Love is the most amazing thing in our lives. It is what makes us human, what makes life worth living. Nothing else truly matters. The size of our homes, bank balances, the beauty of our partner, the speed of our car – all those things pale into insignificance when we face the splendour of what it is that makes us tick. LOVE!! ♥
Love is much greater than what we feel romantically. It is what makes us sing, dance and makes us human.

There are so many simple things we can all do on a daily basis to bring more love into our lives. Together we can all make this an even better and more beautiful world than it already is. Let us use the occasion of Valentine’s Day for us all to become human again together, and manifest even more love in our already magnificent world. Always remember all the positive aspects of love. Love is not a single kind of positivity. It's all about encompassing joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, peace, inspiration, awe and much much more.
Love, as anyone who has loved or has been loved knows, love is wonderful, love is magical, love makes you feel good. It does so many things, but at the most basic level, love makes you feel uplifted, happy, positive and comforted. Love is so unique, so magical, so special that it doesn't necessarily fit into a neat box filled with chocolates or gifts or just some positive traits. Love is grander than that. Any box it's put in, it explodes from, shattering all of our expectations and leaving us staring up at it like the brilliant sparks sent flying from fireworks.

Always remember that there is enough love in each of our hearts to heal the world, and not just our own personal relationships. We have simply forgotten this as we all strive to get bigger, better and to get somewhere. But usually when we get there and have these things, we find forlorn emptiness.
It is really not about us anymore – it is about others and what we can do for others.
My fondest wishes is that may you all find happiness in yourself and in your relationship/relationships, no matter what stage you are at, family, friendship/friendships, single or in a blissful union or recovering from a broken heart! Love didn't hurt you, someone who doesn't know how to love hurt you and you confused the two.

Just imagine if we all lived with LOVE ♥♥♥ I think earth would be a duplication of HEAVEN!!!.

To my Family, Friends and Loved ones
Happy love Day Everyday!!! ♥

MY DAUGHTER, MY INSPIRATION

I’m dedicating this my first blog to my Daughter, my Princess, my Life, who has always been a source of inspiration and awe to me…..♥

My daughter is everything that I always wanted to be, and so much more–she’s a gift to our world.  I see her uniqueness.  I see the path she’s made, that’s all her own. I see the many unique talents and gifts she has to share. I see her brilliance and her enthusiasm. I see how deeply she cares and hurts sometimes. I see her hard-earned wisdom.  Her soft pure innocence, her courage and compassion and her unconditional goodness. But most of all I see what a difference she makes in this world. One of the things I admire about my daughter is her ability to bounce back from adversity. She triumphs and comes out of her low keyed moments stronger and better than ever. She has a strong faith and belief that everything happens for a reason. She’s a trailblazer, using what happens to grow.

The second thing I admire about my daughter is the great passion she has for people and the total commitment she has made to caring for all those around her. However, animals have been a great love of hers, since she was a little child, especially cats, among the domestic animals. She has a huge interest in marine life, her fascination with whales and especially dolphins. She enjoys the beautiful songbirds, village weavers and red cardinal fodies, were we live, and has placed feeders around the pool and garden for her treasured birds, so that they are part of her daily life. She often watches these animals and tells me, “I wonder what they may be thinking mum?”, and I look at her and know what she is thinking; that every animal should be free, free in their own territory. She gives all, be it animals or people, unconditional love and puts them first, above her own needs and wants.  She is an outgoing and caring individual and when you are her friend, she’ll do anything she can for you. She gives and gives until it hurts, and it often does in this world full of people who prefer to take rather than give, but she doesn’t let that discourage her. She looks for the good in people and usually finds it. When she laughs, you want to laugh with her, when she cries, she breaks my heart.

I love my daughter more than life itself. I will spend the rest of my days loving her and trying to make sure she is happy, all the while trying to spare her from life’s pain and hardships. Now, she’s embarking on a new phase in her life, her very own style blog, and I know that with her determination, she’ll succeed and I pray as she walks on this journey she learns her life lessons and comes out with grace and strength.

LESSONS FOR MY DAUGHTER:
You are much more vulnerable than you ever imagined. You can feel alone in the most familiar of crowds and yet, you can feel comforted with kind words from a stranger who has walked in your shoes. You can start laughing in the middle of crying, and cry in the midst of laughter. Both are okay.
Time does heal a wound, but the scar, though it may fade, will be there forever and may twinge on gloomy days. Suffering can make you bend until you break. Love, faith and hope can eventually mend the pieces back together if you let them. Fun, laughter, singing, dancing, a good book or movie can be a non-addictive painkiller or sedative to help you cope. There is always someone who has it worse and there is always at least one thing to be grateful for. Your true friends will always love you when you are sad, traumatized, despondent and in a crisis mode. They will be there for you when and however you need them, when you are ready. And you will be there for them. You can only do your best. You are so much stronger than you ever imagined.

♥♥♥ Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot…who calls you back when you hang up on him…who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat…or will stay awake just to watch you sleep…wait for the boy who kisses your forehead…who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats…who holds your hand in front of his friends…who thinks you’re just as pretty without make-up on…One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have you…the one who turns to his friends and says that’s HER!!!♥♥♥ 

I LOVE YOU ANGEL, always, forever and beyond…♥

I hope this message touches someone’s heart the way my daughter touches mine and inspired me to write it. My life is a fairy tale because it revolves around a princess, my beautiful daughter. I LOVE you. No matter where you go in life or who you grow up to be, I’ll always be right there, standing behind you…encouraging you to live your dreams. My darling daughter, I love you. My only prayer to God is to stop time from ticking away so that you never grow up and always remain my delightful little diva forever. A responsible and intelligent daughter like you is the most important contribution any parent can make to this world. I’m glad I was the lucky few to be able to do it.
Precious, Priceless, Pristine, Pure, Prized and Perfect…this is what a mother daughter bond looks like in words!!