When Bad Things Happen...

What's new pussycat?

It's not only a greeting, but it was a worldwide hit song in 1975.

By the sexy Tom Jones.

Who is now 70 years old.

There was a profile of Jones on CBS Sunday Morning today. He was back in his small home town in Wales, visiting his birthplace (in a rented house where his grandmother lived), his old church (where he sang a beautiful impromptu, acapella version of  "The Old Rugged Cross,"--beautiful), and the home where, for two years, he stayed in seclusion in one room recovering from teburculosis contracted when he was 12.

That was the "ah-ha" moment in the piece. Because Jones said had it not been for having TB, he most likely would have been a coal miner--like his father and most of his friends.

He made a statement that rang so strong with me. "It was the best bad thing to ever happen to me."

Hmmmmmm.....

When something bad happens to us, we tend to think it is just terrible. But instead, perhaps we should look at it as a gift, because God pretty much always has good things in store for us on other side.

So... the bad thing becomes a catalyst for positive change. And then things that happen in your life that may never have happened had the bad thing not happened first.

Of course, our family understands that oh, so well...as Nicole is continually blessed with opportunities to inspire and motivate people through her speaking engagements--she has a platform now that she didn't have before, and her story alone makes people sit up and listen.

Take a moment and think back to the best bad thing that ever happened to you...and feel free to share it in the comments section of this blog (if you don't already "follow" me, please take a moment to do so!).

This little exercise may help us all to see things differently, and to be a little more thankful that God's plan for us is perfect, even when that plan includes "bad" things.

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan

Out of the darkness

They're out! The 33 miners who have been trapped for 70 days a half mile below the Earth's surface in Chile finally saw the light of day yesterday. It was awesome seeing each miner break the surface, coming up in a tiny capsule.

I have clastrophobic tendancies. I used to get panicky in tanning beds, back when I used to lay in tanning beds. Sometimes I'd have to get out of the room altogether, feeling like I couldn't breathe. It didn't happen every time, just every now and then. But it was enough for me to stay away from a career as a miner.

As a child, I heard that you could dig your way to China. I was told that China was exactly opposite the United States on the globe (no, I didn't check that out for myself!). The idea was that if you dug a hole deep enough, you'd come out in the land of ricshaws and little coolie hats. I was up for the challenge, digging the hole in my own backyard.

Until I realized how hard it was for an eight-year-old to dig into the hard Mississippi soil. Mission aborted.

It's a good thing the Chilean authorities didn't give up so easily. I was so impressed watching Chile's president, who had a "gut feeling" the miners were still alive, thus directing a full-scale recovery operation. He's my kind of guy!

I think people give up too easily all too often. It's easier to give up. If you don't try, you can't fail. But you'll never move forward either...

Nicole recently took a big leap ahead, challenging herself and her "new" body to something most able-bodied people wouldn't attempt. She flew to Sedona, Arizona for 12 days to take a 100-hour certification course called "Yoga Meets Dance." The days were long--9:30am to 6:30pm in class, and a couple of hours of reading/studying at night. Many of the classes were held outdoors, on the beautiful red rocks of Sedona. So Nic had to hike. And she had to climb. And she did!

Before going to Sedona, Nicole didn't know she could hike or climb rocks. She didn't know she could touch her toes or do many of the amazing things she did with her body. Remember, she has 8" titanium rods that go from the base of her neck down her back, and more rods that go down her lower back.

She passed her certification exam, and is now ready to teach classes!

Just as the miners were released from the darkness of the mine, Nicole continues to be released from the injuries that could have defined her. All are free from being confined. The world is watching the 33 miners to see what they'll do next, and I believe the world is hoping that they will do something positive with their experiences. We want to learn from it, and become better people because of it.

Nicole could have easily resigned herself to life in a wheelchair. We've been told there are people with lesser injuries who are still in wheelchairs. As a matter of fact, we were told that was her fate. But Nicole, like the miners, had hope. And hope fuels action. And now Nicole can teach anyone how to use their bodies in a healthy way, including people with special needs. Including people in wheelchairs.

We may not be stuck in a mine, or stuck in a broken body, but we all have something in our lives that we allow to hold us back. Today is a good day to reflect on what we want to do, and how we've allowed either external or internal roadblocks to hold us back. How are we going to get past those roadblocks? I'm inspired by the miners, and by my own brave daughter.

It's time to get up and move ahead!

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan

I'm back!!!

Wow. It's been over a month since I last posted a blog entry. That's unusual for me, but for some reason, I just haven't been able to stop long enough to write.

It's been a busy month, with lots of exciting things happening in our life. As I write this, Nicole is finishing up a "Yoga Meets Dance" workshop in Sedona, Arizona. It's a 100-hour certification course, so she'll be able to teach when she gets back. It's the next step in having a totally independent life again. The surprising thing to her is how flexible she is. With titanium rods in her neck and back, Nicole probably felt that she would be more rigid. But she's been able to keep up with everyone else in the class, including touching her toes! (The rods are flexible...who knew?) And the change of scenery has been just what she needed. And what a dramatic change of scenery!!!

I love these photos...and I'm so impressed, because they were taken with Nicole's iPhone. Look how blue that sky is! Twelve days of that would be good medicine for anyone!

My iPhone wannabe, the HTC Hero, still gives me fits. The phone and I are just not a good match. BUT, I did discover a cool app on the phone...it's called "Retro Camera." I had alot of fun taking photos of little things around my home. The app gives everything a vintage, grainy look. And I love the boarder.

I've been spending more time with Joe (yes, I have another child!) lately, and I've enjoyed it so very much. At 21, he has matured so much and has become such an impressive young man. He and I both signed up to be distributors for C-PRIME, a fashion technology company that sells bands (designed by Fossil) that help with balance, flexibility, strength and endurance. Everyone in our family has had great results, so we have decided to step out and sell them ourselves! It's been amazing...I have a team of over 65 people! I figure if it's good enough for Harry Connick, Jr., Tim Tebow, Evanka Trump and a laundry list of other celebrities and athletes, it's good enough for me!

This is my blue band...

Joe wearing a scarlet band and a grey band...

And Nicole wearing her signature purple band! (That's her yoga teacher, Beth)

Joe and I took a road trip to Dallas last week for a C-PRIME corporate meeting, where we learned more about the company and met the key players. We were both impressed and we're really excited about the possibilities C-PRIME can have in people's lives. Check out my website to learn more about it.

This weekend, he's gone to Atlanta with Emily (his precious girlfriend) and her family. My parents have gone to Nashville, and my dad will be taking a class (woodcarving!) up that way. So, it's while our family are all over the country, Larry and I are holding things down here at home.

I'm also doing my Scentsy thang...lovin' that, too! Don't know what Scensy is? Then check out this website!
It's alot of fun, and I love the products. I'll be doing an open house tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon to celebrate 10-10-10! What a fun, cool date that is! If you didn't get one of my social media invites (email/facebook/twitter), then consider this your invitation to come experience Scentsy tomorrow afternoon!
I've been getting ready for it all day today...the fun part is sniffing the over 80 yummy scents!

The monkey is one of the "Scentsy Buddies" for children. Each one has a zipper in the back that holds a scent pack. This one has a French Lavender pack and it smells sooooo good!!!

The bad news is that I scheduled the open house at the same time as the St. Philip Goat Roast, which we've gone to for the past two years. I'll miss that this year, but look forward to opening my home to friends and neighbors.

So that's it for our exciting life...busy, full, happy, and blessed. We're moving forward, not looking back as much, but when we do, we are still amazed at the miracle we've witnessed. And as we move forward, we don't dismiss that miracle, but we don't dwell on it as much. We are living life in the here and now, and for the first time in a long time, we are able to look ahead with hope, ready for the next adventure!

Blessings to all who (still) read this!
Susan

Little Things Mean A Lot

Sometimes grand gestures are nice. Like when your daughter throws you a surprise 30th anniversary party. Or when your son pops in to mow the yard.

But the little gestures are what makes life sweet on a daily basis. Someone who does something unexpected for you. A kind word. Or....getting a card in the mail for no reason. (Mail...remember that? The paper stuff with stamps??)

And small things are often packed with a big punch.

My dad took up woodworking after he retired many years ago. As in, he took to it like a duck to water. He made a rocking horse and easel for Nicole when she was little. A wagon  nd a toy chest for Joseph. (I think we must have put hundreds of miles on that thing!) And, for no reason other than to do it, he made a canoe. Why not? And it was a real work of art.

After going to the Campbell Folk Life School in Brasstown, N.C. with my son, Joe, a few times, my dad took a carving class and became hooked. When it is too hot or too cold to go out in his shop, he can sit in his climate-controlled house and just whittle away. (Idle hands are the devil's playground!)

One of the things he makes are little crosses. He keeps them in his pocket and passes them out to folks he comes across while he's out and about.

My sister, Sarah, goes on a mission trip each summer to Andros in the Bahamas. This year was the 25th anniversary (I think) and each person was to bring a special commemorative item to pass out. Sarah asked my dad if he could carve some crosses. A bunch of crosses. And he did.

So Sarah took the crosses to Andros, and gave them out. And they were a big hit!

Beautiful. I'm sure those children will treasure their crosses, and hopefully, the meaning of it, for a long time to come. Such a little thing that means so much.

One of the little things we do each year that means alot to others is to attend the Mississippi State Hospital’s (MSH) Annual Serendipity Art Show and Silent Auction TODAY (Thurs., 9/2), from 11 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. on the hospital’s campus in Whitfield.

Serendipity features artwork from MSH’s Art Services programs and Community Services Art Workshops, led by our sweet friend, Tony DiFatta. The show includes handmade paper, pencil drawings, ceramics, pastels, watercolor, acrylic and tempera paintings, crayon batiks and mixed media.
 
All artists are patients, residents or consumers of the hospital and incorporate age groups from children to adult seniors. The show features work from artists in Psychiatric Services, Community Services, Jaquith Nursing Home and Oak Circle Center Child/Adolescent Unit. The artwork will be sold by silent auction. Bidding will end at 6:30 p.m. All proceeds will be applied to the individual artists’ accounts.

While it means alot to the patients, it means alot to us too. It's a way to get some beautiful pieces of (mostly) framed artwork at a very reasonable price. And it's fun too!

Nicole bought this piece last year. Here she is, with Tony and the artist. It's a painting of downtown Jackson during the Mal's St. Paddy's Day Parade, which is one of her favorite events!

As you go about your day, remember to put forth a little effort to do a little something that will mean so much to someone else. When you do, it will make your day, too!

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan

What a Difference a Day Makes

Just when you think life is clicking along just fine, something or someone can change everything, in just the blink of an eye.

That something for me was a phone call received on August 30, 2008. It was the call every parent dreads.

A detective with the New York City Police Department was on the other end of the line, telling me our precious daughter's body had been found on the ground outside her apartment building. The way he said it, I had no clue whether she was dead or alive. I had to ask.

Most of you reading this know the story. If you don't, check it out at www.caringbridge.com/visit/nicolemarquez.

So today is the second anniversary of Nicole's accident. Someone asked me just this morning if we ever thought she would have come this far in two years.

The truth of the matter is that I didn't think about that. I learned very early on, sitting in the neuro-ICU at New York Presbyterian Hosptial, not to project into the future. We had to accept what was happening right here, right now. I learned to live in the moment, because that's all we had. Her condition was changing so rapidly...she'd do great for awhile, then some horrible thing would go wrong in her broken body. We all became pros are reading monitors. We understood oxygen levels and all kinds of things I never thought I'd have a need to know.

And I learned to compartmentalize. In other words, mundane things like bills, the dog, the yard, etc. never entered my mind. I was focused on one thing and one thing only. Thank God we had such good friends and family who took care of those things and so many others so that we could just be, with all our focus on Nicole.

And here we are, two years later. And yes, looking back, I'm absolutely in awe of what Nicole has accomplished after injuring her body so badly.

A journey begins with one step, and we have truley taken this journey one step at a time, one day at a time. And because of that, the journey hasn't been too hard. And because the journey has been a slow, but steady one, we've all had time to see, hear, smell, taste and feel things we may never have experienced before, when we were all rushing and swirling through life.

We've made wonderful new friends, reconnected with old ones, and our life has been blessed many times over. Priorites have shifted, with a focus now on more important things in life. We've seen the affect Nicole's accident has had on Joe, who is now very focused in school, studying to be an occupational therapist.

If I could, I'd take it back in a heartbeat. Who would want this to happen to their child? Yet, it happened, and we can't take it back, so we all chose to accept what is, and to push on. Nicole, as it turns out, is a master at that. We have simply followed her lead.

And we are all the better for it.

Thank you doesn't begin to express our appreciation for the many prayers, financial gifts, support and love so many people have given us. We are forever grateful, and have dedicated our lives to paying it forward.

Just remember, one day, you can be on top of the world...

(This is Nicole on the same roof from which she fell, two days before her accident. The grayish building in the background is Harlem Hospital, her first stop on the road to recovery.)

And the next day, you can have the weight of the world on your shoulders.

(Nicole, a few days after her accident, in New York Presbyterian Hospital.)

It's up to you to decide if you want to get back up to the top of the world again, and how. The next time life throws you a curveball, just remember Nicole...if she can do it, you can too!

(Nicole and Joe, close to one year after her accident.)

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan

She's Rising!

When you dream of a dream, know it won't be easy
Taking plenty of chances, fortify what you believe
Keep moving in the right direction
Finding the ultimate connection
Asking and receiving, what you are ready for

You'll be rising!
For more!

When you wish with all your might
Let your imagination take its flight
When you hear the voice my child
Increase your stride
Let go of intimidation
Trust and inspire
Then you will see the light

You'll be rising!
For more!

Hold it down my people
Don't give up
Letting go
Keep moving forward
Andi if you fall
Know that you can rise again
Rise again, keep your understanding
Oh, learn from your mistakes
Oh, it will come, it will come
It will come and you'll see
You'll be rising!!!

Those are the lyrics of the cover song of the wonderful new CD by Eclectik Soul called "Rising." They previewed the CD Friday night at the historic Alamo Theatre on Farrish Street in downtown Jackson.

Funny how life brings things full circle. When Nicole returned to Jackson following he accident, she was in Select Specialty Hospital for almost a month. Her occupational therapist there was an angel named Tarah Stewart. Tarah noticed Nicole either had music playing in her room, or that Nicole was singing almost every time she came to work with her. One day, she brought in a CD and said that her husband, Greg, was the drummer in a group called Eclectik Soul. We popped it in the laptop and we all instantly loved it!

Fast forward to Friday night. Greg wanted something BIG for the finale of the concert. That is when they were going to play "Rising." Well, every time Tarah heard the song, she thought of Nicole and her miraculous recovery, and she suggested that they ask Nicole to dance to the song.

So...you guessed it! Friday night, nearly two years after her accident, Nicole was rising back up again on the stage of the Alamo!

It was a fun night, with some great music! By the end of the evening, Nicole had Jello legs she was so tired. Before coming to the Alamo, Nicole had a gig as a 'Celebrity' judge for the Mississippi Opera Association's 'Dance with the Stars' event at the Old Capitol Inn along with Kathy Thibodeaux of Ballet Magnificat and David Keary of Ballet Mississippi. It was a long evening, but she did it. I think the song fit Nicole perfectly...she is certainly rising!

My son, Joe, is rising too...he's back in school and preparing to go to occupational therapy school soon. People like Tarah and Stephanie and Ashley, who are some of Nicole's outstanding therapists, have inspired Joe. I think he'll do well in that field. He's grown into such a sensitive and caring young man, and he's witnessed the importance of people in that line of work and what a difference it can make in people's lives. Nicole is independent again thanks to the therapy she's received. I believe Joe will make that same difference in the lives of his patients one day. And his girlfriend, Emily, is going into nursing, so how perfect is that??

As he pursues his career, Nicole is pursuing her career in motivational speaking. As a matter of fact, she'll be heading to Silver Star in Philadelphia tomorrow to speak at the Rehabilitation Association of Mississippi conference. She'll do a keynote address tomorrow and conduct a breakout session on Thursday.

Forgive me this proud mama moment, but for now, I'm just as pleased as I can be with both of my children!

Blessings to all who read this,
Susan

Happy Anniversary Baby!!!

I feel like I'm the luckiest person on Earth today! I am still coming down from the high of Saturday night, when our amazing daughter Nicole surprised Larry and I with an anniversary party at Hal & Mal's. And I mean SUR-PRIIIIIIZE!!!!

We were clueless. And it's hard to pull one over on me, because I'm a detail person. It's a curse sometimes, but it allows me to anticipate, prepare and deal with just about anything that arises. Except, maybe, for a room full of people all facing the door when we walked in, many with cameras (which lets me know what it's like, if only for a brief moment, what Paris Hilton may feel like).

There were lots of special people there, friends old and new, from all phases of our 30-year marriage, including a few who were at--or in--our wedding. Like Carol, who drove down from Nashville for the night. And Sara Smith and Aline Germany, who were like my other mothers growing up, and of course, my own mother and father. We danced the night away to the tunes of Los Papis, which was a super special treat. And when Raphael Semmes and Lisa Palmer joined them, the evening was just perfect!

The best part of the evening was the pure love we felt in the room...the love Larry and I have for each other, and the love we have for our friends, and them for us.

I have to say that 30 years of marriage doesn't seem like that big a deal. It's been so easy, because lucky for me, this high-strung crazy white woman had sense enough to marry the most easy-going, laid-back, happy and nicest man in the entire world! It takes alot to rattle Larry's chain, and Lord knows, I've managed to do some rattling. But in the end, his calm demeanor and positive outlook has always helped me to be the best I can be. I know that I am blessed, and I am forever grateful.

We both come by our long marriages naturally. Larry's parents were married over 50 years, as have my own. We both had such good role models, and that's made a huge difference in our lives. I only pray that the same carries over to our children when the time comes for them to get married.

Joey Joe missed the party...he had a long-standing plan to visit Emily's dad in Atlanta. But we had a wonderful time this afternoon. He came over and cut the grass, then we went to eat lunch. We had a great visit. He starts school again tomorrow, so I'm praying he has another successful semester.

Ok, let's review:

--Marry the nicest guy on the planet, and hang in with him 30 years.
   CHECK!

--Have a beautiful daughter, who can bounce back from anything to plan a faboo soire.
  CHECK!
--Have a handsome son who gives me great joy as I watch him mature into a fine young man.
  CHECK!

--Collect the best friends anyone can have.
  CHECK!

Thank you to all who came to our celebration, and for those who couldn't, thanks for your well-wishes. Thanks for the food, the gifts, the fun and the love.

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan