Choosing Paris as the place to get married seemed like a wonderful idea.  After all, April in Paris - what dreams are made of!  So my fiancé and I agreed to tie the knot in the City of Light. 

Candidly speaking though, what we didn’t realize was the difficult position we put our friends and family in, financially.  So instead of the majority being able to attend our nuptials, we had only a handful.

Some say it didn’t matter, but I can tell you now that while Paris was everything I had hoped for, our wedding wasn’t.  For years after I regretted that more family and friends weren’t able to be with us to share our most important day. 

Be open to traveling, of course.  But stay home when you want to have special memories that can be shared with those you love. 

Annabelle

06/27/10

I would like to pass along the best advice I ever got: Give your opinion only once. After that, let it go.  Believe me, if you heed this advice your opinion will carry much more weight than if you insist upon repeating it. 

I like being able to come through!  It’s been a long time since I’ve been heard on your side since most of my friends and family are here now with me.  For the record, I was a longshoreman in my younger years.  While betting was my vice, family get-togethers were my strength. 

I died shoveling snow.  It was over pretty quick.  No one I knew picked up a snow shovel after that, so I guess ‘pressing my messages through’ really did the trick!

Arnie

06/20/10

Become a great parent by becoming a great role model.  See yourself as your child’s exact blueprint of future behavior.

For instance, if you yell or argue to get your way, they will show patience under pressure, as well.  If you turn on the charm to manipulate getting your way, they will too.  But if you show patience under pressure, they will too.  The outcome then becomes a tremendous shift into a relaxed relationship of cooperation.

Every instance where you demonstrate patience becomes a feeling etched on your child’s heart that life is worth living, because people are worth knowing…including themselves.

Such is life!

Doreen

06/13/10