Go CARDINALS!!

Well, tomorrow is th SuperBowl.... Man's big day. I usually don't get very "involved" but I do know who it is that plays each year and I make a mental note of who's team i will be cheering for. Can't be a superbowl bah humbug right? In all my years of Super Bowl participation ~ NEVER EVER have I heard of the "Cardinals". I didn't even know there was a football team called the cardinals. It sounds more like a baseball team if you ask me. It doesn't matter. All I know is:

"this is the year of the Cardinal".....

My sweet competitive Mary! Miss triathelete, champion rollerblader and super hot swim coach!

Why do I think you had something to do with the Cardinals making the Super Bowl???

Oh, Almost forgot, thank you for being with Davey on his canoe race in San Marcos... he told me he saw a few cardinals following him. He even saw a beagle dog(like dad's) follow him..... It's nice to know he is being looked after by you & dad. It allows my worry to cut in half! It's pretty neat he is able to see the signs too. I'm happy for that. Some people are just oblivious. I'm sad for them because the signs are so comforting and meaningful.

GO CARDINALS!!!! SuperBowl 2009 ~ The Year of the Cardinal!

Do birds sleep at night?

I was outside last night around 10:30pm. It was a clear, crisp, cold night and I could see all the stars. I looked up at the sky and said in my mind "I love you Mary".... then I heard the familiar sound I hear in the morning, the "chirp, chirp, chirp" of a cardinal. Believe me, I know what a cardinal sounds like by now. Ask me a year ago and I couldn't guess if my life depended on it. So I listened some more to make sure my mind wasn't playing tricks on me and I heard it again. I must have looked like a crazy girl staring up at the sky and looking all around to see if I could see where the chirp was! It sounded like it was on the roof of my building. I couldn't see anything, but I heard it and heard it again and again. It was the most bizarre feeling. The stars were chirping!

I was thinking to myself ~ "don't birds sleep at night?"

I don't really know, and I don't really care! I got my sign, my sound, my visit and I slept good!
How lucky am I? She is still with me :)!

Mary

("Sibling Love Hug" - Jeni, Daved, Lisa & MARY!)
I have been noticing lately that I haven't posted any

Mary pictures in a while...
I've gotten so caught up in the world of Cardinals that surrounds me now.

Even though the beauty of the cardinal is never tiring....

the same goes for Mary!

Especially if you knew her, her beauty radiates

even more than just the mere shell of her.

Her beauty was in her her heart and spirit & it shone

through & throughin all that she did!
It radiated every room she entered and showed

through every person she helped and inspired.

Yes, that was Mary! The sister I miss......
I keep reminding myself how lucky

i was just to have her as long as i did.
To be blessed by her love was a gift.

Thought for the Day

Our hearts know the path to happiness and inner peace.
Spiritual practices such as meditation and prayer remind us of what we already know.
When we forget our heart's message and fall into life's ruts and crevices, we feel unfulfilled and unhappy.
We get depressed and anxious. We have blurred our perspective, forgotten the bigger picture, and lost our way.
The remedy is simple. Take the time to remember your divinity, your spiritual nature. Remember why you are here.
--- Brian L. Weiss

An award to Cherish

I want to acknowledge my dear friend Laurie who I met through the tragic loss of my sister. I lost Mary, but gained Laurie....

We share the loss together and with that it cuts the pain in half. We keep Mary alive through the shared memories and words of Love for Mary's lost life. Her soul has moved on and lives around us, guiding us through the pain, giving us hope that life after death is a beautiful place eternally. With that faith, we can keeping living as we know it and loving as we've never loved before and know that we will be together again someday when our time has come.

In the meantime, we can live, love and laugh and be grateful for all that we have, even all that we lost, because we had it! I'm a stronger, more spiritual person today because of my losses and for that I am grateful!

I accept this award with all my heart, it was given to me by my very special friend, Laurie! My sister through my sister..... Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Mary is with us everywhere, everyday... here's a picture I captured outside my window where she has made a home by me to love and comfort me day by day:

What Happened?!

I went to your memorial on the Broussards Funeral home website....

I see the beautiful pictures of you, capturing all your spirit.

I look at them and cry to myself... "what on earth happened here?"

Why are you not with us anymore? It hurts.... I miss you so much!

It just doesn't seem fair! Your life was cut short, leaving all your loved ones in despair.

YOU had so much love and life and sincerity to all man kind!

I could sit here and blame this and blame that, but it would do no good. If anything, I just want to clarify how and why so maybe we can save some loved ones from this pain. It's just so unneccessary. My heart is aching and my eyes are full of tears.

I know, I know... you are with me everywhere!

I just miss you physically okay! Everything about you! Your voice, your smile, your words of admiration and love, even your fears. I loved working through it all with you. You were my buddy, my best friend and my blood! I know in the end, life wasn't fair to you (Judge Walker & Attorney Makin) - may they be punished as you were! Harsh & Unfair!!

We could have made it through sis ~ we could have made it through.......

Well, It is what it is! I accept. What choice do i have? I love you and miss you. That's it!

Prayers for Mama

We had a little scare last week when mom was directed to the hospital to moniter her heart....

My instant feeling was fear on yet another trying year.

I almost cried, but chose to raise my head up high and say a prayerful cheer!

I know we are all in good hands and are under God's plans but I still prayed, and prayed and prayed that night that I may not lose yet another.

This goes on to confirm that we should not waste a single moment of this precious life we've been given. No holding back. Love all and don't be afraid to show it or say it!

Although we are 2000 miles away, we are never apart because she is in my heart!

Thank you for taking care of momma ~

Wings of Love Surround Me

I wake up in the morning to your chirp, chirp, chirp....
I peak out my window and see you wishing me a good day!
I spend my weekends admiring you out my window ~ your red wings fluttering all around.

This morning on my usual walk to work, I was thinking of
you....

Then all of a sudden between the buildings on NYC,
I was circled by a flock of pigeons.

I couldn't count them all but if I had to guess, there
must have been a hundred.

They gracefully flew together off the building to the
right and swirled in a circle right above my head

As if that wasn't beautiful enough, they made a full
circle again.

Then right before my eyes they did it one last time as
if to make me realize it was no accident.

My head was tilted up, my eyes were full of delight
and my heart felt full of life.

You are everywhere, I know it and I see the signs! How perfect it is to use the wings of life as messengers ~ you are everywhere for me to see!

2008 Reflections

My family and a few of my friends received my "Reflections of Jen's 2008" with their Christmas cards this year! You know who you are if you are reading this :)!
I love you all and am so very grateful for all that I have and all that I have had, for without each and every experience I have lived through, I wouldn't be who I am today!

"My faith grows stronger everyday and I am blessed with the riches of Love and Happiness!"

May you always experience
the best of lifes pleasures.......

2009 here we come!!!

Merry Christmas
May all your hopes and dreams be fulfilled!
~Welcome 2009~

REFLECTIONS of Jen’s 2008

Goodness! Where do I begin? This year EVERYTHING emotional happened.

Good, bad, great & the worst! I lived to tell…..

I’d like to take this time to reflect on the wonderments of life in 2008. In looking back, we observe our life through reflections with hopes to have learned, loved and laughed. Life is just too short to spend with anger, hate or resentments. Hopefully goals were reached and new ones are set. Big or small, goals are important. They give us something to reach for.

Accomplishments are healthy for the soul.

Time has no mercy ~ every moment is a gift!

Most of you know I have been grieving the loss of my sister and best friend, Mary since March 22nd. Fortunately I am able to balance my grief with the celebration of her life. I’ve chosen to be grateful for having her at all! How lucky was I to have been given such a gift of her and to live with the beautiful memories I have?! I have started a blog dedicated to her… that is where I reflect and write her my thoughts. You are welcome to visit it and feel free to comment anytime. I write to heal. http://www.jenicombs.blogspot.com/. Her kids, Kelsey and Brett are doing well. I keep them close. They are such good kids. I was blessed to spend a week with them at my sister Lisa’s in June; my brother David and mom were there too! Memories were made that I will cherish forever.

On that note, one of my goals last year was to start my own website with positive thoughts and acts of kindness recorded. I did learn how to build my own site and got one set up. http://www.jenicombs.com/! It’s not what I expected, but I have a sense of accomplishment and that’s what matters most!

Work is going great! I was given an award of Excellence at our Company picnic for “Outstanding Commitment to the Brand Promise”. I’m so grateful to have what I have. I love what I do & I guess it shows. I strive to be better and wherever there is room to grow and learn, I do!

I look forward to my future….

Speaking of which ~ Chad & I have decided to unite as one “officially”! Most of you know that we were already “one” pretty much the day we met 14 years ago. Well, August 6, 2009 I will become Mrs. (he-he) Jennifer Marie Brocato! What a way to end the year.

I am so grateful for all of you in my life ~ my dear family & friends!

Thank you for all your love & support.

May your year be fruitful and your moments be treasured.
Yesterday is history, Tomorrow’s a mystery & Today is a gift!

Love Always ………….xoxo …… Jeni & Chad

P.S. The cardinal has brought me peace since the day Mary passed ~
Keep your eyes out, she is everywhere!!