And the Oscar goes to.....

The  83rd Academy Awards are soon approaching--better known as the "Night of Oscars".  Millions of people will tune in to see who gets what from Best Actor, Best Actress, Best  Animated Feature, Best Directing, so on and so forth. It's a veritable who's who of "bests" that the American Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences recognizes. Along with all the accolades, some of us (including me) will be watching the glamorous display of fashion, jewelry and fanciness that goes along with that night.  It's kind of fun, I think.  Like going out on a fancy date and getting all dressed up. But I digress....

One of my favorite categories, and typically one that they make you wait to the bitter end to find out who wins it, is Best Picture.  This being the 83rd year that the Academy Awards have been presented means that for 82 years there's been a Best Picture. I find that pretty amazing in and of it's self.  So, it got me thinking.  There is one thing that all pictures/movies have in common; one common theme.  And this common theme is key to not only pictures but life it self. For without it, things would be far different. I'm talking about conflict.

As I looked up some of the movies that have won over the years, I can't help but think what they would be like without some sort of conflict.  Take "Rocky"... can you imagine it without the fighting; without the battle of good and evil. Or speaking of good and evil, how about "The Lord of the Rings" saga?  Take out conflict and you are just left with the Shire, good looking Elves, and strong horsemen. (Please forgive me LotR fans!) Or "The Godfather" (Parts I and II) which also won for Best Picture. The Corleone  Family would be unrecognizable. My point is that conflict, however big or small, is key to effecting the story line of movies, characters, peoples and lives.

Let me just finish by saying that I'm "conflict avoidant". I will run to the hills in order to avoid what I perceive as conflict. We could delve deep into why that is, but for now, I won't.  Without some sort of conflict or trials, I would be living in Candy Land--floating through life without really any cares or  without any sense of stress or reason to fight, resolve, and sharpen or expand upon  the amazing life that God has given me. And better yet, because I am not alone in this world, it gives me opportunity to fine tune those relationships around me that mean the most to me.

So, the next time I'm faced with a conflict or trial, I will look at it as opportunity rather than shy away and see only harm.

~Reggie

Laugh. Dream. Grow.

With the birth of my youngest child on the way almost 5 years ago, my oldest daughter and I did a project together to decorate the nursery. We went to our favorite ceramics store and picked out three tiles to paint and decorate. Each tile was to have one word on it; a word that was meant to be a blessing for this new one's life. We pondered it for a while and finally choose these three: laugh, dream, grow.

Laugh. Laughter. Oh,  I love to laugh. It's one of life's simple joys.  It can quickly ease a tense moment. Soothe a restless mind. Calm a weary spirit and bring tears (of happiness) to the one who needs it. It's the antithesis of a frown or scowl and the medicine to cure almost anything.  "Laughter is the best medicine" after all. I hoped that my soon-to-be born youngest child would be blessed with laughter. And now, close to 5 years later, I can easily tell you that she has brought much laughter to our household and enjoys to laugh herself.

Dream. I am a dreamer. It's easy for me to dream; have hopes, desires. Without hope there is despair and without dreams there is a life less colorful, I believe. Google the words "live without dreams" and you will have an onslaught of anything from quotes from Martin Luther King to any and everyone's blog (now including this one!).  We are designed to dream.  Dreaming is the process in which we live out our lives. Maybe that sounds too grand or philosophical or just plain wish-wash, but a life that is deep and rich will have dreams in it. Dare to dream was my wish for this child.

Grow. This one is more literal--grow physically, grow mentally, and grow spiritually.  All of those can be gauged in one fashion or another.  And each of them she has a direct hand in. It has been my experience that growth usually comes in hindsight or the revelation of growth does.  Often we are too close to see it; it happens so slowly that one does not fully recognize it 'til time has past and some form of measurement shows that there's been "growth".  For me, this may come through my relationships with others, too. Again, it's that too close to see it theory.  I'm thankful for those close to me who help me see that growth.  As my youngest daughter grows, it is my desire to give her those tools to help her grow.  Remember: Growth doesn't have an expiration date!



~Reggie

Recipe for a Memory

The sand was warm, the sun was high and the sound of surf rang in my ears; I was feeling confident as I squeezed into that inflatable ring.  I can see the look on my sister's face; one of concern. I can hear my mom sipping her cola through the colorful plastic straw that stuck out of the chilled aluminum can. But mostly, I remember the words of my dad, "We can do this. You can do this--it's not that far out there." And here is the clincher that sealed the deal... "If you swim out there with me, you can pick anything you want off the menu at Farrell's."  That was it, I was sold.

So goes one of my favorite childhood memories.  It's one of the pieces of my life puzzle that still today I can remember so well.  Maybe it's that we talk about it every so often.  Or that when we gather as an extended family and those old slides come out, I relive it all over again.  Either way, it's something that I recall with fondness-- the day I "swam" (ok it was more like "floated") out to that bobbing platform in the Pacific Ocean off the warm and safe beach in Hawaii that my family was pleasantly sunning themselves upon.

I was 5 at the time.  And if you do the math, that was a long time ago. What is it about memories that stir us? Shape us? I know for me, there was all the makings of what I now know creates a good memory: travel, family (or others that I share my travel with), and some other element. In this case, fear and reward.  I was not a good swimmer and I was faced with a challenge that I was quite afraid of.  That  fear and the success of overcoming it and subsequent reward that followed was most likely the most powerful element in this story/memory.

What is your "recipe" for a good memory?

~Reggie

P.S.  While writing this blog I researched Farrell's and discovered that their Hawaii location has returned!  They have removed Kathy's Pink Surprise  from their revised menu, but they suggest "Step through our doors... Step back in time..." Hmmm. They may be on to something.

http://farrellshawaii.com/