"Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything." ~ C.S. Lewis I have been really missing Mom BIG TIME as the days quickly approach to the second anniversary of her passing. To think it has already been almost two years that this beautiful soul left us here on earth is hard to comprehend sometimes. Although she is not physically with me, she is truly with me every day. I feel her in so many ways throughout my days. It is so encouraging and comforting. I am my mother's daughter in so many ways and I am extremely proud of that. Her pictures are prominently displayed in my home and classroom and I love to share the timeless life lessons she taught me whenever I can. Mom had so much wisdom and she took every chance she could to impart the powerful lessons she had learned along the way to anyone who would listen. I am so happy to share some of my favourites with you. "Don't lose the victory."Mom would always say when tough times come, don't let those circumstances rob your joy, or pull you under. With Jesus at our side we are always on the winning team. Mom was no stranger to adversity. She struggled with clinical depression several times in her life. At times, she definitely was pulled under by this dark disease, and keeping the victory seemed impossible for her. We never stopped praying for her and MANY times she had beautiful times of recovery and redemption. For her last bout of depression, we were not so fortunate. She did not receive her victory of a healing on earth, but we know Mom is living her best, victorious life in Heaven and we do find great comfort in that. "Keep a rainbow in your heart."As we would navigate our hardest days, Mom would encourage us to keep joy tucked in our hearts, despite the personal storms we might be experiencing. This would keep us moving ahead and pointed in the right direction every time. What I always loved about this expression, is that it emphasized that despite what was happening around us that we could not control, we could control what was happening in us which was our reaction to circumstances. This is where the power lies. Many times I experienced joy in chaos and the peace that passes understanding that the Bible speaks of when I chose to keep that optimistic rainbow shining brightly in my heart. "There's better days ahead."Mom would remind us that tough times don't last, but tough people do. I want to remind you of that as well. It is important to reflect on the past when the hard times come. You have come through so much already and you will come through this too. This too shall pass, even when at the time it feels that this struggle, challenge or stage will NEVER end. Be assured this is not how your story ends. It is just a bump in the road. Hang in there my friend. "Be a Can-do woman."Mom would encourage us to get I can't out of our vocabulary. I strongly advise you to do the same. Let's start to change our response and dialogue together to the challenges in life. Repeat after me: I can do this! I can overcome this! I will come through this better and stronger! I can and will use this trial to be a blessing to others in time when I am ready. This picture above was the last picture taken of Mom and I together before she passed away. She was still struggling with depression, yet trying to implement and exemplify the life lessons she had imparted to us. I am who I am because of her. I am forever grateful for all that she taught me and will NEVER forget how incredibly special she was. She had so much great advice to share and I trust that these few examples have resonated with you and you can tuck them in your heart today! Until next time, Dana
Tags: grief, losing a mother, life lessons, things mom taught me, legacy, remember loved onesCopyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi)
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"Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful." ~ John Maeda Summertime absolutely rocks! Don't you agree? The weather is so amazing and it feels just wonderful to have some time off from work. Our family has had some great getaways so far and we are so grateful for the special family time. This time of year also makes me reminisce and recall some great vacations of the past. For many years we enjoyed vacationing with my parents. They are great sports and so much fun. I miss those days so much! My mom passed away and I miss her so much. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her and talk about her. For this reason I am extra grateful for the special memories we created as a family on our fun vacations together. When I close my eyes, it takes me back. Here's mom in her favourite spot in our cabin. We loved visiting the Great Smoky Mountains together in Tennessee. From the exciting attractions to the breathtaking views, and mountain scenery, we really felt as it we had been whisked away to a whole, new world. This incredibly beautiful landscape filled with wide-open spaces, friendly kin folk and nature in all its glory was a welcome change from the busyness of life we were used to at home in Canada. Our cozy cabin, nestled high in the mountains, although equipped with all the amenities you could ask for, also provided us with something much more we all needed: the opportunity to relax in a serene environment, reconnect and just enjoy the simple things. As I awoke to the picturesque view of the mountains each morning, I felt overwhelmed by God's prescence and incredible handiwork. I felt the Bible verse come to life of "Be still and know that I am God." What a creator we serve and I was in constant awe of his creativity. One morning as I was taking it all in, I couldn't help but burst out Amazing Grace and I had to raise my hands to the heavens in a display of worship as a response to the awesome splendor I was witnessing. Nature so easily can be something we take for granted, yet it is wonderful to take the time to actually appreciate it. The residents of the area were so warm and freindly. They made you feel like family or lifelong friends. My family and I remarked about how easy it would be to settle down here because the atmosphere was so welcoming. This was especially evident when we attended church there on Sunday. We went to a church called the Wears Valley United Methodist Church and from the moment we entered, we felt completely at home. With a congregation under one hundred, their motto was "smalll enough to care, large enough to serve." The church had so many great community activities coming up like a Fall Fair, and a back to school potluck, we all wished we would be able to stay a little longer just to get to know the wonderful people a bit more. That is the way they made us feel, so "welcome as the flowers in May" as my Gramma Sudds used to say. There seemed to be a slower pace, simpler way of life that was evident there that we so admired. It was almost in some ways that we had gone back in time a bit. Sometimes we can so caught up with “keeping up with the Joneses” that we forget what really matters. I loved how there were Bibles everywhere around our cabin, scripture plaques in several restaurants, many gospel music shows to take in, and even t- shirts that said “Jesus Is Lord” on sale at the local Walmart. Now there’s something that you don’t see every day where we come from, that's for sure. This area in many aspects was very unapologetically Christian and is was very refreshing. While attending Dollywood in the middle of the country music shows the performers broke out into “Just Over In The Glory Land,” and “His Eye Is On The Sparrow,” with passionate gusto. A remark was made by one of the performers that he was so happy that not only are they allowed to perform gospel songs at Dollywood, but it is actually strongly encouraged. Even at the local Olive Garden restaurant, the waitress explained that they changed their policy of first coming to the table with a bottle of wine to sample, as this protocol did not go over well there in the "Bible Belt" and was actually offensive to many who did not drink. From a society that has gone so far the opposite way regarding Christianity, it was very interesting to observe these scenarios to say the least. We watched lots of Waltons and Andy Griffith reruns at the cabin and I could not help but giggle at the irony of it all! I actually felt that I was living on Waltons mountain with the mountains all around us! Also like the Walton family, who lived with several generations under one roof, we had my parents with us too. Three generations together enjoyed a wonderful time of laughs, bonding and making precious memories we will always cherish. Yes our cabin had TV and Wifi, but that was not our priority. The precious time together was what we most enjoyed and treasured. Taking time for what really matters is most important. Faith, friends, family, and making memories is so crucial for all of us. It has been said that “life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Why do we do that? I am sure we don’t mean to most of the time, yet somehow it still unfortunately happens. I encourage you to get off the fast track and enjoy the slower pace every once in a while. Work and responsibilities will always be there, but opportunities to enjoy the simple things in life may not be. There is a quote on my Facebook page that says “Take vacations. Go to as many places as you can. You can always make money but you can’t always make memories.” Life can get so busy and time goes by so quickly. Let’s not forget to enjoy ourselves along the way! It doesn't have to be an expensive vacation, just time set aside with loved ones in a location of your choice and the memories will follow. Take the time. You won't regret it and these times are what some of your most special memories are made of. P.S. Miss you Mom! Thanks for all the great memories! Until next time, Dana Psalms 121: 1-2 I lift up to my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and earth. Little Lesson Learned: Enjoying the simple things in life is such an absolute pleasure. Copyright: © 2024, littlelessonslearnedbydana 2nd edition, first edition, 2015 The Simple Life
Tags: simple things, family time, vacations, simpler times, Christian values“To the outside world, we grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other’s hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the space of time. ~ Clara Ortega Siblings. They see the best and worst of us. They ride the rollercoaster of crazy family life with us from the beginning to the end, yet if we are fortunate enough somewhere along the way they become our best friends. I am one of three children, the middle child. I have an older sister Judy, and a younger brother Matt. When it comes to siblings, I know it may sound a bit biased but I truly hit the jackpot. I am so pleased to introduce you to my siblings. Let’s start with Judy. My Sister JudyMy sister Judy is two years older than me and from the moment I was born, I have felt that Jude and I were destined to be besties. She is fiercey protective, extremely compassionate and has always been wise beyond her years. She is married to Jeff, and has three wonderful sons: Ben, Adam and Seth. Judy is a registered nurse and currently holds the title of Operations Manager of Addictions Services at a large hospital. Each day she makes an incredibly positive impact on both her staff and patients there. I recall job shadowing her once when she was working as an RN. My amount of respect for Judy positively skyrocketed when I saw her in her element and observed her level of medical expertise. I tell you it was unreal, next level stuff. Judy is brilliant, hilariously funny, extremely organized and the person you want in your corner during any crisis. Shortly ago, Judy went through a lengthy breast cancer battle. It was extremely difficult for her, yet she continued to work full-time, share God's light and love people with intensity as she always has. I accompanied her on one of her chemotherapy days and I can still see it. There she was, no hair, big grin, armed with her daytimer, pens and highlighters, happily planning her week and encouraging others even while attached to an IV. She did not miss a beat and inspired so many during this very difficult time. Judy is one of the most exceptional people I have ever known. She has been a godsend on so many occasions to so many and is truly the rock of our family. Now, let's hear about Matt. My Brother MattMatt is four years younger than me. I regret to admit that I did give Matt a bit of a hard time growing up, as I loved to tease him as my little brother, but that is all behind us now. We are extremely close. Matt is exceptionally creative, very musical, (Is there any instrument he can't play?) passionate about his goals, an innovative risk taker, a successful businessman and actor and someone that just “makes things happen.” When Matt has a goal, he pursues it with intensity and goes after it unwaveringly. He is a skilled problem solver and I greatly admire him. Matt is married to Michelle and has three incredible kids: Caden, Kyra and Luke. Matt is a go-getter and always has some cool creative project on the go. His family recently built a gorgeous cottage in an extremely picturesque location. We rented it last summer and it was indeed a piece of paradise. Everywhere we looked it had his family's creative and heartwarming touches and just spoke to the standard of excellence that Matt applies to all of his endeavours. His most recent project is he and his wife Michelle are renovating a van into an RV, so they can travel on their own terms in style. I am always amazed to hear of his latest adventure or project and am truly in awe of him as not only my brother, but as a person in general. Matt too has a heart for ministry and has been involved in many capacities in our church or other ministries. I am incredibly proud of him and so proud to say that he is my brother. Sibling Love or Rivalry?I realize that my situation with my siblings is not necessarily typical. I hope and pray that you have a similar situation, but if you don’t, know that healing is still possible. My family has gone through some very hard times lately, especially with our mom’s illness and death. It has only brought us closer. With our dad at the helm and God in the center of all we do there is truly NOTHING we can't handle together and I say that with all my heart. If you have strained relationships with your siblings, I encourage you to seek reconciliation. You do not have to be best friends, but forgiveness is so healing. It is truly a gift you give yourself. For more information on how to do that click here. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:24: there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. For me, as I have amazing siblings it speaks to me of the magnitude of love that Jesus has for us. Judy and Matt would drop everything and come running for me, whatever I need, yet God's love is SO much deeper than that. If your sibling relationships are not what you have hoped for or desire, know that Jesus can fill that void as your friend and heavenly father. He wants to be close to you, closer than any brother could possibly be and heal your wounded heart. It is never too late to make a fresh start with God or your family members. Pray for reconciliation and then let God do the work. Please also know that when we are members of God's family, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ as well. This is a beautiful set of siblings that everyone needs in their lives. I am here for you as your sister in Christ if you need me. You know where to find me! Until next time, Dana Psalms 133:1 ~ Look how good and pleasing it is when families live together as one. Little Lesson Learned: Friends will come and go, but family is forever.
Copyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi) Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved. Tags: Jesus is closer than a brother, siblings, sibling relationships, childhood memories, reconciliation, healingPhoto by cottonbro studio “Friends who become family create a sense of home wherever we go. They are the constants in our ever- changing lives. (Unknown) What would we do without friends? Some friends in our lives we consider to be acquaintances. They could be neighbours, colleagues, school friends or perhaps friends from your past. These people are important to us, but we do not often know them on a deeper level. Then there are those very special, exceptional people in our lives who go way beyond our definition of friendship. They change our lives in such profound ways that they have become our “chosen family.” These chosen few are the brothers from another mother, sisters from another mister, kindred spirit type of friends. Do you have some of those? I hope so. If you have some of those friends, consider yourself very lucky. These fine people are there for us through it all. When times get tough, they don’t walk out. Instead, they walk in, grab the Kleenex, hug us tightly, put the coffee on, and settle in for a good, long visit. These friends make an imprint on our hearts, and in our hearts is forever where they will stay. Last year, I had a grade change at work. Normally, I teach second or third grade, but that year I was asked to take a 4/5 split class. It was a very rewarding experience for me and a great chance to grow as a teacher, teaching in the junior division. Every day we do Poetry Book time in Language Arts. Sometimes we have seasonal or funny poems and sometimes we have songs that we learn and study. At the beginning of the year, I introduced a song called Chosen Family sung by The One Voice Children’s Choir. I am totally obsessed with this group and love all their material but, this song is on a whole new level. My class quickly fell in love with this song, as did I and it just naturally became affectionately known as our class theme song. The song helped us bond as a class and reminded us that at school we are a class family, and we should always strive to act like one. This year, I thought I would introduce the song once again and much to my delight it was once again a HUGE hit! The kids ask to sing it constantly and every time I am away, and a supply teacher comes in, I have them sing it for the supply teacher. It is very touching and hard to keep a dry eye I tell you when they put their hands on their hearts and sing about being “chosen family.” Witnessing the sincere and heartfelt performance of this song is and will continue to be one of my most powerful moments as an elementary teacher. Our family is blessed to have several people who fall into the “chosen family” category. One such person for me is my dear friend, Joni. Joni and I had been acquaintances for quite a while, but God brought us together to be so much more to each other through a special project. I had written my first book called Magic Kisses. It is a book about a young girl named Molly who finds hope and healing after dealing with the loss of her father. The manuscript sat on my computer for many years, as I was confused about how to bring it to life with pictures. I had long been an admirer of Joni’s beautiful photography skills, so I approached Joni to ask if she might consider taking photographs of a beautiful family who agreed to act as the characters in the book. Joni accepted with enthusiasm, and immediately became as passionate about my book as I was. Since the publishing of Magic Kisses, Joni has become my confidant, prayer partner, and dear friend that I can call on day or night for support. She knows me so well that she can tell by the mere sound of my voice, from the first greeting, how I am feeling. With open arms, she invites me into safe conversations where I can be myself and truly share my heart. I will be forever grateful that our initial collaboration blossomed into such an amazing and lasting friendship. ![]() Joni is just one example of chosen family I have been blessed with. I am very involved in my incredible church, LakePoint Family Church and many church members there are my "chosen family" as well. No matter what I am dealing with, I can request to get the prayer chain going and know that they are sending support and prayers up for me immediately. They truly have my best interests at heart, and I am so extremely blessed to be a part of such a loving and compassionate church. I feel so happy and proud to have them in my corner. Often, I reflect on how amazing it is to have not only a wonderful family of my own, but so many dear friends as well. My heart is truly so full. But what about those who don’t have that? What about those who don’t have ANY friends and feel they are alone? One such person like that, we will call “Jim.” Jim was in a 12-step therapy group I was running in my role as a clinical social worker before I was a teacher. Jim would often share his extreme loneliness and hurt from his past and share how much our group had come to mean to him. One especially painful memory he shared was he had never had a birthday party growing up. Not because his parents couldn’t afford one, but because he was told from day one, he was a “mistake and not worth celebrating.” For this reason, he was dreading his upcoming birthday because of all the past hurts that went along with so many unacknowledged birthdays. It still brings a tear to my eye just recalling this story. One day, when Jim was unable to come to the group, we discussed what he shared. As he had said, his birthday was coming up soon, we decided that we would throw him a little surprise party complete with gifts and cake. We were giddy with excitement knowing what this little gesture would mean to him. Imagine his shock when he walked in and realized HE was being celebrated and this party was for HIM! Jim was speechless, emotional and thrilled with his first birthday party ever at 35 years of age. What an honour to be at that party and to be a small part of bringing healing to Jim’s broken heart. One of my favourite worship choruses is Jireh by Maverick City Music. I love the line that says, “I’m already loved, I’m already chosen.” If you did not realize, we are all invited to be a part of God’s chosen family! Why He cared enough to call us His "chosen family" astounds me every day, but I am so glad He does. God is our heavenly father and trusted friend. He can be the BFF you never had. He can fill a void and provide a level of friendship that no earthly friend could ever fulfill. I appreciate you all so much and I am so grateful to have a chance to remind you of how incredible you are! I trust that my thoughts resonate with you, and you come away knowing that you are truly an incredibly loved and valued person. As always, I welcome an opportunity to continue this conversation, or pray with you! You know where to find me! Until next time, Dana Ephesians 1:4 ~ I am chosen. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. Little Lessons Learned: If you find a great friend, you have hit the jackpot! Tags: chosen family, family, friend, friendship, Christian blog, Christian blogger, definition of chosen family, spiritual guidance
Copyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana
(Dana Romualdi) Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved. “The love of family is my greatest blessing.” I am Canadian so we have the pleasure of celebrating Family Day today. A day to relax, a break from the regular routine and a chance to hang out with those familiar people who are most dear. For me that is my husband Phil, and two teenagers Tyler and Shannon. Although I must admit as I am writing this blog the three of them are still snoozing, but that’s all part of a day off now too isn’t it? Not only am I very blessed with my own wonderful family, but I have many incredible extended family members and also many great friends who to me are just like family. I gave a little plaque to a dear friend of mine on Friday that said “Friends are the family you choose,” and that is truly the case in regards to my closest friends. There are many great TV shows that depict the power of family. I remember some of the greats I enjoyed as a kid like Happy Days, The Brady Bunch, Full House, Little House on The Prairie and Different Strokes. I had a great laugh the other day when one of my students was telling me a cute, yet very lengthy story and I said to her in fun the classic line “What you talkin’ about Willis?” Without missing a beat she replied “Oh yeah! Different Strokes! I love that show!” So shocked she even knew “what I was talking about,” but ahh the power of Netflix! Those shows dealt with common issues families have, yet always gave a sense somehow that as a family they would figure it out and everything would be okay in the end. Some families in real life are not doing so well however. Their problems are much more complex and cannot be solved in the timeframe of a TV show. Many are dealing with heartache and despair and on Family Day are missing a loved one deeply. Later today I have the sad task of going to the funeral home to pay my respects to a dear friend of mine named Jane. Jane had a passion for life, a deep love for her family and her God, and a constant twinkle in her eye. She would grin from ear to ear at times like she was about to burst with the latest funny story she would like to share. Even when she was diagnosed with brain cancer and was in terrible pain and turmoil, her faith remained steady. She set a pure example of someone who found God’s peace in the midst of the storm for us all. She will be dearly missed as she was loved and respected by so many. My heart is heavy for her family today. Saying goodbye is so hard. I have heard it said that when you lose a family member it is like a piece of your heart has been ripped right out. Your heart is so broken that you feel you must be wearing your grief like a banner for all to see. I felt this way when I lost my grandparents and it deeply saddened me that my children would never get to know them as I did. My heart especially goes out to children who are grieving and that is why I am so thrilled that my dream has finally come true of publishing a children’s book regarding this issue to help them through this difficult time. The book is called: Magic Kisses A Grief Journey from Heartache to Hope and is available for sale by contacting me. I read it for the first time to a group of children this week and could see that they were really listening intently. Afterwards we were able to discuss important people in their lives who they were missing and how they could cope with that. This was exciting for me as that was the whole point of writing the book to help kids give their grief a voice and find healing when they are ready. Many people suffer in silence with not only their grief but other issues they are struggling with as well. Many people feel they are somehow unique and that no one could ever understand their feelings or despair. In my social work training we learned of the “all in the same boat” scenario. Simply put it spoke of the power of being transparent with each other. When we admit that we too struggle with something, it is so powerful for someone who feels alone. Struggles are extremely personal, yet what seems impossible to overcome for one person, may be extremely easy to solve with someone else's help. This is why we need to share our heart’s cries with people we love and trust. A classic and cute example of this involves when my daughter Shannon was in second grade. She came home one day totally distraught. When I asked what was wrong she proceeded to explain through her sobs that something had happened that day that greatly upset her. She said they were learning about something in math that she found so hard! When asked to elaborate she said “Oh mom, you don’t understand! We are learning about TAKE AWAY! I don’t get it and I never will!” I quickly replied “Take away, as in subtraction? I totally get take away. Actually with being a teacher I am really quite good at it!” The look on her face was priceless! It was like a huge weight had been lifted because someone finally understood, cared and would take practical steps to help her solve her dilemma. People need to know that we will stand with them during their hard times. We may or may not have a solution to their heartache or struggle, but our concern and physical presence speaks volumes. The fact that we can become the answer to someone’s prayer through our practical actions is both exciting and humbling all at that same time. This is what the meaning of true family is, being there for each other through good times and bad. Cherish your family members, even with their flaws and all those amazing friends who are just like family, not just on Family Day but every day. Sometimes we need a reminder of how truly blessed we are! Until next time, Dana Galatians 6:2: Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Little Lesson Learned: Family Day is everyday! Let’s celebrate these special people often! Copyright: © 2014 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi) Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved.
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