When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high;
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh;
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems afar.
It may be near when it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit.
It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit.
ANONYMOUS
Hello Friends!
I received a stunningly beautiful email from my boyfriend's father this week, that included the inspiring poem above.
I must confess, it inspired me to officially finish my degree, find some better health insurance and find a cost effective way to learn once and for all how to play the piano! I think his email and this poem hit me so hard because, he is not one to waste words. He is absolutely one of those quiet, contented, classic men who doesn't say a whole lot, but when he does have something to say...it's epic and the law!
His parents have lovingly taken me in for countless holidays and I have been both curious and appreciative of how different they are from my family. Not that I don't love my family deeply. I adore them for their passion, independence, perseverance, hard-work, unconventional and unconditional love. But, we are a complicated bunch.
My boyfriend grew up basically in "the sweetest place on earth," Hershey, PA, and is quite possibly one of the sweetest men on earth. His parents have been married for 36 years, and they live in the same beautiful house that Billy grew up in. They have worked hard separately and together to pursue their dreams and I have admired them greatly for it. I have often poked and prodded them over the years for financial and relationship advice, in order to hopefully have the same success one day in my own life. They have offered pebbles of rock-solid advise over the years, but mainly they respect our privacy and have faith in our artistic and relationship progress. This is often a wonderful relief, because my family can have a heavy "hands-on" approach to helping out emotionally and financially.
But I was especially touched by his somewhat strongly and lovingly written email, it was so out of character and so more along the lines of love, that I am used to. It was direct and encouraging but basically told us that if we are really going to get anywhere in our careers, we better stop half-assing it! I write this with a smile thinking about my boyfriend's Dad. He is a man of few words who chose to share some with me, and they happened to be exactly what I needed to hear.
He ended his epic email with this quote, which I will also choose to end with.
Jess
This was a bit of honest graffiti that I captured and loved.
It was written on a shiny white wall tile, at a subway stop, in NYC.
It was written on a shiny white wall tile, at a subway stop, in NYC.
Hello Friends!
I received a stunningly beautiful email from my boyfriend's father this week, that included the inspiring poem above.
I must confess, it inspired me to officially finish my degree, find some better health insurance and find a cost effective way to learn once and for all how to play the piano! I think his email and this poem hit me so hard because, he is not one to waste words. He is absolutely one of those quiet, contented, classic men who doesn't say a whole lot, but when he does have something to say...it's epic and the law!
His parents have lovingly taken me in for countless holidays and I have been both curious and appreciative of how different they are from my family. Not that I don't love my family deeply. I adore them for their passion, independence, perseverance, hard-work, unconventional and unconditional love. But, we are a complicated bunch.
My boyfriend grew up basically in "the sweetest place on earth," Hershey, PA, and is quite possibly one of the sweetest men on earth. His parents have been married for 36 years, and they live in the same beautiful house that Billy grew up in. They have worked hard separately and together to pursue their dreams and I have admired them greatly for it. I have often poked and prodded them over the years for financial and relationship advice, in order to hopefully have the same success one day in my own life. They have offered pebbles of rock-solid advise over the years, but mainly they respect our privacy and have faith in our artistic and relationship progress. This is often a wonderful relief, because my family can have a heavy "hands-on" approach to helping out emotionally and financially.
But I was especially touched by his somewhat strongly and lovingly written email, it was so out of character and so more along the lines of love, that I am used to. It was direct and encouraging but basically told us that if we are really going to get anywhere in our careers, we better stop half-assing it! I write this with a smile thinking about my boyfriend's Dad. He is a man of few words who chose to share some with me, and they happened to be exactly what I needed to hear.
He ended his epic email with this quote, which I will also choose to end with.
"If better is possible, good is not good enough." (Author Unknown)
Good luck kicking ass and being your best today!
Peace and Love,
I took this photo outside of the Hershey store in Times Square a few weeks back. I love how it ties the whole article together, (Billy's family being from Hershey, PA that is). There was sidewalk construction work going on that of course was making me and everyone else annoyed. But as I walked by, my frustration melted like a Hershey's kiss, when I saw that the construction company had turned an inconvenience into sweet and inspiring art! Way to go Paladino Construction, you just made the world a better place!
