This quote is by the 13th-century Sufi poet, philosopher, and Islamic scholar Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi. The quote is a line from a Rumi poem that suggests that pain can help us recognize what is essential and that we can only mourn what we genuinely love.
Rumi's quote can be interpreted to mean that wounds can lead people to discover their highest purpose and truth. For example, someone who has struggled with regret may find a path to recovery, or someone who has experienced love lost may discover life again. 

"You don't argue with feelings, but beliefs you can challenge." - Gabor Mate

Imagine, by the time your 3rd generational lineage (your great-great grandchildren) is an adult, you will be a long distant relative. They may know your name, where you were born and lived, and what kind of work you did, but they won't know YOU.

They won't know your favorite ice cream was Rocky Road, that your favorite breakfast was cinnamon rolls, and your favorite flower is tulips. They won't know that you went to St. Mary’s elementary school and your earliest memory was from 2nd grade, where you played St. Michael in the school play and loved lotteria at the school fair. They won't know that you made mistakes, hurt people, and felt regret for it for the rest of your life.

I’m 42 now; my son is 4, and my daughter is 2. I likely won't be alive when they are my age, which haunts me daily. Not for the fear of death but that, in the absolute best-case scenario, they will someday wake up in a world without me there for them. The best I can hope for is that I have prepared them for a life in an ever-changing world that doesn’t always have their best interests in mind, but that they should not become bitter but instead embrace the world for what it is. A playground to live, grow, develop their own lives, and strive to make the world a better place.

I love you, Houston & Savannah. Always.

Happy Father's Day.
No gifts are needed; I already have you. 

"We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated, that in fact it may be necessary to encounter defeats so we can know who the hell we are. What can we overcome? What makes us stumble and fall and somehow miraculously rise and go on? I know that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure. Less time and less pressure and it’s just crystal or coal or fossilized leaves – or just dirt. But time and pressure will create a diamond." - Dr. Maya Angalou

Today in the US, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Day. On August 28, 1963, he gave a speech under the shadow of President Lincon that has forever changed the understanding of what it means to be a fellow human. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from that day and two others about the power of dreams, and one from me that came to me in my darkest hour.

MLK - Dream Speech Excerpts:

"...So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..."

"...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today..."

"A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" - Cinderella

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” - Walt Disney.

"We overcome the darkest part of the night(mare) by dreaming." - Me

So, on this day of honor of a great man's dream, what dream will you have for this day, this year, this life?

We are off to Disneyland today, the happiest place on earth. I hope we all see MLK's dreams in action today.

God bless you all. 

Just a great quote about love.

"Love has never been a popular movement. And no one's ever wanted, really, to be free.

The world is held together, really it is held together, by the love and the passion of a very few people.

Otherwise, of course, you can despair. Walk down the street of any city, any afternoon, and look around you. What you've got to remember is what you're looking at is also you. Everyone you're looking at is also you. You could be that person. You could be that monster; you could be that cop. And you have to decide, in yourself, not to be." -James Baldwin

The future is always uncertain, but it's nice to be someplace with great people!