Words from Albert Einstein – From Crisis to Change, Community, Caring and Contribution

17 Friday Apr 2020

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We often like to plan, to dream, but also to complain and do nothing.  Often we know what we want, we know what we need to do to achieve it, but we don’t want to get out of our comfort zone to go get it. 

Our routines both comfort us and imprison us. 

Things only change when we decide to change.  Often just making a decision is not enough. Often we don’t change unless we are forced to change.  Now is the perfect time to take a look around and most important take a look within and make the changes that you have been thinking and talking about it.

Are you still making excuses not to change?

“Let’s not pretend that things will change if we keep doing the same things.  A crisis can be a real blessing to any person, to any nation. For all crises bring progress. Creativity is born from anguish, just like the day is born from the dark night. It’s in crisis that inventiveness is born, as well as discoveries made and big strategies. He who overcomes crisis, overcomes himself, without getting overcome.

He who blames his failure to a crisis neglects his own talent and is more interested in problems than in solutions. Incompetence is the true crisis. The greatest inconvenience of people and nations is the laziness with which they attempt to find the solutions to their problems. There’s no challenge without a crisis. Without challenges, life becomes a routine, a slow agony. There’s no merit without crisis. It’s in the crisis where we can show the very best in us. Without a crisis, any wind becomes a tender touch. To speak about a crisis is to promote it. Not to speak about it is to exalt conformism. Let us work hard instead. Let us stop, once and for all, the menacing crisis that represents the tragedy of not being willing to overcome it.” – Albert Einstein

We are all here on a journey.  Each person having a different cross to bear.  If we can all just be extra kind to our fellow traveler.  If we can help each other along the way.  Our true merit is not on how much money we have in the bank or how in shape we are; our true merit is how we contribute to make this world a better place for us all.  

Changing the world starts with being kind to each other.  Could you be doing more? Can you be kinder?  Can you make somebody else’s life easier?  Sometimes just a smile can change a person’s outlook.  

Change yourself and the world will change.

“Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of other men —above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received and am still receiving.”― Albert Einstein

This is a time that makes me realize how we are all connected and dependent on each other.  I like being alone, but no man is an island.  We all need one another.  I am being helped by so many people that don’t know me and every day makes my life easier. 

There are so many people that are out there working, risking their lives and that of their families to make our lives better.   Some of those people have jobs that have been often looked down upon but that if they were not being performed society would turn to chaos and crumble. From the fruit pickers to truck drivers, from sanitation workers to delivery people, they are humbly contributing to make society function.  And for that I immensely grateful.

The invisible ones have now become visible and needed.

I am not taking anything or anyone for granted anymore.  I will pay more attention.  I will do more.  There is always more to be done.  There is always someone to be grateful to.

I am grateful for you.  For spending time reading my words!  Be safe and be blessed! ♥

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” ― Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

“Because paper has more patience than people. ” ― Anne Frank

12 Sunday Apr 2020

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“I’ve found that there is always some beauty left — in nature, sunshine, freedom, in yourself; these can all help you.”― Anne Frank

Today I thought of Anne Frank.  She was a young girl born in Germany.  Later her family moved to the Netherlands to escape Hitler’s persecution of Jews.   When the Nazi occupied the Netherlands, her family had to go into hiding. 

For 2 years the family hid in a small attic. They were not able to go outside and had to remain quiet during the day.   While in hiding she wrote a diary.  That diary was later published.  She died young but her writings have survived 

I think about what she went through. Not only her, but everyone at the time of the Nazi occupation.  She was basically imprisoned, but she didn’t let her situation consume her.  She escaped in her writing.  She had hopes and dreams.  She planned for the future.   She still believed in the goodness of people and in love. 

If you want to read more about her, you can check the Anne Frank Museum: https://www.annefrank.org  and/or Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank

Reading about Anne Frank, her story and writings inspires me and it helps me to keep it all in perspective.  Things can always be worst.  We still have so much to be grateful for. 

Our minds imprison us, not our circumstances.  Four walls is not a prison, our minds and thoughts dictate our situation.  The most important thing is kindness and respect. Kindness to respect and not to judge.  Kindness to help if you, and let it go if we can’t.

“It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.  I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.”- Anne Frank

Like her I am a dreamer, a planner, a believer.  I believe in an amazing future.   It is not only a belief, it is a certainty.  Tomorrow will always be better than today. That knowledge is comforting. 

Dream a little, or a lot.  Let your imagination soar.  Be whatever and whoever you want in your dreams.  Don’t limit your imagination.  Go as crazy and as wild as you can.

I also believe in the goodness of people.  People are good, they want to do good. There are heroes all around us.

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”― Anne Frank

I try hard to remind myself to observe beauty, nature and the miracles all around us.  Nature is the best miracle of all.  Observing nature brings me close to God.  When I am not able to go outside, just looking at the sky from my window brings me close to nature. There is beauty and miracles all around.  All you have to do is look.

“Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.”― Anne Frank

We are all the same.  We are all capable of great things but also capable of making mistakes.  Understanding that helps us be kinder, less judgmental and more forgiving of each other, and also of ourselves.

No one is perfect. Don’t expect perfection from yourself or from others. Don’t judge how someone chooses to spend their social distancing time.  Some people can handle it better than others.

Do what helps you get through at this time.  Do what brings you joy.  Do what brings you peace.  Dance, laugh, play.  Do nothing or everything and don’t feel guilty about it. Follow your heart.

“People who have a religion should be glad, for not everyone has the gift of believing in heavenly things. You don’t necessarily even have to be afraid of punishment after death; purgatory, hell, and heaven are things that a lot of people can’t accept, but still a religion, it doesn’t matter which, keeps a person on the right path. It isn’t the fear of God but the upholding of one’s own honor and conscience. How noble and good everyone could be if, every evening before falling asleep, they were to recall to their minds the events of the while day and consider exactly what has been good and bad. Then, without realizing it you try to improve yourself at the start of each new day; of course, you achieve quite a lot in the course of time. Anyone can do this, it costs nothing and is certainly very helpful. Whoever doesn’t know it must learn and find by experience that: “A quiet conscience makes one strong!”― Anne Frank

I thanked my mother today for giving my siblings and I such a great moral and spiritual base.  I grew up believing in good and wrong. I grew up watching acts of generosity.  I grew up believing in God, spirits, reincarnation, and the concept of karma. Those teachings have been a blessing in my life.

I hope you are safe and enjoying every moment of your life as best as you can!

… and because paper has more patience than people, I write 🙂

 

The Prayer

09 Thursday Apr 2020

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“In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.” –  Mother Teresa

What holds me together when I may feel like falling apart is God, more aptly, the believe in God.  My belief in a powerful being, a powerful force that watches over me gives me strength and it gives me wings.

Not only it holds me together at tough times, it lets me soar and exceed my circumstances.  It lets me dream and look for miracles.  I expect miracles, and normally I find them.  Or they find me.

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”― Abraham Lincoln

No matter what happens to me or whatever I may be facing I know that I will be okay.  I will always land on my feet.  For as long as I can remember I hold that knowledge in my heart and gut.

I  hope that you too have something or someone in your life from which you can draw strength and comfort.  Perhaps you are religious or spiritual and perhaps you believe in God.  You may call it God, Supreme Being, the Light, the Universe, the Creator, etc. 

“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” — Mahatma Gandhi

There are things that brings me closer to God; that makes me feel connected to my inner God, that brings me peace and serenity.  Those things are: Prayers, gratitude, generosity, kindness, service to others, meditation. Also certain songs. Nothing better than a song about prayers.

“You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance.”― Kahill Gibran

At the top is one of my favorites songs by Josh Groban: The Prayer.  On the bottom there is a link of the same song performed by a beautiful daughter and her dad.  It is awesome.  I couldn’t decide which one to use on this post, so I am using both.

The Prayer

I pray you’ll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don’t know
Let this be our prayer
When we lose our way

Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe

La luce che tu hai
(I pray we’ll find your light)
Nel cuore resterà
(And hold it in our hearts)
A ricordarci che
(When stars go out each night)
L’eterna stella sei
(Whoa)
Nella mia preghiera
(Let this be our prayer)
Quanta fede c’è
(When shadows fill our day)

Lead us to a place
(Guide us with your grace)
[Both:]
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Sogniamo un mondo senza più violenza
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace, e di fraternità

La forza che ci dà
(We ask that life be kind)
È il desiderio che
(And watch us from above)
Ognuno trovi amor
(We hope each soul will find)
Intorno e dentro a sé
(Another soul to love)

Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Just like every child

Need to find a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

È la fede che
Hai acceso in noi
Sento che ci salvera

“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”― Mother Teresa

 

 
 
 

Some days I thrive and some days I just survive

04 Saturday Apr 2020

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“It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.” ― Leon C. Megginson

Leon Megginson was talking about business on the quote above but I think it fits in every area of life.  I am strong and intelligent but what will help me now is how quickly I adapt to my new normal.

I often say that I can adapt to anything, but at some moments I catch myself dragging my feet.  I realize I am going through the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.  Sometimes I go through all the stages in the same day and in different orders.

I am grieving my normalcy, my routine.  I am mourning my freedom.  The freedom of coming and going without worry.

Denial: At first it didn’t seem real.  Up to 2 weeks ago I was still going to the office every day.  Still taking the train as if all is business as usual.  Pretending or perhaps just trying to believe that all was fine.  Then I realized that I was not doing my part to help contain this virus.  I decided that only people that need to go out should go out. So I stayed at home. Denial helps us handle things slowly and on our own terms.  

I wonder if being sane means disregarding the chaos that is life, pretending only an infinitesimal segment of it is reality.”― Rabih Alameddine

Anger: I am angry for the loss of my freedom.  My anger is directed towards our leaders that don’t know how to lead. Trump has done what he always does: make excuses, blame others and say how well he is doing.  Bolsanaro, the president of Brazil is even worst. Changing his mind at every second, yelling at reporters, blaming the media, calling this pandemic a hype.  It is hard to feel safe and secure when our leaders behave in such a way.

“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.” ― Marcus Aurelius,  Meditations

Bargaining: I have been doing a lot of that.  Every night when I pray I ask God to let me be the one to get the virus instead of any of my family members.  I am volunteering that if anyone in my family is supposed to get this virus, please let it be me and not my parents and siblings. If my family escapes unscathed I promised to live more and worry less.  I will have more fun. I will live more.

“When you’re lost in those woods, it sometimes takes you a while to realize that you are lost. For the longest time, you can convince yourself that you’ve just wandered off the path, that you’ll find your way back to the trailhead any moment now. Then night falls again and again, and you still have no idea where you are, and it’s time to admit that you have bewildered yourself so far off the path that you don’t even know from which direction the sun rises anymore.”― Elizabeth Gilbert

Depression:  Some days I can see glimpses of depression.  Some days it is hard to see light at the end of the tunnel.  The feeling of powerlessness overwhelms me.  At those times is when I have to tap deep inside and turn to gratitude.  To me, gratitude is the antidote to depressive thoughts. I realize that the light I look for is not at the end of the tunnel or in some other abstract point in the future.  The light is inside of me and it is here now.  

“For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Acceptance:  I accept the situation more than I rebel against it.  What is the alternative?  It is right here staring us in the face. Nowhere to hide, nowhere to escape.  Acceptance allows us to move on, to create new habits, to even find joy in our days. When we accept the situation we can start to see the future and to plan tomorrow.  I can accept but I don’t have to like it.

It is time to adapt, reflect, be patient and persevere.  I know I am blessed and have nothing to complain about.  But still, I remind myself that all my feelings are okay.  I don’t need to feel sorry or ashamed for feeling scared and defeated some days.  It is okay not to feel like a superwoman every day.  Some days I am just a frightened little girl, and that is okay.

For now I pray, I love, I say thank you. I am kinder and more patient.  For now I am trying to clean my house and my mind.  I am getting far from people (physically) and closer to God.

And this, too, shall pass.  And we will be stronger than ever!

“Your whole life is inside your mind.  Your mind is the prism that refracts the entire universe.  Everything around you and within you comes from your mind.  You are your state of mind.  Your state of mind creates your view, or your window, on life.”-  Frederick Lenz

 

Birthday, Bagels and Chocolate Cake

29 Sunday Mar 2020

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My sister and I celebrated our birthdays today (March 28).  We turned 54 years old.  It is just so strange, so foreign to verbalize (write) that I am that age.  It doesn’t fit.  It doesn’t feel right.  Yet, that’s how old I am.   

No matter what age I am, I will always gratefully celebrate the gift of life.  The gift of another day.  We didn’t do anything special, we are choosing to observe the quarantine and stay inside.  Being alive, healthy and safe is special enough. 

We spent the day cooking, baking, watching movies.  We did some yoga poses and answered the several phone calls we got.  

For breakfast my sister made bagels from scratch.  She loves bagels and eats them every weekend.  We didn’t have any and didn’t want to go out to buy it.  So she got a recipe online.  It came out pretty tasty.

Homemade Bagels

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

I haven’t baked a cake in a long time, but wanted to make one for our birthday.  I made a chocolate cake with two fillings.  One filling was a coconut cream and the other was a chocolate cream.  I covered it with chocolate ganache. 

Chocolate Cake

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

It was a combination of 2 of my favorite Brazilian cakes:  Bolo prestigio (with coconut filling) and Bolo Brigadeiro (with chocolate filling).  The pictures don’t do justice.  It was absolutely to die for.  I wish you guys could taste it. It was not overly sweet.

Slice of heave, I mean chocolate cake

“Around us, life bursts with miracles–a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere. Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors, shapes, and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos; a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings. When we are tired and feel discouraged by life’s daily struggles, we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there.”― Thich Nhat Hahn

Far away family and unfinished floors

25 Wednesday Mar 2020

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“None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith.”― Paulo Coelho

My friend, and fellow blogger, David from Life and Random Thinking https://dfolstad58.wordpress.com/ asked me 2 questions while commenting on a post.  Here are the questions and answers:

David asked: How is your mom in Brazil? How did your reno turn out?

My family in Brazil.  My family lives in a town in the state of Sao Paulo.  The population is about 85,000.  As of this moment there are no confirmed cases of the Coronavirus there, but I think it is only a matter of time.  

Healthcare in Brazil is really bad.  Too often hospitals lack equipment and space.  I cannot imagine what will happen if they become inundated with cases. On top of that, our president follows everything Trump says and does.  Right now he is arguing with governors and mayors over what he calls “overreaction”. 

My parents don’t seem too worried about themselves, or at least they don’t show.  They worry about the economy and the people that cannot afford to stay at home until this is over.  Mom is also sad that all our travel plans had to be canceled.  She was coming to NY in April.  Now all is on hold.

I remain positive that my mother, who is turning 85 years old on May 1st and my dad who is 83 will be okay.  They are homebodies anyway so it is not hard to keep them at home.  I worry about the people that normally come to the house.  

“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.” ― George Burns

My brother, who is 62 years old, is the one that oversees the care of my parents.  He lives in the little house in the back of their house, so he is always there.  There is a lady that cleans the house twice a week and there is a nurse that comes once or twice a week to check on my dad issues with his leg (he had one leg amputated due to cancer). 

On our daily phone call, my sister and I have been stressing to them the need to use hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes everywhere.  At this point we need to trust that they will do their best to keep my parents safe.

Living far from my parents for the past 36 years I had to learn to come to terms with many things.  There is not a lot I can do being far away, other than helping them financially.  Time doesn’t stop for anyone, they are getting older and will eventually part.  Every time I visit them it could be the last.  So I do all I can from here and every time I am there I make the most of it.  No regrets.

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Apartment Renovation:  Don’t ask!  Just kidding, you can ask, but you just reminded me that my renovation is unfinished.  Not that I don’t see it every day. I have just been avoiding thinking about it.

The painting is done.  So are, the light fixtures, some removed and some hung up.  The flooring is another story. 

At this moment my sister’s bedroom has the new floor but the shoe moldings hasn’t been finished.  A friend who is a painter was doing the floor for me.  He said he knew how to do floors and he had done a few before.  Clearly he didn’t know anything about padding. 

When I mentioned wanting to keep the same padding that was under the carpeting that was removed he didn’t fight me on it.  Clearly it was the wrong call. When you step on the floor it moves.  He wanted to redo it right away, but I didn’t have the mental energy for it.  I got so frustrated that I halted everything.  

The picture below is my sister’s room.  Because the moldings weren’t finished the planks are moving, so the gaps are starting to show and become wider.

My sister’s room

My bedroom has only padding on the floor, as you can see on the picture below.  Even though my carpet wasn’t that bad I went ahead and removed it, thinking that the floor was going to be installed right away.   

All the flooring and the padding material are now hidden under my bed waiting until my mind is clear so I can choose what to do next.  I put some rugs down for now.

Please note that my friend was not doing me a favor, I probably paid him more than the going rate for the job. I don’t blame him.  I blame myself.

My bedroom

“The true genius shudders at incompleteness — imperfection — and usually prefers silence to saying the something which is not everything that should be said.”― Edgar Allan Poe

Thank you for asking David! You probably didn’t intend on getting such a long answer.  Be careful what you ask for/about! 🙂 ♥♥

Be blessed and safe everyone!

Gratitude is my panic room

25 Wednesday Mar 2020

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“Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers
but to be fearless in facing them.

Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain
but for the heart to conquer it.

Let me not look for allies in life’s battlefield
but to my own strength.

Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved
but hope for the patience to win my freedom.

Grant that I may not be a coward,
feeling your mercy in my success alone;

But let me find the grasp of your hand in my failure.” – Tagore

This was my third day working from home. I feel out of sorts.  I am a creature of habit.  Without the routine I feel lost.  Working from a desk in my bedroom I am busy the whole day and yet I don’t feel productive.  

My comfort zone is my routine and the accomplishments at work.  As I battle these uncomfortable feelings I focus on the potential growth hidden in these feelings.  

I think that at the core of this discomfort is fear.  Fear of tomorrow’s uncertainty.  I like order and I like having an idea of what the future may bring.  Now it is hard to tell.

As I put these thoughts out in the open I feel embarrassed at my silliness and even entitlement. How dare I feel lost and out of control?

“Man is not to fight with other human races, other human individuals, but his work is to bring about reconciliation and Peace and to restore the bonds of friendship and love. We are not like fighting beasts. It is the life of self which is predominating in our life, the self which is creating the seclusion, giving rise to sufferings, to jealousy and hatred, to political and commercial competition. All these illusions will vanish, if we go down to the heart of” ― Tagore

Today I woke up in my cozy bed, in my big bedroom.  I woke up safe and sheltered.  I don’t have to worry about where my next meal is coming from.  If I miss a few paychecks life will not fall apart. 

If I catch Coronavirus I have insurance and I am in the US, where, although healthcare needs improving it is still much better and more available than in a lot other countries.

Although I worry about my elderly parents far away in Brazil I know they are being well taken care of by my brother.  I really have nothing to complain about.

Living in the US, specifically in NY state, it is easy to take everything for granted.  For so many around the world, and even here in the US, Coronavirus is not even a thought as their daily struggles are as basic as food, shelter, clean water, electricity, etc.   

Feeling lost because I am working from home is a luxury.  Many would give anything for a home and a job. That thought slaps me in the face.

“Perhaps the new dawn will come from this horizon, from the East where the sun rises; and then, unvanquished Man will retrace his path of conquest, despite all barriers, to win back his lost heritage. ” ― Tagore

I return to gratitude, a space that I inhabit well.  A place where I belong.   Gratitude grounds me.  It provides me with the perspective I need in uncertain times.

Although there are moments I forget,  I am blessed and I know it. And so are you.

Be safe, be grateful and be blessed!  Above all, be kind!

All the poems/quotes here are from Tagore.  In 1913 Rabindranath Tagore was the first non-European person to win a Nobel Prize for Literature. He was born in Indian 1861 and died in 1941. He was a poet and scholar. 

“Where the mind is without fear
and the head is held high,
where knowledge is free.
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.
Where words come out from the depth of truth,
where tireless striving stretches its arms toward perfection.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost it’s way
into the dreary desert sand of dead habit.
Where the mind is led forward by thee
into ever widening thought and action.
In to that heaven of freedom, my father,
LET MY COUNTRY AWAKE!”― Tagore

 

 

I made my favorite food: Kibe

21 Saturday Mar 2020

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“Humor keeps us alive. Humor and food. Don’t forget food. You can go a week without laughing.” -― Joss Whedon

One of my favorite foods is kibbeh (quibe or kibe in Portuguses).  I used to eat it every chance I got when I lived in Brazil. You can find it in any bar or restaurant there. Here in NY I rarely eat it unless I go to a Brazilian Restaurant.

Kibbeh is a Middle Eastern dish.  A friend, knowing I love it, made it for me Lebanese style since her family is Lebanese. Unfortunately I didn’t like it.  She made it with lamb and it had a lot of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and cloves.  I don’t eat lamb and those spices are too much for me.  In Brazil it is made with ground beef and it doesn’t include those spices.   

I use to make it often, but for some reason or another I haven’t made it over 10 years.  A month ago I bought wheat to give to a friend and accidentally over-ordered. With the quarantine in mind and with people over buying I decided that I would not do that.  I live across the street from a market, so I am buying what I need for one week and I am going to use all the foods in my pantry before buying more. 

Yesterday I decided to use the wheat and make Kibbeh. The way I make it is very easy.

I soaked 500 grams of bulgur/cracked wheat in cold water.  After 2 hours I squeezed the water out and mixed the same amount of meat. I added finely chopped garlic, chives, parsley, mint, salt and pepper.  I also add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Above are the ingredients and below is the mixture.  Most people will mix all the ingredients and chop them in a food processor.  I don’t.  I mix and chop the greens by hand.  I like to see and taste the larger pieces.   

I love to really taste the greens , specially the mint so I put a lot of it but be careful with it not to overdo it and have it come out tasting like a tic-tac mint or mouth-wash. 

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”-― George Bernard Shaw

It can be filled with catupiry cheese ( Brazilian soft cheese)or with sauteed grounded beef. I don’t fill it with anything.  Mold it in the shape of footballs. 

It is normally deep fried but I wanted to be a bit healthier and I didn’t want to get my small apartment stinking of fried oil, so I drizzled with olive oil and baked for 10 minutes 400 degrees.

There is a recipe specifically for making it baked, but I just chose to make the recipe used for frying.  I like to eat with a squeezed lime on it.  But it can be served with plain yogurt or some other dip.

I also love to make tabbouleh – a delicious salad with mint, tomatoes and cucumber.

It came out so delicious, soft and moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside.  My sister, that can be my worst critic, loved it.

Keep busy, keep happy, keep doing!

“Write it. Shoot it. Publish it. Crochet it, sauté it, whatever. MAKE.”― Joss Whedon

While I wait for the miracles, I reflect

19 Thursday Mar 2020

Posted by in Daily Life

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“I am realistic – I expect miracles.” ― Wayne Dyer

I always believe in finding the good in everything.  Normally that means finding some redeeming quality in an ex-boyfriend or some lessons in a failed relationship.

Now I am trying to find the good in Coronavirus. What is good about something that forces us to halt our routines, that inspire fear and panic, that kills people and let’s not forget what it will do to people’s finances and to the whole economy in general? 

Nothing, you may say.  But still we have to believe in a light at the end of the tunnel.  Even though it now seems like a never ending tunnel.  It all will get much worst before there is any relief in sight.

At times such as this I remember something I heard in a Kabbalah class.  The instructor said: “After every tragedy there is a miracle”.  He didn’t say after “some” tragedy, he said after “every” tragedy.  He added: “The bigger the tragedy, the bigger the miracle”.

I believe in that.  There are hidden miracles here too.  

“Miracles are like pimples, because once you start looking for them you find more than you ever dreamed you’d see.” ― Lemony Snicket, The Lump of Coal

Tragedies can be wake-up calls and force change.  This virus is forcing us to hit pause on our lives.  It is time for reflection and change, instead of fear and complaining.

It is time to have less arrogance and egoism and more humility and humanity.  Life is fragile.   To this virus we are all the same, all of flesh and bone, all vulnerable. We are not better than our Chinese or Italian friends.  We are united in fragility, fear and uncertainty.

We human beings don’t like changes.  If left to our own devices we would never change, so life is forcing us.  We are forced to stop and regroup.  

Is everything that we are doing out of sheer habit really necessary?  Do we need the latest gadget?  Do we need a brand new car?  Do we really need a 1K bag or pair of shoes?  Can we live with less?

“You are in prison. If you wish to get out of prison, the first thing you must do is realize that you are in prison. If you think you are free, you can’t escape.” ― G.I. Gurdjieff

Let’s tap into our inner strength.  We are fragile, but we don’t have to feel like victims.  We can tap into our inner strength for that extra support.  We are all stronger than we think. Even if you are not spiritual try to give it a chance.

I become stronger and empowered when:

  • I smile and have a positive outlook. I believe that the future will be bright. This too shall pass.
  • I pray and meditate (mostly pray).  I will, once again, give meditation a try.
  • I am grateful.  I make a mental list of all I am grateful for, big and small.
  • I help others.  I try to make someone else’s life or just a day better.
  • I embrace fear.  I analyze and dissect the situation. I take small bites of it and make it my ally.  When fear is my friend it is no longer unknown and scary, it becomes a weapon.
  • I am active.  I exercise, take a walk, I clean my apartment, I move my body. When I am doing, I am building strength.
  • I believe in something bigger than myself.  The belief I have in God, a Superior Being, the Universe, that resides within myself empowers me.  I believe that no matter what I will be okay, we will be okay, because there is a God guiding and protecting us.

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Let’s reflect on our life and goals.  It is a good time to reflect on the direction our life is going.  Some questions I am asking myself: (and answers)

  • Am I leading the life I want to lead? 
    • Not really.  Works is beyond stressful.  It is about time I take steps towards changing that.
  • When this is over will I go back to being exactly the same person, doing the same thing day in and day out?
    • I hope not.  I hope to slow down and be less robotic. I want more meaning.
  • Will I continue spending money on the same things?
    • I need to re-think my finances.  It is okay to spend money on things that will enrich my life.
  • Will I spend time with the same people?
    • I plan on reaching out to some long lost faces.  I also plan on making new friends.  There are some people that I am happily leaving behind.
  • Will I have more experiences and make more memories?
    • Absolutely!!! I am not sure what that is going to look like but I am going to make it happen.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ― Rumi

Please remember the following:

  • More gratitude, less complaining.  Perhaps we have been taking too many things for granted.  We take our health, our bodies, our family, friends, jobs, money, freedom, all for granted.  
  • More caution, less fear.  Let’s be cautious.  Be prepared and follow the guidelines, but lets not let fear paralyze us.  Let’s act in a way that we help ourselves and others.
  • Alone, not Lonely.  Even though we have to practice social distancing physically, it doesn’t mean that we cannot connect with others.  We can call, text, email, video call, etc.  No reason to feel alone and not reach out.  Try to think of the elderly or not so elderly people that you know that would love to hear your voice, or just any voice.
  • Not in control but not out of control.  We are not in control of the situation but still we can control out actions and reactions.  We don’t have to act out of control.  We can still practice kindness towards others.
  • Stock up, but don’t be greedy.  Let’s buy only what we need. Let’s be considerate of others. Can you share some of what you have? 

At the end of the day we still don’t know all that is going to happen.  This is a world crisis, not just NY, not just US.  I hope that there will be miracles flourishing all over the place. 

I read that people can now hear birds sing in Wuhan, and that canals in Venice are so clean that fishes can now be seen. I am not sure it is true, but I know that we humans are constantly altering and destroying all around us.  We pollute.  We pollute cities, streets, rivers, minds, our bodies.  It is a good time to pause, breath and do better.  We can do much better.

More kindness and grace! Be the miracle!

“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” ― Maya Angelou

Why Not You? Why Not Me?

16 Monday Mar 2020

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In these very uncertain times it is easy to feel powerless and paralyzed by fear.  Today I am looking to the skies and asking for guidance and strength and most importantly I am saying a prayer of gratitude.

I am thankful for life. I am grateful because I perspire, bleed, cry and breathe faith and hope!  I am positive, optimistic and more hopeful than ever.

You have a choice.  Choose to be grateful.  Choose to be kind.  Choose to be human! Remember the less fortunate.  Remember the weaker. Remember the elderly.

Help and give thanks!

Thank you for coming here and gracing me with your always so supportive words.  You make me stronger.

***

I love the way Steve Maraboli thinks and writes.  He is a motivational speaker and author.  Today I came across this awesome passage.

“Why Not You?

Today, many will awaken with a fresh sense of inspiration. Why not you?

Today, many will open their eyes to the beauty that surrounds them. Why not you?

Today, many will choose to leave the ghost of yesterday behind and seize the immeasurable power of today. Why not you?

Today, many will break through the barriers of the past by looking at the blessings of the present. Why not you?

Today, for many the burden of self doubt and insecurity will be lifted by the security and confidence of empowerment. Why not you?

Today, many will rise above their believed limitations and make contact with their powerful innate strength. Why not you?

Today, many will choose to live in such a manner that they will be a positive role model for their children. Why not you?

Today, many will choose to free themselves from the personal imprisonment of their bad habits. Why not you?

Today, many will choose to live free of conditions and rules governing their own happiness. Why not you?

Today, many will find abundance in simplicity. Why not you?

Today, many will be confronted by difficult moral choices and they will choose to do what is right instead of what is beneficial. Why not you?

Today, many will decide to no longer sit back with a victim mentality, but to take charge of their lives and make positive changes. Why not you?

Today, many will take the action necessary to make a difference. Why not you?

Today, many will make the commitment to be a better mother, father, son, daughter, student, teacher, worker, boss, brother, sister, & so much more. Why not you?

Today is a new day!

Many will seize this day.

Many will live it to the fullest.

Why not you?”

― Steve Maraboli,  Life, the Truth, and Being Free