My Wish Upon A Star

Ad Astra Per Aspera, "To The Stars Through Hardship"

Motto of the State of Kansas

Shooting Stars From Afar
c. Marla S. Laurin, June 27, 2008
The stars I see
They lay at my feet
I swallow pride
With modesty
To meet my dreams
In restless nights
I reach for stars
That lay high
In the sky
Where sunshine blinds
My hazel eyes
Blue, believing true
All the falsehoods
Of my childhood
That died years ago
With fear lurking back
Into placid places
To steal
Like a thief
With heavy boots
My beliefs
And in that moment
I'm reminded
My prayers didn't go

Unrequited

I still caught a glimpse

Of the shooting star

I saw from afar

And wished upon it

The same way

The mind plays
---Shooting Stars From Afar Written by Marla S. Laurin, June 27, 2008

Maddox's Baptism

Above: Maddox and Kaitylyn on the morning of the baptism

Below: My beautiful cousin, Jackie, her wonderful husband, Drue, and their smashing son, Maddy! My cousins and their best friends with Maddox on his Baptism day at the Church, June 22, 2008

Photography provided by Maddox's family

Knowledge is Power

Hyperlinks for online health information resources:
MerckSource - A world of health information at your fingertips
http://www.merck.com/mmpe/index.html
http://www.medicalstudent.com/
http://www.acponline.org/patients_families/
http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home.html
http://www.aap.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/
http://www.health.nih.gov
http://medlineplus.gov/
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/hp.asp
http://www.webmd.com/
http://www.medilexicon.com/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthvideos.php
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/index_list.asp?list_type=ncd
http://www.bloodbook.com/ranges.html
http://www.tabers.com/tabersonline/ub?
http://www.idfpr.com/ or http://www.idfpr.com/DPR/proflist.asp
http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/

***Disclaimer: The authors of this blog are not soliciting these websites in any way. The hyperlinks included in this list merely imply resource availability. Viewers are responsible for establishing their own perceptions of the author's or website's legitamacy, usefulness and informative or reputable nature.

Into The Wild

Most of you know I don't take much time out of my life to watch movies, but when I do, I usually choose a flick that turns out to be profound or meaningful and in some way or another, a paradigm-shift experience. As I tossed and turned in bed with anxious anticipation for the last remaining days before a very important exam that I've had little time to prepare for due to various reasons that some of you know, I decided to throw caution to the wind, and instead of watching the usual late-night forensic-related investigative report to "lull" me into what turns out to be some sort of restless sleep, I committed to a Comcast On Demand movie called "Into the Wild," and I am so glad I did! By my measure, it's absolutely mind-blowing. It was originally released in September of 2007 and based on the true story involving the journey of a young man named Christopher Johnson McCandless. For me, this movie about McCandless's journey was phenomenal for so many reasons. Generally speaking, Sean Penn produced and directed a screenplay version of Jon Krakauer's book "Into the Wild" which was followed by a documentary film release entitled, "Call of the Wild" by independent filmmaker Ron Lamothe. This provocative and poignant find is for those who are in the mood to be moved in some way - your own way, with your own perceptions of the situation and of course, your own interpretation for the impact or meaning this movie may ultimately have on you and your own life. I think we all know at least one person who can identify with some of the ideals, parallels, or elements involved. Cheers to this mind-opening experience...http://www.intothewild.com/

This Photo of Laura ROCKS.

Photography from Laura's computer
With Mac Photo Booth Effects

Tomorrow, Mike Turns FORTY-FIVE!!!

Happy 1 day early Birthday, Mike!!!
We all love you!!!

A Soothing Kiss for Megan from Big Sister, Michelle

Photograph of Michelle and Megan provided by their Mom, Jenn.

What do sisters, Michelle, Megan, and Kaitlyn have in common?

Answer: They are so girly-girl cute and so very loved!

Photograph provided by their Mom, Jenn.

What does Dina and Cousin Maddox have in common?

Answer: They are both CUBS fans!!!

Photograph provided by Maddy's Mom

Glenn, Deb and Deb's Dad, Pat

Photograph by Darrell Christian on June 9, 2008, (Darrell is the Husband of Deb's sister, Nancy).

Glenn, Debbie and Debbie's Dad, Pat, the weekend before Pat's high school reunion in LaCross, Wisconsin.

Cousin Maddy and his Daddy

Hey Cousin Drue:-) Happy Father's Day!!

This is truly an adorable photo of you and your son. Charm seeps through Mad's every pore! Yay Genetics!!

Photograph taken by Cousin Jacks

5 Years and 4 Days Ago...

Photographs taken by Uncle Howie

Glenn and Debbie met for the first time on June 7, 2003 and the rest is history. Glenn honored his wife in a beautiful tribute earlier yesterday from the purest place of all, his ever-loving heart full of an overflowing sense of kindness, loyalty, selflessness and gratitude for family. Soon after one Christmas holiday years ago, their souls became one and an unparalleled love was born, but it was really long before this date that it did. Today, their families are still rejoicing for their continued devotion to each other as life loves and best friends. What a blessing their love brings to our families.

Glenn Kayaking!!

Congratulations Jennie, Michael, Michelle, & Kaitlyn!!

Photography provided by Grandma, Nancy Friedman

Kaitlyn's Window to the Soul

Photograph by Kaitlyn's Mom, Jennie

Class of 2008 (provided by Dale Bondi)

Photograph provided by Dale Bondi

Marla at Pinning Ceremony (provided by Dale Bondi)

Photograph Provided by Dale Bondi
Bottom left: Marla and Prof. Broscio, Pinning ceremony; May 16, 2008

More Graduation Photos of Marla ;-)

Marla, MA

Marla with Harper College President, Dr. Robert L. Breuder

Congratulations, Marla!!

It's official: Marla - Trustee's Honor List, Faculty Scholar and Phi Theta Kappa Graduate...what a great moment this was for so many of us!! We owe a huge debt of gratitude to those family members, friends, colleagues, and professionals who shared their encouragement, expertise, loving support, warm well-wishes, and assistance during this endeavor and its ensuing celebration. There are many more photographs to share which will capture the joy even more quite nicely and ultimately give y'all the chance to partake in that too - however near or far. As stated in the commencement ceremony, there are often many people who contribute to the success of one person. No one person can stand alone and succeed. So with that philosphy in mind, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for giving Marla the yarn she needed to weave the fabric of her dreams!!!

Paying homage to evolution on Mother's Day

Nancy and Laura, Photograph by Glenn Lee Friedman

Mar just had a sort of Oprah Aha! moment. She saw this photo on her cousin Laura's blog and thought it was the most beautiful black and white photo she had ever seen of her cousin Jackie and Jackie's son, Maddox. The truth is, is that this is really a photo of Marla's Aunt Nancy and cousin, Laura! Not that this fact makes the photo any less amazing. And who needs to wipe her antiquated cornea clean? New reading glasses or not, this is a photo that infers the paragon of all humanistic design.

I dedicate the song below to all the Moms in my family, but especially for the Moms whose kids have grown their wings to fly free with what you hope includes the insights and values you worked your whole life to painstakingly instill in them.
Letting Go by Suzy Bogguss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ns9491xhS0

Happy Birthday, Dad ;-)

Thank goodness for the new geneology website my cousin Dan found for all of us because it rocks with family birthday reminders. I try really hard to keep track of it all, but hey, let's face it, it can be touch. I tend to remember Dan's birthday with greater ease though because he was born the day my Dad was. Today, my father turned 69 years old, and I can't believe I'm even typing in those numbers because it's so hard for me to imagine my parents growing any older. At any rate, the picture you see of my Dad in the left-hand column of my blog is the photo that sort of epitomizes my father's sense of humor. We all know he's never smoked a day in his life but he hammed it up for the paparazzi with a poorly-puffed stogie because Dad does whatever he can for a laugh...even if the laugh is disingenous in nature. ;-) This is just his way. And after all these years, he is still a unique soul, perhaps a free soul, who for his whole life, has placed his family's needs before his own. And even though he knows his superpowers are limited, he is constantly concerned about protecting our health and welfare. While my father can sometimes be hard to understand, his loyalty, good intentions, and idiosyncratic expressions of love for his family are crystal clear to me. This is why I am dedicating these songs to my father who in all his 69 years of living, has never wavered in his quest to play - for his family and the industry he serves, the difficult roles of The Knight in Shining Armor, Superman, and the all-around everyday Hero.

Muscles of Confidence...

Throughout most of my life, I have had the good fortune of being surrounded by some pretty remarkable people. Today gives me another opportunity to count that blessing because that good fortune has not waned. Even though my impending graduation will mark the conclusion of just one sojourn, my journey continues and there are lessons I would be wise to carry with me throughout my remaining days, no matter how short or long they will be in duration. Among other things, I've learned that we get lucky sometimes...REALLY lucky. Other times we don't. Lately, I've been especially lucky. I have been surrounded by all sorts of people, some who have brought out the very best in me and others the almost worst. As I soak in their vibes, I am thankful to all of them because of what I learn about myself and how I evolve as a result. Those who brought out the best in me have helped me to grow muscles of self-confidence and I am forever in their debt for doing so. The bad vibe for the second guess is never fun but there are valuable lessons to be learned from their existence. This is why we must stay true and turn our spotlight of conscience to what we know is good about ourselves. Let integrity drive us home with passengers who help us flex our mental muscles for the better. Doing so give us a better shot at building the very bridge that will lead us back to our true selves, and as its natural consequence, we connect with our greater purpose in life.

Building dreams with sticks and streams of self-esteem,
Marla

PS. For the song that epitomizes how I'm feeling, click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4QZKZV16po&feature=related

Jackie and Drue's Son is Amazing...

As you read earlier, our cousin, Jackie and her husband Drue gave birth to an absolutely adorable son. As you can see in these pictures, he is a real special Romeo. Look at his smile. Look at those kissable little feet. He is so cute and charming that he leaves your heart like putty. What a wonderful blessing he is. Congratulations again!! May you and your family enjoy more good fortune in the years to come!

Climb Every Mountain...

Mar is almost at the top of a mountain that has been riddled with challenging pathways, pebbles, and positive life changing lessons and experiences. In just one more month and a half, she will reach one of life's little peaks from what sometimes seems like a watershed valley. But that peak is more like a mesa for it is only another pathway to another. Either way, Mar's clinical rotation concludes mid-May and soon thereafter, we'll be raising a toast with one of our favorite wines - Evolution, a Sokol Blosser special which layers 9 kinds of grapes together for a smooth finish and symbolic stance. Tip of the hat to our gal pals for introducing that to us at the Melting Pot last New Year's Eve! That was one heck of a night we hope to repeat. Anyway, the celebration will be postponed until later on this summer when another "peak" of its own kind will rear its head. And most of you know what that means! ;-) We'll let everyone know when, of course, but rest assured it will not interfere with that incredibly amazing BBQ we enjoy on the 4th of July from that wonderful rooftop in the city! ;-)

"Fight the Good Fight" by Triumph: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QI_lQjf1eo

Humility and Self-Esteem

Someone once said, "It's better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly." Ever since I was a young child, I confused confidence with arrogance. The pretentious neighborhood I grew up in as a teenager reinforced my value of humility which I thoroughly internalized throughout the course of my young adult life. I would later learn that this is not always the best trait to have. There must be some sense of balance and adaption where you can still have a humble nature AND be self-confident and feel it's OK to show that confidence. I know this sounds really weird for some of you but you have to understand that I have a backstory like everyone else around the world does and backstories best explain the roots that formed from the seeds they planted. But this blog is no place to share backstories. I will say this, however; like anything else in life, there must be a balance to the dance of the universe. If you are too this or too that, then this sort of imbalance occurs where your sense of self can get muddled. Sometimes to get it back we might filter our stance and self-understanding through experiences long passed or through the stance of others who may or may not have our best interest at heart. Adapting and realigning one's nature can be challenging but passion, will, determination, and hard work may turn that challenge into a simple heave and a sigh. Someone also once said that if we want something bad enough, we'll do whatever it takes to get there. The power of persistence - even in the face of adversity and failure means growth. The effort means something but the attitude one has means more. And as they say, if you're not growing, you're dying. And I am not ready to die. It's so essential to remain flexible in life and to have the willingness to make revisions along the way. Versatality is a an important character trait to have but also is the ability to adapt one's nature to the needs or circumstances of any given situation. Anyone that has ever known me knows I can be a pretty analytical creature. But I realize it has its time and place. Should I choose to reserve this deeper lever of thought for moments when it is most suitable to do so, it will not mean I am vapid or that I am living life unconsciously, or that I am otherwise being superficial - which I would absolutely hate to be. It just means that I am exercising my ability to adjust to a situation accordingly. Obviously, the lessons I have learned in the last year are many but the greatest so far is the one that has taught me to have an unwavering sense of faith in myself and in my sense of self to have unwavering self-confidence - despite the imperfections that may or may not exist. If people focus more on what they CAN do instead of what they can't, the sense of self-confidence will reveal itself all on its own. Believing in yourself - despite character flaws and all, is not arrogant; not caring about anyone else but yourself or thinking you are superior to others is. Believing you are capable of doing certain things well - despite imperfect starts for flawless results is not arrogant. Believing that you never need to change or grow is. So no more will I miscontrue the strange beliefs I held from long ago that one can't live with both self-confidence and humility...that one must choose to be one or the other. But one need not be compromised for the other. We can be both and still have our integrity.

Where Mar Has Been

Enjoy the humor of my hair. I am entirely too aware of how much it sucks. That day, during clinical procedures class last fall, I was, like most students are, tired beyond measure; and because students extern for credit and I am just beginning my second rotation, there is not a lot of money flowing around for the ultimate hairdo I plan to get upon program completion. So hang onto to your hats, kids. The best is yet to come...hopefully.

Hugs from my heart and love from my soul,

Mar

PS. At least I've lost some weight since then...I'm down to 135 and aiming to lose at least 10 more by summer! ;-)

Our Fam with Laura and Michael

Our family sure knows how to ring in the new year, don't they?!? Our cousin Laura, the youngest of all our cousins, married Michael Curtis, Jr., on December 1st in Poulsbo, Wa. Just this last Saturday, they came in town to celebrate their union for the Chicago contigent. Obviously, some of us were missing, but those absentees were actually very much there in spirit. What a joy this was for us. It is such a blessing to see Laura so happy. Thank goodness she married someone who loves her as much as we all do! He is a wonderful addition to the family! So welcome, welcome, welcome.

Caveat: This photo is, of course, only one of many, many photos which Laura has posted at her website for all their family and friends to see. So if you haven't done so already, contact Laura for how to access them because her web gallery captures the joy and poignance perfectfully.

They Love Each Other: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTa1pkmJuo4

Happy Holidays and New Year

Japanese steakhouse dining is a longstanding tradition of ours. We decided to celebrate Mom's birthday in belated fashion on Christmas Eve while Mike was in town. Greg couldn't be with us to share it, however. He is hosting Christmastime with his new wife and her family in their new digs. Greg's absence was palpable but in our small family, we are thankful for each and every moment holding splashes of joy, warmth, love, laughter and levity. May all our family and friends be lucky to share in the same and more. Happy holidays and new year everyone. We hope it's one of the best!



Photography provided by the Greg's Family
Left: Melissa, Elizabeth, Greg

G-d's Coffee

G-d's Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life . Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this:

Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us." God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything; They just make the best of everything."

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Welcome Maddox James!!

Congratulations to Jackie and Drue and everyone in their families! We're all so ecstatic! Yesterday, on December 20, Jackie and Drue gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Maddox James. He is an 8 lb bundle of love, 21.5 inches long, has his Aunt Marissa's hands and feet, and seems very unaccustomed to all the new space he now has to stretch outside his womb. He is absolutely adorable! Everyone in the family is beaming with total pride and joy. Please join us in welcoming him into the world!

Children are True Treasures

Photos by Dan Friedman

Aunt Nancy is very proud of her family and so are we. We know how blessed she feels and here, we want to show we share her joy in becoming a grandparent for the third time. In another half year or so, she will be a 4-time grandma. I think we can all agree that nothing is better than growing a family. Congratulations, Aunt Nancy!

Photos like these really capture the true essence of our human nature. Whether you are a family member or friend, you cannot deny the joy of holding a beautiful new baby, in its purest form, with a future full of promise in each yawn, stretch, smile, grunt and coo. This is the kind of connection that can leave us speechless but full of raw emotion - especially so for grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins. So we congratulate all of you for your good fortune. Your children and grandchildren give our family and lives meaning. Here is to many, many more blessed moments like those above and those below:

Below is a photo of Glenn and his scene-stealin' grandson, John Zacharias; it speaks volumes! This is a moment caught in time which also reminds us of our beloved Papa Si, (may he rest in peace) because Papa Si looked at his grandchildren with a special eye reserved for no one else. We've been told that the nature of the Grandparent-Grandchild relationship is inexplicable but full of every emotion you can ever think of, every dear meaning that ever exists, and every good intention you've ever thought of.

We love the way our beautiful, sweet cousin Michelle is looking at her cutie-pie cousin, John Zacharias. Like the other photos, it speaks volumes. It also reminded Mar of the first time she laid eyes on her cousins, Jackie, Jenn, Dan and Laura.

Special Moments at Greg & Elizabeth's Reception

Sharing a smile...

Sharing a laugh...

Warm smiles and hearty laughter are gifts unto themselves.

More Photos of Greg and Elizabeth's Ceremony