My Wish For Janelle on Her 32nd Birthday

My Wish For Janelle My Wish For JanelleHappy birthday to the Little Blonde-Haired Girl — AKA, the BEST SISTER in the world!! I sincerely can’t believe Janelle is 32 today!! I love her so much and couldn’t be more proud of the strong woman she’s become!! Over the weekend, as I got to thinking about what I wanted to write in my annual birthday post this year, one theme quickly appeared: My wish for Janelle.

My wish for her. It’s simple, really, and it’s something I was thinking a lot about this morning as I was going through family photo albums. There are so many memories in those albums, and sometimes, it all seems like I’m looking at another family’s life. But when I saw all those snapshots of Janelle, it felt like coming home again.

One look at those photos and I see it. Janelle’s soul. Her kind, pure soul — the soul that I’ve always admired and looked up to, even though I’m the older sister.

My Wish For JanelleIt’s the soul that loved nothing more than new bars of soap. As a toddler, she’d line up all the new soaps she’s receive on birthdays and holidays. And, as this photo shows, sometimes she’d even fall asleep next to them. Maybe she was comforted by their heavenly aromas and cleaning capabilities.

My Wish For Janelle My Wish For JanelleIt’s the soul that loved to read from an early age. My mom would take us to the library and check out piles of exciting books, and Janelle loved getting lost in them. Even now, reading is still one of her favorite pastimes; her favorite day of the week is when her new issue of The New Yorker arrives!

My Wish For JanelleIt’s the soul that loved to let loose on the playground! Janelle always listened to my mom, but anytime there was a wide open playground, my sister just had to run. I’m pretty sure this speaks to her free-spirit nature.

My Wish For Janelle My Wish For JanelleIt’s the soul that always had a smile on her face when she was little. She may have been extremely shy, but her smile could always light up a room. When she didn’t say “hi” with words, she’d say it with a smile. Of course, you couldn’t help but smile too!

I know that Janelle worries that she’s lost that soul — you know, that innocence from childhood that once made her so happy and carefree. Well, I just want to shout it from the rooftops…

THAT SOUL IS STILL THERE!!! IT’S BEATING IN YOUR HEART EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

I see it. Every day. I’ve watched my sister grow into such an amazing woman — someone who has overcome obstacles with strength and determination. Someone who has fought for what she wants and worked so hard for the life she wants. I thank my lucky stars every night that she’s in my life because I, too, wouldn’t be who I am had it not been for her amazing influence.

My Wish For JanelleSo, that soul? It’s loving and compassionate and forgiving. And, best of all, it’s still there. It hasn’t gone anywhere, and I hope Janelle knows that. I love you, Sister Bear! Keep showing that beautiful soul to the entire world… xoxo

Man Candy Monday.

Happy Monday, friends!! How’s your day going today?? I’ve got a very special post for a VERY special someone coming up this afternoon, but let’s kick the week off right with some Man Candy! Continuing the theme of my love for the classic TGIF lineup, this guy is cool and laid-back. He’s unassuming. And he’s seemed to escape the trappings that have befallen many a young star…

RIDER STRONG!!!!!!!!!!

Man Candy Rider Strong Man Candy Rider Strong Man Candy Rider Strong Man Candy Rider Strong Man Candy Rider Strong

Family Time (and a Cute Photo of Harry)

Family TimeHi, friends!! My mom has off work today, so I’ll be taking the day off as well to spend some time with her. I’ve been craving some family time more than ever lately in light of some not-so-happy things that have happened to us in the last month. I don’t want to bore you with all the sordid details because, frankly, I’m tired of thinking about it and letting it take up so much space in my brain, but suffice it to say, the entire experience just reaffirmed my belief in surrounding yourself with the people who support you and love you unconditionally. That’s something we all deserve to give ourselves, don’t you think?

Anyway, no fun Friday links this week, obviously. It’s been a whirlwind of a week! We got the carpet cleaned yesterday, so we had the windows open all morning to air everything out. Well, I got so chilled that I had to lie tucked under the covers until well past noon just to warm up!!! That basically threw my entire day into a tailspin!

But, on the bright side, here are two things that made me oh-so-happy this week. First, Harry hadn’t been eating much for a few days and his mouth was pretty tender, so my mom and sister took him for a check-up at the vet. He’s 16, diabetic and has had most of his teeth removed, so we’re always worried about his health. Good news, though, as his blood work came back normal, and the vet reported that Harry is the “perfect specimen of the elder statesman.” He got a shot of antibiotic and that’s seemed to do the trick, as he’s back to his old self and eating again! Whew! And, as my mom reported when they got home, “he did enjoy his outing!” Remember last year when he took that trip to the apple orchard? Be still my heart…isn’t he just adorable??

Family TimeAlso, we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming!!! TV-wise, that is! A couple weeks ago, our DVR experienced a complete hard drive failure! What?? How could this happen? 300+ hours of quality programming, like Hallmark movies, just GONE!! I’m proud of us for hooking up the new DVR all by ourselves!! Well, my mom did most of the work…I served as the person who told her to stay calm!! And now I can watch ALF reruns again, so I suppose all is right with the world once again!! #TeamWork

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! And as always, feel free to connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bloglovin! See you there, friends! xoxo

My Essay on Country Living: “When Tragedy Turns Your Home…”

Country LivingIt’s safe to say that 2017 has been a VERY good writing year for me so far — and it’s not over yet! I’ve written so many essays I’m incredibly proud of, and lots of them have been on the topics of disabilities, relationships and pop culture — all three of these topics are quickly becoming my “beats” as they say in the journalism world. But it was my essay for Country Living last week that might just be my favorite.

The essay “When Tragedy Turns Your Home Into Just Another House” was actually a long time coming for me. I’d had the idea for years, but couldn’t seem to get anything down on paper — err, I suppose, on the screen, really. I distinctly remember passing by my childhood home for the first time after my father died — this was after we’d moved into a new house across town. This is an experience we all can relate to, right? That feeling of seeing a part of your past whiz by and having it hit you that this isn’t your life anymore; it’s sort of like feeling completely removed from a place that once meant safety, comfort and security to you.

I felt like there was so much I wanted to say about this topic, so I started writing. And writing. And writing. This one took me longer than some of my other essays because I wanted so desperately to capture that feeling of loss — of losing my dad, of losing my childhood innocence, of losing a place that, although is still physically there, is gone forever for me.

Here’s an excerpt of the essay, in which I slowly realize that perhaps it is possible to take our home with us wherever we go in life…

The last time I stood outside on those front steps, our two-bedroom apartment felt nothing like a home. It was no longer a sanctuary, but a foreign land I didn’t recognize—it was full of unfamiliar terrain. It was cold and unforgiving. Where I once felt free, that house had become a prison and I could feel the walls slowly closing in. My mom, sister, and I had just finished packing, stuffing dishes, clothes, and a lifetime’s worth of memories into boxes. There was such a finality in closing those boxes, as if we were saying goodbye to the past. One life was over and another one was, reluctantly, beginning. With everything packed up, the emptiness became all too real: The walls, once lined with family photos, were now bare, casting shadows off one another like ghosts.

The whole place felt empty and hollow, much like my grieving heart.

You can read the full essay here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo