For New Yorkers 

And Americans…the world united as one. 

As the planes soared through the crystal blue sky we couldn’t believe what we seeing before our eyes. 

It changed us forever. 

We came together, sometimes by the bus load from cities far and wide to help. 

Neighbors consoled each other and strangers lent a helping hand. 

First responders tirelessly worked to sift through the rubble. 

For the innocent and brave men and women who lost their lives that day. 

We as a nation prayed 

And mourned 

And again United 

Nothing seemed GOOD that day. But we as a country showed just how GREAT we can be when we are put to the test. 

We are the land of the free and the home of the brave. And boy, are we brave. 

** This is for Pete Owens and all the others who were lost that day. You are never forgotten. 

#neverforget

     I recently had the pleasure of accompanying a good friend to a doctor’s appointment. The appointment was several hours away from where we live so it made it difficult for her to drive herself given her current medical condition and so I offered to take her. We have a lot in common as we both share a particular genetic condition that we were born with. It’s actually how we became friends. To make a long story short, we ended up being linked together when we were both seeing the same provider who recommended we reach out to one another as we were of similar age and had quite a lot in common, both physically but also with what we were dealing with emotionally as a result of our physical challenges.

     It was a bit of a puzzle trying to initially connect, but once we did, the pieces all fell into place and we became really close friends. I adore her husband and son, I’ve been to her childhood home overseas and I am now good friends with her sister.  She’s gotten to know my family quite well too, coming over for dinner with my parents and has met my brother and his fiancé as well, even helping to pick out my bridesmaid dress for their wedding. 

     But the respect I have for her not just as my friend, but a person living with an invisible illness/injury that not everyone can see is ENORMOUS. Because I have one too. And yet, still I rise. Each day we both get out of bed and look as normal as the next person walking down the street. We put our makeup on, do our hair and put our posh little outfits on to go about the day. But often those days are filled with pain. Not just “aches and pains” like you hear about in the Tylenol commercial, but CHRONIC PAIN. Debilitating pain that could put a 250 gorilla on his back. 

      Yet still we rise. Because we have things to do and appointments to go to. Bills to pay, and things that need to be sorted and “sussed out”. My friend is the mum to a 19 month old toddler so she can’t very easily just crawl back into bed when she doesn’t feel well. Listening to her describe her history to the doctor yesterday (although I’d already heard the story and could probably have told him it in detail myself), made me realize truly what a long journey it’s been for her. But we were given hope yesterday. Hope that still, we may rise.

      I know there are many people in my life (& out there in general) who suffer from “invisible illness” whether that is in the form of an autoimmune condition, a genetic condition, a neurological one, a mental illness, psychological or emotional pain, or some other source of pain, fatigue and compromised wellness. Some have chronic pain or illness or a myriad of other things that make it almost impossible to contemplate getting out of bed each day. And yet we do. 

    Like the phoenix rising from the ash, breaking through the pain and pushing through to the other side, we keep moving forward. We do it because in the end, it’s what is GOOD and we still rise. 

#invisibleillness

#stillirise

     Tim McGraw wrote an awesome song a couple years ago called “Humble and Kind”. It’s basically a rule book for life. It goes over the basics about how to treat others, the “shoulds and shouldn’ts” you need to know when navigating most adult situations but really a lot of the things are lessons you might have learned in Kindergarten. 

    Things like, “Call your momma every chance you get. Don’t steal, don’t cheat and don’t lie.” And at the end of the day, be humble and kind.     

    I went to a Zac Brown Band Concert the other night and it was my third year in a row attending the show. The one thing I noticed this year, more than others was the lack of graciousness from a lot of the youth at the concert. I have always found concerts to be very fun occasions where I meet people to dance and bond with and occasionally, I’ll meet someone like this woman Paula from last night whose daughter was just as sweet as could be and when I noticed her trying to get a good picture of her sitting on Paula’s husband’s shoulders, I snapped one with my camera, tossed it through a filter and then offered to email it to her. We kinda bonded after that and danced together the rest of the evening and she sent me a really sweet email this am saying how nice it was to hang out last night. 

    But I noticed that there was a certain group of girls all around the same age especially who all dressed the same, and had no regard for who they barged past. If they stepped on someone’s things, they didn’t have a care in the world and my sister, Candice had her foot stomped on twice!! It just seemed like the old fashioned concert etiquette I was raised with had gone out the door and was replaced with a sense of entitlement and young, hipster, snobbery. It’s really too bad & kinda ruins things for everyone. 

    Anytime anyone asks me what the best concert I’ve ever been to is, it’s an easy answer for me… Fleetwood Mac. They were amazing when I saw them out in San Diego closed to 10 years ago now. So it’s no surprise that lead singer Stevie Nicks authored one of my favorite quotes of all time. She said once in an interview, “Your graciousness is what carries you. It isn’t how old you are, how young you are, how beautiful you are, or how short your skirt is. What it is is what comes out of your heart. If you are gracious, you have won the game.” 

   These girls last night could really stand to learn this lesson as it will not only carry them far in their future concert going experiences, but in life in general too. Being gracious, humble and kind are three of the greatest attributes I think a person can have, & if you are lucky enough to possess all three, you have TRULY WON THE GAME. And it is a MIGHTY GOOD THING. 

#homegrown #grateful&gracious #humble&kind 

    After watching news clips of the true devastation that swept across the state of Texas today, I kept thinking about what one man said when asked what he was going to do now that the storm was over. He simply looked at the cameraman interviewing him and said, “Rebuild. It’s what we do. It’s what we’ve always done. We’re gonna take a minute and let it all sink in and then we’re gonna go back to work and start putting the pieces of our lives back together.” 

     He commented on how he came from hard working people who had persevered for many generations and had made it through struggles far worse than this. As the cameras panned to the completely leveled neighborhoods with water covering homes all the way up to the second story, I thought to myself how I would handle such a situation. 

    It wouldn’t be easy, that’s for sure, but sometimes life isn’t easy. I remembered the advice my doctor gave me in the days following my car accident nearly 10 years ago. I was about as leveled physically as a person could be and was trying to find the wherewithal to keep going forward. He must have seen this because he said to me, “Miranda, if I could give you one gift, it would be the gift of patience. It’s going to be a long road ahead and it really sucks right now, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Brighter days are ahead. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but you will look back on this someday and see just how far you’ve come and you won’t believe how strong you are and how much you were able to endure. The human spirit is a remarkable thing and it will amaze you every time.” 

    I have repeated this advice to so many people. From friends going through divorce to family members changing jobs and many other life challenges my loved ones have come across and experienced. It’s just really sage wisdom. You know what? He was right. The gift of patience was exactly what I needed right then because those initial days were the toughest, but I DID make it through, and the light DID come after the storm. I look back now and think “Wow!! Look how far I’ve come!! Dr. Morton was ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!” 

    And I know the people of Texas will one day look back and see how far they have come too. They will rebuild. They will soldier on, and the light will come. It won’t be easy, but it will happen. 

    I always think of my dear friend Cragin singing a wonderful song from the musical “Children of Eden” about the calm after the storm following the great flood in the Bible where Noah built his arc. The lyrics say, “Ain’t it GOOD, oh ain’t it GOOD to see the shining golden sun again?” Indeed it is. 

#AintItGood #HeIsGood

   

    Being brave isn’t easy. In fact it’s probably the antithesis of easy. Bravery is something that is hard to teach. We associate it with courageous people who do incredible things like soldiers, fireman, police officers, and other people who intentionally put themselves in harms way for the greater good. And while they are tremendously deserving of that praise, there are other forms of bravery, too. Survivors of illness and trauma, and people who do everyday things but face adversity for doing them are also deserving of such courageous honors. You know who you are and you are so amazing. Really being brave is a mindset. It’s a way of thinking and living. But you have to actually do the second part. You have to LIVE in order to really be brave! 
    I was talking to my dear friend (who I affectionately call “Nashville Nick” because we met in Tennessee) the other night. We were discussing how he was trying to help a good friend of his move past some personal challenges in order to go forward in life. We were discussing how although I’ve had my crosses to bear, I have found that it’s important to put those struggles on the shelf after a certain amount of time and just try to move ahead and continue on with life. Whether that means traveling somewhere you’ve always wanted to go, or taking a chance and dating someone new, or moving to a new place with new opportunities, it doesn’t really matter. The important thing is to continue to be brave in your intention and not miss out on life’s chances. It really is too short. Fear can and will hold you back if you let it and sometimes the best thing you can do is face things head on and say, “No more. Today I’m taking back my life and going to live it to the fullest.” 

    “Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live. Maybe one of these days you can let the light in…SHOW ME HOW BIG YOUR BRAVE IS!!” Sara Bareilles and Jack Antonoff perfectly wrote a civil rights anthem about the challenge to be courageous and speak your truth in the song “Brave”. It’s something I think we all struggle with. I know I certainly have my days where I need to have a pity party and not see a lot of people or do a lot of extra things. But then I remind myself of this beautiful life I have and the 2nd, 3rd, 9th & 10th chances I’ve been given to live it and I try and take the opportunity to do something great. 

   The past two days, I have gone and jumped in the river down the street from my house because it’s been so beautiful out and even though the water has been a little cold, it’s refreshing and makes me feel so alive. I’m trying to find things to do that remind me of how far I’ve come from 5 and even 10 years ago. It’s not hard, but when I do, boy is it validating and encouraging. Sometimes just putting that bathing suit on and saying, “yep, I’m gonna do this!! I’m going to swim as far out as I can and let the sun beat down on me and then when I come back in, I’m going to know that I did something brave today.” Maybe that’s not very big to some people, but compared to the girl who was hooked up to a respirator fighting for her life in an ICU almost 5 years ago, it feels pretty damn GOOD. 

#getyourbraveon

    Finding someone who you can spend 24 hours a day with for two weeks and not only NOT want to kill, but actually miss and feel like you can’t wait to see them again and start the next adventure with is just a beautiful thing. It’s something to cherish and something everyone should find, whether it’s in a sibling, a best friend, a spouse, lover or family member. These people are brought into our lives for a purpose and it is truly our duty to live these lives to the fullest & include them in it. 

   I have just completed the most wonderful road trip through Europe with my best friend Kym. Kym and I said goodbye this morning and though we didn’t cry, I felt such strong love and gratitude for her that as she pulled away in the car, I had to really not think about the fact that we were departing each other for the final time on our trip until after I was sure she was long gone. Now as I write this piece sitting on the plane in Vienna, I am reminded of all the times we pushed each other forward on this trip. I encouraged Kym to “just keep swimming” and she encouraged me to “get in the damn water!” (even if said water was hypothermic level cold at times!) 

    We supported each other when one of us was having a momentary freak out (hello lost car keys, GPS Navigation & in my case, crossing love locket bridges), and never with a cross word that didn’t come with just the right amount of sarcasm. “I’m sorry!!” I’d say, “How sorry??” She’d always retort. 

    Or how our “American/Aussie” humor would leech into things and often fall dead flat. On several occasions we would share meals by splitting a portion and then when the waiter would come ask how it was, both of us, with completely clean plates would say, “We hated it. Send it back.” They never did quite catch on to our sarcasm or deadpan humor we thought was so clever and instead we just racked up a few dozen mortified looks. But all the same, it was excellent and I’d just like to say for the record, we didn’t have a bad meal on this trip. Everywhere we ate was EXCEPTIONAL and we’d both be happy to give you the names and recommendations of any places to eat or stay if you’re planning a similar trip. Our accommodations and food were really exquisite & we felt so decadent in the end. 

   Save for the small detour to Italy (Vipiteno seems like a lovely village and I do hope to go back to that beautiful country someday), and the hiccup where we missed the famous Stubai Glacier, nothing on this trip could have been better. We rolled with punches, listened to our bodies, fed our souls & just loved on each other. Because that’s what friends do. And when you find someone who you can go literally anywhere with, you should do it. And never let them go. 

   Love you Kymmie. Thanks for the memories…it was all such GOOD STUFF. #bestfriendtour2017 #brittandrodge2017

    

    Kym and I are about halfway through our European road trip and we will have been to 5 countries by the end of the trip including the US, (6 for me as I flew out of Canada.) However, were only scheduled to see 4 countries in Europe.

Yesterday when we were driving from Garmisch-Partenkirche in Germany to Stubai Glacier in Austria, we accidentally took a mini detour and ended up in Vipiteno, Italy.

It seems our navigation system in the car re-routed us away from the glacier and towards the border of Italy. At first, we were SO disappointed and sad because not only did we miss going to see one of the top 5 most spectacular views in the World, but we also had to pay border tolls for Austria and Italy TWICE!!

Then as we continued to drive, we realized what a breathtaking view it was just driving around on the journey to our next destination and once we arrived at our hotel, we got into our swimsuits and headed down to the pool for some relaxation time. I promptly fell fast asleep not realizing how exhausted I had been and it was at that moment I was so grateful things had worked out as they did and we weren’t hiking around that glacier after all.

Between the navigation failing us and losing the keys the day before, Kym and I were starting to feel like the universe was trying to tell us something. So we decided to listen. There must have been a reason we weren’t supposed to be at that glacier. Just as there must have been a reason why losing the keys delayed us going to see Neuschwanstein Castle until later in the afternoon yesterday. Whatever it was, we may never know, but we are just going with it and “enjoying the view”. We’re also using a back up GPS in the future. It just seems like a GOOD idea.

     On my travels with my best friend Kym, we stopped just outside Munich at Lake Starnberg to grab a bite to eat for breakfast. It was a gorgeous day and Kym is quite the swimmer, so when we got word there was a nearby freshwater lake we could go for a swim in down the road, we grabbed our swimsuits and hit the beach. We left our phones, money & everything else important in the car except for a small bag to put our clothes in when we were in the water. After a most beautiful swim, we decided to walk back to the car in our swimmers and it was only upon arriving there we realized we did not have the key to the rental car anymore. 

    Not knowing if we had somehow misplaced it, or if by some chance someone might have come along and taken it, we started to retrace our steps back to the lake. We came across a lovely woman named Margaret who saw we were distressed and offered to help us look for the key. When it didn’t turn up, she offered to help us call the local police in hopes they might be able to help and given that neither Kym nor I spoke German, her kindness and willingness to help to strangers who were lost with no money, phones or access to a car was really comforting and reassuring. 

    Kym and I also realized how important it was to work together during this experience. We never once turned on each other or started to blame the other one, but instead we worked together and decided whatever happened, we would figure it out. In the end, we said a few prayers, asked our guardian angel (who we share in common, but that’s a story for another time), and lifted it up to the universe. We ended up finding the keys when they were turned in to the nearby restaurant in the middle of the park. 

    We found Margaret and gave her a celebratory hug. At the end of the day, everyone was fine and we were able to go on our way, as planned. We were restored in knowing that when the going gets tough, the tough “just keep swimming” as Dory would say. We had our faith restored in humanity and saw that people won’t usually steal a Mercedes Benz just because they find the key to one in a park on a sunny morning. And also that people in general are just GOOD. 

        

    I am in Munich. A city once crippled by Nazis during World War II. Mere miles from Dachau, a concentration camp where Hitler housed unthinkable amounts of Jews and sent them to die in an atrocity unlike what the human race has seen since or hopefully ever will again. And yet yesterday, thousands of miles away in my home country of America, all anyone could talk about were Nazis. Neo Nazis and the racism and hatred that was bred for one another in Charlottesville, VA. 

   If there is one thing being here has shown me, it is we have to learn from our mistakes. It’s the only way to make sure we don’t keep repeating them. A wise person once said, “The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different outcome”. The people here in Munich don’t shy away from their history. They share it. They have much to be proud of. 

    When palaces were bombed, they rebuilt. When fires were set, they cleared the ash and started again. There are many old structures mixed with contemporary ones now as a result that make this a very visually beautiful city. The people are lovely and they dance and drink merrily. At the end of the day when the sun goes down and the music is what is left playing, they put on their finest clothes and move to the beat. Some in the town squares, some on the steps to the museums and other various structures we passed on our travels but everyone looked lovely and happy and like they were just appreciating the day they had just lived. People gather at tables not necessarily knowing their neighbors and share a drink and a conversation and they get on with their evening. 

     Earlier in the day, as if in a nod to Charlottesville, these three musicians began to play “America The Beautiful” amidst the commotion of the crowded town square. I recognized it and thought to take their picture as if to say, “thank you. We hear you. We see you. And yes, we too will remember…how good it can be.” 

My dear friends Becky and Joe just got married this morning, and yesterday we threw Becky a “Hen Do” in her hometown of Brill, in the U.K.

The day was one of the most special I can remember and filled with such love and admiration for both Becky, Joe and just the institution of marriage and what it stands for. After a morning of doing yoga in a beautiful field and drinking Prosecco by a pond filled with dragonflies, Becky’s sister Larah asked each of us women gathered there to form a circle around Becky and offer her a blessing. In Ibiza where Larah lives, it is customary for women to bless one another before major life events such as births, and weddings. We each went around and introduced ourselves and said our names followed by who our mothers & our grandmothers were. Then we gave a piece of advice or words of encouragement to Becky regarding anything from love & relationships, intimacy & friendships, children and how to keep it all in perspective when trying to survive a marriage.

The words each woman spoke were poignant, genuine, kind and so very heartfelt. We laughed, cried, and hugged. Each of us felt such a deep connection to Becky and to each other and I think the most important lesson we were reminded of was that love always wins. No matter what, at the end of the day, it all comes back to the love. We each wrote our thoughts down and collected them into a little wooden box with a queen bee on it (quite symbolic) that we would then gift to Becky today at her reception.

The idea that “it takes a village” was very much present and never more apparent than it was today as I  watched this beautiful little town in the English countryside turn up to give away my beautiful friend as she walked down the aisle to marry her perfect partner. May they be blissfully happy and so very GOOD for the rest of their days together.

#beckyandjoeswedding