Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

This post is dedicated to an incredible individual; he was a husband, father, friend, mentor, role model and so much more to so many people. We'll miss you, Chuck. His sudden passing has left so many shocked and asking why.

I have taken from this tragic situation a ray of light, which I believe would make Chuck happy. I have realized something that is often told to us, but not so often lived. Perhaps you have heard this before, but "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why we call it the present - Babatunde Olatunji." I think that is a new concept to truly live by.

If you were to stop and analyze your day, what part, or parts, of it would you be proud to say you did? What memories would you leave with loved ones? What have you left undone?

So with that in mind, I'm making a change. This is my summer. I've already decided to make a health change, but now I'm doing a complete overhaul. I will be living more, loving freely, and laughing often.

It can't be hard to stop and realize, this is it. You aren't guaranteed anything more than this second...
What's your legacy?

P.S. This is my signature music video to tie it all together <3

Dress Rehearsal

Hello, hello, hello!
I cannot believe how long it has been and how terribly I have neglected this blog that I adore so much. Don't worry world, I haven't forgotten that you need saving!

As you have probably figured out through previous blogs, I one hundred percent believe in the power of love. And I believe that love comes in all forms and from a variety of sources.

There's the love of a family member, a friend, a partner, a song, an outfit, a snack, anything. I used to think that love and happiness were intertwinned. If you didn't have love in your life, you couldn't be happy. And I more or less still think that, but I also think that the loss of love doesn't mean you're unhappy, because as I said, there are often multiple sources of love.

I've come to really see the value of my friends; how much I depend on them, and how much they depend on me. I have a friend who reminds me I'm beautiful, one who will always tell me the truth, one who keeps me in check, one who is reliable, one who I can laugh with, and one who I can tell anything to. Now, imagine having friends who have multiples of these qualities... I can't believe how blessed I am. I figure, I am lucky enough to have all these beautifully, kind, and wonderful people in my life, that support me through absolutely everything, that I can answer the phone at 2am, or go for a late night drive, or miss my favourite show. Because those are moments that you can't get back, and those are things that people remember. I know that I can remember everytime someone has been there for me...and everytime someone hasn't. And based on those memories, I know who to call, and who will call me, and I'm so OK with that <3

So this is a "thank you" to every friend out there. Not just my friends, but anyone who is a friend to someone. You have truly made a difference in someone's life, and you really are valued.

I encourage you to love and be loved and to share your love, because it is such a great feeling.
Court xox



"At this moment there are 6,819,199,228 people in the world. Some are running scared. Some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it through the day. Others are just not facing the truth. Some are evil men, at war with good. And some are good, struggling with evil. Six billion people in the world, six billion souls. And sometimes... all you need is one." - Peyton, One Tree Hill

Live Like We're Dying

So these thoughts were inspired by a recent trip home and a newly discovered album. I'm an American Idol fan, and really enjoyed the Adam Lambert/Kris Allen face off, as I enjoyed them both. I managed to fall into the Adam Lambert album, and really enjoy it, but never seemed to find my way to the Kris Allen album, even though he was the winner. Well...let me tell you. His album is good. Really good. It's about love and endings and truth. I'm very much in love with his album. So as you can imagine, I listened to his album, A LOT, while I was home recently.

Now for the back story. I went home because it was one of my good friend's birthday, so naturally we were going out to celebrate. That's reason #1 for going home. Reason #2 was simple; I missed home. And as I was lying in bed listening to my iPod the other night, the song "Live Like We're Dying," by Kris Allen came on. This song talks about only having so much time in our lives, and making the most of it, which lead me to this; how many people have I lost in my life, either through death or distance, who probably don't know, or didn't know, how much they meant to me? I'm sad to say that there is quite a few. And I'm not OK with that either. These people meant something and have impacted my life, and I don't know if they'll ever be aware of that.

So I made a decision. No matter how my day is going, no matter what I have to do, I will make sure that those around me know what they mean to me. And here is my challenge to you. Make the world a better place by spreading love. The next time you hang up the phone with a loved one, or the next time you part ways with a friend, tell them you love them, or thank them for being your friend. Sometimes a small gesture such as that can make the difference in that person's life and create a chain reaction of positive feelings. And let's be honest; who doesn't like to hear that they matter?

Love always,
Courtney

And as per usual, I have a video for you :) It's Kris Allen's video for Live Like We're Dying.

Love Makes the World Go Around

I'm one of those girls. The ones that believe that there's a happily ever after for everyone. I'm still in search of Prince Charming, but I do believe he's out there. I believe that chivalry isn't dead, but that every girl needs to be able to save herself and not rely on her knight in shining armor to come save her everytime. But all-in-all, I believe in love and the power it holds.

I believe that love is what saves us and holds us and strengthens us. I believe that without love, there would be no plot line for movies, there would be no lyrics for songs and there would be no need for a bucket of ice cream, kleenex and chick flicks. I also believe that love conquers all.

I have witnessed that first hand. My parents are the reason that I believe in love. They have been married for almost 24 years, and I'm the only obvious product of that, but I'm proud to be their daughter. I was a pretty smart kid (believe it or not) and was more aware of my surroundings than I probably should have been. But this made me aware of my parents struggles when I was about 15. They went through a rough few years, dealing with high stress situations. But I am so proud to say that they made it through it all, and are stronger than ever.

It's the funniest thing to observe my parents. My mom is a little crazy, but I love her dearly for it. And my dad, he can be a litte cynical, but he's the funniest and most gentle man I know. Sure, they disagree, and there are times when the house is really quiet, but I know that when my mom looks at my dad, her eyes light up, and my dad makes fun of my mom sometimes, but it's those quirks that he adores. I really do hope that I will someday have a relationship close to what my parents have.

But anyways, enough with the sappy personal stuff. My reason for this post is my thoughts on the power of love (Celine Dion anyone?). If you think of some of the most influential people in history, they radiated love; for themselves, for others, for the world. Gandhi fought hard for peace, and sacrificed much of himself in doing so. Mother Theresa was famed as a humanitarian and an advocate for the poor and helpless. Martin Luther King Jr. advanced civil-rights movements, as well as advocating for the poor and ending the Vietnam War. The list could easily go on; Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela, Eleanor Roosevelt, Barack Obama, to name a few.

I think you could easily recognize that these people all had love; for others especially. They all fought to make a change. And I truly believe that if we all loved a little more freely and genuinely, we could start to see a difference; in our interactions, in others actions, in our world.

Just something to ponder over. How much strength do you think love has on change?

Love always,
Courtney