Friday, November 16, 2012 at 7:40AM Reflections off and through my festively decorated Christmas Tree created this image on the wall in my living room. All I had to do was point and click.
©2012 Clint Piatelli, MuscleHeart, and Red F Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
Monday, November 5, 2012 at 7:34AM I live in the city. But because of my love of the natural world, I constantly experience the beauty of nature. Like the rest of my life, the more I embrace who and what I love, the more I draw who and what I love to me.
Even though I'm surrounded by buildings, brick, mortar, asphalt, and concrete, I see and feel the trees, the wildlife, the water. Because that's what I love. Because that's what I look for. That's what draws itself to me. Therefore, that's what I experience.
©2012 Clint Piatelli, MuscleHeart, & Red F Publishing. All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 8:14AM This morning, I caught a glimpse of this sunrise from my living room. Then I bolted to a higher vantage point on the Chestnut Hill Reservoir to get this picture. I felt like a National Geographic photographer.
©2012 Clint Piatelli & Red F Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 7:50AM Relationships are reflections of ourselves. The better we feel about who we are, the more beautiful the reflection from those closest to us. Like this stunning image, what comes back to us and how we experience it is less about what or who is there, and more about how we experience the reflection. More about how we see ourselves.
This principle is not always easy to see, or believe, or live. But I have learned the truth of it. Especially over the last six months. And I commit myself to living my life consistent with this truth.
©2012 Clint Piatelli & Red F Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, October 26, 2012 at 7:15AM Around 1995, my mother was awarded "Woman Of The Year" status for her contributions to the Italian Home For Little Wonderers. My immediate family was invited to the awards ceremony at The Ritz Carlton in Boston.
The event was a smashing black tie affair with a live band, sit down meal, and an open bar. Or at least a kick ass bar.
There was a time in my life when my family was very important to me. In fact, I was over-identified with them. That’s the dysfunctional flip side to deep bonds and deep love. It doesn’t have to be present, but it was for me.
That over-identification had something to do with why, when some of my siblings hurt me very badly, I completely cut them out of my life. Or at least I tried to.
My perspective now is that whatever happened, had to happen, so that it could bring us to where we are as a family today.
When we were estranged, it was clear to me that for our family to work, some things had to be different. The environment was toxic for me, and I had to get out. But I really didn’t know how. So I spent a lot of years in this netherworld, where I was neither truly in nor truly out of my family. I told myself I was “out”, but how the hell could I be? I still owned property with two of my siblings and I lived in that home. And, despite what I told myself, despite what I told others, I still loved them. I still cared about them. I was kidding myself.
We are all getting along pretty well these days. My parents are no longer with us. I may write more about the journey I took with my family someday. For now, I just want them to know that I love them very much. And that I am so very happy that we are together again.
©2012 Clint Piatelli & Red F Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
