The Apple & The Lady!

Macy's on 34th Street

About 3 months ago, someone of my age told me that although I am very wise “I am trying too hard to find the answer to life, which will come to me upon my ‘death-bed’; so I should stop searching so hard”. I simply nodded!!!

I was fortunate enough to “check” another item off of my “to-do” list: A wonderful trip to New York with my beautiful wife (a.k.a. “tour guide”), my lovely daughter who’d been dreaming of skating at the Rockefeller Centre for almost a year thanks to all the books that she read and the TV shows that she watched, and my handsome little terror named Brayden!

I’m not going to bore you with the details of the trip; however, I feel obligated to let you know that New York is a beautiful city where dreams are built just as tall as the buildings, where people are as resilient and kind as those immigrants that came to the shores many years ago, and where the culture is as brilliant and vibrant as it’s city lights. When in New York, it’s hard not to feel as part of a bigger and better world.

New York: Thank you for not disappointing… you were everything I had dreamed of, and more!

Along the way of my journey, of course, I learned some new lessons:

1. “Don’t imagine the worse unless there’s a good reason to do so”: To be honest, I was absolutely terrified to travel with Brayden, who does not like to be “tied-down” as he is a “free-roaming” individual that sees everything in his path as a climbing challenge. Well, I was wrong as he was a real trooper throughout the trip, including the 5+ hours he spent on the plane and in the airports. Just like his sister, he ended up being a great traveller (I’m touching wood as I don’t want to jinx it).
2. “Encourage children to live their dreams”: Watching Isabella and her mom on the ice at the Rockefeller Centre, under a giant Christmas tree, brought a certain unexplainable joy. Knowing that one of Isabella’s dreams had just come true was truly a magical moment. You won’t believe the number of people who told us that skating at the Rockefeller Centre was a childhood dream that was yet to be fulfilled. They had many excuses as to why they haven’t done it yet, but they couldn’t come up with one good reason why they should do it sooner than later, if at all.
3. “Dream the impossible”: Standing at Times Square, under giant digital billboards, I realized how large life can be so I’ll be taking some “baby” steps towards some big dreams; personal changes are coming and I’ll be sharing them with you along the way!
4. "It’s OK to get lost once in a while”: We lost our ways a couple of times, but our adventures took us to some amazing places including Harlem, which we would not have gone to otherwise. It’s funny how some of the most memorable moments in life are those that were not pre-planned, eh?
5. “Some things don’t have to be seen to be felt”: The attacks on New York took place four years before Isabella was born and yet she shed a tear for those that lost their lives at “Ground Zero” (Twin Towers). Isn’t it amazing how children can feel the pain solely based on those around them? I couldn’t have been prouder of my daughter for feeling that pain as I hope her generation will put an end to all types of violence (yes, I am dreaming of the impossible).
6. “Let kids plan some of the trip”: I had some of the best experiences when Isabella planned family events as they always end up being spontaneous and fun!!!  Isn’t that what vacations are all about?
7. “Realize and be thankful”: I thank God (Mother Earth; The Higher Power; Spirit; Humanity; Science; or whatever else you want to call it) every day for what I have as every dream met is another step towards being “complete”.

Thanks for reading and a very Happy 2012,

Armin

PS. To the person that gave me the advice three months ago: I have found the answer to life and it is to live life without regrets and to the fullest alongside of my family and friends. I am no longer searching for an answer, I am living it!

PPS. I’m neither an optimist nor a pessimist; going forward, I’m going to call myself a “Dreaming Realist” :)



The Apple
(view from our hotel room)



& The Lady
(I couldn't stop thinking about the Godfather movies)



Related blog: Where were you when...

To see more pictures, visit YouTube!

An absolute must see!

This video has been shared on YouTube and Facebook... I just felt like I should have it on my blog as it summarizes my feelings well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Sir. Charles Chaplin's final speech in The Great

Thanks to the creator of this video and you for viewing,
Armin

As I Get Older...

I am starting to notice a very interesting trend: As I get older, the size of my vitamin pills gets bigger. For example, my multivitamin pill is the size of two finger bands and just as thick… it reminds me of a horse tranquilizer. I guess my vitamin pill is going to get large enough that it can no longer be consumed orally?

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks… what did I learn?

• I learned that life passes by too quickly… my princess turned 6 years old. I’m having a hard time seeing her as a young girl, so I am going to continue to pretend that she’s only a year old until I can no longer lift her off the ground. Do you think she’ll be OK with that?
• I learned that no two people are the same, even though they are born into the same family, raised by same parents, eat the same food and sometime clothed the same… yes, it’s true: We’re still using some of Isabella’s old clothes on Brayden, however, we make sure he is not seen in public wearing “girlie” clothes. Jokes aside, the two children could not have been any more different. Isabella was an Angel, but Brayden has started off as a terror. How is that possible that two are so different?
• I learned that everyone has a dark side… it may be well hidden but it will come out at some point. I saw an ugly side of someone and it was scary, albeit only for a second or two.
• I learned that everyone wants to be cared for and no one likes to be neglected. This could be done by simply picking up the phone and calling someone. To R.C., although you and your family are always on my mind, I’m sorry for not checking up on you more regularly.
• I learned that life is way too precious to be ignored. I say this as one my friend’s mother is battling cancer once again. I would like to think that she’ll be just as successful in defeating this illness as the first time. Our thoughts and prayers are with her, my friend and her family. What did I learn from visiting her yesterday? One should not be any less of a gracious host regardless of the situation… This amazing woman sat with us around the dining room table and jumped in the conversation when her strength allowed her to and shared a smile when she could. I would like to thank her for her hospitality over the years and hope we can make many more memories together.
• I learned that we’re very lucky to be surrounded by loving friends. Both Isabella and Brayden were spoiled by their “aunts” and “uncles” this past weekend as we got together for another Christmas Gift Exchange party. I hope our children are as lucky as we are when it comes to finding the right friends to make and share memories with.
• I learned that we all need someone to share our lives with: a spouse, a partner, a child or a parent, a family member or a friend, a dog, a cat or a fish. But most importantly, we all need to love someone and feel loved. Thank you Karm for being the one for me.

Thank you for reading,

Armin

PS. As I get older, I don’t become wiser! As I get older, I realize how naive I had been!