Daddy's Little Girl

Father’s day is tomorrow.  Since last Father’s Day, I have come to think that life as a series of verbs of being.  Am/is.... was/were.  Things are.  Things were.  I was. I am.  I have had a year of “is” and “am” becoming “was”.  I changed "I am an unhappy corporate employee” into “I was a corporate employee”, which became “I am a happy independent graphic designer".  

I left the corporate world to find something missing in my life.  What I found were things to be grateful for every day.  I was grateful for all the little things and, of course, the big things like my husband, family and friends.  One of the best years of my life unfolded with even more amazing things to be grateful for.  The more gratitude I sent out into the universe, the more blessings came.  What I didn’t realize was that as the universe was helping me let go of the past, it was also preparing me for one of the worst things a person can go through. 

Verbs of being change in an instant.  Frank Sedlak passed on March 30th.  He was my father.  

He was funny
He was a beautiful singer
He was a hard worker
He was a good man
He was a wonderful father to me and my brothers  
He was a loving husband to my mom  

Having to say that he “was” those things instead of he “is” those things is painful.  But I am grateful that he was all of those things.  I am grateful to have had such a man help shape my life.  Not everyone gets a great father.  Not everyone gets to have one as long as I did.  It was in that spirit of gratitude that I held his hand and said goodbye. 

I am grateful that In the the last year of my Dad’s life, he saw his daughter change from an unhappy, frustrated, short-tempered person to a very happy woman.  But one thing will never change.  I was, am, and will always be… Daddy’s little girl.     

Class is in Session ....

It's been quite a winter here in Pittsburgh.   No better time to cozy up during the vortex and get some work done.  As I sit here comfy and warm taking a break from a project, I think of all the other blog entries that I have written over the last few snowy weeks that haven't made it up on my site.  My perfectionism getting in the way, I guess.  I just can't quite sum up 2013 in a few words.

 So, I'll just leave it at this. Thank you, 2013, for all your kindness. 

If you are reading this, YOU were part of my 2013, so thank you as well.  And 2013 was all good.  Thus, YOU are good.   If 2013 = good and YOU = 2013, then YOU = GOOD.  

Now I'm delving into Math/Logic.  DANGER! DANGER!  Artist doing math!  In college I was allowed to take logic as a math since I was a little ol' art student.   A-hem..... I took Calculus in high school, thank-you-very-much!   Well, I did take that logic class simply because I had never had a logic class before.  I learned all of my proofs and If/thens.  (Thus the YOU = GOOD)

While we're on the subject of classes - I think everyone should learn how to teach.  We spend our entire lives learning.  At least we should.  Wouldn't the process be easier if we were all better teachers for each other?   Don't we all have something of value to share?

I recently watched a documentary about the extraordinary composer Stephen Sondheim.   I have never seen anyone so free and articulate in sharing their creative process.  I think his greatest legacy will be as a teacher.  After all, he mentored Jonathan Larson.   Oscar Hammerstein mentored Sondheim.  See how it works?   Back to math... Hammerstien + Sondheim + Larson = "RENT". 

If you don't know who any of these people are, Wikipedia is available to you.  (The short answer is my Broadway Geek is showing again.)   See.... I'm giving you a learning opportunity.   YOU’RE WELCOME.

In your research, I'm sure you will discover that Oscar Hammerstein wrote:
 "If you become a teacher,  by your pupils you'll be taught...."  

Coincidence?  I don't think so. 

May 2014 bring us all fantastic opportunities to be teachers and pupils!

Why Blog??

As with so many things in life - why not?   I'm by no means an English major.  Then again, I've been a few things that I never thought I'd be.  So now I'm a blogger.  I hope to be informative and entertaining.  I've been known to crack people up from time to time - mostly with horrible puns.  I want to share how I'm growing and how excited I am about this venture.  In other words... cheap therapy.

I have thought of bloggers as self-indulgent people who think that every thought needs to be spouted to the world.  Let's get this clear - I am no one special.  I haven't overcome enormous odds to achieve anything.  I haven't travelled through 3 countries to discover myself - although I have Eaten, Prayed and Loved.  I don't own an inspiring animal that changed my life. I have not bought a villa under the Tuscan sun.  Although I HAVE, obviously, read some chick books and watched some chick flicks. 

If I WERE involved in making movies, I'd be an editor or casting director.  I would not be a movie star, but I would help others shine.  In real life, my clients are the stars and my work supports their goals.  Fonts, Images and logos are what I cast in a project and as an editor I put those elements together in a way that tells a story.  

So with BetterBe, I have to tell my story so you trust me with your story.  I hope you stick around as my story unfolds.