For as long as I can remember, I’ve written sayings that I liked. Here are a few entries of 2005 that I have enjoyed, and in some cases lived by.

• I have one great fear in my heart, that one day when they turned into loving, we are turned into hating – Cry the beloved country
• In our lives we do no great things, only small things with great love! – Mother Theresa
• Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves – Henry David Thoreau
• Money never makes a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one – Benjamin Franklin
• For people like for plants, frequent repotting disrupts root systems – Putnam Harvard – The collapse and revival of American community
• Speak your mind even when your voice shakes! – Anonymous
• It is never the issues that are tough, but the people who bring them about and the emotional complexity they bring with them. Wayne Dyer
• God let me be an instrument of thy peace! – Wayne Dyer
• It was as if a vital evolutionary advantage had been bestowed centuries ago on those members of the species who lived in a state of concern about what was to happen next. These ancestors might have failed to savor their experiences appropriately, but they had at least survived and shaped the character of their descendants; while their more focused siblings at one with the moment and with the place where they stood in, had met violent ends on the horns of unforeseen bison. – The art of travel – Alain De Botton
• Life is a hospital in which every patient is obsessed with changing beds! – Anonymous
• I love your grace mamarama, not enough of it round here – Anonymous
• What e’er thou art, act well thy part. – Anonymous
• There is no chance, no fate, no destiny that can circumvent or hinder or control a firm resolve of a determined soul. – Ella Wheeler Wilcox
• I ask to be forgiven and released by all those whom I have hurt or harmed and I ask to forgive and release all those who hurt and harmed me. – Anonymous
• Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change. – Wayne Dyer
• I watched a TV documentary on a surgery to give a person bionic arms in place of his severed arms. That cost him 3 million USD. I said what a shame, I have these two amazing arms for free and I never once stop to thank God for them! I am blessed an happy every day for being alive and well! – Sarkis The Armenian jeweler
• If you come to this world with nothing and you leave with nothing, what can you do with your life? Given it away in the service of others. – Anonymous
• Vikings sail into enemy territory, burn the boats, and move on. That requires boldness. Failure is brutal – Anonymous
• Freud’s definition of insanity is doing the exact same thing over and expecting different results
• Anger is never without reason, but seldom a good one – Benjamin Franklin
• It is indeed difficult to be struggling with one’s own existence and world and try to understand that of others who may depend on you to understand the world they live in. – Anonymous
• He who gives when he is asked has waited too long. – Anonymous
• An expert in many matters a master of none
• We didn’t inherit the earth from our parents, we are borrowing it from our children
• To love and to work are capabilities that mark full maturity – Sigman Freud
• “Who taught you doctor?” the reply came promptly.. Suffering – Albert Camus
• Akido is the art of reconciliation. Whoever has the mind to fight has broken his connection with the universe. If you try to dominate people, you are already defeated. We study how to resolve conflict, not how to create it” – Akido Master
• When people praise us, we should always keep a close eye on how we behave.
• The universe takes care of correcting our mistakes; there is no room for blame or self pity.
• The energy of hatred wont get you anywhere, but the energy of forgiveness which reveals itself through love, will transform your life in a positive way – Paolo Coelho
• What we need to learn is always there before us, we just have to look around us with respect and attention in order to discover where God is leading us and which steps we should take next. I also learned respect for mystery : as Einstein said, God does not play dice with the universe, everything is interconnected and has a meaning. That meaning may remain hidden nearly all the time, but we always know we are close to our true mission on earth when what we are doing is touched with the energy of enthusiasm. – Paolo Coelho
• An oak tree is a nut that stood its grounds
• The price of greatness is responsibility over each of your thoughts – Winston Churchill
• When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all of your thoughts, break their bonds: your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person then you ever dreamed yourself to be. – Patanjali
• Every second you spend thinking about someone else’s dreams, you take time away from your own.
• Sometimes it is braver to leap and think on the way down. You feel wonderfully free!

A recount of some priceless moments of the past year! While there are many more in my journal, I’ve picked out a few at random

• Learning to relax, live the moment and enjoy every second with my children has been a great accomplishment. I enjoyed my time with them so much, I wished I had them as infants again to relive the joy
• Nowara has inspired me and many friends and family members to donate in more than one way; with her help, the children of the Dar know there are people who care and those who care, learned the art of giving from Nowara.
• Seeing Nowara’s house in Syria for the first time, I was awed by her amazing taste and ability to influence everything around her with unique sense of style.
• Nowara takes a fall after throwing herself at me to bid farewell and bangs her head on the wall, causing a dent! All of you know Nowara’s head is her biggest asset!
• Going through some rough patches, I realize I’m blessed to have friends like Ronda and Rouzan, who in spite of all my shortcomings see the best in me and encourage me to live my life to the fullest.
• Tala receives her first “The men in my life” photo album on her 13th surprise b-day and blushes with embarrassment over the content.
• Aboudi’s eyes gleam when the pediatrician tells him he’ll be 6 ft + tall!
• Ronda & Jeff’s visit to Dubai and Oman – WHERE IS RUI?
• Mama Salma’s stunning elegance on her bday!! She looked better than her daughters! She has brought our family together to enjoy her special day; she never ceases to amaze me in her spirit to live life to its fullest! A great role model
• After a long speech recounting the migration of my great grandparents to Syria and their heroics in various endeavors, Aboudi states “So you think your fam. is all that huh?” Cracked me up!
• Tala is a young lady! Seeing her pictures made me realize I not only have a charming little lady, but a beautiful one too. She is blossoming and her wonderful personality is coupled with stunning looks!
• Tala practices for her career in Film; she adopts a different accent every month; rattling on a list of vegetables in an Indian accent topped the charts! She i
  s ready for Hollywood!
• Omar’s rise to fame seem to further his absent mindedness! He copies the whole fam on a private and hilarious email exchange between him and Sarsour
• Amazed by Omar’s dedication to his career in music and feeling very proud of his accomplishments. I catch myself telling people, he’s an architect too you know! As if the music wasn’t enough!
• Sarah’s sense of humor, creativity and loving self comes to life in a trip to Dubai. I enjoyed her company so much, I truly wished she could move here
• Watching Wael mature, listening to him go on about his experience in life and love and his aspirations for more than Syria can offer was such a joy; I felt very happy for him.
• Listening to mama talk about Bromo, with such love and pride made me realize how much he means to all of us; he is a constant reminder of dad.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! LOVE YOU ALL