Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Be grateful every day...



   
      Be grateful for a sunny or a rainy day,
       for the singing of the birds,
       because someone opened a door for you,
         for the bad and the good days
      for a day at the beach,
         for a tasty piece of cake,
         because things are not going as you expected,  
      for reading a good book or writing a great story,  
      for a tight, warm hug 
for tears of sadness,
    for times with friends and family,
     time with your love,
 for the laughter of your kids, 
for a sensual kiss,
           because someone holds your hand...
       Be grateful every day because you are alive! 
                                                                Tere Rodriguez-Nora                             
  

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

The year 2017 and I (what it taught me)



                                                 
    
We are almost saying goodbye to the year 2017. I can't believe it's almost over...time really flies. I'm sure everyone has had different life experiences happening through the whole year. I wasn't an exception, I had an interesting and, in some way, a peculiar year.

Let me share with you some of the experiences I lived this year: I started the year (February) with one of my sons having a legal problem (falsely accused). He was arrested and transferred to jail. Difficult times dealing with it, I visited him in jail and saw him in that orange uniform and with handcuffed. Thankfully he's out and next month is his last follow up hearing where his case will be closed and he will be without any records on his name.

Also as part of this year experiences, I started two new part-time jobs that I love, tutoring teacher and after-school Spanish teacher. Another of my experiences was hurricane Irma in Orlando, even though I had experienced hurricanes before; this one was kind of scary for me. Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20th (my B-day) leaving my island devastated. This touched my heart in an unexpected way, seeing how all of the Puerto Ricans: family, friends, acquaintances, were suffering and not be able to do anything. This hurricane also touched my professional life, one of my books was going to be published in English but since my publishing company does not have power nor internet yet, that couldn't happen. By the beginning of December, I had my identity stolen and my banks' accounts cleaned (no money). Yayy, great for me! This experience was one of a kind and a hard one to deal with. Lastly, I had to spend Christmas day alone this year. Cheerful, right?

But, as people say, from every situation we learn something...

What I learned from the year 2017?
I learned that is hard sometimes being a parent but still is the most rewarding role I have as a person. I also learned that I have the most amazing friends, who supported me through all of my son's entire situation without judging anything, stood by my side every time I felt I was falling, and lend me a shoulder where I could cry on. This year also taught me that the good ones are way more. I saw it in some people of the justice system as well as in the people that got together and help in different ways the people of my beautiful island, Puerto Rico, after the hurricane. Words can’t express the gratitude I have for those that helped and the ones whio continue doing it. This year, I also learned that even though I had to spend the Christmas day by myself and didn't receive any present; it's not so bad. I got to see a lot of Christmas movies (which I love) and stayed in my pajamas and ate the whole day. The experience of starting the two part-time jobs this year taught me a side of me I didn't know I had, of being a teacher, and I love it. This year also brought me more writing. I've been posting a quote every day, writing more on this blog and on some children's' short stories as well as in an adult book I'm working.  Furthermore, this year taught me that one can meet amazing people in unimaginable places or situations. Finally, this year has been the year of enjoying more my life as it is, trying to live the moment and to always see the positive things, even though I'm dealing with rough times.

I've been through a lot of different and unexpected experiences throughout this year, but I'm grateful for each and every one of them.

Next year (2018)...I will continue my journey. I will keep trying as long as I open my eyes every morning...nothing will stop me.

What did you learn from 2017? Share it wit me!!

Salud to a blessed new year!!
Take care, Tere




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
 

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Sharing a little more of my abusive relationship experience







A friend of mine asked me the other day why I didn’t write more about the experience I had with an abusive relationship. He thinks that letting other women know about it will benefit them because it might help those experiencing or have experienced the same thing.
That made me think why I really don’t do it. But, most of all, (and I don’t know why) made me think about that year after I left the abusive relationship.
For me, being part of an abusive relationship was hard but was even harder trying to live after that type of relationship was over.
Why you might think.
Well, living in an abusive relationship everyday kind of makes the abuse part of your life. That’s all you know, you get used to it. I lived like that, but when it was over and I thought of what I went through and the time I have spent on it, a bunch of new feelings came out.



I was full with guilt, shame, disbelief of why I stayed, and, most of all, I carried for a long time, in myself, a lot of the insults that I’ve been told.
Guilt and shame... I felt guilty because I stayed in that relationship for so long. Why I did it was a question that I made myself every day. I felt ashamed of myself, again, for being in that relationship for so long and also because what kind of woman I was to let that happen to me. Guilt and shame hunted me every day; every time I saw my parents, my sons, my friends, and every time someone told me that they couldn’t believe my relationship was over because we were the perfect couple.

The insults, the verbal and emotional insults I received, well, those stayed with me for a long time. For months and months, I could hear him saying those insults to me as it was the actual day that he did it. That I was fat, dumb, that I would never achieve anything in my life, that I wasn’t sexual competent, that no other man could possibly love me were part of the insults. These were accompanied by yelling, screaming, aggressive behavior, checking constantly were I was, and a constantly, absurd jealousy.

I lived with all those feelings for a long year and a half and I’ll be lying to you if I tell you that sporadically when I’m doing or experiencing something specifically (like an award I received as an author, a date, a compliment I received, or at work) I don't hear those voices again, because I do.

I am a stronger woman now and those voices can’t hurt me anymore. They don’t hurt simply because I know now that I have never should feel guilt or shame. It was him who was wrong, not me. There is nothing wrong with me. They don’t hurt, also, because there are a lot of great women who, like me, have suffered what I have suffered and who are suffering every day. They, as well as me, aren’t weak women or a lesser type of women. They are just caught up in an abusive relationship. Most of all, this type of relationship does not define them or me at all. We are way more than a woman in an abusive relationship or one that has experienced one.
All these women, as well as myself, are great, smart, caring, funny, lovable, creative, incredible human beings capable of loving and respecting a man. But, most of all, we are amazing women that deserve love, respect, care, and happiness next to a man willing to give us that and more.
Take care, Tere

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Life is about...



Beautiful Smiles
 A loud laughter
The look in your eyes
     The sound of the rain
A tight hug
   A child's giggle
The colors of a rainbow
     An amazing sunset
A starry night
     Listening to your favorite song
A slow dance
     The sound of the waves
A day at the beach
    Reading a good book
A refreshing swim
    A nice walk through nature
The warmth of the sun
    A breezy afternoon
A crazy dance at midnight 
A quiet evening
    Being barefoot on the grass
A creative mind
Time with your friends
Sharing with family
    The scent of your perfume
A passionate kiss
 Holding your hand
Love between you and me
                                                      Tere Rodriguez-Nora





Tuesday, November 21, 2017

I’m thankful...





 for that smile that a stranger gave
 me unexpectedly 
 for the rain that wet my feet on my way
 to work yesterday
  for the ray of sunshine that blinded my eyes 
when I was walking 
 for the singing of the bird that woke me up this morning when I wanted to sleep more  
for that difference in opinion, I had with my 
friend that made me appreciate her more 
 for the times my parents didn’t let me do what 
I wanted because it wasn’t good for me 
for all those people that aren’t part of my life
anymore because, from them, I have learned a lesson 
 for that bad experience I had because it
 helped me be a better person 
 for the day that isn’t going well because 
make me appreciate the good ones
 for those moments I felt a failure because
 it helped me grow as a person  
for the days I doubt myself a little because it
made me believe in myself more  
for the good news, I saw on TV because 
it gave me hope in humanity  
for those words my teacher told me when
 I thought I couldn’t make it  
for that moment I didn’t like myself because it
 made me appreciate myself more  
for that tear turned into a smile because made
 me believe in better days to come 
 for just opening my eyes this morning because
 I have one more day to live 

                                                                 Tere Rodriguez-Nora

Image result for thankful

Sunday, November 19, 2017

Love is what it is





Have you ever fell in love? I'm sure you have.

How did it make you feel? Isn't love the most amazing thing? For me, it is for sure!

Thinking about falling in love makes me think about those who fall in love but either not want to or think is not the right time for it and, then, they prefer to pull away. Why prohibited yourself from such a wonderful feeling and experience of sharing your life with someone you love?

Why end it?

 A good love can make you be a better person, can make you see things with a different perspective, makes you see life more beautiful, give you strength when you think you don’t have it anymore, it’s fun and adventurous.
I truly don't understand why they pull away, but I guess they have their reason.

You can’t plan love, it just happens and when it does you should grab it. It’s this amazing ride that two ride together, going up and down but always caring and respecting each other. 
Love sometimes gives you another chance and you shouldn't waste it.

I’m not getting any younger and when love knocks on my door I will give everything I’ve got to it. Who knows if this will be the last time in my life that I’ll feel this way for someone. I'll embrace love for sure!!

I don’t want to end this post without sharing with you this quote that I read in Spanish the other day -“Dicen por ahí... Que de tanto darle tiempo al tiempo, se nos va la vida." 
It means, "Some people say...That from giving so much time to time, our life slip away." 
True, right? 


At this point in life, I may not know where, but I'll know with whom.

Take care, Tere


Tuesday, November 14, 2017

That kind of love (2) 





A love that doesn’t make excuses,
 that’s strong to fight,
 that not preconceives,
 that’s calm,
 which forgot it was wounded in war,
 that brings peace,
that doesn't move away after getting closer, 
 that doesn’t compare,
 that makes time, 
ready to sometimes don’t understand why...
                                  that kind of love. 
                                                       Tere Rodriguez-Nora

Monday, November 6, 2017

My abusive relationship experience...




Abusive relationships happen every day, every hour, and to anyone. It doesn’t matter where you live, your social status, religion, or education. It’s out there and real. It’s more real than you know. You might have a friend who is involved in this type of relationship and you don't even now.



I was part of one myself. I was in an abusive relationship for way too much time. Yelling, insults (like fat, dumb, sexually incompetent, inept), always making me feel guilty, jealous about everyone (including my two sons), trying to make me feel less were part of my everyday life.


I was used to it. I was "happy". That's all I knew. I was so in love that I didn't notice that I was abused. I didn't care about what my sister, my friends, anyone told me; I always made an excuse excusing him. Nothing wrong was going on.



It had been 5 years since I decided I was done with my relationship. It sure took me a lot of time to be done with it but is better late than never. Right?


I have invested too many years of my life in that relationship.


The day I was done with it, it was when I felt how heavy was the load I was carrying when I was no longer feeling that weight.



After I finished my relationship; I took a profound look at my interior self, at what I have lived and what was going to be my new life. Part of my introspection included trying to remember my life of the past twenty-something years. Weirdly, it seems that I have erased from my mind most of the things that happened to me in this relationship, both good and bad. I erased experiences when he abused me but I also erased experiences that were about Christmas, birthdays, family get togethers and events, among others. 


I'm pretty sure I did it in a way to protect myself. I am a counselor, I know that our mind is powerful and can do strange things to help you cope with different situations.



The decisions I took after my separation were hard to understand for some people (including one of my sons) but they were necessary. One of them was that I needed to get as far away as I could from my ex. His love was an obsessive one so I needed to place a lot of distance between us. So, I did, I moved to Florida to start a new life. 







I was immensely hurt. He tore my self-esteem apart. A lot of the insults he said to me stayed with me for a long, long time. I believed they were true. Little by little I began to heal and I began to be secure about myself and of the great woman I am.

From every situation and experience, we learned something and this wasn't an exception. I learned that it wasn't me who was wrong, it was him. I learned that a love relationship should have more tears of joy than of sadness. I learned that life always offers second chances. I learned that love shouldn't hurt if it hurts is not love. I learned that you can love again even if you were hurt. I learned that you can always create new memories. Most of all, I learned and I know that I am a smart, creative, caring, funny, lovable, extraordinary woman who is capable of loving and respect a man and most of all deserve a relationship fund on respect, caring, happiness, and love.



If you have had the same experience as mine; belief in yourself, believe in second chances, and believe that you are capable to have a magnificent relationship with someone who will love and respect you.



Take care, Tere



Thursday, October 26, 2017

Award winning children’s books author



 

¡Hola!
As you all might know, I’m a children’s books author. Writing is my passion, I love doing it. I first started writing when I was in high school then stopped for a while and resumed it sometime later in the year 2000. When I started again to write I wanted to do a story about my dad’s hometown but when I sat down to write, a children’s short story was what I wrote. That short story became my first published book. I have published three children’s books and some other short stories on textbooks.

These are my babies, my published books: Kikiwi y los desperdicios en el fondo del mar, En busca de la paz, and Las estrellas de los Reyes Magos. Below you’ll find a short synopsis of each book.

Kikiwi y los desperdicios en el fondo del mar is about a happy little fish in the Caribbean Sea, loves to swim through the dense algae and play around the colorful corals in the company of his marine friends. Kikiwi finds it hard to tolerate the junk that pollutes the sea so together with his friends and the help of some children, Kikiwi finds a way to maintain the beach and keep the sea clean. With lovable characters and beautiful illustrations, this underwater story demonstrates the importance of caring for the environment.

En busca de la paz is about a boy named Andre, a very curious little boy, that is in search of an answer to the question What is peace? What is it made of? What does it feel like? The answers come to him in a dream in which his grandfather appears and teaches him that peace is wonderful and can be experienced when feeling secure, safe, and protected.

Las estrellas de los Reyes Magos is a beautiful Christmas story about the Latino, traditional celebration of the Three Kings day and how a boy and his grandpa celebrate it...It was a beautiful night. The sky was clear and full of stars. Benjamin could distinguish three in particular that twinkled more than the others. With the help of his grandfather, Benjamin discovers the magical story behind these stars and the tradition of the Day of the Three Kings. This title was selected as an award-winning book in the 18th Annual International Latino Book Awards (2016) in the category "Best Latino Focused Children’s Picture Book – Spanish".

My books are in Spanish but I’m sure you know someone who knows the language and would love to read them. The books can be found on Amazon, my Facebook author page https://m.facebook.com/tererodrigueznoraauthor/?tsid=0.5596635260586698&source=typeahead or emailing me at tererodrigueznora@gmail.com

Take care, Tere

Saturday, October 7, 2017

Thank you!! 



Boquerón PR

Thank you sometimes is such a small way to say how much you appreciate someone for doing something for you or for the one you love. This time it's my way to tell you how much it means to me all the kindness you all have shown towards me, my loved ones in Puerto Rico and all the people on the island.
Thank you all for helping my fellow brothers and sisters in my beautiful island...
Thank you for that dollar you donate, for all the provisions you dropped at the relief event, for that package of water you bought for them, for every time you share a post, for all those prayers you said, for reaching out to me asking if my family and loved ones were well.
I firmly believe that the good ones are more than the bad ones and watching in the news and in social media, all this response towards Puerto Rico has confirmed it.

Once again, thank you! ¡Gracias! Many blessings!!  ❤️
Take care, Tere
Sunset in Puerto Rico

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Introspection of my 48 years of living 




My birthday is this week. I'm turning 48 years old, yes, only two more and I'm 50.

Scared? Nah! I'm just starting to live.


But being near 50 has made me introspected about my life.

The following is what I concluded about what I have learned and gained in my 48 years of living:
  • Difficult times will come but they don't last a lifetime 
  • Stay positive, even when what you are going through is hard as hell. 
  • Don't regret your mistakes because from all of them you have learned something 
  • Know that with every sunrise comes a brand new day. 
  • Treat yourself as a priority. 
  • Don't be the spare of anyone, be their priority. They are the ones who lose if they don't treat you as one. 
  • Show love, gratitude 
  • Life is not easy. It's like a roller coaster, but it's the kind that you don't want to stop riding. 
  • Show the ones that you love that you care, not only with words but especially with actions. 
  • Love your children with all your heart but know that, eventually, they will have to live their life by themselves and that you shouldn't try to live their lives through yours. They need to fail, they need to cry, and they need to have troubles in order to grow, to learn, and to be better persons.
  • Be patient, it's a great virtue. 
  • Learn as much you can. It doesn't matter if you do it by going to schools, colleges, or by yourself as long as you do it. 
  • Share your life with your loved ones and tell and demonstrate your love for them always. 
  • Don't spend too much time worrying, that time will never come back. 
  • Wear a smile every day. 
  • Honesty takes you a long way. 
  • Know that life is fragile; try to live it as better as you can. 
  • Embrace your passion. Passion is what's going to make your life roll. 
  • Don't mind what others think about you, it's your life, not theirs. 
  • Be humble 
  • Cherish your friends. They are the family that you choose. I sure have good ones and I love and am grateful for them every day. 
  • Talk and visit your parents often, they need you as much as you needed them. 
  • Believe that you are beautiful in every stage of your life. 
  • Work and be proud of what you do but don't forget to work for a living and not living for work. 
  • Go out, have fun 
  • Be caring and warm to others 
  • Protect the environment. This magnificent place called Earth is the only home we have.
  • Listen to music and dance anytime and in any place, you feel like it. 
  • Know that you will fall and have failures but also that you will raise up again and what have you learned from it will make you stronger. 
  • Don't let anyone mistreat you, offend you with words or emotionally, no one that does this to you deserve your love and respect 
  • Fall in love again even if you have been hurt before. 
  • Laugh every day, do it hard and loud. 
  • Know that the love for you is the greatest kind of love. Love yourself with all your strengths but especially with all your weaknesses. You can't love anyone if you don't love yourself first. Embrace yourself! 
  • Be grateful for a sunny or a rainy day, for the singing of the birds, because someone opened a door for you, for the bad and the good days, for a day at the beach, for a tasty piece of cake, because things are not going as you expected, for reading a good book or writing a great story, for a tight hug, for tears of sadness, for times with friends and family, time with your love, for the laughter of your kids, for a sensual kiss, because someone holds your hand...
  • Be grateful every day because you are alive! 
Happy birthday to me!

Take care, Tere

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Which is the right one for you?...That's the one!





  The one who's happy to wake up next to you every morning
The one that makes you laugh hysterically
The one that gets excited every time he sees you
The one that makes you cry of happiness not of sorrow
        The one that with every kiss is telling you that you are right for him
          The one that always makes time for you


The one that shows you with a smile that 
                 he's happy to see you
The one that gives you those butterflies feeling
              every time he messaged you
The one that shows how he feels with actions, 
                     not with words
The one that with every hug is letting you know
                    that you’re home
The one that misses being around you
The one that doesn't have to say I love you because 
           you feel it when he cares for you
That's the ONE!
                                           Tere Rodriguez-Nora




                                                    


Tuesday, September 12, 2017

A collection of my romantic quotes



Here are a some of the romantic quotes I have written.

Enjoy them...

Hope you have enjoyed them. Let me know what you think!!

Take care, Tere