PAUSE... (COVID-19 reflection of life)

Pause, take a peek of all the amazing things around you 
Pause and listen to your heart beating
Pause, don’t let the daily routine consume you
Pause, appreciate a sincere smile
Pause to feel the breeze while walking in the morning 
Pause and stop taking people for granted
Pause to value what others do for you
Pause to dance while enjoying the music 
Pause to pay respect to the ones that make 
a difference every day
Pause, value and admire all the beauty 
we have around us
Pause and be grateful for everything you have
Pause to acknowledge the best in others
Pause so you can miss the good old days 
Pause so you can dream about the future
Pause to understand that there's more 
than being busy
Pause to spend an afternoon with your parents
Pause before you miss your children’s growth 
Pause so you can keep on dreaming 
Pause to let your creativity flow
Pause, hug that special someone
Pause and show your love to others
Pause to take a deep breath
Pause so you can continue living
                                       -Tere Rodriguez-Nora

Are you a believer?

Do you believe tomorrow might be a better day

Do you believe in humanity

Do you believe there’re more good people than bad ones

Do you believe a smile 

from a stranger can make your day better

Do you believe in love even when you had a bad experience 

Do you believe in the human spirit 

Do you believe in the kid that struggles today academically 

Do you believe that spending time in nature is a wonderful thing

Do you believe in lazy Sundays at home with your loved one
Do you believe that laughter can be contagious

Do you believe in the awesomeness of a sunset 

Do you believe in the immensity of the black sky full of stars

Do you believe in love at first sight 

       Do you believe that life struggles won't last forever

Do you believe in hope 

         Do you believe hugs are powerful 

      Do you believe a kiss can turn your life upside down             

    Do you believe you are unique

     Do you believe in yourself 

Do you BELIEVE 

                                             Tere Rodriguez-Nora

                     

Life gave me a second chance...

Almost a year ago, I lived a near-death experience. It was the morning of May and I decided to get hash browns for breakfast before I went to work. I stopped at a convenience store of a gas station. I was there along with other customers. We all were minding our own businesses when a man made an entrance to the store. He was holding a woman, who was his wife, by her arm while he was screaming at her. She looked horrified. She looked like she was trying to get out of his side. She was crying. Then, he grabbed a gun he had in his pants and was pointing it at her...
Long story short, all the customers, employees, and I were kept there for about 3 hours. We couldn't get out because the man will point at us with the gun and he was standing by the doors. One of the customers tried doing so and he was shot. He shot this man and his wife. Both of them ended dead.
Police came by the side door and shot the guy...

Me, while everything was happening... couldn't believe I was going through that experience, I only wanted hash browns. You know what people say about you having a mental movie in your head of all your life when you are experiencing something like this, yes, that happened to me. All my life went through my mind. My present life too. My future... I remember thinking that I wanted to do and experience a lot of things, I didn't want to die.
 I was there with children, young and older women, young and older men, people from different backgrounds and social status, with different ethnics and we all were feeling the same: terror. You could see the terror in their eyes, as I am sure they could see it in mine.
But life is generous and gave me a second chance to live. I came out of there alive. Alive and without a scratch. My heart was all shattered, but still alive. Every morning when I wake up, I give thanks for a new day and for my second chance to live. It hasn't been easy dealing with the aftermath of the experience but I'm a strong person and I have had good people beside me. There are days that I remember what happen and nightmares come at night, the day seems to be very heavy, and tears might come down but then I remember that I'm here alive, that life has given me a second chance... and intend to make the best of it.

30 reasons I’m thankful for...

1. being alive. 
2. breathing every day. 
3. the chance to see the sun every morning. 
4. my two sons and all the experiences I have lived with them. 
5. my parents and their love and teachings
6. all the experiences I have lived (good and bad ones). 
7. those people that love me no matter what. 
8. being able to make some kind of difference in people through my work. 
9. listening to a beautiful song. 
10. admiring the immensity of the night sky. 
11. smelling the scent of the rain when it’s approaching. 
12. feeling my dog’s fur while I caressed her. 
13. having a new chance to live after having a nearly death experience. 
14. my friends who chose me to be part of their lives. 
15. my writing because it lets me express myself and share my feelings with the world. 
16. my life before my divorce because it taught me how to be strong. 
17. the special needs child I tutor because he taught me how simple is to love. 
18. special moments lived with special people
19. the music which I dance to. 
20. laughing every day, even in my sorrow. 
21. the tears I have shed. 
22. the strangers I see every day that share with me their smile. 
23. all those people that aren’t part of my life anymore because, from them, I have learned a lesson. 
24. getting safe back home every day
25. the day that isn’t going well because makes me appreciate the good ones. 
26. those moments I have failed because helped me grow as a person. 
27. the days I doubt myself a little because it made me believe in myself more. 
28. being loved, understood, and respected. 
29. loving with all my heart. 
30. just opening my eyes every morning because I have one more day to live. 

Take care and be thankful, Tere

Reflection of one more year living...

This is a special month for me; it’s the month of my birthday. My special day is on the 20th. As part of my celebrations, I’m writing about what I have learned in this past year. I had different experiences, some good ones, other scary ones, and a lot of special moments. From all of them, I have learned something.









 I have learned...

That even when you don’t receive the same kind of love from someone,
your love it’s not ever wasted.

To say no and not feel guilty about it.
That, sadly, sometimes friendships are questionable but, also, that sometimes friends can be more of a family than your own one.
To be thankful for what I have and not have.
To be grateful for those who care for me in special ways.
To admire even more my parents in their role as grandparents.
To be more than grateful when you get one more chance to live.
That's never too late to get your dream job.
That in order to be creative, one must create (in my case, writing) every single day.
To say what you feel and never regret doing it.
That actions really speak more than words.
That there are not better smells than the smell of the rain and the sea breeze.
That you can learn a lot from a disabled kid.
That the most beautiful smiles come from the heart.
That there’s no better way to laugh than when you do it out loud and to don’t minding that someone is looking at you.
To dance, dance, dance anytime you feel like it, with or without music.
That sometimes people need to fail real bad in order to learn a lesson.
That there’s great joy in teaching others.
To be grateful to others even for the smallest gesture.
To care for others from your heart.
That even though you have deep scars in your heart, you can continue living and loving. 
To don’t be scared to love, even if you think the outcome won’t be the one you wish will be.
To love, laugh, and be thankful every day.
                                                                  

   Tere Rodriguez-Nora

A little more of my quotes...

Hello! 

Here are some of the quotes I have written lately. I’m sure you’ll feel connected to more than one.

Take care, Tere

 

Sometimes the life ride is bumpy

Life pulls you, pushes you, twists you many times without warning. You continue your way regardless of the obstacles. You fall, peel your knees but you keep walking until the fatigue overcomes you.



You recover and take the road again. Sweat and fatigue are your allies. Perseverance joins them when you least expect it. It is then that you realize that on this rocky path that you had to walk and extenuated at times from it; the most important thing is to believe in yourself, trust that every time your life is twisted you will find a way to straighten it and that your knees will be all well again.

Take care, Tere

Blessed in the most unexpected way... my experience with an autistic student.

I'm pretty sure that sometimes you have thought of the blessings you have had or have in your life. Perhaps you think that you haven't been blessed as much as you should be or you compare your blessings to others’ Then life makes sure to take you through unexpected paths. Paths that make you think...

I have lived a blessed life. I had a great childhood and teen's years. I have two sons that are good-hearted men. I come from a family where we share love and care for each other. I have amazing friends who have been there for me always. I'm in good health, both physically and mentally. So, as you can see, I’m blessed.

Recently life decided to bless me in a different way. I started tutoring a kid with advanced autism. I've never worked with a student with autism before and when I was asked to do it, I won't lie; I was very nervous and stressful. But, I did it. I’ve been working with him for three weeks now and it has been a ride that I’ve been enjoying a lot.

He and I made a connection. I was afraid that didn’t happen but, it did and easily. He's happy to see me. I know it not only because he looked happy but because he said it with words. He works hard on his assignments and completes every task. He has shared with me his most beautiful smiles... and what an awesome feeling it is to see him smiling.
 Every Tuesday and Thursday this kid waits for me to be there and tutor him. Every Tuesday and Thursday I can't wait to be there for him.

His presence in my life has shown me another view of life, his view. A unique view where life is not that complicated and where you can be happy with the smallest things, with the smallest gesture of love.
Knowing and tutoring this kid... that is a true blessing!

Take care, Tere

To be a parent is...

To be a parent is...

to attempt for the first time

to play by ear

to fail a lot of times

to cry of joy

to love every moment of it

to care without limits

to cry of sorrow

to learn to let go

to be grateful

to be immensely joyous

to forgive

to suffer when your kids do

to try and make mistakes

to sometimes expect the unexpected

to ask for forgiveness

to have many endless nights without sleep

to celebrate every tiny success

to wipe a lot of tears

to talk limitless about your kids

to be there when they need you

to know it all

to know nothing

to be a teacher, a nurse, a driver, a coach, a friend, a role model

to walk with them every step of the way

to laugh hysterically

to love unconditionally 

to know that they are not yours, just part of you



                                                                                                  Tere Rodriguez-Nora

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

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