Dear Friends, Today I learned an invaluable lesson which had such resonance with me that I care to share it with you. While discussing issues which are closely related to family and friends and to ourselves, I discovered upon a few seconds of meditation the following: It is always easier to gossip about other people's mistakes than to face the reality of your own. Also, a gossip will always have an advantage over the subject of gossip: the gift of retrospect without action. You see, when a person makes a mistake that has tarnished some aspect of the aforesaid's life, one tends to reflect upon the past with regret. However, this impedes us from moving on and facing the possibility of making another horrible mistake, which, in all likelihood, will occur because we are too preoccupied with angst over our fooolish pasts. In other words, it is easier o be the gossip than to be the subject matter of the gossip, because the gossip can reflect rationally (although often not impartially, because if you value the person enough to actually talk behind their back, you probably already had some negative, preconceived notion of what that person meant to you in the first place. In addition, please remember this: Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Or perhaps, the translated version of how my mother would say it: don't preach in your underwear! Take an in-depth look at your own life and how you are living it before trashing the lifestyles and choices of others. You may come to find that your own lifestyle is more negatively noteworthy than that of your contemporaries. Lastly, please don't forget that when you remind others of how badly a person has behaved, you are already meeting them halfway by talking behind their back in the first place! If you don't want to stoop to their level, then I suggest that you just listen to the gossip you are told without really listening or offering your opinion, or just turn a deaf ear and forget whatever it was that your best friend heard Sodom and Gomorra were doing. Besides...you never know when the next person you hear about will be your best friend. In Him and with my absolute best regards, Laurita ;)

Dear Friends, I am now writing to you from Orlando again. Even as I write, my heart breaks in two, because I cannot be in two places at once. Therefore, I leave a piece of my heart in Puerto Rico, and I leave it exactly where I will find it and pick it up the next time I return. I am still working on my article (on a local Spanish bakery in Bayamon). I hope to publish soon, as it is an endeavor which I hope will keep me busy enough so as to not think so much about what I am truly missing out on. A few days ago, I awoke early and watched in pure delight as my two-year-old cousin woke up and observed me, playfully. She babbled and laughed, and looked like a tiny, scrawny little angel in her celestial bed. My four-year-old cousin's eyes were red and puffy yesterday, from all the crying as she said goodbye to us. My grandmother and my aunt will stay with us for a week, and we flew to Fort Lauderdale, rented a car, and ended up rolling in at about 2:30 last night! I start going back to class on Monday, something which I am only half looking forward to. In a desperate attempt to get my mind back on track, I will hopefully hang out with a friend today. Maybe she can help me cope with the stress of feeling split in two all the time. Now I will write a bit in Spanish. Espero que mis amigos nuevos del grupo de jovenes en Bayamon no me olviden. Quiero tambien seguir con mi sueno de escribir musica, y tal vez algun dia cantar con mi primo, quien tiene tremenda voz. Pienso poner fotos en mi blog, pero he tratado y no tengo idea de como, asi que si tu sabes, porfavor escribeme. Que Dios Los Bendiga (God Bless), Laurita ;)

Dear Friends,

This past week, I realized somethingwhich is monumentally important. I came to the realization of just how much I need God in my life. I have begun reading passages from a small missal that used to belong to my grandfather, and I am going to attempt to stick to my resolution to pray the Holy Rosary each day (or night).

My four-year-old cousin says our grandfather visited her in her dreams last night. My grandmother, who has always been "prone" to receiving messages from above, says that she heard my grandfather tell her that he was happy because Mom and I prayed the Rosary together last night.

This last tidbit of spiritual communication inspired me to keep praying. On Sunday, my cousin and I went to a youth group meeting at out local Church here in Bayamon. It was a much-needed venture on my part, as I don't know many people here in my age group, save for my cousins, who are always busy with school, volleyball and music.

I think that my visit with the youth group signaled a turning point in my life. It proved to me, once and for all, that Jesus was missing in my life. And so, I finally seek the Truth. I am also hoping to find ways of involving myself with the community by helping others, possibly children with physical and mental challenges.

My Mom and I plan to leave Puerto Rico this Friday to return "Home." But now, after an entire month, I wonder, "What is Home?" Home is where you feel most comfortable, most loved, and, most of all, where you feel God's prescence the strongest.

My peace and love to all!

In Him,
Laurita ;)

Dear Friends,

I am ultra-bored right now, and my Mom is at the emergency room being treated for bronchitis. FUN. Hospitals in Puerto Rico are indeed a major rip-off. Trust me on this one!

In other news, I am seriously considering starting up an organization geared towards helping children who are physically or mentally challenged. Since I have spina bifida, I can better relate to these children, and I will strive to create a network to better serve the "challenged" community, and improving their quality of life through entertaining events.

However, I was not born the daughter of a Rockefeller. (Don't get me wrong! I have no regrets and I absolutely love my parents. I just wish I had more money to offer.)

If anybody has any connection to a well-known celebrity or enterprise which would be interested in contacting me and working together to get something started of this nature, please e-mail me:

LT_FirstAmend@hotmail.com

and put "Let's get something started" as the subject line, or some phrase of a similar nature. I would greatly appreciate if anyone reading this blog will pass on the link to others who might want to help. They say, "It takes a village to raise a child." Well, you all in cyberspace are my "village," and the "child" I want to help raise are millions of children who need our help and love.

Please answer, or comment on this blog.

Yes, this sure as hell is a call for help!

For the Love of God and His Children,
Laurita ;)