Coffee Moments with Sam

“Families are not a problem, they are first and foremost an opportunity. An opportunity which we have to care for, protect and support. That is a way of saying that they are a blessing.” - Pope Francis I   (from: 30 Beautiful Pope Francis Quotes From His Cuba / US Trip via Life Teen) photo from: www.familysecuritymatters.org

I have always shared a strong, intimate relationship with my parents growing up.  But when I started to pursue a career, got married, and had my own family, it became quite a challenge for me to spend quality time with them. That is why when I finally became a mom, I found the perfect reason in my child to renew that bond and keep in touch with them.   It felt great to see them transform from simply being my parents to loving grandparents to my child.  More importantly, I find joy in knowing that the people who matter most in my life are also the same persons who would be there for my children.  Most of us believe that grandparents are really good at spoiling their “ apos ” as I have witnessed.  But beyond that they are an important part of our children’s life.    Dr. Lillian Carson , D.S.W., L.C.S.W. Author of the Parents' Choice Award Winner THE ESSENTIAL GRANDPARENT: A Guide to Making A Difference , stated that effective grandparents ...

I love watching my son play with his Lego toys.  His simple yet vast world of imagination can create different scenes, each with unique stories and situations.   One time, however, he came up to me feeling frustrated and disappointed.  "Mommy, look at the car I built yesterday...it's broken!" he said, showing me one of his Lego creations, "I don't know how to fix it again."    "Of course, you can", I said encouragingly.  "Just try your best to build it again". "But I don't remember anymore..." he said giving up.   "Okay, if you can't build the exact, same thing, why don't you just build a new one."  I said.   He then went back to his play area and started to build a new car.  After a while, he came back to me and showed me his latest masterpiece.   "Mommy, look!"  proudly holding up his new Lego car, "I built a new one and I like this better than the one I built ...

  *Adobe stock   Pope John Paul II defines freedom as: “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought. When freedom does not have a purpose, when it does not wish to know anything about the rule of law engraved in the hearts of men and women, when it does not listen to the voice of conscience, it turns against humanity and society.” Freedom is not always about liberty or independence, the freedom to choose and do whatever pleases us. True freedom is about being in a state of peace, happiness, and satisfaction as a result of choosing what is right. It is a guilt-free, fearless, shameless, stress-free kind of life. So how exactly can we live free? Choose What Is Right The end will never justify the means. Doing something wrong will never truly make us happy because, in one way or another, it deprives us of experiencing complete freedom. We are freest when we are able to say yes to what is good—when no addiction, compulsion, or habit p...

The Legal Wife, My Husband’s Lover, No Other Woman, The Mistress… They all deal with infidelity. It’s often a hot topic among men and women struggling in their married lives. It trends on social media, garners high ratings on TV and at the box office, and has become an overused plot in novels, movies, and TV programs. Some people would probably think that this is practically normal these days. Married couples splitting up, children being raised in single-parent households… Perhaps that’s why others believe that what we see in the media only reflects what is actually happening in society. I am not intending to condemn or judge anyone. However, I wish to share a piece of my mind and heart in proclaiming the beauty of marriage as a lifetime commitment. For me, marriage is a great responsibility, something we have to take seriously. I say this because I have personally witnessed inspiring stories of love between two imperfect individuals, commitment in the midst of struggles, acceptance de...

Sometimes the best way to succeed is to be yourself.