#lovemyfamily

“Christmas Miracles”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

I’m still feeling that Christmas spirit and it has a lot to do with a few “Christmas Miracles” that I was blessed to have. 

One of my very close friends gave me one of her crystals, one that meant a lot to her. She passed away a few years ago yet I kept this closer than ever…until I couldn’t find it for the last four years. I looked everywhere and no luck. As I was finishing up decorating my living room on Christmas Eve, I noticed that one of my glass bowls had broken. I decided to empty it out and throw it in the trash. As I was taking out the contents of the bowl, there at the bottom was the pendulum. Imagine my surprise that it had been inside of my house, right near my desk, all along!

Christmas Day brought even more miracles! My sister and my nephew drove up from Virginia to surprise my family! My brother had traveled from New York with his family and it was the first time in over 25 years that my parents had all three of their children together for Christmas, not to mention 8 of their 12 grandchildren! As for me, I was blessed to have 3 of my five children with me.

I woke up the day after Christmas with the same feelings as the day before. I was filled with excitement and joy, love and light, and more importantly, I was filled with gratitude for all that I was blessed to receive.

I’m so excited about these last few days of 2019 and I intend to make the most of each and every minute of them. It’s the end of the decade with a new one right around the corner. Make it the best ever!

I believe in miracles. I believe that dreams do come true. I believe that anything and everything is possible.

I believe in making each day count.

It’s a good thing.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“For The Love Of The Dreamers”

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I love a good success story. I think it’s awesome to hear about someone who has a dream that they worked hard on turning into a reality. And I love to see people believe in their dreams so much that they do come true, and sometimes those dreams become something beyond what they had imagined. These are the dreamers I respect with all my heart.

My nephew, Sean Wotherspoon, owner of Round Two, is such a dreamer. I’m beyond proud of him, I’m in awe of him. He had a vision years ago and I’ve been blessed to have watched the process of where he was five years ago turn into where he is now. 

He’s a great success at all that he does, yet he also spreads positivity and his love for the environment right along with them. He utilizes his success into making the world a better place and I think that makes him one amazing human being.

Sean recently collaborated with Prince Sports and designed a line of sportswear. He was also featured in an interview in Forbes and the list of great things he does on a daily basis goes on. Nothing has stopped this nephew of mine. I’ve watched his dreams come true and I’ve watched the dreams he never imagined come true. He believes in his vision, he believes in what he does, and he believes in making the world a better place. 

He believes in his dreams.

And he teaches me everyday to believe in mine.

Believe in your dreams.

It’s a good thing.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“My Family…Together Again”

/ Anne Dennish

Two of my five children live at home, so there are moments I feel the pang of the “empty nest” syndrome. I’ve gotten used to my three oldest living across the country, only seeing them every year or two, so I don’t feel that pain of missing them all living home very often. They’ve been living out of my home for years now and I’m used to my two youngest being the only ones living with me.

Yet yesterday things felt like the old days and I was reminded of just how much I miss having a house filled with five children.

My oldest flew in yesterday morning from the West Coast and it must have been close to family2two years since I’ve seen him. He brought home his beautiful girl for all of us to meet and she was amazing! We all fell in love with her instantly and I’d like to believe that she felt the same about us.

I raced to the airport early in the morning to pick them both up and the tears fell as I saw him. They both walked towards me with open arms, hugs, kisses and some amazing West Coast energy! Just what this mom needed!

Yet seeing him was so much more than a hug…it brought back floods of emotions and memories of having them all live at home together. I remembered family dinners at the table every night and weekends filled with a stream of teenagers in and out and hanging around. It was heaven.

And yesterday felt like old times for me. Seeing him with his two youngest brothers, introducing them to his girl, teasing them and laughing I couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace, of happiness…of true joy.

I had forgotten what it was like to have my family together like that. These days even myfamily3 two youngest are working or going to school and I feel as though they’ve already left the nest.

Last night felt like old times, even though two of my kids were missing. It felt like the family I remembered; the family that grew up and moved on to their own adult lives. Yet as I remembered the memories I was also watching them all together and making new ones. Suddenly the babies and teenagers I remembered were sitting at a restaurant out to dinner with me…yet they were grown up! They had become men in what feels like an instant.

And my four boys have grown up into amazing men, and I don’t say that just because I’m their mom.

They are respectful, kind, compassionate and non-judgmental. They are truly the type of people I had hoped and wished that they would grow up to be.

And they are.

I sat in amazement last night, savoring every moment, taking in all that surrounded me. It was a night I’ll remember forever, until the next time we can all be together to make new memories.

I felt so much pride for these boys last night, especially my oldest. I watched how he spoke to and treated his girl…he loves her, she loves him, and the respect they have for one another is the type a mother hopes her child will find in a partner.

familyAnd he found that.

And I couldn’t be happier for him.

It was incredible night of being a family together again.

It was a night of my heart being so filled with love that it could have exploded.

These boys of mine…they are a gift to the world.

And they have been and always will be a gift to me.

And it’s a good thing.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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All photos by Anne Dennish

 

 

“Round Two The Show – AirMax Day NYC”

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“It’s turning imagination into reality. It’s taking an idea and it’s bringing it to life.” ~Sean Wotherspoon~

Of all the shows my nephew has been in, this one has to be my favorite. It’s “Round Two The Show – AirMax Day NYC!” I hope you take the time to watch it as he talks about the 2018 Nike AirMax shoe he designed and his entire NYC experience throughout the process.

It’s more than being his proud aunt, and proud is an understatement, but it’s about watching this young man believe so much in his dreams that he has done everything it takes to turn it into a reality…and with much success! He never stops dreaming or imagining or working towards turning all those into a reality. He believes that it’s all about taking an idea and bringing it to life!

Dreams turn into reality when you believe in the dream and in yourself. My nephew is such an inspiration to many, especially to me. I love that he’s a dreamer because I know firsthand what that feels like. And I know how excited he is about his dreams turning into his reality, because I’ve felt that emotion as well.

So here’s to all your dreamers out there…just believe, just have faith, everything else will fall into place! Take that leap of faith, believe in yourself and your dreams, and just go out and do it!

It’s a good thing!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

 

“When Dreams Come True”

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“A dreamer is a realist with faith.”  ~Anne Dennish~

I grew up thinking it was a bad thing to be called a dreamer, yet years ago I changed that way of thinking and began to embrace the word. I am a dreamer and proud of it.

I’m even prouder of my nephew, Sean Wotherspoon, who is proof that dreams come true. I’ve known this child since the day he was born and have watched him grow into an amazing young man who found his passion at a young age and turned his dreams into a reality.

Sean is the owner of three very successful “buy, sell and trade” stores called “RoundTwo” located in NYC, Hollywood, California and Richmond, Virginia. He also has several galleries for RoundTwo. His business is frequented by some of the biggest names around, yet fame and fortune never affected my nephew; he loves what he does and loves living his dream!

He designed the new Nike AirMax sneaker for 2018, and more recently, a toddler line of the shoe was added to the adult version. Sean has designed hats and t-shirts that match his Nike shoe.

Last night I watched a video as he walked the catwalk in NYC Fashion Week for the clothing company, “Clot.” I’m simply amazed at all that he does!

I’m sharing just a small bit of this with you today to remind you of this: “Dreams do come true!”

My nephew is living proof of that.

He is a dreamer, and I’d like to think he got that from me, but more importantly, he’s a dreamer that took a leap of faith in himself and his dream and went for it…

And look where he is now…

Dreams come true…

Go out and make your dreams a reality…

It’s a good thing.

Wishing you love, light, and dreams come true,

~Anne Dennish~

The Dreamers: my nephew and me!

 

“Stepping Out Of Your Routine”

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Last weekend was a whirlwind of adventures in Connecticut and my mind is filled with all the stories of it that I want to share with you.

Yet as the week progressed I realized that I needed to just “be.” I needed to step out of my normal routine of writing all morning and day and rest. I needed to spend some much needed time with my kids and get my house ready for Christmas.

I was feeling badly about not getting my “adventures” written so that I could post them, yet once I thought about it I thought to myself: “Don’t you tell people that it’s okay to take some time for themselves? Don’t you say that you have to be your best self in order to share that with others? And don’t you always write about it being okay to step out of your normal routine and do what you need for yourself?”

Okay, guilty as charged. I “preach” it and sometimes forget to “practice” it! So after a few days of allowing myself to “be,” I’m more rested, the house is almost ready for Christmas and I’m feeling more creative at writing.

You see, I’m forever learning lessons and this week was one of remembering to just “be.”

Remember: Every so often we need to step outside of our normal routine and just “be.”

It’s a good thing.

And I promise, my “adventures” of last weekend are coming to you soon!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“The Thanksgiving Table”

/ Anne Dennish / 1 Comment

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I’m getting ready to bake pies, chop vegetables and make cranberry sauce. There will be seven people around my table tomorrow and I can’t help but think of the “Thanksgiving Tables” of all the years gone by.

I remember a time when there were more than 15 people around the table, and all the many others that filled the house after dinner for dessert. It was filled with my aunts and uncles, cousins, parents, my grandmother and children. It was a time of sitting together and watching old home movies, of listening to the older ones’ stories and lessons and of running around the house with the cousins.

Children grow up and move out on their own and loved ones get older and pass away. Each year there seems to be one more person missing from the table.

Only three of my five children will be at the table tomorrow. My two oldest are across the country and spending it with their significant others families. I’ll miss them terribly but I am forever grateful knowing that my other three babies will be with me.

Yet when I sit down at my “Thanksgiving Table” tomorrow I will remember those days of holidays past and I will remember the loved ones that I lost.  I will remember the laughter and the stories they told, their faces and the warmth of their embrace. I will remember their colorful personalities and their presence and importance in the family. I will remember sitting at the “kid’s table” until we reached the important age of sitting at the “big table.” It was a rite of passage to graduate to that table.

My brother used to say “I wonder who will be missing from the table next year.” I always thought that was a terrible thing to say, but he was right and it taught me to embrace each holiday and each day with the people in my life because life truly is short. I’m learning that lesson more and more as I get older. I don’t look at the table and wonder which chair will be empty next year but look at the table filled with the blessings of family, of love, and of laughter. It’s a day of making memories and we carry those memories in our hearts forever. We may lose a loved one, but we can never lose the memories of them.

There may be only seven people at my table tomorrow but I will be seeing much more than that. I’ll be seeing all the “Thanksgiving Tables” of my past and the people that once surrounded it. And for that, I will be grateful.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“Don’t Take Gratitude For Granted”

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Life changes in the blink of an eye and what we have one day can be gone tomorrow. So often we allow life to get so busy that we forget to see what’s right in front us: the people who love us.

We know in our hearts that we’re grateful for them, yet so often that gratitude is put on the back burner and the ones we love are left feeling “taken for granted.” We all need love in one form or another, whether it’s from your family or children, friends or a significant other.

“Love lifts us up when life tries to pull us down.”

Take a look at your life at this very moment and count your blessings. Be grateful for the people in it that love and support you and for the life you are gifted to live every day.

Don’t let the world and all the sadness and craziness in it cloud the beauty in your life. Live your life everyday in gratitude for the people in your life, for the job you love, for the career you are pursuing. Be grateful for another new day in your life; another day in which you can share your love and gratitude with others.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“The One Word I Despise: Victim”

/ Anne Dennish / 2 Comments

I don’t get angry very often and I try not to get upset at someone who says hurtful things to me, but I will tell you this, there is but ONE WORD that will make my blood boil and fill me with an anger that makes my head spin: VICTIM! Aside from those emotions, it hurts my heart, because I’m not that.

And recently someone decided to publicly call me that. The comments were nasty, untrue, and bordering on “threatening.” And they called me a “victim.”

There’s not many people who have called me that, in fact, I know of only two and those two people live unhappy lives and take their negative feelings about themselves and turn them on me. And the moment those two people called me that I wished them love and light and sent them on their way. The friendship had served its’ time and was done, because if you think that’s what I am then you have no place in my life. I will not surround myself with anyone that believes that of me.

I am not a victim, I am a survivor and proud of that.

I am a survivor of divorce, domestic violence, emotional abuse and breast cancer. I never once saw myself as a victim of any of these things because, while I never wanted to have any of it happen, I accepted them as life lessons. Those things happened to me so that I could learn from them, survive them, and use my voice through my writing to help other’s going through those situations.

Me? A victim?

Not by a long shot.

But there are those that play the victim themselves. They are martyrs and portray themselves as good people, when in reality, they are quick to judge and despise anyone who has something they want. They are jealous and insecure, and in reality, they are the ones who choose to be a victim.

And trust me, I’m not one of them.

I don’t have a perfect life, but it’s perfect for me. I have a wonderful man in my life and have five beautiful children, all of whom I’m very proud of. I am able to pursue my passion of writing every day of my life. I’m surrounded by some amazing friends who always have my back and see me as a survivor. My “bubble” is filled with the people that support me and more importantly, love me.

And none of them believe me to be a victim because they know I’m not.

I write about my past experiences in a positive light, hoping to let others know that they’re not alone, that there’s always hope, and there’s always a way to get through it.

I know that there are people who will judge me, but if you’re going to do that, make sure that you know me. Don’t see me through eyes of hatred and jealousy, see me through the eyes of “truth.”

“Survivor” is one of my favorite words. It means you had enough faith in yourself and your Higher Power to get through the tough times. Life hasn’t always been easy for me, yet I choose to be grateful for every day I wake up, for every experience, good or bad, that life hands me because in the end everything is a lesson to learn so that we can live the best life possible.

And once again I’ll say this: “If you can’t be kind, be quiet.”

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~