My One Word Resolution for 2022: Hope

“Life is often a desert, it is difficult to walk in life, but if we trust in God, it can become beautiful and wide as a highway. Just never lose hope.” Pope Francis

In the past, I used to make a list of resolutions for the New Year. The last year I did that was 2020 when I made 20 resolutions and by March, when the pandemic hit, all those resolutions were thrown out the window. Last year, I made just one, not to waste time, and I was able to accomplish it pretty much most of the year. This year, I also made just one. My resolution for this year is to concentrate on hope. 

I got the idea of choosing just one word as my resolution from a little magazine I got in the mail called “Gables Magazine.” I had already decided that this year the main topic for my blog was going to be “hope.” But I turned it into an official resolution when I read the “Publisher Perspectives” who recommends that “instead of creating endless goals and resolutions, choose One Word to be your driving force for the year. No goals. No wish lists. Just one word.” 

After I turned “hope” into my driving force for 2022, I keep getting confirmation that I’m on the right track. Three days ago, I was going through all the mail that arrived while we were out of town. The first thing I found was the dreaded “jury duty” notice. My heart dropped. But the next envelope I opened was a Christmas card from Chapman Partnership. And guess what it said on the front:

It got me thinking. I’m upset about the fact that I will have to take time to go serve as a juror, and here’s an organization that takes time to serve our homeless community, sending out a message of hope in their Christmas cards. Needless to say that I got on the computer right away, and registered to perform my civic duty. 

Yesterday, I got my second confirmation. I love to read, and I’m constantly buying books that call my attention. I buy them with the hope that I will eventually find the time to read them one day. My bookcase had gotten a bit crowded so I decided to put it in order. As I was separating books that I have read from those that I have not, I found this one:

I got so excited. I don’t even recall if I bought this book or someone gave it to me. I immediately moved it to my nightstand to start reading it. Then I returned to my task, and lo and behold, I found a second copy of the same book. Typical me. It doesn’t surprise me a bit that I probably bought it twice. I don’t need two copies, though, so I will gift the extra copy. 

I received my third confirmation just this morning. I was walking on the beach, and I found this beautiful pineapple on the sand:

I know that the pineapple has always been a symbol of hospitality and warmth, which is why Baptist Hospital uses it as its symbol. But I searched on Google to see if there was any correlation between pineapples and hope. I found that the pineapple is a beacon of hope for couples experiencing infertility. I wish I had known that 35 years ago when I myself was dealing with infertility.

I also found this company called “The Honest to God Truth” who “incorporates this Hawaiian local icon in their HOPE design, to show that our hearts are at home with God when we put our hope in Him, Our God is in control and through Him we have HOPE.”

The scripture in the pineapple reads, "May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing, by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” -Romans 15:13

Matthew Kelly says in this book that I found “God-incidentally” just sitting on my bookshelf: “We are a people of hope. And our future is even brighter than our past. How will you bring hope to others today?” One thing I’m going to do is pass along the extra copy of the book to the first person that reads this blog and adds a comment either here or on Facebook that says, “I would like to read the book.”

I know now beyond any doubt that HOPE needs to be my only resolution for this year, and that the Holy Spirit will help me bring hope to those that read my blog. I will spend my year being a beacon of hope to others, no matter what this year brings. 

What is your “one” word for 2022? Choose just one word and make it your “driving force” this year. 

Copyright © 2022 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Opening Our Hearts to New Possibilities

 “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” Christopher Reeve 

When my daughter told me fifteen months ago that she was considering moving to Charlotte in North Carolina, I didn’t believe her. After all, this was my Miami girl. When we went to visit colleges for her older brother, she told me that she was not going away to college. She had no intention of living in the snow. She loved Miami, its Cuban culture, its weather, its people, and pretty much everything that Miami has to offer. Therefore, I never envisioned her leaving the city. She proved me wrong. Six months ago, she moved to Charlotte. Even though I was not happy because she was going to be 700 miles away from me, I was proud of her because she opened her heart to new possibilities.

Hope opens up our hearts to new possibilities. My family left their home country over 50 years ago because they had hope that they would find a better life elsewhere. It was that same hope that led my grandparents from Spain to Cuba in the 1920s. Hope also moved the Magi to leave their home country and follow a star in search of baby Jesus. 

I can understand why my grandparents left Spain. They had hope to find jobs and a better future in the Americas. My parents left Cuba with the hope to live in a free country. My daughter left Miami with the hope to be able to buy her first home at an affordable price. But what would move three men from the East to follow a star in search of an infant that had been promised to the people of Israel when they themselves were not Israelites?

This past Sunday, the priest shared in his homily that Christians started observing the feast of the Epiphany during the third century. At the time, only Easter was celebrated. Christmas did not become an official celebration until the end of the fourth century. The reason why Epiphany was so important in the early Christian church was because it represented the day that Jesus revealed Himself not just to the Israelites but also to the Gentiles. The Wise Men represented the Gentiles. In order for them to make this long trek, they must have been hopeful that this newborn baby was going to save not just the Israelites but the whole world. They opened up their hearts to this possibility, and they followed the star in order to worship the King of the Jews. 

As we start this new year, we can learn a lot from the Magi. They are known as the Wise Men because they were wise. They had studied and they knew what the prophets had foretold about the promise of a savior being born in Bethlehem. They were hopeful that this savior would come not just to save Israel but to redeem the whole world. So they traveled for days to worship Him. And they brought gifts with them, not cheap gifts that they bought on the way but treasures from their homelands. They had hope in their hearts that this Baby Boy was the biggest treasure of all, and they sought Him. They opened up their hearts to Him and now, we commemorate this event every year as the feast of the Epiphany. 

As we start this new year, let us imitate the Wise Men by opening our hearts to new possibilities. It may be moving to a new city, changing jobs or signing up for a Bible lesson. And as we take that first step with a new hope blooming in our hearts, we should ask God to guide us into making the right decision. The Magi did not set out in search of the newborn King on their own. God guided them in the entire journey. If we ask God for His help, He will guide us too.

We spent Christmas in Charlotte with my daughter, and I realized that she is no longer a Miami girl. She is now a Charlotte girl through and through. She has joined a book club where she has met other young ladies that have recently moved to Charlotte just like her. She found the cutest house in a quiet residential area. She has great neighbors that give her cookies for Christmas. She pulled her younger brother to Charlotte so now she has family nearby. She opened her heart to new possibilities with the hope that things would work out, and she is thriving. Even though I miss her tremendously, I am proud of her because she took the leap. I need to learn from her and open up my heart to see what new possibilities God has in store for me.

Copyright © 2022 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Hope Makes Life Possible

I was looking back at my blog, and 2021 is the year with the least amount of posts. The main reason being that I was concentrating on finishing my book, and I was told that I could not post it on my blog if I was going to try to publish it. Therefore, I wrote, but did not share. 

Now that my book is finished, I am back with renewed hope and inspiration. Hope will be the theme for this year’s posts. Hope, because after the last two years, we all need a big dose of hope. Hope, because we all hope for an end to the pandemic. Hope that this year brings us peace, health, joy, happiness and the sense of normalcy that we seem to have lost. 

As we enter into 2022, I wish each and everyone of you that follows my blog a year filled with hope. And no matter what happens this year, good or bad, don’t let go of hope. Even though hope doesn’t make life easier, it certainly makes life possible. Where would we be if we lost our hope?

I find my hope in God. Where do you find yours?

Copyright © 2022 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

2021: A Mixed Suitcase

When my son Rafi started high school, he went on a trip to Spain with his school. We had a parents’ meeting before the trip, and amidst many of the instructions given to us, we were told to pack a change of clothing in the carry-on. The reason being that if the main luggage was lost, at least they would have extra clothes until it was found. I took this suggestion to heart, and when I’ve had to check in luggage, I’ve always packed a change of clothing inside my carry-on. I call it my mixed suitcase because it contains a little bit of everything. However, I have always packed my toiletries in its own separate carry-on suitcase. Those were never to be mixed with the clothes—that is, until now. 

On my unexpected trip to the mountains, I forgot the toiletries bag at my daughter’s house. I didn’t realize this until I finished putting away all our clothes. It was almost five o’clock when it dawned on me that not only was I missing the toiletries, but also all our prescription medications. This meant we would have to drive back to Charlotte. 

When I look back at my years, I tend to categorize them as either a terrible year or a wonderful year.  But as I look back at 2021, I have decided to classify it as a mixed suitcase kind of year. This year had a mixture of horrendous and wonderful events. 

We started the year with Covid. Both Alex and Keely entered 2021 testing positive. In mid January, Rafi and Emily came to visit for two weeks and we were able to be all together for the first time in over a year. We then got the vaccine so that gave us some hope that maybe this was the beginning of the end for this pandemic. 

On Mother’s Day, the year peaked with the wonderful news that we were going to become grandparents. And then, it collapsed in June when we lost six friends in the Surfside tragedy. 

Alex, Keely, Daniel and Chabeli moved to Charlotte this year. We are now all spread out from New York to Miami, but we were able to travel plenty between all three cities to visit all our kids. We definitely saw more of them in 2021 than we did in 2020, so distance was not an obstacle. 

Another marvelous thing that happened in this mixed suitcase year is that I finished the book that I began to write back in 2007. Not only did I finish it, but I hired an editor and I have the finished manuscript ready to be sent out to publishers. The next step… let’s just say I’ll leave it in God’s hands.

We attended a beautiful wedding in New Hampshire, celebrated my mom’s 80th birthday, went to more funerals than we would have liked, but celebrated life with the birth of Benedict on November 2nd. By far, his birth was the highlight of this mixed year, taking it to a higher level of marvelous. We met him on November 10th, and the feeling of joy that I felt when I met this little boy, son of my son, can only be understood by another grandparent. In one sweeping motion, all the horrible events of the year were erased. 

Even though the year did not end in New York as we had planned, we were able to spend a week in North Carolina with our younger kids. And as I reflect on this mixed up year, I realize that I have so much to be thankful for. It also hit me that even on those years that I labeled as horrible, I also had a lot to be grateful for. All years, if we truly look at them, are made up of mixed events, some good and some bad. It’s up to us to succumb to the bad or rise up with the good. 

As we started our drive back to Charlotte to retrieve our toiletries and medications, I was able to get a hold of our doctor. He called in our prescriptions to a nearby pharmacy. We bought all the important toiletries, picked up the meds, avoided seven hours of driving back and forth, and had an amazing three days celebrating Christmas on the mountains. I did not have my face creams, but I survived, and I learned that in order to be prepared, I must always pack a mixed suitcase. 

Even though 2022 will also arrive with a mixed suitcase because the pandemic is not over, may the marvelous events overshadow the horrible ones. Grab on to all the good, and don’t succumb to the bad. And if you forget the toiletries… don’t despair. There are drugstores everywhere. 

Copyright © 2021 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Expect the Unexpected

“This Christmas expect the unexpected, say a little prayer to St. Joseph, and go with the flow. When things turn upside down, you’ll smile and not frown.” Bishop William Byrne

Today, I was supposed to be in a plane headed to New York. Instead, I’m in a car on my way to Charlotte, NC. How did this happen? I’m not sure. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this sudden change of plans. It should not surprise me, though. Ever since Covid started, I’ve been living a very unexpected life, just like everyone else in the world. 

St. Joseph is one of my favorite saints. Aside from the obvious—he was Mary’s husband and Jesus’ earthly father—, he was also unassuming, quiet, strong, wise, and trusting. This last trait is what places him in my list of favorites. I admire how he trusted God completely. He trusted God when the angel appeared to him in a dream, and told him to marry Mary even though he had just found out that she was pregnant, and he was not the father. He trusted when he had to go to Bethlehem with Mary just a few weeks before her due date. He trusted God when they couldn’t find a place at the inn. He trusted when Mary went into labor in a stable. He trusted when God told him to go to Egypt instead of back home to Nazareth. Joseph trusted completely in spite of all the change of plans that God kept sending him. Joseph was the king of the unexpected. 

I need to learn from St. Joseph to go with the flow. I don’t do good with the unexpected. I am a planner to the point that I become a bit OCD. Therefore, when I get hit with curve balls, and my plans are turned upside down, I mope.

Our trip to New York had been planned to the last minute detail: gifts shipped, food for both Christmas Eve and Day ordered, restaurants and activities planned. Hotels and airlines reserved well in advance. And the most important part—all the kids were going to be there. This was what hurt the most. Getting everyone to synchronize their vacations is no easy feat, but for four days, we managed to do just that. Add to that the icing on the cake: this is Benedict’s first Christmas. Benedict, my seven-week-old grandson. I saw him when he was one week old, and I was counting the days until I could see him again. Yes, I was definitely not happy when the unexpected happened. 

Mr. Grinch, once again, came to ruin my Christmas plans. He did it last year, and he did it again. Last year, two of my kids got Covid right before Christmas, so we ended up being just three of us around the table. This year, thank God, nobody is sick. But with Covid cases on the rise, and a newborn in the house, we had a family meeting and decided that it would be best to postpone (not cancel) our trip to New York. This decision was made three days ago so overnight I saw all my plans go up in smoke. I cancelled hotel, airline, food order, restaurant reservations, and then I moped. I gave myself one night of pity party, and by Monday morning I knew I had two options: I could continue moping around or I could turn my frown into a smile, and accept the unexpected. 

My youngest kids were already in New York, so at least they got to see their brand new nephew by meeting up in Central Park and getting a peek of him inside the stroller. Now, they are on their way to Kentucky instead of on the 26th as originally planned. 

My middle kids were supposed to fly from Charlotte to New York yesterday. They canceled their flight. And that’s when we decided to join them in Charlotte. 

My older kids and their baby will be alone in New York, but it’s a sacrifice worth making in order to keep the baby safe in these uncertain times. 

Yesterday, I was still trying to accept the change of plans without frowning, when I received this meditation from Loyola Press:

“We know for a fact that the Holy Family had no reservations, so Joseph had to do some quick thinking. Flexibility is the first ingredient to lowering holiday stress. This Christmas expect the unexpected, say a little prayer to St. Joseph, and go with the flow. When things turn upside down, you’ll smile and not frown.” —Excerpted from 5 Things with Father Bill by Bishop William Byrne

“Wow,” I said to myself. “This was written especially for me.”

St. Joseph, king of the unexpected, please help me turn my frown into a smile. Teach me to trust God the way you did. Show me that God’s plans are always better than my own. And help me to accept the unexpected. 

I prayed to St. Joseph, and for the next twelve days, I will go with the flow. Today, I’m on a 10-hour car ride to Charlotte instead of a 3-hour flight to New York. Tomorrow, we may go to the mountains. Who knows? I’m being flexible. After all, I have no control of this ship. We rented a house on the mountains. Hopefully we’ll spend Christmas there. Or maybe not. God is in control, and at this point, I’m expecting more of the unexpected.

Merry Christmas everyone and remember to add flexibility to your plans 😊

Copyright © 2021 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

God’s Time is Always on Time

“Grandmothers are voices of the past and role models of the present. Grandmothers open the doors to the future.” – Helen Ketchum

I became a mom at 26. My mother became a mom at 20 and a grandmother at 46. I was pretty certain that I would not be in my 40s when I became a grandma, but I was hoping that it would happen during my 50s. And it will. My son Rafi and daughter-in-love Emily, are about to become parents, which means that I’m about to join the grandmothers’ club. I am beyond excited. 

I found out that I was going to become a grandmother on Mother’s Day. No words could ever accurately explain the emotions I felt. I was ecstatic. When I opened the picture frame they sent me, and I saw the photo of the ultrasound, I screamed out of pure joy. Seeing that perfect baby in Emily’s womb was just precious. She was already fourteen weeks when they told me, so they already knew it was a boy. And I have loved him from that very moment.

According to his mommy, Benedict is an active little boy. He is constantly moving. I already had a dream about him, but I have to wait to see if Benedict will even resemble the little boy I saw in my dream. Honestly, I could not care less. All I pray for is that he is a healthy baby boy. While I wait for his birth, I dream about sitting on the floor playing with him, reading him books, taking him for strolls around the park, and watching him discover the world around him. Even though he will be in New York, I will be available with my bags packed, ready to hop on a plane to go visit him at a moment’s notice.

I will be readily available if the parents need my help, but I will try not to provide them with unsolicited parenting advice. I remember the first time that Rafi had a fever. It happened on his first Easter. Everyone in the family was telling me what to do. I know they meant well, but I got so frustrated that I told them that Rafi had a doctor, and I would only listen to his advice. Rafael remembers that he was outside talking to the men in the family, when all the women came marching out of our house. We look back now and laugh about it because it looked like I had kicked them all out. I guess in a way I did when I told them to stop giving me unrequested advice. Now, it’s my turn to remember that Rafi and Emily need to figure out parenthood by themselves. This is their child, not mine. My job will be simply to cuddle and spoil him. And I will only help out if they request it.

I can’t wait to see my baby boy with his own baby boy. His world is about to change in ways that he cannot even yet imagine. This little person is going to rock his heart, and expand his life. I have no doubt that he will be a great dad, just like I know that Emily will be an amazing mom because she has been the best wife that I could have ever wished for my son.

I have been dreaming of becoming a grandmother since I turned 50. That was nine years ago, but God’s time is always on time, and He made sure that I would reach my dream before my 60th birthday. I am looking forward to the next decade of my life surrounded by little ones that I’ll be allowed to love, cuddle, and spoil. And it will all begin with baby Benedict who will soon be joining our family.

Please keep Emily and Benedict in your prayers for a safe and healthy delivery.

Copyright © 2021 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

All Day Every Day

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.”

                             1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

On Friday morning, I went with my hubby on our daily walk. We went to walk to the Hollywood Broadwalk. It was so early that the moon was still out, but there were plenty of people walking while others were waiting for the sunrise. 

As we were walking, a guy with a Navy shirt ran past us. I noticed that he looked up, did a salute and said out loud: “All day every day.” I looked up and I saw the American flag. I literally got goosebumps. What pride this man had for our flag that he took time from his run to salute it and to say those words. I love this country that adopted me and its flag, but I don’t stop to salute it every time I see one. 

As we continued our walk, I started thinking about his words: “All day every day.” What exactly did he mean? It could be that he is proud to be an American all day every day. It could also mean that he is willing to serve his country all day every day. Then I started thinking, what do those words mean to me? What is the thing that I would like to do all day every day? The word that came to mind is pray.

During Lent I read a book called “I heard God laugh” by Matthew Kelly. He says in the book that we can pray all day every day. I have been trying to do this but I have realized it’s not that simple. His suggestion is that we can divide our day in hours and offer up each hour for someone. We can think of someone that is sick, a family member, a friend, a homeless person that we crossed on the street, someone that cuts us in traffic... anyone really. It could be someone we know or someone we don’t know. It could be for one person or a group of persons. By offering up this hour, we are praying for this person or persons. 

The problem with me is that I am very absent minded. I have tried this, but let’s say at nine o’clock I decide to offer my next hour for my daughter Chabeli. When I remember again, it’s already noon. I literally would have to put an alarm every hour to remind me. But then it hit me. I don’t have to offer up just one hour. So what I’ve been trying to do is offer up my drive to work, the morning, my lunch hour, the afternoon, my drive home from work, etc. I say I’ve been trying because I don’t always remember. I may offer up the drive but when I get to the office I get distracted and then I forget to offer up the morning. But I think the fact that I am trying also counts as prayer. I guess if I end up offering up three hours for my daughter instead of one, she particularly needed more prayers that day.

This morning I was talking to my sister from a different mother who is in quarantine with Covid. She was complaining that she is missing out from being outdoors in Madrid enjoying the beautiful spring weather. Then she said that she feels sorry for all those people that are suffering from long-term illnesses or who are in prison. I told her to offer up her quarantine for them and then her suffering will be easier to carry because it will be a prayer for those that are suffering more than her. Offering up our suffering helps us to love others as Christ loves them.

The runner with the Navy shirt really made me stop and pause. Yes, there are a lot of things that I would like to do all day every day but I just don’t have the time to do it. However, I can offer up a prayer for someone all day every day. I don’t need to complicate it. Even if I offer up the entire day for someone else, then my day will have more meaning and more value. If I offer up every part of my day: my work, my joys, my frustrations, my sufferings, the interruptions, the pleasant or unpleasant surprises, the setbacks, and any little obstacle or treasure that I encounter in my path, then God will be delighted and I will be gifted with a better attitude to face any minor trials that come my way during the day. It’s certainly a great antidote to a mentality of complaining, irritability and negativity, which I’m very prone to succumb to when I’m under a lot of stress.

I hope that offering all my activities in prayer, all day every day, will bring peace to someone in need of prayers. And I know that I will benefit as well because God will turn my day into an opportunity for personal growth.

Copyright © 2021 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.