Quote of the Week

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"The magic of first love is our ignorance that it can ever end."

 -- Benjamin Disraeli

Quote of the Week

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Love isn’t an act; it’s a whole life. It’s staying with her now because she needs you; it’s knowing you and she  will still care about each other when sex and daydreams, fights and futures—when all that’s on the shelf and done with. Love-why, I’ll tell you what love is: it’s you at seventy-five and her at seventy-one, each of you listening for the other’s step in the next room, each afraid that a sudden silence, a sudden cry, could mean a lifetime’s talk is over

--Brian Moore 

"Benim Küçük Sevgilim," Mor ve Ötesi

Sometimes...

...we are so busy gazing out into the horizon, intent on discovering and exploring what more the world has to offer, that we end up not seeing what's in front of us.

Happy 21st + Awesome-th Birthday, J!

   Best friends are like bras; close to our heart and always there to support. With that in mind, we would like to take this time to celebrate one of the most important brahs in our life, J. 

     Like our lingerie collection, there are many shapes and colours to J that are worthy of getting to know and loving in their own right. There is the no-nonsense, white cotton blend bra: practical,logical, dependable. J is able to temper passion with pragmatism, which makes her a kick-ass advice dispenser. Freaking out about whether to stay at a stressful (albeit well-paying) job, or take a risk and travel abroad for a bit? Dial the 818, and J'll break down the pros and cons for you, all the while being supportive. 

     The animal-print bra: magnetic, dynamic, and oh so fierce! C'mon, there's no denying that J is one gorgeous babe. Beauty and brains, the whole package. Whether dressed down in jeans and a tee, or dressed to the nines in night-out attire, she is stunning. She has a natural magnetic quality that draws people in to her and makes them want to get to know her. She and R met at a Gender Equality class, and according to R, she knew right then and there that J would be a great friend. Same goes with me, when we met in Tibetan Buddhism class. J's inner beauty comes out like a disco ball that lights up even the darkest, dankest tunnels. 

     There's the sheer, lacy pink bra: sweet and innocent. This is the nurturing, tender side to J that most people, for some reason, don't really bother to unearth. They don't get to see this side because they're too busy being hung up on the animal-print bra J, and boy is it ever their loss. J's the type of friend who'll pack sugar-free candies in her purse, in case her rebellious diabetic friend gets a sugah cravin'. She'll sit there for hours --iPhone battery life be damned--to listen patiently to her friends unload their burdens...without judging. Not too many people can make sense of me when I'm full-on  snotty/bawling and speaking in languages other than English, but somehow she does. You see, J listens to beyond the words and straight through to the emotions behind them. And so in moments wherein I go "waaaah, miss him...wahha... why... sniff,  daddy have to die? waaaah.. hurts, gaaaaaah," she knows exactly what to say: nothing. J understands that there are just some things that have to be dealt with through silence and time. 

     And then there's the corset: feminine and powerful=100% woman. One of the things we love most about J is the fact that she is who she is. She, R, and U taught me most about what it means to celebrate womanhood. Womanhood is not just about the femininity, the virginity, the sweetness, the ability to give birth, and all those other stereotypical gender stereotypes. To be a woman is to have strength and vulnerability, sweetness and sassiness...sometimes at the same time. To be a womanist or a strong woman means that you do not restrict yourself to societal norms, and to love yourself even if you don't fit the mold. J, like a corset, makes those around her see the beauty and the strength in themselves...beauty and strength that although can't be seen by others outside, is there underneath...like your own little secret. 

     We may have met by chance, but we are in each other's lives by choice. To know J and to have the privilege of seeing the many layers of complexities in her is a blessing. There's more to her than meets the eye. In a world of Fruit of the Loom underwear, J is definitely La Perla. 

In closing, dearest J, we leave you with one of our favourite quotes from childhood: "If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together, there is something you must always remember: you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you."  Mischiefketeers Luv, R and L

Favourite Movie...

 

Sierra Cooper: The Woman Behind the Wish

With less than a month to live, Sierra Cooper lives a dream 

Source: Terre Haute Star Tribune | December 5, 2009

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By Sue Loughlin, The Tribune-Star

CLINTON December 05, 2009 09:51 pm

— The kiss was unlike any other she had received, and it came from a funny-looking guy with a big nose and rubbery skin.

But the joy on Sierra Cooper’s face was unmistakable as she stood in a pool at the Indianapolis Zoo, and Kimo, the 450-pound bottle-nosed dolphin, lifted his head out of the water and gave her a slippery, wet peck on the cheek.

In late November, the 21-year-old Clinton resident fulfilled one of her dreams by spending a day with the zoo dolphins and getting to know Kimo, Sundance and that mischievous juvenile, 7-year-old Jett.

Donning a wet suit and life jacket, Sierra spent 30 minutes in the 80-degree water with her favorite animals. Beforehand, she attended an educational program about dolphins and then watched a scheduled performance.

Later, she had her own, individualized dolphin experience and got to touch them, feed them and give them commands.

“It was awesome,” she said.

Spending time with the dolphins was not only a dream come true, but also it is one of Sierra’s last wishes.

She is dying, and her health care providers say she probably has less than a month to live.

Continue reading after the cut:

Janis Ian, "When Angels Cry"

Wait Your tired arms must rest
Let this moment pass
Wait until the morning
Close your eyes and you will see
who you used to be
left without a warning
Who knew one so big could grow so small
Lighter than the writing on the wall

When angels cry, can I stand by

When stones weep, can my heart sleep

Wish I'd never heard, wish I'd never heard

Wish I'd never heard

the power of a four letter word

'Cause only love will matter in the end
for a woman or a man
What's the difference now
Here we live with bottles
and needles and truth
Here is your living proof
that death cannot be proud
Some say it's a judgement on us all
I can't believe that God could be that small

When angels cry, can I stand by

When stones weep, can my heart sleep

Wish I'd never heard, wish I'd never heard

Wish I'd never heard

the power of a four letter word

If ever was a rose that longed to bloom

If ever was a heart that longed to fly

If ever was an angel, it was you

So close your eyes and say goodbye

Goodbye

When angels cry, I can't stand by
When stones weep, I can't sleep
Guess I've finally learned
Guess I've finally learned
Yes, I've finally learned
that love is just a four letter word
Hope is just a four letter word

Angels Used to Cry

 

Hold your head up and wipe your tears dry
Your pain has unlocked the gates of my once-closed heart
For so long all I've ever wanted was to remain unemotional
But when I held you in my arms,
I forgot about the fears that made me shut out the world  

Once upon a lifetime
Angels wandered the world aimlessly
Tears streaked their rosy cheeks
As they drifted off to sleep 

Prayers left unspoken and unanswered
Were what my heart hath beckoned
Thought I'd be alone forever,
Then you came into my life
You looked into my eyes and saw my dreams
Not the emptiness I once cast upon the stars and skies 

And in this lifetime
I wandered this world purposefully
Peace filled my heart
As we walked hand in hand

Conversations Over Coffee

 

I discreetly steal a glance as he absent-mindedly runs a hand 
through his wind-tousled hair. Over steaming cups of cappuccino we talk

Discuss the irrationality of a war spurned by 16 misleading words. He speaks
of democracy, of freedom, and of life, and yet in his eyes I see lifelessness. Ideas, thoughts,
and opinions we have exchanged and exhausted hours ago, and now
we are at a point wherein words have run out, ensconced in silence.
He is here, but his nomadic minds wanders, seemingly like a Bedouin in search
of something he strove to have, but ultimately could not find.

Perhaps he already knows the truth buried inside my heart, for they, too
are embedded in his. Perhaps my silence says it all to clear,
and my eyes betray my rehearsed smile,
and he understands now more than he ever has,
that my heart now belongs to someone else. 

We hide behind background noise, and we hide behind the silence,
constantly trying to shroud the truth with a flimsy cloth
made in hopes of clinging to a past that never really was.
He is holding on, and I am holding on
Solely because we fear venturing into territories unknown,
fearing that the waves of destiny would take us far, far away
Into the neverending depths of unfamiliarity.
We cling to each other like ivy on an antiquated, abandoned stone castle,
wanting desperately to flourish
and yet unable to accept the fact
that growing stronger sometimes entails
drifting apart.