Month: September 2012

What does a father feel on the day of his only daughter’s wedding?

Steve conveyed his feelings through a beautiful speech and a touching movie.

I invite you to watch the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlGQE8c-VN8

And if you liked the song, here are the lyrics…

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I Loved Her First
Songwriters: Elliott Hubert Park Jr. Aldridge

Look at the two of you dancing that way / Lost in the moment and each other’s face / So much in love, you’re alone in this place / Like there’s nobody else in the world

I was enough for her not long ago / I was her number one, she told me so /  And she still means the world to me, just so you know / So be careful when you hold my girl

Time changes everything, life must go on / And I’m not gonna stand in your way / But I loved her first, I held her first / And a place in my heart will always be hers /  From the first breath she breathed / When she first smiled at me /  I knew the love of a father runs deep

And I prayed that she’d find you someday / But it’s still hard to give her away /  I loved her first

How could that beautiful woman with you / Be the same freckle face kid that I knew / The one that I read all those fairytales to / And tucked into bed all those nights

And I knew the first time I saw you with her / It was only a matter of time

I loved her first, I held her first / And a place in my heart will always be hers / From the first breath she breathed / When she first smiled at me /  I knew the love of a father runs deep

And I prayed that she’d find you someday / But it’s still hard to give her away / I loved her first

From the first breath she breathed / When she first smiled at me / I knew the love of a father runs deep

Someday you might know what I’m going through / When a miracle smiles up at you / I loved her first

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Everyone in the room was touched.

But, probably, more touching than anything else were Steve’s loving words to his son-in-law… “If you ever hurt my little girl, I will hunt you down and kill you.” Words that undoubtly and eloquently express a father’s love.

www.pierofalci.com

 

“All For Love,” the song by Bryan Adams is in my head. The wedding reawakened the sentiment.

When it’s love you give  

I’ll be your man of good faith  

When it’s love you live  

I’ll make a stand I won’t break  

I’ll be the rock you can lean on  

Be there when you’re old

To have and to hold  

When there’s love inside  

I swear I’ll always be strong  

And there’s a reason why  

I’ll prove to you we belong  

I’ll be the wall that protects you

From the wind and the rain  

From the hurt and the pain  

Let’s make it all for one and all for love  

Let the one you hold be the one you want  

The one you need  

‘Cause when it’s all for one it’s one for all  

When there’s someone that you know  

Then just let your feelings show

And make it all for one and all for love  

When it’s love you make  

I’ll be the fire in your night  

Then it’s love you take  

I will defend I will fight  

I’ll be there when you need me  

When honor’s at stake  

This vow I will make  

That it’s all for one and all for love  

Let the one you hold be the one you want  

The one you need  

‘Cause when it’s all for one it’s one for all  

When there’s someone that you know

Then just let your feelings show

And make it all for one and all for love  

Don’t lay our love to rest  

‘Cause we could stand up to the test  

We got everything and more than we had planned  

More than the rivers that run inland  

We got it all in our hands  

Now it’s all for one and all for love  

Let the one you hold be the one you want

The one you need  

‘Cause when it’s all for one it’s one for all  

When there’s someone that you know  

Then just let your feelings show  

When there’s someone that you want  

When there’s someone that you need  

Let’s make it all all for one

And all for love  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofA3URC1wyk

 

www.pierofalci.com

 

I like to believe that we all are spiritual beings having human experiences, and that we are here to learn. Planet Earth is the college campus, and we are all enrolled in a course called Life. I believe that we are put in different situations throughout our lives to learn the lessons we are supposed to learn, and also teach a few. We are, at the same time, both students and teachers.

My guess is that I am here to learn to be kind.

Not everyone goes through the experience of being a father — or a mother — and some never will. That’s OK. Life is what life is, and different experiences are reserved for different individuals.

Parenthood is part of my journey here on Earth. I am a father. I am the father of two wonderful human beings, who, simply put, changed my life for the better. They taught me more than anyone else ever did. They are the best teachers I have ever had and could dream of. They made me a kinder man.

They made me a kinder man.

Try a little tenderness; it’s good for the soul, and for the Earth.

 

Donna recently told me, “I am blessed. I have three Fabulous Children who bring so much joy into my life.”

Well said!

We are blessed!

We are blessed because we are grateful.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” – Brother David Steindl-Rast, Austrian-American Author and Benedictine Monk

Life is good, really good!

www.pierofalci.com

 

What is it like to be a mom?

What is it like to be a mom the day of your only daughter’s wedding?

What does a mother feel?

Donna dedicated herself lovingly and tirelessly, and played a key role in making this wedding an unforgettable experience for everyone.

A classy lady!

Thank you.

www.pierofalci.com

 

During the wedding ceremony, the priest asked members of the family to share what makes a marriage work. Two P’s came up: Patience and Perseverance. I guess this is right: it takes patience and perseverance to make any marriage work. But, obviously, it takes a lot more than this.

My friend Peggy once told me that it takes a daily commitment to love one another, trust one another, care for one another, and share with each other.

A daily commitment.

A daily re-commitment.

Every single day.

Day in and day out.

Day by day.

Nonstop.

 

I like the Golden Rule that teaches us that we should do to others what we would like others to do to us, but I prefer the Platinum Rule, which instructs us to do to others what they would like us to do them. This one takes extra work, because now we have to leave the comfort of our own heads, and all our certainties, and get inside someone else’s in order to understand how the other person feels. Marriage creates the best opportunities to get inside someone else’s head and figure out what the other person really wants.

Welcome to mind-reading!

Nothing better than marriage to learn and practice mind-reading. A good husband will ponder, “What kind of husband does my wife dream of having? What do I need to do? Who do I need to be, in order to be the husband of her dreams, the husband that will make her happy?” A good wife will ponder, “How does the wife of my husband’s dreams look like? What do I need to do to make him happy?”

Here is my dose of advice for a good marriage. I hope it helps.

Since mind-reading is quite a difficult skill to hone, I suggest a simpler path to begin with: spoken communication. Lots of it. Unspoken communications do not count. Speak up. Verbalize. Use words. Let the other know what you want, what you expect, what makes you happy. Be open and frank. Communicate your likes and dislikes. Don’t assume that the other person knows, or should know; they usually don’t. Tell him. Tell her. Talk to one another about everything. And pay attention to what the other person has to say. Listen. Listen. Listen. Ask again to make sure you understood. And at the end of every conversation double-check to make sure that you really understood what you were told.

Have lots of fun together. Do the things you like and also the things your spouse likes. Participate in one another’s lives. Show interest in your partner’s interests. Include your spouse in your activities. Invite one another to join in, and accept each other’s invitations. It can be as simple as accepting an invitation to walk around the block. There will always be things that both of you like, so go do them together as often as possible. There’s nothing better than creating great memories together. They will come handy in the future.

Remember the good times often.

And in the tougher days, remember how happy you both were the day you got married.

Remember this day!

Remember that day!

www.pierofalci.com

What a beautiful couple!

Simply put, Meghann and Aaron are two beautiful human beings, outside and inside. They exude beauty and their goodness shines through.

This was the first time I met them, and they immediately made us — Maria, Pedro and I — feel completely welcome. I am so grateful for that. Kindness and generosity with strangers is a clear evidence of goodness. They have plenty of it.

Aaron will love, honor and take good care of Meghann.

Meghann will love, honor and take good care of Aaron…

… and they will have lots of fun together

… and they will share memorable meals together

… and they will see extraordinary places together (here on Earth, and depending on how fast space travel develops, out there in the cosmos as well)

… and they will build a beautiful family together

… and they will make this world a better place.

All is good now and the future will be even better.

Life is good!

www.pierofalci.com

 

This is the most beautiful wedding that I have ever attended.

I guess that my long biking journey prepared me well to enjoy this celebration. My senses are more receptive to beauty. I see beauty everywhere. It’s all around us.

Then there is the mystical component.

This biking adventure was a spiritual pilgrimage for me — a spiritual pilgrimage within my lifelong spiritual pilgrimage — and I used it to meditate and ponder about the great questions of life.

It is significant to me that the end of this contemplative journey coincides with such a  sublime celebration: a time of such beauty and beautiful emotions.

I look at everything that is happening and I can’t help but think about the mysteries of life, the mysterious encounters that bring people together: family, lovers, friends…

I witness this beautiful wedding and I think about my own. I think about my wife, the  love that unites us, and the beautiful family we built together. How fortunate I am! How blessed we are!

I suddenly realize that I am now seeing the children of my friends getting married, and I am reminded that time doesn’t stop and keeps passing by. I think about my age and accept the invitation to take another glance at my life… Well, I feel good. It has been a good adventure. I am still having lots of fun and enjoying the ride.

Back to the ceremony…

Genuine love is in the air…

Beauty is all around me…

I can laugh… I can cry… Yes, these are real teardrops…

I guess I am softening up and getting more romantic with the years. And guess what? I simply love it.

Piero, the romantic!

Life is good!

Life is great!

I love my life, and I love my wife!

www.pierofalci.com