Thinking about my goals for the new year makes me crouch in my seat when I should sit up straight proud because I got there

my brain BURSTS mulling over ANY AND EVERY GOAL so I take this time to look at them as a WHOLE

What do I have to do to complete this puzzle piece that is comprised of EVERY SINGLE GOAL

Being CONFIDENT and PROUD of what I have done should give me all the reason to continue to strive for SUCCESS this season

There is truly no reason why 2024 can NOT be a BREAKTHROUGH season

As I invision proceeding and SUCCEEDING in life the reason I haven’t had my break through moment is easy

My potential is like the AIR you can NEVER have too much to spare

I don’t dare to prepare to jump into the limit-LESS air BUT I am AFRAID of that STARE or smile that will inevitably be there (at least according to ME) to COMPARE

If I dare to run the race that is LIFE and I WIN I will FOREVER WONDER if crossing that finish line FIRST was FAIR

I think about EVERYONE ELSE who CAN be there

Most certainly the guy with the limp is NOT supposed to be there (or so MYSELF thinks)

But I tell myself if I do NOT run the race (LIFE) like I BELONG it will only be UN-used air and WASTED air just means in the end I did NOT care and I MYSELF CARE

So in 2024 I DARE to jump INTO MY limit-LESS AIR!

The expectations I set forth
Will allow me to light the torch
To a productive and successful 2024
Far beyond my imagination
This is the year of fulfillment
This is the year of new beginnings
This is the year that my consistency pays off
This is the year my dreams are my reality
My destiny awaits
I cherish the days of people saying
I always knew you would
I always knew you were talented
Not that I need the recognition
But I would be grateful that they were paying attention
I’m ready to enjoy the talent I was blessed with
Sharing it with the masses
I’m ready for my creativity to be heard
As well as read in the pages of my 1st poetry book
1 of my biggest goals this year
Is to release a body of work
That represents me before I turn 40
This is the year
This is the year I dreamt of
This is the year that it all happens
Ain’t nothing going to stop me but me
That’s why this is the year of endless possibilities!

The excitement you feel at new years. Is arbitrary. It’s created. We decided that completing 365 days is an accomplishment. A time to celebrate, to reflect, to dream.

We begin to think about all the possibilities of a new year. The places we may go, people we may meet, people we may become.

We create the feeling of being new, fresh, opportunities await.

But what if we celebrated like this every week. Everyday. We feel the same accomplishment and pride and joy for living another day. We feel the excitement and dream about the possibilities that tomorrow holds.

We truly, deep down try to embrace the feelings of new years each and every day. We reflect on the day, what went wrong and released it. What went right and how we can foster more of that. Appreciate the places we went that day while dreaming of the places we’ll go tomorrow.

We create how we feel. How we process. We can’t control the outside influences but we can work to control how we process and react. We can celebrate each and every day and the possibilities that a new day holds.

This year I want to celebrate the new day.

Good morning, happy new day!
Good night, wishing you an amazing tomorrow!

25 December 2023
Christmas Day

“Weeping may endure for a night
But joy cometh in the morning.”

Psalm 30:5

My Dearest Sean:

As I was reading our friend Lauren Brill’s website, the community was invited to reflect upon and write a letter about our favorite day of 20
23. Sounds easy, right? Sometimes, as we enter the holy season of Christmas each year, we often reflect on the totality of the year. However, as a grieving mother, I found myself a bit challenged to write this missive as just 18 months, 13 days ago, you left this earth and transcended through the clouds, the galaxies, and the stars and onto God’s Paradise. It almost feels like a betrayal to feel joy but the reading of Psalm 30:5 lifts our spirit to do otherwise.

After much reflection, I chose Wednesday, 23 August as the day and date as the single day that brought much joy and therefore my favorite day of 2023. This summer day was the selected day that the inaugural Sean Scott Strother Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser was held. The scholarship was created in loving memory of you as a beloved son and amazing father. Additionally, you were such a “teckie” and enjoyed all that technology had to offer and that was manifested in your home life, your professional career as a software solutions engineer and in your extracurricular activities, including using technology to track biking with GPS. So it was apropos that we had envisioned a bright future for young scholars who plan to pursue a career in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) field, with College Now Greater Cleveland Inc. managing the fund.

The event Committee consisted of members of your family and dear friends. We had methodically and meticulously planned out all of the details for an outside event on The Bluff at a venue along the breathtaking shores of Cleveland’s beautiful Lake Erie! We were ecstatic!

Thumbs up! The day prior to the event, we checked the weather forecast and had expected good weather on Wednesday. However, on the day of the event, we woke up to gray skies and gentle rain which progressively became worse. There was significant flash flooding and thunderstorms and the hardest hit areas were along the lakeshore, with five to seven inches of rainfall. You know what I was thinking – that the expected guest list of 50 plus would begin to diminish.

Good news! As we entered the venue, a young server introduced himself to me and shared an inspiring word. He said, “Is this your event?” I answered affirmatively, apparently with a look of pensiveness. The server continued, “Don’t worry. Your event will be just fine! And, we’ll have a bit sunshine.” Unbeknownst to me, the venue staff had transformed the mansion to accommodate my event to a glorious indoor event! With that, guests who were not deterred by the ferocious storms, gray skies and flooding began to trickle in. Close to 80 individuals joined us – family, friends, colleagues, and your BFFs. Miraculously, at one point during the event, like magic, the sun was shining which afforded our special guests to venture out of the mansion and onto “The Bluff” overlooking the picture perfect Lake Erie. I believe that there was divine intervention. What do you think?

The fundraiser was awesome and successful! Every single one of your amazing friends, colleagues, family, new friends as well as event staff contributed to the success of this event! They showed up and showed out! Your closest friends created the most amazing silent auction baskets, lovingly entitled “Sean’s Favorite Things.” These unique baskets each reflected things that you enjoyed – Scotch, Date Night Basket, The Edible Art Experience Cookie Basket, Tech, Travel, Mobile Detailing and a magnificent piece of art by a Cleveland artist.

The keynote speakers, all who knew you personally, shared remarkable stories about your kind attributes, your education at Cuyahoga Community College and its impact on your career and weaved in the importance of education, technology and the STEAM areas as it relates to the economic development of our community. Your unique gift of being able to meet people where they are and go from “the mailroom to the boardroom” was just as important as your technology education.

We raised over $17K which was 59% over plan. As a result of such a successful fundraiser, in 2024, we will be able to offer a selected scholar from the Cleveland Now Strother Scholarship Fund a renewable annual scholarship!

August 23, was indeed my favorite day!

Sean, your influence is enduring as well as impactful.

I love you dearly and you are missed immensely.

All my Love,
Mom
(Janet Banks)

The Strother Scholarship Fund

Sean Scott Strother was born on Valentine’s Day 1982 during an era of the creation and proliferation of the first personal computer, the release of Nintendo, Game Boy, and the rise of the Sony Walkman. Sean’s expanded curiosity into the world of technology began with the arrival and opening of large box, designed with the iconic rainbow apple, containing the hot Apple IIgs, a powerful personal computer! With that, began his successful foray into the field of technology and its impact as well as application in everyday life.
Sean attended Lutheran High School East and graduated from Cleveland Heights High School. Sean served in the Ohio Army National Guard First Battalion. 145th Armor Company while pursuing an Associate degree in applied science from Cuyahoga Community College. While employed as a lifeguard at Beachwood High School, Sean was offered the opportunity to join Tremco, Inc. as an intern and later as a desktop support technician. From there, and with increased responsibilities, he joined Novelis, and Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. Sean achieved his life’s career goals, by obtaining his dream job at BMC, a Global Software Company, as a Senior Solutions Engineer.

Sean was a proud dad and loved being a “Girl Dad” to his beautiful girls – Jada and Chloe; stepdaughters, Kamari and Kaliyah. One of Sean’s proudest achievements was raising funds to fight childhood cancers through the Great Cycle Challenge with his employer BMC Inc. team members where he was one of the top fundraisers. Sean was passionate about the Great Cycle Challenge because it enabled him to do what he loved to do, cycle, and raise funds to end childhood cancer and save little lives. Sean earned the respect of his colleagues who shared that he “was extremely smart, dedicated, super fun to be around and overall great person.” Sean had a unique quality in that everyone with whom he came in contact felt special, family, friends and strangers alike.

Applicants for the Strother Scholarship Fund must attend a College Now served high school in Northeast Ohio and graduate in the spring of 2024. The selected student will receive up to $2500 annually. This scholarship is renewable.

Started the year manifesting love and success
I had my share of failed relationships
So finding love in 2023 came unexpectedly
Our 1st official date just so happened to fall
On my mom’s death anniversary
What a hectic day
After my hair appointment
We went to the cemetery to visit my mom
How different that was
I’ve never taken anyone to visit my mom’s grave
If my mom was alive
She would have so many questions
So it was only right
A dinner reservation at Carmine’s
Because we both love Italian food
The rain couldn’t put a damper on our mood
Even though my silk press became frizzy
We took pictures to capture the night
Along the time square bright lights
Honestly that had to be the overall best day of 2023
As the month of June is often bittersweet to me
That day I forgot about the past pain that plagued my mind
Instead I celebrated new beginnings
And toasted to a brand new love that would continue to shine!

I have to say that 2023 has been pretty kind to me. It’s been a good year and I’ve embarked on adventures that I never would’ve imagined in my wildest dreams. That being said it was difficult to choose my favorite moment of the year, however one rises above all the others.

Picture this….

It was my birthday. The July heat warmed my face as I woke to the sound of kids playing at a nearby park in the suburbs of Chicago. I was a long way from my home in Maine but it didn’t feel that way because my other half—my better half—my twin sister was sleeping in the room next door. I woke with gratitude for another day, for a new year of life beginning, for the life of my sister (who is my best friend), for the chance to do life together and much more. I say a quick prayer thanking God for these blessings as I soak up the rays of sun shining through the window and wait for my sleepy sister to wake up.

Our first adventure of the day was to get to Starbucks to get our free birthday beverage. As she sipped on her iced caramel macchiato and I sipped on my honey flat white we walked to a nearby nail salon to get pedicures all the while chatting about our hopes, dreams and goals for the next year.

When we reach the nail salon we settle in for some rest and relaxation. I choose a lighter purple color and my sister chose a pale blue color. The shades of nail polish we chose are total opposites, yet complement each other quite well just like my sister and I do. I look over to her as she’s getting her nails done and see her smiling and I smile too knowing that she is happy.

With our tummies rumbling we head over to P-Quads, a deep dish pizza restaurant that both my sister and my dad raved about. As we walked in the heavenly smell of pizza cooking wafted its way to my nose. We ordered a pepperoni deep dish pizza and devoured several slices of pizza before tapping out.

We headed back to my sister’s apartment and got ready for the main reason I was in Chicago (besides seeing my sister) to see Ed Sheeran perform in Solider Field. The previous Christmas my sister had gotten me tickets to the concert. I had waited for this for half a year and now it was here. The anticipation and excitement grew as I got ready.

Before leaving for the concert my sister and I blew out our candles had a few bites of our cheesecakes that we had ordered from the Cheesecake Factory a few days before. Each bite was creamy, delicious and super rich.

Finally we left for the concert. We arrived at Soldier Field and walked up to the humungous stadium. Khalid came out and the excitement was palpable. With enthusiasm and energy he worked the whole crowd. With the excitement at its peak Ed Sheeran came bounding onstage. I could not believe I was actually there, I have been a fan of his for a long time and here he was in the same vicinity as me. You could say I was a little star struck, even though Ed is such a humble guy. More than that a feeling of deep wonder and gratitude filled my being. How this birthday was so different than the last birthday I’d had where I’d spent the day alone, grieving the loss of my grandparents, wondering if I was seen or known. Ed sang his little heart out and the crowd shared moments of joy, laughter, tears as we sang along to his songs. As the concert was about to end Ed instructed us to take out our phone and use our flashlight on our phone and as he sang we waved our phones in the air as we took in the lyrics, the melody, the moment.

I have to admit that 2023 has been kind to me and that there have been many good moments this year, but this one tops them all. It was a perfect day spent with one of my favorite people, treating ourselves, eating good food, and watching one of my favorite pop artists sending lyrics which encapsulate both the beauty and messiness of life into the humid night air. I felt at peace. I felt seen and known in the moment. I could not help but smile from ear to ear and soak in each moment. And even now the memory washes over me and fills me with a wonder and gratitude that I know I will remember for the rest of my life.

It’s supreme to see, the difference between guided meditations between poets. The way one’s words can give spirit the will to steer a movement. And the lost of the spoken word to preform in-front of gods when its lost in moments. This pine box that kept lock the pillars of actions, and thoughts which keep me in motion. It’s these times when a call from god can give you the Courage to defeat the cowardice of self service to societies involvements. But it came from an unsealed person, who wasn’t washed by the addictions of personal cues to batter the isolated person. A personified hue-man who gave me the impression to be a super soldier. So buried alive was the feeling that my words wasn’t enough to spread a revolution.

I’ve had many memorable days and moments within 2023 that I will never forget. All involves my daughter and grandkids. Days, I thought a couple time during my life I would never see, due to two cancer diagnoses. So, those days will always be the best days of my life. There’s no other days better. But I must say, one day in particular I will never forget, and I received it so gracefully. That day would be November 10, 2023. It would be the day I received the words. “No Cancer Found”. Yes, just as the time of year I was diagnosed previously, right around the holidays. I had a couple symptoms that made my MD, as well as myself think the Big (C) may have returned. On this very special precious day, I was told, all was good, and all tests had come back negative. That’s all I wanted to hear during the holidays. One of the greatest gift to myself, after my children. I had been feeling down thinking it would ruin my holidays yet again, but God!

I’m forever grateful
That I am able to share my words
With people
And they often become inspired
By my positivity and willingness to share
Openly and comfortably
Everything I’ve been through
From heartache to heartbreak
There is no shame
Just lessons to be learned
I’m grateful for them all
Teachable moments that make me stand tall
I practice gratefulness every day
That’s why I’m grateful for everyone
I encounter daily
From strangers I meet on the street
To inconnus that have become great supporters
In any and everything I do
I’m forever grateful for restored love
Especially the woman that accepted me
And made me appreciate love again
Thank you for first being a friend
I’m forever grateful
For existing in a world
That doesn’t want you to survive
But I find a way to survive the odds stacked against me
Blessed to be alive
And continuously see
That I’m surrounded by the people meant to help me navigate this life!

What am I grateful for?
Often I feel shameful for not feeling more grateful for my disability
I am grateful to the Higher Power
For instilling the motivation and strength
Recognizing how I can use my disability
Sometimes I make myself feel dizzy
Trying to figure out why me
he chose to be looked at differently
I never think I will fully love my disability
Because I do wish my disability wasn’t something you can see
But when I look at my life now
I am trying to see something new
The good in why he chose me
Being one of the people whose disability you can see
So you see
There is a responsibility
To encourage others to see
We all have a “disability”
I don’t want self-pity
I just want people to understand that
“Your disability” just maybe
Your greatest ability
Thank you higher power
And everyone that supports me!

I’m grateful for my life even when I can’t quite feel my purpose. I somehow just know that is a gift. The colors of the sky and the beauty of nature each morning when I wake.
I’m grateful for my Grandmother and her loving arms and guidance. For her health and her unconditional love. Her arms and her hugs. Her wisdom and her patience.
I’m grateful for my grown children, each day my heart swells even more with pride.
I’m grateful for the hugs, the hikes,and the laughter as well as the memories that we have all shared. I’m grateful for the man that stands by my side who stepped up when the others stepped away. He stayed. He stayed.
I’m grateful for my pets, for the soft and gentle kisses and nudges of support when I am often too overwhelmed and emotional to see the bright side. They pull me back and ground me. It’s unconditional love at the finest.
I’m grateful for my GOD next without him, I wouldn’t be here today. I’m grateful for second chances and the lessons that I have learned along the way.
I’m grateful for the birds and the wild animals as they sing their beautiful songs.
I’m grateful for the Drs that fix me when I can’t go on.
I’m grateful for the strangers that become friends and the presence of angels in my time of need.
I’m grateful for family. Distant and close by. I’m grateful for my beautiful cousin. She is my hero. She saved my heart and gave me peace when I was absolutely dying inside.
I’m grateful for my kind heart, and for my strength. For being determined to survive.
I’m grateful for the dreamers. The encouragers and those that gently push.
I’m grateful for my counselor as she helps me take my control back and gives me the confidence to keep pushing on.
I’m grateful for the unsealed family who write the tender and vulnerable stories from their hearts.
I’m grateful for their transparent and beautiful hearts.
🤍

I’m grateful for the breath in my lungs
I’m thankful for good morning hugs
I’m grateful for my community of family and friends
I’m thankful for God’s love that never ends
I’m grateful for a roof over my head
And a comfy, cozy, nice warm bed.
I’m grateful that I have food on my plate
I’m even thankful when I have to wait.
I’m grateful for the clothes on my back
But if I’m being honest sometimes I’m like an amnesiac
Because I forget to count the blessings that I’m grateful for
And sometimes I lose sight of what I have been given and ask for more
But the Lord is good, generous and kind
And brings each one back to my mind
I cannot begin to fathom the many ways
So I sing Him a song of thanks and praise
He has been so good to me
Even working in ways that I cannot see
I’m sure I’m not the only one to be blessed beyond measure
So to you I say cherish each blessing as you would a treasure
Make Thanksgiving more than one day long
Let it be a way of life—a beautiful song
Emanating from heart to your lips
Gratitude rising to the Giver of every perfect gift.
Today I thank the Lord for all He has given
And most importantly for His unending love and provision.