The lessons

   Dear diary,

   I learned that life takes you by surprise. No matter how much you try to prepare yourself for what's coming.

   I learned that you never completely know yourself and that you have to be willing to play the beautiful unfolding game life is so you could get to know yourself a little more every day.

   I learned that we take so many things for granted and it's so hard not to once we're used to having them around.

   I learned that it's all an illusion. The mirror of Erised. And it takes a whole while till you figure that out.

   I learned that now is more important than yesterday or tomorrow, that I want to live it all before I pass away. 

   I learned that life gives us gifts of all sorts and shapes and we should always take them. Because they don't come back.

   I learned I needed 25 years to be a woman and I'm still a kid inside. I love that part of myself and I enjoy it every day.

   I learned we're complex beings, beautiful ones, full of amazing features we should use more often. We need to be true to ourselves first and then to the others.

   I learned that it's hard to have no expectations but you can train yourself not to. That life is a game where you have to accept that sometimes you win and other times you lose and know that the game always goes on no matter what... with or without you.

   I learned that life's short, so we should do what we feel like and regret nothing.

Still learning,

D.

The oddball

   I know, you're going through that weird period in your life when your folks wants you to get married and start a family of your own instead of crafting your Halloween outfit, button trees and colored collages. 

   Yeah, you better get used to it. You're 25 and you're still a kid. And an artist. They think you're odd and they laugh when you say that out loud, but in your heart you already know that's gonna stick with you your whole life. You'll play along with your kids, you'll pick clothes, toys and DIY projects together, you'll create as long as you're breathing. Because the Creator himself gave you a little bit of him wrapped up in a sparkly gift tied up with a huge bow. You can't refuse that, can you now? How could you when the internet is full of awesome, brilliant, magnificent ideas and DIY creative projects you can't wait to dive into?:) 

   You're an artist. And that's more than a job you leave behind when you exit that door. It's imprinted in your skin and you'll wear it forever. Your own beautiful tattoo. 

   So let them speak. Let them laugh. You just keep playing a different game each day:) Feed that kid and don't ever let him grow up!:) Hear me?

Day 308. Priceless

   You know what they say: you can buy a lot of things but there are some that money just can't buy. You will never be able to buy happiness, love, peace, class, lost time and so on. Yeah, you can buy things to get you there for a second, a minute, a day or maybe a week, but when you wake up the next day, will you still be happy? Think again:)  

   Today my boyfriend and I celebrated his birthday. Happy, happy, joy, joy:) Of course, he received a nice gift, something he loved and needed, but at the end of the day he told me: "you know, the fact that you love me and you're here with me is the best gift there is":) So, can you buy that? Real, everlasting happiness?:) I'm really proud of him and of the special thing we share. Anything I could buy wouldn't make me happier:) This is priceless:)

P.S. Happy birthdaaaay, honey<3 Love you lots!

  

Day 297. The gift that keeps on giving

   We're all here with a purpose. Not only to enjoy the gifts we're receiving and live a happy life, but also to pay it forward and help people around us. Not because we have to, but because we want to be good and make the world a better place. 

   How do we do that? Help without expecting anything in return. Help for the sake of seeing people happy. Prove that there's more to life than money and power.

   It might sound hard to accomplish it but if we truly believe in this quest, nothing is too big. You know what they say, when there's a will there's a way:) And in the end, what goes around comes around.

Day 274. The wrong people

   Sometimes we give things to the wrong people and it all turns out to be a mess. Because they don't appreciate them and our efforts are in vain. And then we suffer.

   I'm not talking about friends. Friends know how to take things, they know the message beyond the gesture, I'm talking about newbies. People you barely know and you want to bond with. People you grow to care about. 
   Maybe that's our mistake. We don't analyse people before we give. Be it trust, a gift or a secret. 

   So open your eyes and think ahead. It's that simple.

   

Day 87. About gifts

   Gifts are such a sensitive theme to approach. Especially when you're not skilled in gift giving. Here are some rules that I thought about today while trying to find the perfect gift for a friend:

1. We should give presents for the right reason. Don't just do it because "you have to, cos it's his/her birthday" or "because he/she gave me something first". Do it because you WANT to. Because you want to make the other person happy. 

2. Then, find the right gift: something meaningful... not too pricey (we know you want to surprise him/her but don't just overdo it) nor too cheap (let's face it, you better handcraft something yourself than buying a cheap thing made in China). 

3. The right gift also involves knowing the person you're preparing it for. That's right. You have to know what he/she LIKES. If you don't know the person that well, ask for help. Ask his/her friends, family or colleagues. Just ask. Or search it on his/her FB page. It always shows a lot of things you might not be aware of. That's one of the benefits Facebook brings: knowing the others better. 

4. After you found a gift that the person might be happy about and you buy it be careful about wrapping it up nicely. We all like some extra attention on the details (ok, maybe just girls). Even if it's a small gift it will receive a better perspective if it has a beautiful wrapping:) 

5. If somehow you just can't find the right gift for someone, DON'T buy what YOU would like to receive. Bad, bad call! Exception: when you know the two of you have common passions. Otherwise, the person will only feel insulted. Be careful about the other person's feelings. It matters a lot:) 

6. Some people like useful gifts... something practical not something to stare at (like Christmas decorations). Others like handmade gifts. Be careful about that too.

   Gift giving might seem a tough job but it can turn into a challenging yet entertaining problem solving situation if we want to. One that helps us learn things about life and people.

   In my case it's fun. I admit it's hard at first if I don't know the person so well and I struggle a lot to find the perfect gift, but in the end I'm satisfied with the decision. 
   My friends and I played Secret Santa the other day so now I have a nice, new challenge ahead:) I can't wait to make my friend happy:)

   

Day 71. Colorful heaven

   I don't know about you, but I admire painters SO much! I wish I would have been able to create such a beauty with my own hands. Nevertheless, one has to settle for the gift he received when he was born. Was it random draw? Was it destiny?

  Today I got the chance to see some works of a painter from my own city: Octavian Popescu. Very very talented! I looove his landscapes and his flower paintings!:) 

   So, this afternoon I stepped into heaven for a bit and it was heart melting:)

Day 68. The best years

"The best years of our lives are the ones we didn't live yet."

   I read this quote today in the amazing book I'm reading on the bus (Call from an angel - Guillaume Musso) and it made me smile:) Many times we find ourselves longing for the past, wishing for it to come back to life thinking that it was definitely better than the present. We all know they say present is a gift and we should cherish it, but I never thought the best is yet to come:) 

   We've all had good years and those are the ones we daydream about when our rollercoaster is going down, but instead, we should close our eyes, breathe and tell ourselves the best is yet to come:) That's how we know the ride is going up again, that's what keeps us alive:)