Thank you so much LDF officers. We salute you!

I hope Lebanon and the Lebanese people stay safe particularly during this difficult time and to each and every single LDF (Lebanese Defence Force) officer: we wholeheartedly know how strong you are and we appreciate everything that you're doing to keep us safe, but we just need you to also keep strong within yourselves mentally in positively facing all the demeaning comments that you're frequently receiving at this very difficult time and I also want you to know that my prayers are always with you.

May God bless and always continuously protect the LDF (Lebanese Defence Force) association and all its officers.

My Christmas wishing tree (translated from French)

Hi Readers,

I’ve translated all the positive descriptions or from French to English that I hope everyone will be practising all the time and I’ve turned the words into a Christmas tree, so I hope you enjoy reading it.

Peace

Union - Unity

Glee

Hope

Love - Success

Longevity - Light

Solidarity - Happiness - Love

Respect - Health - Joy - Sharing

Friendship - Goodness - Forgiveness - Patience

Wisdom - Faith - Dignity - Vitality

Patience - Gratitude

NZ solidarity article

This picture is from the New Zealand skyscraper in Auckland that I was lucky enough to visit on a cruise and my message to the people of New Zealand to stay strong and be brave and to also know that this heartbreaking incident doesn’t define you and one bad apple doesn’t ruin the whole bunch, because we’re all human and we should all be celebrating that very fact (humanity in and of itself) and while we should be extra cautious going forward, we also shouldn’t let this incident scare us from practicing our basic right to pray - no matter who we are and we should also respect the 2 basic facts of life going forward: one is that life has to go on and continue, whether we like it or not, and two is that unfortunately evil knows and/or has no boundaries.

So my advice to everyone out there is to always know that all the places of worship from churches to mosques and even synagogs are all safe places for people to practice their religious rights and freedoms in, so nothing should stop you there and I also want you to always know that kindness always wins over cruelty on a socio-communal (society and community) scale.

May God bless you and always continuously protect you all.

Virgin Mary prayer (translated from French)

Old Custom

In time, in May, we received a statue of the Blessed Virgin in a little box that is walking from house to house. Everybody was very proud to receive her at home. It was an honour. In memory of this ancient custom, I will send the Virgin Mary to come to you and help you if you wish. Whether you believe in it or not, it would be nice to forward this picture in order for the Virgin Mary to keep travelling from house to house, from home to home, from workplace to workplace, from computer to computer, from phone to phone,…She will end up coming to someone who will need her…Our Blessed Mother: Our Blessed Mother: we thank you for travelling the world carrying our worries with you! I send this to you,

I send it to you (this prayer), so that you can continue to help others, because there are people who need her (the Virgin Mother Mary).

I hope you have a safe trip, Our Holy Mother.

We're not incapacitated, we just have special needs

Dedicated to all those beautiful souls who through their disabilities teach us so many lessons.

I sit in silence and in my silence, I feel more than you do.

In my silence, I feel your love.

In my silence, I communicate not with individuals, but with the entire Universe.

In my silence, I speak with the angels.

Don't let my silence or my physical disabilities sadden you, or think that I’m "different" because I’m not… I came here on a mission.

Before I decided to come into this world, I chose to teach people a lesson through my silence and/or physical disability.

The lesson is that we essentially are all the same, whether it’s because of the fact that we all have different physical appearances or because of the fact that some of us are quiet achievers and prefer communicating in silence, letting our actions speak louder than words.

We are one.

I sit in silence.

Written by Matoula Psillakis

All my friends are married. Where do I go now?

If anyone reading this article thinks that I’m complaining about my life and/or loathing it in any way, shape or form, then think again, because you sometimes need to take the cards that life throws at you no matter the capacity in which they come in: be it permanent or temporary as well as being hard or easy; because it’s what you do with those cards that helps determine whether you sink or swim through them.

  

Case in point, as I look through my circle of friends, I see that the majority of my friends who are around my age are now parents and I know that this could be a really lonely and sometimes confronting time for people who are childless, because they might feel like they’re the odd ones out and equally feel like they no longer have anything in common with their once-single friends, so here’s my advice to those struggling with this:

Know that it’s completely natural to sometimes feel this way and you’re not alone, don’t be completely disheartened by that, try not to listen to people who judge you negatively on it and instead try to take as much time as you need to understand what your friend’s new life step entails and try to think of ways in which you could support them, in the life stage that you’re at.

Let me assure you by confirming that I have sometimes felt that at different times in my adult life, but I haven’t let that in itself stop me from having a place in my friends’ lives because of the respect we have for each other’s life journeys.

I also feel really blessed to be a “surrogate aunty” to all my friends’ kids and I’m also looking forward to having my story instil bravery, courage, resilience as well as a fighting spirit in them.

Remembering Jackie Collins, one year on

I'm sure Jackie Collins' memory is being kept alive through her books, but this time, I'll be using this memory in the name of health.

Breast health is important (for both men and women), and remember you're never too old or too young to get them checked out.

I had my first breast check when I was 17 years old and I was then diagnosed with a condition called fibro adenoma, which in simple terms means breast fibroids, so I can't stress enough how important early detection is, because it certainly did save my life.

It's also important to remember that in some cases, women themselves actually find the lumps during self-examinations, so my advice to anyone reading this, (men and women) is to get to know your breasts and if you notice any changes, please talk to your partners and/or parents about it and go to the doctor immediately. As Fran Drescher says: "Catch it on arrival, 95% survival."