The Aria

In The Beginning

(To start today I am going to ask you to put on some music, something that puts you in a comfortable peaceful place, please do this every day you read.)

So lets get rolling baby. Lets go back to my beginning. I was born May 12, 1982 by the most amazing parents in Worcester MA. Shortly after we moved to a little town in Maine called Kennebunk. I was a chubby little kid with a heart of gold, all I ever wanted to do was make people smile. I remember I think it was 2nd grade there was this girl Emily in my homeroom. She became my best friend for the next few years. That year I had invited her over my house for my 7th birthday, we had just gotten a new swing set. I remember swinging on it with her when my parents called us to come in for cake. I remember this day like it was yesterday.

So to the swing set. When we moved to Kennebunk the first friends my parents made was this couple down the street Debbie and Charlie, I am going to leave last names out for obvious reasons. So Charlie was a phenomenal wood worker he had actually been the first house in this neighborhood and had built his house himself. So the swing set was super cool and built by Charlie, I loved that swing set.

Do you remember what is was like to be a child and go running across the grass so excited just to jump on this little seas with two ropes only to then fly, what a freeing feeling.

(Please take a moment close your eyes and remember this feeling, visualize it feel the breeze and the motion, remember the nature around you the bugs the birds the bees. Remember the other kids running around going down the slides or climbing on the monkey bars with big smiles on there face.)

Isn't it amazing when you put your mind to it how easy it can be to go back in your head to moments like this, it is one of those magical things that only us humans get yet most never use.

So my father was in the hotel business part of the reason we moved to Maine was because he was buying a hotel in Portland, ME. I'm going to give you some history here. My father was born of Janet and Richard (Dick) Bowden. So on my grandmothers side we know her history and heritage but where it gets interesting is on my grandfathers side. My grandfather when he was an infant was left at this little church on the steps. There were two nuns at this church these two nuns took him in. One of their names was Bowden, now Bowden stands for The One Who Brings News (Google it I dare you. :-).

So my grandmother and grandfather were both music teachers in holden Massachusetts. My grandfather was probably one of the best piano players I have ever seen in my life. I remember this one time when I was in Florida with him, this is when I was older. We were going to an AA meeting and I heard a song on the radio I wanted to learn to play. So when we got back to the house he just sat down and played it and taught it to me. He had never heard the song before that day.

(Do me a favor put on some piano music. Life is like an Aria (An opera performed by one.) Magical and musical. Lets take a minute grab something to drink (My preference is coffee but you do you.) take a few minutes to have a drink and listen to the piano)...

So welcome back. :-). Hope you are enjoying the piano and enjoyed your beverage. So who got a snack, just curious I probably would have grabbed one as well and if you did great I hope it was tasty.

So my father grew up with four sisters, he worked really hard as a teenager and even harder as a young adult. He met my mother I think in high school and they fell in love. I believe they got married in their late teens. So I have an older brother Justin he was born when my parents were eighteen years old then they had me six years later and my little sister Nealy six after that. My father bought his first hotel when he was really young, not sure exactly what age but he was young.

After growing up with two teachers for parents and not a lot of money he wanted to give his kids a better bigger life, I mean who wouldn't, and he did. I remember going to Toys R' Us the day the Nintendo came out, I remember getting home and opening it up with my brother and father and that magical experience that came with playing that console.

(Do me a favor take a moment and close your eyes go back to one of those magical experiences in your life. Doesn't have to be when you were a kid but just one of those moments of goodness that sticks out. Remember that feeling, that joy, that experience and relive it.)

We used to goto Toys R' Us on a regular basis, my father just loved seeing us get excited and smile, he and my Mother loved us so much. The Toys R' Us thing was regular till later when (Spoiler) my parents got divorced.

(Now if you could do a favor for yourself. Go outside and find a piece of nature, sit and just observe it for a while observe the change and the beauty.  Spend maybe 15 -30 minutes. Now tonight when you goto bed as you fall asleep I want you to visualize what you were observing and fall asleep. We will continue tomorrow. Now remember no cheating.)