Holding on....

Life tends to be unpredictable. We can be happy one day and sad the next, healthy one day and sick the next, rich then poor, and even alive to being dead. So what is there to hod on to? Who is there to feel secure with? Who can we trust at all times? To me, the answer is to be strong in your faith and family. those two will always be there at the end of the day. With me suffering from being the only child, I know I have my close-knit friends but I never forget where I came from and who I am in terms of my faith.

You're my lobster =)

a little old school to send a message, LOL. JK, this isn't for anyone... heard this twice on 103.3 recently and it made me wonder how things tend to pop up at the right times. Definitely a pick me up kind of song.

Keeping busy

Dear Blog,

I'm so sorry that I've neglected you for the past few weeks. May has been the craziest month with something going on almost every day. I thank you for being here for me in my time of need at the beginning of the year. You were my escape from the misery and hardships. Things have changed for the better and I have such a great supporting cast to help turn my days into adventures. Pretty soon I'll be attending concerts to see Backstreet Boys, Minh Tuyet, Imogen Heap, Michael Buble, and even Lady Gaga (in a long year). I have friends getting married, having babies, graduating. It's such a great time of the year for everyone. I named you "the top gets higher" because everytime I felt like better times would be here and I would reach the top of the mountain of happiness, it literally kept getting higher. However, better times are finally here. They aren't perfect but the imperfections makes it worth facing. Thank you again, Blog, for everything. I hope you accept my sincerest apology and I promise I'll be back soon. thank you for being a friend.

-DNguyen

Pump up the jam

There's nothing like having your iPod on when I'm warming up for a basketball game. There are so many songs out there that I love to listen to but only a select few can do the job by pumping me up before a big game and getting me in the zone. I always have 41 tracks on my play list but there are 5 that will always be my go to songs.

Gone but not forgotten

Every year around Mother's Day, I always remember the tragic death of a friend on the basketball court, a fallen student athlete on his way to the top. It's like the classic scenario where you take a guy out the ghetto but you can't take the ghetto out the guy. Ryan Francis is the guy we all remember that left us way too soon. He was a role model for those around him and inspiration to everyone. He found his ticket out the hood by heading all the way to the University of Southern California on a basketball scholarship to better himself and his family. With finals being over, he decided to take a trip home to Baton Rouge to visit his mom. In the early hours of May 13, 2006, his life was taken in a drive by shooting... ironically, it was Mother's Day. To this day, there are still tributes for him that keep his memory around other than just our hearts. When my friend Tyrus Thomas got drafted to the Chicago Bulls, he wore #24 because Tyrus' LSU number as 12 and Ryan's was 12 as well and it added up to 24. Some of my friends on Facebook still have his image up as their default. It's been 4 years and hopefully people can learn that rivalries and drama aren't worth the lives of individuals.

Happy Mother's Day

Not many words in the world more powerful than “mother.” Those six letters can bring joy and comfort to our hearts. To me, it means more than I can ever possibly describe, it's like an immeasurable strength, beautiful patience, and infinite wisdom. Based on the blog entry title, the main reason for this entry is to pay tribute to every positive mother or even motherly figure today. A day for mothers shouldn't just be one day a year, as long as they are in our hearts, every day of the year is Mother's Day. The love and bond between a mother and her children is hands down the most beautiful thing created. You know why? Because true love is the only thing that lasts from the moment you’re born to the second you're gone. To all the mothers, I hope this day allows you to feel the love and respect you rightfully deserve. You are the role models.

To my own mother, there remains nothing but love and respect coming from my heart. Even with the mistakes I’ve made in my life, you give me reason to smile with the daily grinds that I endure. You are the only woman who knows me best. With each obstacle that has come our way, you have handled it with the grace and dignity I can only hope to replicate. The fact that you continue to support my business ventures and dreams to be someone gives me more and more motivation to tell you this. Happy Mother’s Day.



Jamie O'Neal - Somebody's Hero
(sorry for the ad before the clip, couldn't find a decent video on YouTube)

Picture Perfect

Picture perfect. That's how my weekend was. Having a happy birthday would be a huge understatement with the amount of love that I felt. A weekend jam packed with friends and family was the best way to start off my 24th. From the witty answers in our rounds of Scattergories on Friday to the hot dance floor of Ledge on Saturday and finishing off the weekend with a family crawfish boil,... I couldn't have asked for more. New friends, old friends, best friends, adventures, and new beginnings are all part of a formula for happiness. Cakes, Facebook posts, calls from Switzerland, videos... it's all just icing on the cake (literally and metaphorically). It was a beautiful sight to be in one place and look around to see people from all over the gulf coast. Even Steveeeeeeee came out to see me. My personal thank yous have been sent out already but for one last time, thank you for all that you've done. You know who you are. January/ February sucked and the year is only getting better =)

In other news, May is going to be one crazy ass month. Congratulations to all the graduates. I'll definitely be there for your parties and commencements. Concerts are going to be fun with Richard Marx coming into Biloxi next weekend and more to follow in June. With all of this fun comes little sleep, I'm definitely ready...

Also, I have the honor of being Danial Allen's best man for his June wedding. Hopefully I can hold down the fort but I'm kind of nervous about the toasts that I'll be giving. He was shipped to the gulf for the oil crisis but he's back and it looks like everything is still set. Ara is a lucky lady.

I recently found myself having a conversation with a great friend about friendships. With friends like the Holdens, there's no need for anyone else. Just wanted to shout that out to them for all that we've been through as a group and individually. It's nice to have them because it's like we're still there even when relationships exist in our lives. Some that I know seem to be drifting away but it's all a part of the cycle. We're all living life and it can't get any better.