May 2023
The taste of my favorite organic coffee in the morning. A new summer sundress that I love wearing. An unexpected kiss without saying a word while listening to a favorite song. Old childhood photos of a time when there were no worries. The first night going out dancing after spending months staying at home. Walking barefoot on the sand or a clean floor. My favorite beach in DR. Barefooted in the grass during a summer morning. Clean white cotton Egyptian sheets. Dancing on the beach during sunset. Finding twenty dollars in a pocket before doing laundry. My mom’s homemade Dulce de Coco. His arm on my waist. Jogging on the streets while listening to one of my playlists. More dancing. Opening a thoughtful present. The minutes in the theater before starting a Broadway show. Thanksgivings, Christmas, and Birthdays surrounded by family. Receiving my favorite roses with a note with his name. Planning a family vacation. A playlist inspired by my favorite Caribbean Beach. The first seconds I put my feet in the water at the beach. House and disco songs. My favorite lipstick. Walking in Manhattan while listening to another one of my playlists. A glass of Riesling on a Friday afternoon after work. A clean apartment that smells like my new flowers. Ser libre. Red lipstick. Being sentimental with any movie about kids, older people, or dogs. Confessing that now after the pandemic, I’m hooked on watching movies and good TV series. More dancing. Fresh bread at the bakery. Jazz, Bossa Nova and Blues. Becoming a fan of Harry Potter books and movies again after introducing two nine-years-old to the whole story. His kiss on my hand. Listening to music in a car. His romantic gestures throughout the day. My favorite breakfast on repeat. Slow dancing. Staying completely healthy every year. Opening my windows during the first eighty-degree weather days in New Jersey. Talking about my Dad all the time. Singing without knowing the lyrics. The freedom of dancing. Walking in the park. My hands on his beautiful hair. A bowl filled with blueberries, pineapples, green grapes, and strawberries. Buying flowers. Latin music and dancing. Crying in the shower during those days and when life feels overwhelming. My favorite pasta. Church on Sundays. Dulce de Papaya. His kiss on my neck. My favorite homemade food cooked by Mom. A Solo weekend as a remedy when needed. The hug from a child that I deeply love and would protect with my life. Wearing a beautiful dress to sit in the sand during sunset. Loving my body. Art in New York City. Missing my Dad. Holding hands while walking the streets. My favorite sofa when I need to read. Summer breeze. The jokes with my banana bread recipe. Being surrounded by protective people that watch my back and love me. When I start packing my luggage, announcing the beginning of a trip. Food cooked by him. A fifteen minutes nap in the afternoon. A caffeine-free tea of Spearmint and Valerian before falling asleep. My favorite ice cream during 90 degrees weather. Holding the entrance ticket to a concert with my favorite singer or band. The silent sexual tension when we look at each other, and we can’t wait for the others to leave for the night. A window seat on a long train ride. Summer in New York City. Trying a new restaurant every weekend and loving the menus. Un Verano en Nueva York. Him always asking me to dance because he knows how much I love it. The old books my Dad gave me as a gift. How my love from New York City never dies, as long as I live forever in the neighboring Garden State. Summer vacation in the Caribbean. To feel free and respected. Also, winter vacation in the Caribbean. To receive an apology that I never expected to receive. A good movie. Traveling with my family. A good pizza that gets devoured by everyone on the table. Traveling to surprise my mom as many times as possible. People who make me laugh and teach me new jokes. My faith in Jesus. Buying new books for my niece and nephew, the same classic books that my Dad used to buy for me. A hug. My favorite window seat on an airplane. A kiss before falling asleep. To feel free next to someone. My feet on the sand, and a cold beer in my left hand. Those moments organizing my thoughts before journaling my heart out. A man who makes me feel safe and loved. Having a new favorite music album to listen to on repeat every summer. A weekend in front of the beach. A new book that quickly becomes a favorite. The way he loves my favorite perfume on my neck. My second home in a small town back in the homeland. My deep love and fear for the ocean. Teaching him how to dance Bachata. A new text message when I’m thinking and missing that person. The last few minutes of work on a Friday afternoon, knowing that we have the freedom of the weekend. A paella and a glass of white wine. My mom’s love and hugs. My sister and her beautiful smile. The last chapter of a book. A visit from an old friend. The repetitive lesson that dancing and music will always be the best healers. A warm shower after a stressful day. The way a dog moves its tail when it greets me. The acquired knowledge that privacy means more control of your life, keeps unwanted energy away, and enforces healthy boundaries.
Wendy Cecilia Reyes
April 2023
Hi, it has been a while. 2022 was the year that I did the most writing and became more private and protective of what I wrote. In other words, I kept it to myself. I’m sharing that I’m trying to revive my page with new stuff and working with a new category that involves grabbing the camera and taking more photos, but I’ll need the summer months to complete the project. I’m calling that space Studio because I’m working with the necessary tools for Design and Product Photography. I created two social media places for Studio. One on Pinterest and the other on Instagram at this handle: wendyceciliastudio.
The new personal content would be this post, and as the title explains, this space is for fitness, nutrition, well-being, sleep, self-love, relationships, and all that jazz. Ah, and travel photos, but I don’t know since I used to overshare in the past, and now that would mean crossing my self-imposed boundaries on privacy. Time will tell. The algorithm on this website dictates that my readers love my personal stuff. Shame on you guys for being so nosy. Ha!
What can I share with you without being oversharing?
Things change a lot in a year, and priorities are different. Life has this way of redirecting our goals as we grow older. And we start missing the small moments dearly and stop chasing all the unnecessary stuff that once defined us. Having your own space for personal growth becomes the best school in life. Learning to prioritize going to bed early and waking up early changes your mood on how you show up in life. Spending quality time with those we love and having good conversations and funny moments while enjoying delicious food. Long walks rediscovering the city that you always loved.
Learning that most problems could disappear after a long walk or prayer. We must choose what is good for our souls and let go of the rest. The repeated lesson that music and dancing could heal anything, I have several playlists to prove it for all the stages of life. Changing your old perfume will also change your personality. Beautiful flowers make people happier than a luxury. When we risk it in love, and it doesn’t work out, there is no failure; sometimes, the winning is in the new lesson. Your favorite places, books, people, and curiosities tell a part of the story about who you are.
The ultimate goal is to love your space inside a healthy body and mind without losing your sense of curiosity and awe for other people. The number one power of money is that you can use it to live, enjoy and create beautiful moments with the people you love; if you don’t have people to love, sorry, your money is useless. The respect that you have for yourself should never be negotiable. Life is too short to put yourself second. You’ll love others better when you start with yourself. The best investment in life is to surround yourself with people who will dance with you, make you laugh, share similar interests, or open their kind hearts to tell you about their growth and lessons. We feel rich when people with similar minds and souls surround us. Opposites do not attract, the opposite is toxic and will never be a safe place for you. Aging is a privilege; aging healthy and fit means you are also aging while loving yourself correctly. The real love story is when you like yourself in front of others or when spending time alone.
