Bruce Law Firm - July 2020

Bruce Law Firm - July 2020

July 2020

The Story of Lena Rose

Follow Your Intuition

Do you ever have a gut feeling, a voice in your head that tells you to act on something? When you are experiencing it, you aren’t always sure you should trust that intuition. You ask yourself, What am I doing ? Ashley had this feeling recently, and instead of ignoring her intuition, she acted on it. Owning a horse has been a lifelong dream of Ashley’s. She’s loved horses since she was a kid, and the excitement of the Winter Equestrian Festival only reignited her passion for them. She knew she wanted to be able to give back to something that’s been a big part of her life. Starting in January, on nights when she couldn’t sleep, she would scroll Facebook groups dedicated to saving slaughter-bound horses. Because horse slaughter is banned in the U.S., horses are routinely shipped to Mexico and

Canada to be slaughtered. Rescue groups exist to find homes for horses that are no longer wanted for shows or labor.

When she saw a gray and white, 4-year-old thoroughbred mare, Ashley got that feeling, the one that tells you to act. Ashley was still unsure whether she should take the leap — after all, this was a big commitment, with no guarantees what the horse would be like — but her mom helped her realize her intuition was speaking to her for a reason.

Intuition is a strong thing. You should not dismiss a gut feeling lightly.

We hear stories from our clients all the time that they’ve had an intuition that their partner isn’t right for them. They don’t connect the way they used to or have grown apart through the years. But they do not get help. They stay in the marriage anyway, ignoring their gut feeling. We spoke with someone recently who suspected his wife has been unfaithful to him. For the past seven years, he’s been grappling with what to do. His intuition is telling him something isn’t right: His wife comes home late or doesn’t come home at all and doesn’t communicate with him. He came to us looking for guidance about what to do. Imagine, seven years knowing you are with the wrong person! That weight is so heavy to carry around for so long. It can take a toll on your mental and physical well-being when you don’t act on what you are feeling. Yes, it’s a risk — it’s the unknown. He’ll have to confront his spouse and decide what he wants to do next. But taking that step, even when it’s scary, is crucial to living your best life. Your gut is telling you something for a reason, and ignoring it won’t make it go away.

Ashley and Chris welcoming Lena to the family!

For Ashley, she knew that if she didn’t act on her intuition about the horse, she would always look back and wonder what had happened to her.

Ashley and her mom took the leap and rescued the horse, who they now call Lena Rose. Lena is sweet and gentle. She’s not the expensive show horse you see at big events, but she’s beautiful in her own right. Lena, who now enjoys a cool, comfy stall with ample turnout in Wellington, is healthy and sound, has good conformation and a good mind, and now makes a very nice addition to the Bruce family. We took a big chance, but following our intuition and adopting Lena Rose was the best decision. – Ashley and Chris Bruce

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Maria Brings Empathy and Understanding to Every Case

A Caring Guide During the Divorce Process

Throughout this edition, we’re talking about intuition and how important it is to follow it. When we met attorney Maria Riviera, in addition to checking all the boxes we look for in an attorney, right away we got a gut feeling she would fit in really well with our clients and our team. Not only does she have an extensive background in family law, but she also possesses empathy and understanding for what people are going through. These qualities, combined with her willingness to help clients in need, make her the perfect fit for our team. Maria is a seasoned family law and divorce attorney. She enjoys helping clients through custody issues, something she found she had a passion for early in her law practice after helping a client regain custody of his child after his former wife abandoned the family. “Seeing that client reunite with his daughter in court was priceless and truly inspirational,” Maria says. When it comes to fighting for her clients, Maria brings that same passion. She’s ready to help people every step of the way through what can be a difficult process. She knows how important her role is in helping a client find peace of mind during the custody and divorce process. “It is truly rewarding,” she says.

Nurture Your Creative Passion

With These 3 Online Art Courses

All forms of art, like painting, drawing, and even sculpting, can be relaxing hobbies, sources of extra income, or professional careers. And with today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to begin learning a new art form. If you have an eager student at home who wants to try their hand in the arts or perfect their craft, then look into online art courses. There are many different courses available, and you should do some research to see which course is best for your student, but here are three to get you started. DRAWING AND SKETCHING FOR BEGINNERS BY ROBIN SLEE This course is available through Udemy, and, at the reasonable price of $29.99, is perfect for anyone wanting to test the waters. Slee takes students through the key fundamentals of drawing, such as how to hold a pencil correctly and how to make different kinds of marks. His calm voice and simple explanations in each course help students feel encouraged as they work. The course comes with three hours of video content segmented into 25 modules and a Q&A section where students can post questions, ask for feedback, and share their work. Find this course at Udemy.com/course/sketching-for-beginners. INK DRAWING TECHNIQUES WITH YUKO SHIMIZU A student who prefers ink over pencil can learn drawing techniques through Yuko Shimizu’s class on Skillshare. As a veteran instructor at the School of Visual Arts, Shimizu is ready to help you on your journey to learn the essentials of inking. In the 90-minute course, Shimizu covers a lot of ground, which both novice and experienced ink artists will benefit from. Find this course by searching for ink drawing techniques on Skillshare.com. NEW MASTERS ACADEMY Known as one of the best art academies online, New Masters Academy (NMA) offers hundreds of hours of prerecorded video lectures that students can watch and follow along with as they paint, draw, and sketch. The standard fee starts at $35 a month, but with a premium membership at $44 a month, students can access NMA’s 3D reference library and over 20,000 reference images. To learn more and become familiar with the academy’s instructors, visit their website at NMA.art.

Maria was born and raised in Miami, Florida, by parents who immigrated to the United States in pursuit of the American dream. From their example, she developed the mindset early on that you must persevere to accomplish what you want and overcome challenges. Outside of helping clients, Maria spends time with her family, including her 9-month-old daughter and their cat, Suca. “Family time is very important to me as I come from a tight family unit,” Maria says. They enjoy going to the beach, barbecuing, and going to the park together.

Please join us in welcoming Maria to our team!

Is your friend or client in need of a guide related to recent job or income loss? The book can be downloaded for FREE at SupportModificationBook.com. If your friend or client lives in the south Florida area, we’ll mail them a hard copy of the book on request. OUR SUPPORT MODIFICATION BOOK CAN HELP!

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How to Act on Your Intuition

It Starts With Communication

As Ashley shared on the cover, intuition is our body’s way of letting us know we should pay attention to something. For our clients who suspect a spouse is being unfaithful to them, their intuition might start to give them some signals. They notice little things: distance, no warmth, no intimacy. These signs result in a feeling that something is just not right and that the relationship needs help. The problem comes when people dismiss their intuition and don’t act on what they are feeling. Rather than ignore these feelings, you can act on them in ways to live a healthier and happier life. To start, it’s time to have a conversation with your spouse about what you’re noticing. Communication is at the heart of any relationship, and the only way to move on from whatever is troubling you is to talk about it. If the prospect of this conversation makes you nervous, consider how you can build your confidence going into the conversation. Write down what you want to say and sit on it for a day or two to refine your thoughts. Having an outline of the conversation can help you feel more ready to go into it. You could practice what you want to say with a trusted friend or loved one. Power poses, like the warrior pose from yoga, can also help you get in the right mindset to tackle tough topics, despite how funny they may feel. When you sit down to have the conversation with your spouse, bring up what you’ve been noticing without judgment. Try to be genuinely concerned rather than accusatory. While their strange behavior could be infidelity, it could be something else entirely.

Maybe they’re having a hard time at work or experiencing a family problem they haven’t told you about. The first step is to sit down and communicate.

If the problem persists or you find you’re not able to have an honest, constructive conversation, you could bring up going to counseling together so you can develop other ways of communicating. Remember that even if you’ve drifted apart, your common goal is to get to the root of the issue. By approaching it from a collaborative, rather than combative, perspective, you can have an open conversation and better decide where you want to go from here.

have a LAUGH

The Best Grilled Summer Vegetables

Inspired by DinnerAtTheZoo.com

ingredients

• • • • •

1 tsp salt

onion, red bell peppers, baby carrots, and yellow squash are great on the grill)

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

• • •

5 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 lbs assorted vegetables, trimmed and halved (asparagus, mushrooms, red

1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped

Directions

3.

Prepare the grill at medium-high heat.

1.

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Brush vegetables with olive oil and place in a large bowl. Top with lemon juice and seasoning mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes but no longer than 2 hours.

4.

Grill vegetables in batches, cooking 3–5 minutes on each side until browned and tender. (Carrots will cook longer, 6–9 minutes per side.) Remove from the grill, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.

2.

5.

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How to Act on Your Intuition The Secret to Delicious Grilled Veggies page 3 How Meals on Wheels Atlanta Stepped Up for Its Community page 4

A Meal for Every Member of the Family Meals on Wheels Goes the Extra Mile

Meals on Wheels doesn’t often get the credit it deserves. The international nonprofit ensures those who are unable to buy or make their own meals get the food they need to survive. Of course, for many recipients, the efforts of the organization go far beyond “survival.” For those who receive food daily or weekly, those deliveries may be their only source of social interaction. And during times of social distancing, the program became more important than ever. Meals on Wheels doesn’t just serve meals to the elderly and people with disabilities — it also serves those people’s pets. In 2019, Meals on Wheels Atlanta realized there was a huge need in their community to feed the pets of senior citizens. It stands to reason that if an elderly individual is unable to shop or cook for themselves, their pets may be in a similar predicament. And when someone’s pet is their entire world, making sure the animal is fed and healthy means everything.

serve the local pet community. When volunteers made their rounds delivering meals to seniors, they made sure to bring cat and dog food along too. One volunteer with Meals on Wheels Atlanta, Larry Auberbach, had a unique experience delivering meals to Jeffery Jones and his dog, Grizzly. The volunteer told 11Alive News in Atlanta that Jeffery and Grizzly “have their own special relationship.” Larry loved Grizzly long before Meals on Wheels Atlanta started the pet pantry because he saw how much Grizzly’s companionship meant to Jeffery. Now, Larry enjoys his service that much more since he gets to provide for Jeffery’s beloved pet, as well. On top of delivering food to seniors and their pets, Meals on Wheels Atlanta also delivers pet toys and pet beds, and they are happy to take in any pet-related food or items for donation. The organization says this endeavor was done out of love, not only for the people they serve but also for the whole family — wagging tails, fuzzy whiskers, and all.

In response to this need, Meals on Wheels Atlanta began stocking up on cat and dog food, creating their own pantry to

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