50 Days 'til 50 Day 23--Leo the Lion

50 Days 'til 50Day 23Leo the LionAs I just sent out what seems to be my 20th birthday card, Facebook message, and text to my celebrating Leo friends, it dawned on me that I know a lot of Leos; and the Leo cycle is not even half way over yet. This is not a shameless plug for all things Leonine as I have many a dear friend who sit all around the zodiac table. They can research their own sign as I’ve tried to dig a little deeper into my own. Here’s what I found out.I’ve always been fascinated with the zodiac. Ever since I can remember I loved reading the daily horoscopes in the paper, eager to find out if I was going to win the lottery or find my true love on any given day. I would know whether or not to dress extra special on a day that proclaimed “great things will happen to me today.” I still haven’t hit the lottery and I have found some amazing loves throughout my life so I guess its up to each of us whether we subscribe or not to the theory that our traits and lives can be ruled by the alignment of the stars and planets on any given moment. I don’t live and die by the word of many talented horoscope writers as I’ve learned there are just too many variables that factor into my daily life including my own self-will, my ego, and a lot of luck. I do however find it fascinating and have spent much time reading about what makes the Leo tick. It is pretty amazing what has been written. I always found it a bit hard to swallow that every single Leo around the world was going through a breakup all at the same time but its made for some interesting dinner conversation. I think I may have even converted my partner, Jeff, as when asked today about a mysterious crack in our trucks windshield his first response was “is that Mercury thing in retrograde again?”A fan of the horoscope once told me when describing a Leo said, “Leo’s are leaders who need to be led.” For some reason this has stuck with me my whole life. I never thought much of myself as a leader. If you followed me when I was 18 then you would have found yourself going nowhere fast. My self-will and my impossible selfishness were not opening many doors for me. Over the years however I met other Leos. I would watch them for their intense creativity, passion for all things they set their minds to, and what do you know, their leadership. People seemed to be attracted to them for some reason. Leo is always center stage and full of flair, they enjoy basking in the spotlight. We also seem to possess a kingdom of sorts, which we will protest and cherish. This kingdom could be anything from work to home to a partner, whatever it is, we rule it. We seem to be highly esteemed, honorable and very devoted and loyal, to ourselves in particular! This one stings a little, but hey, it’s true for me. I think of the King of the Jungle, the lion. We will fight to the death for those we love and that are loyal to us for it’s this we expect in return. Is that too much to ask? We need our time alone also. To go into our caves, lick our wounds (however they are inflicted), and return again into the world to roar. If a Leo roars for you, you will know it. It’s genuine and real and forever. Thanks to the Huffington Post for providing this gem I came across: “Leos are always trying to make things right in the world, they have larger then life emotions and they need to feel like they have accomplished something at the end of the day. They react to situations with action instead of sitting back and thinking about it.  Leos are very generous, kind and openhearted people. If a Leo is crossed, they will strike back with force but they are not one to hold a grudge, they easily forgive, forget and move on.” It’s also interesting to see the list of famous Leo's. It is a long staggering list and I kind of get why they are in the spotlight. Picture Mick Jagger, Madonna, Barak Obama, Carl Jung, Andy Warhol, Louis Vuitton, Lucille Ball, and Charlize Theron all at the same table. Although there are many famous folks across the entire zodiac, this is one dinner party I'd like to attend. When I lived in Miami and my latin, mostly Cuban friends would ask me when my birthday was, I proclaimed proudly, “August 13th.” They all would have this same sour look that came over them until I quickly learned I shared the same birthday as Fidel Castro. I learned quickly not to boast and brag my birth date.As this time of year approaches my mind is flooded by memories of years passed, friends and loved ones who are no longer here, and of what may lie ahead for me in the coming year. I also couldn't write this blog without paying homage to one of my most favorite Leos of all time, my dear friend Margot. I have very few friends, true friends that have withstood the test of time. I moved away at 18 from the area I grew up and never looked back. I moved many times over the years and each time, didn’t look back. This has cost me the price of many a friendship. Of course I’ve learned now that I can’t just expect friends to be there for me whenever I want or need them to be, that it is my responsibility to keep and cultivate these friendships lest they disappear. Facebook, for all its problems and nay sayers has actually helped me with this. It reminds me to be vigilant about my friends as they may be gone in a flash. Margot was one of the very few friends I had and maintained for almost 30 years. We both were from New England and had moved to South Florida the same year, we both left South Florida at the same time to pursue our careers in other cities and both returned to South Florida the same year. We were both Leos. I remember the day we met. She and I worked at Burdine's (now Macy's). I, in the salon and she, in the women’s retail department. She came running into the salon in a panic one morning asking if I could do anything for her hair. She panted to me that “her roommate went to shave the side of her head (remember this was the 80’s) and forgot to put the guard onto the clippers thus taking her hair down to the scalp. As we all know there was nothing but time that would heal this mistake and I suggested she use black eyeliner and rub it onto the white exposed skin where the shaving took place. Where this idea came from I can’t tell you but I did just happen to have a black eyeliner in my pocket (80's again). I showed her how to apply it and smudge it in so at least it looked like a shadow as opposed to pattern baldness. She was so ecstatic and threw her arms around me in complete gratitude. I would see her around the store and each time she would thank me for sharing my “secret trick” with her. Of course it only took a week for the hair to grow back but it solidified our friendship for life.   I don’t know why some people are just with you always but this girl was one of them. When I moved to Miami from Fort Lauderdale so did she. When we lost touch for a bit I saw her in the Mayfair Shops in Coconut Grove one day and found out she worked at Stephane Kelian and I was working across the street at a salon. Even more bizarre she had moved to South Beach into the exact same apartment building I was already living in. Years later we lived in the same building yet again, just doors away from each other until the day she died. If you knew us then many people would ask us if we were brother and sister. We did almost everything together. We shared the love of food, dance music, fashion, traveling, and so much more. We took a big trip to San Francisco for our 40th birthdays spending time in the city and Napa Valley. It was a magical time. We didn’t always have to say much to each other but there was that knowing. That knowing that whatever happened one of us would always be there for the other.The day she came to me with news of her cancer my heart dropped. Of course I stayed strong for her, keeping positive as much as I could while she withered away in front of me.  I would cry myself to sleep each night praying that she pulled through. A day hasn’t passed that I don’t think of her at some time or another. She was as fiercely loyal to me as I was to her and I miss her. I miss her dearly. So happy birthday Margot, my favorite Leo, my sister, my friend. Wherever you are, I hope you can still see me. I hope you know how much you meant to me and how much you are missed by us all still left down here. I hope that there is a big dance music club in heaven and you’ll have the first dance with me. Roar! jf