Showing posts with label overcoming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label overcoming. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Giving ~ Day 8



In the green leaves, I see the past. I see the lush shades of summer.
In the yellow leaf, I see the present. I see the dazzling hues of autumn.
In the empty stem, I see the future. I see the barren tones of winter.

In this one glimpse I feel the now...

Breath comes, and I surrender. In that {often} elusive determination, to live in the moment, I find power in this moment. I find power in the notion that every now includes the past and teases the future. It's not to be denied or ignored, feared or hidden. It just is. 



From this morning's journal:

Give Away: Judgement. Criticism. Skepticism. There will be so much coming at us today with all the election stuff.... I give away all the negative noise - not the outside noise that I can't control, but the inside/reaction noise that I can choose to let go.

Give Access: Today I need to let in sadness. I give myself permission to sit for a while with the darker emotions that are swirling.

Give Thanks: Today I'm thankful for learning. Such a gift that we can be forever growing and becoming. Such a gift!



Friday, November 4, 2016

Giving ~ Day 4


My current favorite song won Song of the Year at the CMA music awards this week. It's the Tim McGraw hit, "Humble and Kind," that was written by Lori McKenna. In many ways the song is quite simple ~ sweet, melodic, pure...and gentle. Oh, so gentle. So it came as no surprise when I learned that a mother had written it, in one sitting, as a prayer to and for her children.  So personal. Such a chunk of her heart out there for all the world to hear. Take that kind of raw, soul-gripping honesty and combine it with McGraw's vision ... a vision that says the whole.wide.world. might want to quiet down and learn from these words ... well, you touch a few {gajillion} people ... me included.

One of the lines of the song ~ Don't take for granted the love this life gives you ~ was running through my mind as I stood for a few minutes by the edge of this pond. Just the notion of not taking things - anything - for granted is food for a whole lot of thought. The colors, the reflections...the tableau that is the changing of the seasons....blessing upon blessing. Add to that thoughts about the love that this life gives me ~ not has given me or might possible give me ~ but GIVES me. Today. Now. In the moment. Each moment. It is always TRUE that I am well loved. Thoroughly and completely and safely and genuinely loved.

That notion? Well that cures just about everything.




From this morning's journal:

Give Away: Perfect love casts out/drives out fear. Today I give away the fear of rejection. The thoughts of not measuring up. Or not being enough. Oh how this fear haunts me...lurks in every shadow of my being. Today I give away the fear of rejection.

Give Access: Light. The sky is blue. The sun light plays with me as it casts shadows across my family room floor. The yellows and reds that remain on my back yard trees are glowing this morning. Today I let in the light. I lift my eyes, I am warmed and I seek views and words and ideas that are full of light.

Give Thanks: Today I give thanks for all the love this life gives me.




Linking to

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Giving ~ Day 3



"I confessed that I had a burning desire to be excellent, but no faith that I could be. Martha said to me, very quietly: There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.
The world will not have it.
It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.”
Martha Graham to Agnes De Mille

Don't you love it when positive, life-affirming thoughts appear on your Facebook feed? Yesterday morning this quote was among the first to appear to me...and I have to say that it both stirred me and stuck with me through the day. {Thanks, Sean}

I confess that, in this era of self-promotion, I tend to be an if-you-build-it-they-will-come kinda gal. The notion of openness ~ of tuning out the noise and tuning into my inner voice ~ resonates deeply. things get confusing from there ... Because when I put myself 'out there' the insecurities take over. I begin to ask if anything that I say or do or write or create is needed in the vast, roaring ocean of ALL that is available from ALL over the world and ALL sorts of people ... when that question, the question of my worth or value, becomes louder than the urges, the notions, the beautiful ideas that motivate me ... when that bully that calls herself "comparison" taunts me in the schoolyard ... well, then I retreat. I sit back. I hold back. And I atrophy just a tiny bit. 

Yesterday's walk in the woods reminded me, yet again, of that often quoted notion that leaves grow old so beautifully. Their aging is so full of light and color! The older I get, the more I'm inspire by this vision of aging! And, though the leaves create a glorious scene when dancing together, it is ~ perhaps ~ each unique, individual leaf that most captures my attention. 



So, I will blog and write and post and photograph and open my home and craft ~ because this is how my energy most fully expresses itself. I will keep myself open...and I might even try to believe in myself.



From this morning's journal:

Give Away: Today I listen for the word "should" ~ and with each should I give away the notion of obligation and take a moment to question myself. Is there a way to turn the "should" into a choice, the "must dos" into opportunities? Some shoulds might be able to be discarded ... I imagine most are simply calling for a mind change. A perspective change. Today I give away the thought that anything in my life is a "have to."

Give Access: Today I give myself access to rest. Early to bed. My body told me first thing this morning that it was craving more rest. I will listen.

Give Thanks: Today I am grateful for healing. Emotional and physical healing. I'm grateful for the caregivers ~ for those who inspire physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual growth. I am grateful for healing.



Joining Tamar and Kat

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Giving ~ Day 1


Layers.

That's always the word that comes to me when the light does its thing and brings a wooded path to life. Depth. And layers. Not fixed layers, like we find in a rock formation. Or an onion. But movable, translucent, and often mysterious layers. Light gives way to shadow, colors fade and flourish...and textures shift from leaf, to needle to branch to sky.... Layers.

Though my husband cautions me against the use of the words 'always' and 'never' ... I believe I can say that I always connect to the gratitude that lives in my heart when I walk in the woods. The outside-world and inside-brain noise that dims the voice of my heart falls away, and my true heart song fills the air. As the layers of the forest engulf me, my outer layers seem to peel away ... and I'm left to wander with the quiet me. The secure me. The contented and, yes, grateful me.

As the fluttering New England leaves lead me through this letting go season, I'm planning to share bits of my journaling here each day this month. I've chosen three phrases: Give Away, Give Access and Give Thanks. My hope is that, as I focus on these thoughts daily, layers will peel away ... old patterns will be discarded and new insights will shine their light on less frequently traveled pathways.

From this morning:
Give Away: Fear hides. Fear disguises itself as many, many other things. Busyness scares me - not because I won't rise to the occasion and get stuff done...but because I know I can so easily fall back into my default pattern of self last. And self last means that self-care gets the short end of the stick. Today I give away the thought that I haven't really changed. I let go of the fear that building more productivity into my life will compromise my health and wellness choices.

Give Access: The air is cool - no, crisp. Frost covers the ground. The sky is clear. I think "sharp" and "sharpen" - I'm energized. Aware. Senses are alert - awakened. Today is for lists. Pad and pen at the ready. Today I give access to ideas.

Give Thanks: My body is changing. My almost 56 year old body is growing stronger. Today I "feel" the results of the last few years. It's one thing to know it - to know behavior has changed - it's another thing to FEEL the strengthening. Today I am grateful for my body. And that's huge. I can probably count on one hand the times I've felt that in my life - not 'made myself think it' but just FELT it. And today is one of those days. Today I give thanks for this beautiful ol' body of mine.


Monday, October 3, 2016

Honesty


oh
what a tangled
web
we weave
when first we practice to
deceive
{Sir Walter Scott}


of all the many things i'm learning
as i watch my parents age
and brave the last years of their lives
the most vital is this:

face it
face stuff daily
pay the bills
don't buy what you can't afford
tell the truth
especially about those pesky elephants that hang out in the middle of the room
just face it

cause
sooner or later
{especially if you have a much later}
whatever it is that you didn't face
is gonna come and find you

so,
one day at a time...
one hurdle at a time...
just face it
honestly
soberly
and
thoroughly



Linking up with Tamar

Monday, August 22, 2016

ZBB


Last night was one of those perfect summer nights.
Just warm enough.
Ever so slightly breezy.
And I found myself on Yawkee way, standing in front of the ticket office,
basking in the glow of one of my favorite Boston landmarks.
I was at Fenway!
The big news is, however, that I was NOT there for a Red Sox Game...


Nope.
I was there to see the Zac Brown Band!
This is a pretty big deal for me.
If you add up all the concerts I've seen in my life,
including last night's,
the total would be less than ten.
For real.

You see, 
I really really really really really really
don't like crowds.
In a "breathing-gets-shallow-nauseous-loose-my-knees" kinda way.
So I have to really really really really want to be somewhere for me to brave a crowd.
Like at a Sox game.
Or, as it turns out, at a Zac Brown concert!

Just my luck,
the place was at capacity.
Set a record, in fact!
Largest crowd in the history of Fenway!
Oh my!

It's a good thing the concert was amazing,
cause the 20  minutes it took to exit the park were not.
Good news is,
I lived to tell the story!


Incredible sky.
Spectacular light show!


A fiddler I could listen to forever.


Iconic park.
Thousands of little lights.



This guy.
Such a voice.
So much guitar!
And turns out, he's a mush! Full of feeling!


The silhouette.
With the hat.
I think this is my favorite shot - the crowd illuminated, the stage, the silhouette.
Gotta love iPhones.
No big girl cameras allowed!


And,
for the encore,
out he came in a Sox cap.
Stellar.
This was one AMAZING night!




Joining Tamar today

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Turn, Turn, Turn


"To every thing, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to gain, a time to lose.
A time to rend, a time to sew.
A time for love, a time for hate.
A time for peace...I swear it's not too late."
Lyrics inspired by Ecclesiastes, sung by The Byrds



A time to gain, a time to lose. Really? Even where weight is concerned? Hmmm...interesting thought. Very interesting thought. One that I can't imagine the author had in mind, but one that I seem to be pondering nonetheless. Think about it. Our society is obsessed with 'before and after' photos. This obsession seems to suggest demand that we get our acts together, choose a solution to our given problem, achieve success and then never look back, shrink back or falter ever again. Though I understand the idea behind the 'before and after' and understand the need to get/stay motivated when facing challenges, I've decided that I'm only ever going to call photos "during" photos. 

For example...here I am during this stage of my life. And here I am (a few months/years later) during this other stage of my life. Because when you get right down to it...life is one gigantic "during"!! As long as we are alive, we're in the 'during' stage. The wold keeps turning, seasons come and go, and, if we're lucky, we get to live through the ups and downs that come with many voyages around the sun. And, for my purposes here today, many ups and downs where the ol' scale is concerned. As I get older, I'm learning that I don't want to look back at old photos that feature my rounder self, and discount that person. Or chalk her up to "the before" gal. That would literally place most of my children's growing up years in the "to be ashamed of" category. And that just doesn't work for me. I loved those years! And my children sure as heck loved the rounder me....so I'm learning to love that me too. Even though I might not have been good at the self-love and acceptance thing back in the day, I am determined to give myself that gift retroactively!

If you've visited here much, you know that I adore the 'in between' seasons. Those times when mother nature is gently leading us from one season to the next. Take the simple branch in the photo I'm sharing today. I see a dried flower ~ a flower that faded two seasons ago and somehow hung on during the winter ~ sharing a branch with the new growth of spring! I find great peace and comfort as I study this one simple branch. Before and after existing together. Showing us "during" ... and asking us to accept each stage, each turn of season. Asking us to find the beauty in this one day, this one in-between moment.

What about you? What helps you to endure the 'during'?
What gives you the courage to love and be kind to yourself through all of life's stages?



Sharing today's post with
Kathy for
and with the commutity that is


Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Gather Your Strength


It was the first Saturday in January.

The yoga studio was very still. Sun was streaming in through the front window and we were a small group of three. One sweet teacher and two of her {favorite} beginners. There was warmth. A warmth that came not only from those sun beams, but the warmth of sangha.  A warmth created because we were a mutually supportive group of practitioners. Because we gave each other a sense of community and belonging. And of acceptance.

Midway through our time together, there was some rustling and chirping in the tree right outside the studio. Three bluebirds had come to join us. Perched only for a bit, they added energy, support and - yes - even a bit of magic - to our practice on that ordinary Saturday morning. As our spirits accepted this sweet serenade of encouragement, our confidence grew and our bodies found a wee bit more strength.

These past few days, as I've shared the sense of weakness and worry that seems to be accompanying me on our current house-hunting journey, many {many} bluebirds have flocked to the tree that's right outside the window of my heart. And I hear you rustling and singing to me - lending your support along the way. Each text, email, blog note, hug and phone call make a difference.

Thank you - to all of my bluebirds. You help me to gather my strength and rise up.



Joining Kathy for Song-ography
and linking to
Wednesdays Around the World


Monday, February 1, 2016

{Good Random Fun} Week 5

The Good

One month in to 2016.
How, you ask, is it going with my word choice for the year?
I know you're on the edge of your seats!
Well....
The word I'd use to describe the month of January is....revealing.
There was a 2 week cleanse.
There was yoga.
And there was fresh air, sunshine and walking.
Physically speaking, a pretty darn good month!

The interesting thing to me is that, as we prepare for our move,
and I focus on this idea...
The idea of being efficient.
Of having nothing in excess of what is needed.
Of being single minded in my objective....
As I focus on lean and mean,
I'm finding that the real "house cleaning"
is taking place inside my head and heart.

Facing the facts about what we need/can afford in this house hunting journey
is bringing to the surface all sorts of feelings.
I've been fighting demons of regret.
The woulda/coulda/shoulda demons are knocking at my door.
Those "unfair" demons are dancing all around me.
And the self-pity demons...well, they're trying to throw a rager!
{a rager with no alcohol...cause I was cleansing...and - well - don't actually drink!}

But boy oh boy are these words - lean and mean - grounding me.
Reminding me.
Bringing me back to mindfulness.
To my chosen path.
To my heart center.
And, most importantly...to gratitude.

Stay tuned - I feel like I'm in for a wild ride on my 2016 journey!

The Random
I so delight...
...in these amazing little...
...weeds of winter!

The Fun
The artsy component of my new recipe book is complete!
{that's the fun part}
Let's see if I can get all my recipes transcribed onto the cards in the month of February!
{not as fun...but it'll feel oh-so-good to get it done!}




Joining Tamar and Judith

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

remember, this life is in color...

oh oh oh oh
well this life is in color
today feels like no other
and the darkest grays
the sun bursts, the clouds break

oh oh oh oh
well this is life in motion
and just when i couldn't run this race, no
the sun bursts, clouds break
this life is in color
one republic

it's a gray day
i'm gray today
one of those days when it feels like
life is dragging me along
like it or not

the french have a saying
"metro, boulot, dodo"
and when i'm in full on eeyore mode
my life can feel this way

oh, my head knows all the arguments against
and the blessings truly are abundant
and i will fight to find beauty in the little things

but, just for a moment,
i'll put it out there...
i'm gray today
i'm gray and waiting for the clouds to break....



Joining Kathy today

Thursday, January 7, 2016

2016 ~ Two Words.


I've changed. I mean, seriously...haven't we all? 
And I've stayed the same. In fact, I'm beginning to believe that the more I change...
the more I plow down walls and obstacles that have seemed insurmountable to me for years... the more I stay the same! 
I've surrendered ~ some times with fear and trepidation ~ and yet haven't lost anything that's at the very core of ME. In fact, the deeper the surrender, the more crystal clear that core person becomes. The more I'm in sync with her. The more I like her. The more sure I become that she is capable of so much. 
So. Much. More.

My word for 2014 was "tree" {see post} and my word for 2015 was "rest" {see post} ... two pretty passive words, one might think. Interesting to know that I cannot remember two more transformative years ever in my 55 years on this planet. And for someone who's lived on two continents, raised two kids and enjoyed over 30 years of marriage, that's saying something! I'm enjoying my now. My life as it is these days. So, searching for a word that would propel me into 2016 wasn't really on my radar...And yet, come to me they did. Two words. From a very surprising source!

On the Monday before Christmas I received a call from our landlord. Yup. It was THAT call. They are selling our house, and we'll need to find another humble abode before too long. Ick. Moving. No one's favorite thing. And not at all what I'd envisioned for these next 365 days around the sun. But, move we will! Our hope is to buy a little place, and settle... fingers crossed! As I started to wrap my mind around this new reality, two words kept coming to me:

Lean and Mean.

Now, if you know me at all, those are not words I'd usually be drawn to! But they seem to be ringing true as I look ahead to 2016. I love the following description that I found of this phrase:


Lean and Mean:
(idiomatic) efficient because of having nothing in excess of what is needed, and single-minded in one's objective

First of all, this applies to the move. I will not take anything with me into our new space that is not needed or cherished. Period.

Secondly, these are two words that motivate my wellness journey. NOT - let me repeat - NOT in the sense of being mean to myself, or hard on myself...nope. Wasted way too many years on that nonsense. But... Look at that definition I found of 'lean and mean' ...what a GREAT wellness motto! A body that's efficient. That has nothing in excess of what is needed to live well! I'm in love with this thought!

Thirdly, I am becoming more and more single minded in my objective to launch a website and a small, on-line business. It will happen this year. And I'm very excited about that!

I've also started thinking about the notions of LEANing in and LEANing on. And about MEANing ~ really meaning ~ what I say...what I put out there in the universe!

So ~ to all of you who join me in this space...here's to a fantastic 2016! May intentions find your heart and may we live full, healthy and happy lives as we continue our journeys together!


Joining Kim and Kat today!

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

This is the New Year


"Say everything you've always wanted,
Be not afraid of who you really are."
A Great Big World


Hmmm...
food for thought.
I don't think I'll ever ever ever
be able to say everything I've always wanted.
My mind works overtime.
Has more thoughts, ideas, opinions, commentaries
and stories
than anyone could ever have time to tell.
I can, however, decide to say the important stuff.
To not shrink back.
Mostly,
I want to
ALWAYS EXPRESS
the positive stuff.
To tell people they are loved.
Cherished.
To express the gratitude that fills my heart!
Yes.
Most of all I want to shout out all the good stuff.

As far as not being afraid of who I really am?
Well.
That's a good one.
A really good thought.
A thought I'll carry with me across this old wooden bridge, 
through my favorite woods
and back into my real life.
No.
More.
Fear.





Sharing with Kathy

Friday, December 4, 2015

Six Word Fridays ~ Faith


Stormy, painful, terrifying and grim news
fills our ears, pierces our hearts.
When will it stop, we ask.
Please make it stop, we pray.
We seek out bits of good
and strain to make any sense
out of the onslaught of hate.
So much - so very much - insanity
in the name of ... what? Faith?
So much noise. So much rhetoric.
.....

I believe that sunshine and pretty
puddles will follow each rain storm.
I believe a vibrant, green spring
will follow each cold, gray winter.
But if I am being honest, 
I really struggle to believe that 
peace will ever find its way 
back  into this terror ridden world, 
Oh, I choose to believe that my 
neighbors are decent and kind.
I choose, each day, to treat 
others as I'd want to be 
treated myself. This is my choice.
My weapon of choice. I will
do this small thing. Make this
simple choice. Trying to make it
count...yet not believing it's enough.

Join me. I know you will.
Perhaps, one by one, we will
be able to light the way.





My Memory Art six word fridays
Join us and share your story ~ 
Remember only six words per line!
I'm also linking up with James





Thursday, December 3, 2015

A gift...




I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I sure did! We had four days away from our normal routine. Four days of family, friends and home cooked feasting! I enjoy preparing our Thanksgiving meal ~ and even more since I've learned to cook with real, whole foods. My homemade cranberry sauce is my new favorite thing. The gluten free, honey sweetened crumble I've mastered is a close second! ...but I digress.

It's that most wonderful time of the year. That time when we add events and people and projects and decorating and charitable service and on and on and on. It's that time of the year when our lists have lists. And when saying no seems, somehow, to render us un-festive. And no one wants to be that person. I sure don't.

The question we've got to ask ourselves as we head into December, is ... at what cost? All the preparations and plans .... will I allow all this goodness to cost me my health? To render me exhausted? Or will I continue to get my eight hours each night? Will I, amidst the madness, take time for myself so I can exercise and find moments and places of peace? What will I choose?

I know, for me, that the hours I spent outside this past weekend were precious to me. The time to walk and climb and tune into nothing but the rustling leaves and chirping birds fed my spirit just as fully as the Thanksgiving feast fed my belly. And four straight days with no alarm clock....well that was just a small slice of heaven!!

So I'm going to try and remember this basic. To sleep. To rest. As I head into this season of celebration and gift giving, I'm going to remember that I have the choice. I have the power to give myself a very precious gift...that gift of good health and self-care.




Joining Kim and Kat

Monday, November 23, 2015

The Peace of Wild Things

A good friend from days gone by
sent me a poem via FB messenger this morning.
You know,
there's nothing random about kindness ~
about thoughtfulness
or compassion.
I believe that when we give these pieces of ourselves ~
when we pour out our lives in the
consideration and care of those around us
{or those an ocean away!}
it matters.
It chips away at the darkness that can, at times,
seem to have a bolder, louder voice.
But no understanding gesture,
no matter how 'small,'
is ever without influence.
A moment can change,
some one's countenance can change,
a day - even a life - can change...

 ....or a friend can find the words to express what a fun afternoon walk
with a puppy really meant to her.
{Thanks Gillian}




The Peace of Wild Things


When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,


I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.


I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.


and I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.





Joining Tamar for
The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Chère Paris ~


Dear Paris,

You hold my children's smiles.

You hold museum adventures, river boat cruises, carousel rides and tower climbs.
You hold family visits and friend visits and all our visits from Père Noel.

It was on your sidewalks that we walked through those first years, their little hands in mine. The daily routine and grand adventures of their childhood are engraved in your stone, planted in your parks and woven into the fabric of your culture. O, city of lights, you hold their firsts. First steps. First teeth. First words. First friends. First schools. First achievements. First failures. First heroes. And first loves. For more than a decade we called you home. Home. We were honored to call you home.

My heart has been broken, just broken to pieces these last days. I remember the fear and uncertainty that stunned all of us here in the days and weeks after the Bosotn Marathon attack. My heart aches for the loss. For the loss of the sense of safety and refuge that home implies. For each family and friend that has suffered loss. And for the children, who have, if only for this moment, lost their smiles.

My dear Paris. One thing I know is that when the stain of these last days has been washed from your stone walls and walkways...when the laughter of children fills each little park down the street....when your cafes, restaurants, theaters and arenas are alive with the threads that have woven the rich tapestry of la culture française... when shock and horror fade gently into an echo of pain, you, my dear Paris, will be standing strong. As you've stood so many, many times throughout your history. As you stood to protect all of us living there after your metros were brutally attacked. You've stood. You stand. And, I hope you know, that the world stands with you.

Yes, Paris...you hold my children's smiles. Their childhood. I am forever grateful to have lived in the heart of such a great city. I long to return. To spend time with you yet again. I know that when that day comes, I will find you essentially ~ in your essence, in that which makes you great ~ unchanged.

And I will find my children's smiles in the chatter and laughter and smiles of les précieux enfants who continue to call you home.

Paris, je t'aime.



Linking with Kim and Kat

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Beautiful


The stage was set. Just one grand piano stood silhouetted against a glowing blue back drop. The actress, in the role of Carole King, took the bench and began to play. It took just a few notes, and the whole theatre knew the melody. She played for a bit, then turned to the audience and said,

"Life sometimes goes the way you want,
sometimes it doesn't.
And sometimes, when it doesn't,
you find something beautiful."


For the next two hours, we were invited into the world of the young singer-songwriter. We learned of her ups and downs ~ of her insecurities and early struggles. We watched her give birth to her music. Music that is, to me, so very beloved. Part of the very fabric of my life. I learned so much about her and was brought back to those earliest years of my life...through sight, sound and dizzying emotion.


At the very end of the show, we see Carole about to take the stage at Carnegie Hall for the first time. And joy abounds as she performs "Beautiful!" There was so much joy in the theatre last week when I saw the play, and, I can only imagine, so much joy as she sang this for the first time in Carnegie Hall over four decades ago. 
Timeless. Inspirational. Personal. Full of light and determination. 

Here's where I catch myself. I laugh at myself. I can spend hours with the weeds, looking beyond their scruffy exterior and focusing {literally} on all their beauty. Like these, my favorite 'puff balls.' Each no larger than my thumbnail. As each plumed seed loosens from the plant and sets sail on the autumn breeze, a tiny, sunflower-like treat is exposed. I see so much! I return and return with my camera because the more I focus, the more I see the layers of 'beautiful.' When I hear Ms. King's lyrics, I'm reminded that I can bless myself with that same gift I seem to bestow effortlessly on these simple weeds. Or, truth be told, on just about everyone and everything except myself! 

It's my choice. To wake up each day, put a smile on my face, and give away as much love as I can.
After all, aren't we truly as beautiful as we feel?



"You've got to get up every morning
With a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart
Then people gonna treat you better
You're gonna find, yes you will
That you're beautiful
You're beautiful
You're beautiful as you feel"
Carole King




Joining Kathy for
Song-ography
And linking up with
Communal Global

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Possibility

"I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway..."
Kelly Clarkson


Wings.
Angels, butterflies...Possibility.

Wandering through cemeteries tends to put things into perspective for me. It's a reminder that my time here, in this body, as "me" is not going to go on forever. And, as I look at centuries of gravestone dates, I'm reminded that's as it should be. For some reason it's meant to be finite, this life of ours. This here and now, in this skin, in this place, is not going to go on forever.

But walking through these memorials to those now gone,  to the finite, never fails to raise the thought, 
"but I'm here now."

Last week, while wandering, I spotted this little porcelain angel and jeweled butterfly atop a child's grave. I stopped for quite some time to ponder this tender sight. I was filled with sadness for those who lost a precious life too early...filled with gratitude for my own babies who still have, as young adults, so much life. So much possibility. And, perhaps more importantly than all this, that ever present notion of my own possibility - that notion that lives within each of us - came bursting forth from the corner of my mind where it often hides.

Yes, standing in front of this memorial to possibility that was lost too soon, I thought, 
"but mine's still here."

So 'stuck' is not a valid life choice. Not while standing here in front of this child's headstone. Not as long as I have breath. Not as long as life offers me possibility and the wings to fly.




Joining Kathy for