A few sensible words

Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and if possible, speak a few sensible words. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I recently read a fable in reference to our ability as humans to move on after a loss.  I liked the message, so I'll share it here as my "read one good poem, aka, one good fable".  A few sensible words in the message as well.

"There once were two monks, a young novice and an older monk, walking on their way through the countryside; they were observing vows of silence until sundown.  The monks came to a stream where a woman stood on the bank, helpless to get across.  Another vow of their order was never to touch or make any contact with women.  Yet, without hesitation, the older monk picked up the woman, carried her to the other side of the stream, set her down, bowed and continued on his way.  The novice was stunned.  He could hardly wait until sundown to ask his questions.  Finally, the sun set, and the words came rushing out of the young monk's mouth: "How could you do that?  How could you pick her up like that?"

The older monk replied, "I put her down on the other side.  You are still carrying her."

Words of advice - you can't put something down unless you pick it up, you can't move on from the past unless you've grieved for it.  It's okay to recognize, acknowledge and accept your past.  It's okay to move on from it too.

Happy Wednesday - Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy your day ~ listen for the birds singing!

I'm ready to move on from the snow.  No regrets.
I'm thinking I need a better telephoto lense for my
camera.  In the tree to the far right is what
I saw as an exquisite photo op.  There were
9 Robins in the tree - celebrating the arrival of
Spring (that's what we're in now right??)

My color of the day - green

You are the colors you choose.  – Vicky Wall

Happy Monday - today I choose the color green.  It's green somewhere!  I'm green with envy about it being green some where.  There's green grass under the white snow.  Yada, yada, yada!

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy your colorful moments of the day ~

One step at a time

Every step you take is a step away from where you used to be. – Brian Chargualaf

Yesterday, another milestone on our journey to watching our youngest move off to college.  We've been to the big city of Chicago before.  We walked the same paths from the last time we visited.  We brought along a few more people to enjoy the journey of discovery.  Seeing their excitement to learn about a different culture and their love of adventure helps bring in a new perspective.  The excitement of something new helps make it okay in a way.  In some ways, it was easier, because of the familiarity of having them along as well as having been there before.

This time, it was a bit more real...she's really going to go there.  The next time we go there, we will be leaving her behind.  As I look back through the pictures from yesterday, I realized I was walking behind most of the time, just watching and letting her discover this new journey.  The steps away from us are only steps of growth, for that I'm grateful.  I know her path will eventually lead back home.  For now, it is simply great to see her grow, be brave, and to follow her dreams.

Her two favorite guys -
walking with her to discover
yet more about the school

These two - never afraid of an
adventure - ready to discover
"some new culture"

Dad - starting to let go, walking
a bit further behind.

Letting go can be an
up hill battle...

A big city - a little girl - ready to discover her new
journey in life.  

Dad - excited to show off the
city to the new visitors!

A moment of Nothingness

If you give people nothingness, they can ponder what can be achieved from that nothingness. – Tadao Ando

Happy Saturday - Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy your moments of nothingness - what will you achieve today??

I just know the grass is doing
nothing but waiting for spring...

A little music uplifts the spirit

Musicians from the beginning of time have been there to express the mood and the musical feelings in the air for whatever’s going on in that particular culture.  It’s the greatest joy as a musician to be able to translate that, be part of something and watch the scenery around you. – Trey Anastasio

Today I was thinking about warmer weather.  My mind wandered back to a year ago and our visit to Jamaica.  I started to look through the pictures for a little uplift to the mood.  One more day of snow and I think the whole state of WI is going to blow up due to the bad moods the weather is helping create.  Enough already!

Bad moods are contagious and hard to avoid.  What's the cure to avoid a bad mood?  It is choice to pick it up and carry it throughout the day.  It's a choice to brush it off and dump it.  Which one do you choose?  Do you listen to some music that lifts your spirits?  Don't worry - be happy?

Happy Friday!  Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy the positive mood swings of your day - catch one and fly with it to a happier state!

No worries - just a song in his
heart and a desire to share, in a
culture of tranquility....
Ah....see feeling better already!

Unconditional love

I have never met a person whose greatest need was anything other than real, unconditional love.  You can find it in a simple act of kindness toward someone who needs help.  There is no mistaking love…it is the common fiber of life, the flame that heats our soul, energizes our spirit and supplies passion to our lives. – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Today marks the one year anniversary of my mom's death.  Thinking back over the year, I'm grateful for all the moments of compassion shared with our family.  I'm thankful for the caregivers she had and the compassionate way they loved her too.  While the journey with dementia leading up to her death was long and hard, our unconditional love for each other was the one tie that kept us together.  While death at the moment it happens is overwhelmingly sad, the freedom from a disease isn't sad, it is a relief.  I know in my heart, she's happier free from the confusion and frustration.  Her peaceful and accepting passing remains a beautiful and comforting memory to me.  The lessons on compassion I received during the journey have blessed my life and has energized my passion.  I can't help but think she's smiling and proud of how I've let the experience grow in me.

If you're going through a difficult time with your aging parents or a loved one, here's a poem that I found in my mom's papers.  I've kept it as a treasure, as she wrote it in her beautiful handwriting.  I can't help but wonder if she knew long before the disease was visible to me that she was worried about it happening to her?  She didn't make it to seventy five, the disease took her at 70.  But the poem hits the highlights of what she went through and felt.

Wishing you moments with loved ones while they are still alive - treasure the memories when they are gone too!

I am still a Person

My steps are much slower and unsteady now.

My eyesight gets dimmer each day. 

The terrifying blanks in my mind keep growing

As memories and dreams fade away.

Smile, or look.

Please, notice me.

Let me hold your hand.

Will you stay and talk awhile?

Please try to understand.

All my days now stretch before me,

Full of loneliness and fear.

My youth and vigor have slipped away,

Replaced by the wrinkles I see in my mirror.

The doctor gives me medicine,

My Pastor says his little prayer.

But there's still an emptiness inside

I need to know YOU care.

I can live with my aging body,

After all, I'm seventy-five.

But there's one thing that I do ask

Don't forget me while I'm still alive.

By - C J M

I love you mom!

Choices, choice, choices

You have many choices.  You can choose forgiveness over revenge, joy over despair.  You can choose action over apathy. – Stephanie Marston

Choices, choices, choices, that is what life gives us on a daily basis.  Having the power to choose your response to a situation is a blessing and a curse.  Some days you are presented with situations you had no choice in having to deal with.  If you're already overwhelmed, new additions to the long list might just put you in the "not too nice" mode of being.  Especially when the situations show up smack dab in the middle of an already busy life.  You have to chose between being immobilized or energized.   Your response is always your choice.

It is true, no matter what, you're going to be presented with opportunities to exercise your brain power to choose the positive over the negative and move on through the situation.

Today...snow again.  Tonight...snow predicted again.  I guess, that makes it easy to choose what footwear to wear.  Today, I'm choosing apathy for the weather, while at the same time wearing a smile on my face that my feet are protected from the dreaded snow!

Happy Wednesday - thanks for stopping by!  Best wishes for you as you make choices today ~

I would choose the running shoes,
but the boots will work better today.

I would choose to sit here in the sun,
but with the snow, I choose to
just admire how it looks cool
through the lattice work on the chair!