A POEM TO MYSELF

Can You?

Can you stand by my side

While in this darkness I abide?

Is it unfair to ask,

A too burdensome task?

Can you find strength enough to share

When I fall hopelessly into despair?

Will the fear be to great and push you away

Making it impossible for you to stay?

Can you find a safe place in your heart

To keep the hope which in my life is not a part?

I promise to never forget it is there—

To go on living, though my soul is bare.

Can you teach me about your faith in God

And light the path on which I trod?

From you I can learn about the love

That is blessed and sent from heaven above.

Can you help me out of this awful pain

So my life will not have been lived in vain?

Tell me, is it too much to ask

To know who I am without the mask?

6/23/96

Menancy

Please do not copy in any way.  Copyright protected. Thank you.

Picture not mine...no copyright infringement intended.

FIND A CAUSE AND SPEAK OUT or JUST SPREAD KINDNESS

I DARE YOU!

I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU!

I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU!

“Mourn not the dead that in the cool earth lie—

But rather mourn the apathetic throng—

The cowed and the meek—

Who see the world’s great anguish and it’s wrong

And dare not speak.

~~Ralph Chaplin

Solidarity Forever

Just a thought—apathy seems to be running rampant in our world.  The only thing that seems to bring humanity together is a tragedy.  Then we work together to fix the damage or correct the wrong.  But, what are we doing on those quiet days, when the tornado has not destroyed the town; the bombs have not killed people; the planes have not crashed into the buildings?

Do we have a passion to which we commit?  Do we go out and make a difference? It does not have to be a huge difference—just a simple hello, a smile, a wave, a phone call, or an email.  A response given to those in need or that have reached out to you. 

I beg you to reach out—because everyone is fighting some sort of battle.  Suffering happens to all of us.  What makes the difference in people’s lives is our reaction to their pain. 

How will you react today?  Whose life will you touch?

I hope someone’s.

“LIFE IS SHORT”

'The journey through life is not supposed to be easy; it is supposed to be real.'

Before I begin on the topic about which I have chosen to write, I would like to make one statement.  As I have stated on my ‘mantra’ page, I am Christian.  However, I believe that we can learn many things from other philosophies and other religions.  Life is a journey. Why not be open to all inspirational things that can help us walk on our path with less difficulty, less stress, less negativity, less judgments and NO labels?  I strive to be real, because to pretend is unkind, not only to yourself but to all people you encounter.  To feign, in my opinion is the worst emotional injustice you can inflict on others.  Well, with all that said, here is my post.

THIS IS IN MEMORY OF A FALLEN SOLDIER.  I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH HIS MOTHER.  FOR PRIVACY REASONS I WILL NOT REVEAL ANY NAMES.  BUT, HE DIED AT THE TENDER AGE OF TWENTY SIX.  THIS QUOTE WAS ON THE BACK OF THE MEMORIAL SERVICE LEAFLET. 

“Life is Short”

Four Mind Changes:

A reminder of the reality of Karma.

Please reflect on the following:

“  I.   I have been blessed with a life in which I can do many things to further my own happiness and the happiness of those around me.  It would be a shame to waste this wondrous opportunity by engaging in useless and meaningless activities; it would be a pity to waste this life by not fulfilling one’s spiritual potential.

 II.  Life is short:  There’s no time to waste.  Reflecting upon death is not meant to be a morbid practice.  In fact, it can have the opposite effect; it can help ground us in the here and now and make us appreciate the wonderful miracle of life each moment as it’s given to us now.

III.  The journey through life isn’t supposed to be easy; it’s supposed to be real.  Regularly contemplating the travails of our journey helps us to stay realistic about what life is and is not.  Do not be depressed by these thoughts.  Instead, recognize the joys that can be found by staying grounded and real.  Every dip and rise, every twist and turn is part of the infinite journey; why turn aside from any of it.

IV.  Our Karma is the one thing we carry with us always.  Thinking about your karma helps you face the truth about your own experience, it helps you make changes when necessary.  Do not think about changing anybody else’s behavior—just your own.  What can you do today to change the way you feel tomorrow?”  

---Lama Surya Das

When I first read this, I was at a loss for words.  My thoughts were about the parents and how to cope with the death of a child; for truly, it is not the norm for a child to leave this world first.  But, it does happen.  However, this young man’s memorial service was not focused on the living, not selfishly created for those left behind.  It was a celebration of his life.  It was facing the reality that our time on this earth is limited and uncertain.  Even through the death of a child, we live on and must create a new path for ourselves; a path that no longer includes a part of our being—a creation and gift from God, Creator, Higher Power, Source or any other word of your choice—our child.

If you read my blog, you will know that my daughter has been estranged from us for a while now…HER CHOICE not mine.  It has felt similar to a ‘death’.  This is her path, her karma.  Finally, I have decided that I can no longer be depressed by her actions.  While, it still hurts very much, I have to move on with my life.  I can no longer be stagnant.  The only growth while being stagnant is algae.  If you were to define algae it means any group of lower plants having chlorophyll but not a vascular system.  So what does this mean?  The etymology of vascular is Latin vascularis, from Latin vasculum small vessel, diminutive of vas vase, vessel.  In reference to our human body, vascular is all about the heart, the blood, the flow of life.  I can no longer allow my heart to not beat.  I can no longer live outside of life.  I need to fill my vessel with life giving force.  I need to flow like a river. I must create a new path with every current that ‘twists and turns’ and changes the boundaries of its banks —my life. 

This is life.  I have to live.  I cannot change her behavior, but I can change my own.  So, today I am going to pray that I can do something to change the way I feel tomorrow.

THE END OF THE WORLD by Skeeter Davis

Near the End

By Caprice

Alone again her heart is dying

Weeping inside her soul is crying.

Facing the reflection in the water

Shattered by what life had brought her.

Looking back on mistakes she made

Hope and happiness begin to fade.

Drifting into a black abyss

Seeing just dark and loneliness

Falling deeper the end is near

Her eyes no longer shed a tear.

All at once she sees a light

Then a voice cries out, Please fight!

A familiar presence she knows so well

What could it be?  She cannot tell.

She opens her eyes to see a face

Within the arms a warm embrace.

He speaks to her in a gentle tone

Fear not, you are no longer alone.

She asks in wonder, Are you my Savior?

Will I be forgiven of my behavior?

Smiling to this he did reply

I do not judge nor ask you “Why?”

Searching for answers she looked around

Why did you save me before I drowned?

He said to her in a whispering voice,

I could not help it, I had no choice.

For I too have been near the end

Now I come to you as a friend.

Happy Mother's Day

"To Exist is to Change"



IT'S A ROCKY WORLD---NASA photo


No one said life would be smooth....

“…for a conscious being, to exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.”  Henri Bergson

Question:  Change, change, and more change…is this why we exist?   

Answer:  “The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind.”  William Blake

VOILA!  Therein lies the answer…if we do not change we become stagnant; our minds become filled with algae…like the pool of water without air, without movement.  We die, maybe not physically, but spiritually and emotionally. No one says that change is easy.  But, change we must.  Try something new; jump onto another path; create a new journey. 

Why is it I can write about this so easily, yet when I try to incorporate it into my life it is almost impossible?  Yes, I am resistant to change.  But, through the years I have changed very much.  Mostly for the better, that is my hope and strictly my opinion.  Yet, it is not enough.  I always want to change more.  Now that I have found the above quotes, I finally realize why the yearning to change is always calling me.  It is human nature to change.  I knew that but here it is in black and white!  Set in ‘rock’ so to speak!  If we do not follow this yearning…who in their right mind wants ‘reptiles’ crawling around in their brain?  NOT ME!   So, I will continue to search.  I will continue to question.  I will decide what I need for my continued growth.  I will decide who is a part of my life.  If they are angry, negative people they will not be part of my circle of life.  Anger and negativity does not create.  If they are condescending and look down upon me or others…it is THEIR LOSS.  Life is too short.  Every day, I realize this more and more.  Today I had news from my Godmother who has ALS.  Her sister has Alzheimer’s and has been put into assisted living.  She is only around seventy years old.  After almost overdosing on her medication and spending six days in the hospital, they had to make the ‘hard’ decision.  It is not easy to put a loved one into a ‘home’.  I know this from experience.  The guilt it causes is extremely difficult to bear.  At least it was for me.  It was a frightening experience.  But, back to the point…LIFE IS SHORT PEOPLE.  Wake up and realize what is important.  We could be gone tomorrow and regrets could fill our minds.  We need to move before it is too late.  REACH OUT!  TOUCH SOMEONE!  You could be the reason someone smiles.  You could be the avenue to help a person out of loneliness or depression.   You, yes you.





Would I Take Away the Pain I Have Endured?

No, I would not take away all the pain and all sorrow.  That is what helped "water my soul" and made it flourish...even though I still sometimes live in a drought.  One day is a bud, the next a blossom, the next petals dropping off...a dying, if you will of an "experience".  But this is a part of life, a part of nature and life is a connection to nature.   It is God's Creations all intertwined like a "tapestry".   We are all a work in progress.  Unique in our design.  When our time on the earth is over, we exit as an unfinished "tapestry", with all its human mistakes.

I will carry you - Michael W Smith

This is to show support for one of my fellow bloggers.  Her husband has ALS and they are having a difficult time.  I want her to know that even though there are many miles between us, I am only an instant away if she needs to talk to someone.  God Bless all those suffering with the horrific disease ALS.
Who ever reads this please just stop for a moment and ask God to give these wonderful people the strength to get through each day.

Crawling out of the muck

After yesterday, I do not even feel like lifting up my head.  But, what other choice have I?  Life goes on through all the pain and suffering.  As I have said before, it is how we handle it that makes all the difference in the world.  While my heart aches and heals yet another wound, I will move on.  I will survive.  With every circumstance we are given a chance to grow, to learn.  Today, I am learning once again.  Today, I will learn to hope again. 

"Hope is nature's veil for hiding truth's nakedness."~~ Alfred Bernhard Nobel

Message from God...on my face book page

To believe without seeing...

On my face book page, I use an application called "Message from God".
Here is the message:

"ON THIS DAY GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW

... that it's time you stopped hiding from life, and said yes to the adventure of being alive. Enough of the routine already. Go on, have an adventure, - do what you always wanted deep within your heart. Do what brings you alive, and the universe will open doors where there were only walls."

So Much Suffering in the World

There are a lot of people suffering with fatal diseases, physical disabilites, etc.  This bothers me greatly.  While I do have a LOT of physical and medical problems, mostly auto-immune and nerve disorders, my most disabling disease is mental.  No I am not crazy or psychotic.  That would be preferable to knowing and remembering.  The memories are never far from the surface.  Sometimes, that is what controls my life.  I look down and see myself living in this fog.  I get lost and do not know the direction I am going.  I feel mentally anguished. 

But today I am going to fly away.  When I look down I will see the earth and clouds.  I will land at a new destination.  Hopefully this will keep at bay, at least temporarily, the pain of my existence.