A memory gives us a chance to time travel!  How do you make a memory—a happening that touches the soul and stays?  We all have hurtful images from the past that can hang on and hold our hearts captive, robbing us of our potential to create joy, but warm memories, the best ones, happen when we are taken by surprise; they are able to stir a huge heartfelt laugh, or maybe a tear.  Memories grow stronger and more precious when they are shared—let's get busy and start building that time machine, with the cogs of our honest, humble foibles and in the beautiful gifts that lie within each of us.

                                                Love forgave, kindness smiled, and hope grew a precious memory.

 

The Gift

 

There are gifts that we give

To the ones that we love

That leave rare and indelible marks;

Little glimpses of something

That words can't explain,

Scripted in thoughts

That weave their refrain,

Playing time and again in our hearts;

 

There are moments we touch,

Without touching at all,

When we meet in our memory room;

When a smile meets a smile,

There is healing that happens;

We're reminded that hope

Lies within every challenge,

Within every gift still to come;

 

There are beautiful treasures

To gather and share,

Memories to make every day;

As we clear a place for them,

Let their roots grow,

Their buds are just waiting

For someone to say,

"Can your happy memories come out and play?"

 

 

Fathers and mothers, and all of us are being tested these days as never before, to be a comfort and guide to our children and vulnerable ones, but sometimes, we are the ones who need comfort.   Whether we cry in frustration, fear, sorrow, or whether we are lucky enough to receive the gift of a wonderful tear-inducing belly laugh, It is ok for us to open our release valve and to cry;   It takes courage to admit our needs — and there is great healing strength in tears. 

A Father's Strength

I watched my mother cry at times,

And we hugged, and shared the pain,

But who can fathers turn to

When they're bent hard with life's strain?

 

To keep his tears from softening

The armour he maintained,

He bottled up his hurt and wrapped

His wounds in cellophane;

There they stayed, there they made

A load that grew in size,

Until he knew, just one more hurt

Would cause him to  capsize;

 

And now it came, another loss,

Another weight to bear;

A sigh at first,

The dam then burst,

No longer did he care;

No longer could he be a rock,

A  hero, strong and tough —

He felt the hammer hit the stone,

It broke to pebbles rough;

 

Unwrapped and laid bare by the flood,

His tears completely spent,

He gathered up his courage,

His armour, now all bent,

And began to build another wall,

To keep his courage safe —

A shelter for his weathered heart,

His washed and bandaged faith.

 

We tend to think that men can cope,

No emotional displays,

But, the weight of the world

Is too heavy a load

For any one person to carry alone,

And the wisest words you could ever say

Are in the tears that we share today.

 

Michelangelo's inspired sculpture of the Pieta, the beautiful, poignant depiction of Mary, holding Jesus' body after the crucifixion, has much to say to us all in these difficult days.  The world unleashed all of the worst that it was capable of against her Son; He took it all, and forgave it all; it had no power to defeat His spirit, the embodiment of love.  His mother endured every ounce of pain with Him and now holds her Son, alive forever.

 For all mothers and nurturers, struggling to be strong for their families, I offer the following:

 

I don't think I can handle this,

I feel as though I'll break;

I've thrown my hands up in despair,

How much can my heart can take!

 

I'm not a superhero,

I'm a mother, hanging on,

Drawing on my fragile faith,

And trying to stay strong;

 

In the midst of this heart's struggle,

The voice of hope pushed past,

Whispering encouragement,

'Hold on, this too shall pass.'

 

'I know what you are going through,

That fear, I've known it too;

I've watched my loved one hurting,

Felt helplessness, like you;

 

Take courage, joy will follow,  

And sorrow will pass by,

For love, once born,

Will be tested and torn,

But it can never die.'

A Mother's Blessing

My prayer is in

These mother's arms

That enfold my family 'round;

My prayer is in

These tears I cry

When problems get me down;

When they press

To hold me under,

I will lift my eyes

To Thine,

And pray, with all

That I possess,

That You will hear,

And You will bless

This family of mine.

 

Be Kind

I rose from sleep,

And there it came,

To stop my breath

To squelch my flame,

"You are unworthy,

Yours the blame,

You cannot hope

To win life's game"

But, deep inside,

I heard the words,

Encouraging,

"Be kind, Be kind"

 

How hard it is

To seek and find    

The path that leads

To peace of mind;

To heed the voice

That climbs the slope,

Carrying the seeds of hope,

To light our path,

 to conquer doubt,

The way is clear,

Its voice rings out,

"Be kind, be kind",

 

Pride will entice,

And ego take,

Crushing spirits

In their wake;

Their heavy shoes

Will weigh us down,

Direct our gaze

Inward and down;

Love stops cold

That toxic wheel; 

Walk together

And we'll heal,

Arm in arm,

In kindness, building hope;

 

Be humble in our giving,

Humble in receiving,

Take pride in our gratitude,

Take pride in each kindness,

Take pride in every act of respect,

Take pride in acknowledging

That we are all children of the same family,

Sharing the playground together.

 

A Humble, Silent Prayer, and a Sincere Smile -

The most powerful forms of communication

When we drop to our knees
And let it all go,
Open our hearts
And let the tears flow,
Deep in our souls,
Someone listens and knows;
 
Prayer is like a rescue ship,
A boat that's waiting, moored;
When fears are overwhelming,
 When those I love are threatened,
 In quiet desperation,
I take a step aboard;
 
My Companion bids me welcome
As He reaches out His hand;
He tells me He has heard my plea,
And that He understands;
There are miracles in progress,
Things we cannot know,
But when we call out from our hearts,
There's no way that He'd say, 'no';
 
When we make the choice to push off
From our comfortable, safe shore,
When we risk being surrounded
By fears we can't ignore,
By dark waters of rejection,
Of doubts that make us question,
He reminds us that we're gifted
With a life preserving smile;
 
That when tossed with firm resolve,
To lift another from despair,
Becomes the echo of His answer,
The hope that follows prayer;
For the giver and receiver,
Both are pulled into His craft,
To rest until the waters calm,
Until the storm is past;
 
No smile left behind.

 

 

Christmas In Your Neighbourhood - Christmas Ripples

 

As your eyes rest on the Babe in the manger,

            Turn, and see:

Another baby - sleeping in a stroller;

            A young mother struggling to push the stroller,

A young student, walking beside the mother;

            A gentleman offering a greeting to the mother

And a smile to the baby,

            And to the student, who is now pushing the stroller;

See the elderly lady in the nursing home

            Welcoming the young mother and student,

Who stops the stroller and gently holds the baby up

            To be greeted and touched;

The friends of the elderly lady,

            Now coming over to join in on the scene

With their smiles and warm greetings;

            The caregiver at the home,

Building on those greetings with her own cheerful laugh,

            And offering a chair to the mother, who now rests her handicapped leg;

The homeless man, watching the scene unfold through the window;

            The young social worker handing him a hot cup of cocoa,

Topped with a genuine smile;

            Down the street, a small boy

Gingerly putting a favourite toy into a collection basket

            While his father nods his approval,

His own steps now brighter;

            And now,

Turn your gaze back,

            In reverent awe,

To the Babe in the manger,

            Who is smiling at the gift,

The awakened wonder

            He has shared with you

This Christmas season.

 

Who’s my brother?

Who’s my sister?

Who’s my neighbour, pal and friend?

You’re my brother, sister, pal,

And we’re all neighbours in the end!  

 

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”

             - Charles Dickens              

 

 Merry Christmas and God bless us everyone!

 

My Mother's Coat

As I brought it out, and offered it
To one I did not know,
I felt Mom's essence all around
 As she wisely let me know:
This lovely coat was given me
At a time when I was low,
Now someone else is waiting,
It's time to let it go;
My love that lived within its arms
Was bequeathed to you bit by bit,
Through good and bad, as years went by,
It never lost its fit;
 
I tried to find some hope each day
To add to my coat's lining,
To save within its pockets,
And keep its spirit shining;
Now someone else is shivering,
From the cold, or lack of love,
Loneliness can be very harsh
Despite the warmest glove;
 
There is no need to feel a loss,
Its journey must go on;
The gratitude I felt back then
When Winter winds blew strong,
I pass to you, and use your hands
To share some kindness still;
Some mother will be grateful
For a shelter from the chill;
A coat is only useful
When it's giving warmth away,
So don't regret this letting go,
My love is here to stay.
 
                Thank you Mom