When we are unable to share our actual hugs with loved ones, then we can send out the essence of our hugs - the warmth that we wish to impart, spiritually.  At the same time, let us be still and feel the love of our heavenly Father as he surrounds us with his healing hugs in the encounters we have with our fellow man and with nature, in petals and on wings.

Petals And Wings

Hugs are extensions,

That warm and impart

An oasis of calm

As they cradle the hearts

Of the family and friends

That they hold in their arms;

They welcome, impart love,

And hold safe from harm;

"If you give me a hug,

The little bird said,

As she looked at the flower

Up over her head;

I'll give you my song

To hold in your heart,

To keep and repeat

While we travel apart."

"My friend, I do wish

That my leaves could hug tight,

I'd hold you so close,

But try as I might,

I can only send love

From my petals of blue,

 I hope that you feel it,

This hug is for you."

When our arms are not able

To reach or to hold,

When distance or circumstance

Stops our hugs cold,

Then, the arms of our spirits

 Can turn into springs,

That carry hugs freely,

On petals and wings.

And God's hug surrounds us

On petals and wings.

I've been robbed!  - Yes!

At this time of year, with Thanksgiving still in the air, I've been off on a nostalgia trip -  looking at pictures of my children, grandchildren, family and old friends, and It suddenly dawned on me that they have been robbing my heart, bit by bit.  Actually, they have been offering me fair trade:  tiny pieces of each of their hearts have become indelibly etched into my own, and they are not here for the short-term, but will be staying forever.

We are part of a much larger picture that goes back generations; the little child, that is still in me, remains a part of my parents, siblings, children's and friends' lives forever, and the reverse is also true;

That thought challenges me to fulfill my potential as far as I can - If I'm giving away pieces of my heart, I want to make sure that they are well-polished, and the best that I can offer.

-  so many pieces of so many hearts - how lucky are we!

What  wonder just touched me,

From where did it start,

This déjà vu feeling

That's stirring my heart;

It crept up within me,

It knocked on my door,

And I bid it to enter,

As I'd done times before;

A memory intense,

Danced forth like a child,

Pushed passed the worries,

Then surfaced and smiled;

It played in my mind,

Then too soon it was gone,

A poem unfinished,

A nostalgic sweet song,

But another was waiting,

To visit or stay,

To lift up my heart,

To brighten my day;

From deep in my core,

He reassured me,

"I've got this,

No worries,

 Just leave it with me."

Stepping Into Peace

It's December, and the Christmas rush is upon us; There are wonderful celebrations to plan and attend, a tree to put up and decorate, a house to clean and decorate, and cookies to bake and decorate!  Sometimes it is hard to find the peace that is supposed to be the main focus of the season.  When I find myself starting to go under in the waves of too much stress, I try to remember to take a step back and find the quiet.

To let go of stress and step into peace is like stepping into a sturdy canoe in the wee hours of the morning and letting yourself  follow the shoreline of a river; not in any rush to reach a destination, but just enjoying the quiet conversation of your surroundings, and being grateful to the river for allowing you to ride along in its sparkling currents.

For a brief time, you and your thoughts are taking an intimate journey together, leaving all of your baggage, including your shoes, behind on the shore.

Finding My Smile

The gentle movements of a Tai Chi session this morning had me

Watching the flow of my hands,

And once again, I felt there the wooden caress of a paddle;

I was stepping into my mental canoe,

Slipping away on daydreams

Of early morning escapes

Beside a gentle river bank,

Feeling the solitude as I float downstream across flat water,

Free of man-made sounds in their various forms;

I close my eyes,

Enjoying the rocking of the canoe,

trusting the gentle movement of the river

 to carry me along wherever it is going;

I feel again the water washing around my toes as I invite some of it aboard with every stroke of my paddle;

My memory took a deep breath and there it was: the wonderful atmosphere;

Smells of algae, fish, flowers,

And the sounds of nature; frogs, birds, and various forms of flying tag-a-longs who found it amusing to play tag on my hat and hide-and-seek around my ankles - taking the occasional nibble;

I grabbed hold of that spiritual oar of freedom,

Gave it a mental pull,

-  And I smiled.

My hands, now resting,

Palms up,  in peace.

Whether your 'peace escape' is in a mental canoe, a quiet chapel, or laying in the arms of a frosty but all-accepting snow angel, may you find your own way to step into peace, find your smile, and leave your heavy baggage behind on the shore.

Wishing you all peace this Christmas and far beyond.

Putting A Spring In My 'To Do' List!

The water on the cover of our pool is now ice-free and sparkling in the sunshine- I'm waiting for our yearly visit by the two mallard ducks who think it is some sort of an inviting pond!  I always look forward to them, as I do the neat, feathered little beacons of hope that visit our bird feeder - a compliment to our humble hospitality. 

 It's nice to feel that Spring sunshine pouring into my thoughts and jogging them into positive action.  Everything is starting to come alive again out there, in the great outdoors, and in here, in the 'struggling to be positive' indoors of my mind.  My inner to-do list was starting to grow out of control before Spring was even officially here, and now I am having yet another think about that list:

  Two of our good neighbours have just recently had to leave their homes and accept the reality of a very different life in hospital -  a reminder that changes in our lives can happen quite abruptly, mocking the to-do list still sitting on the tables of our mind.  If those good people had to re-write their lists, I'm sure that yard and housework would be moved down in priority by a huge drop, replaced by taking one more hour to sit outside under the trees and listen to the sounds of life happening around them; one more cup of tea or coffee with family and friends, another chance to choose their own music to listen to, and one more dance with a spouse, child, or grandchild.

I've written this wish list for them:

One more dance,

One more song,

Some happy steps,

On feet, still strong;

One more day,

One more hour

To hear a bird,

To smell a flower;

To find within,

A child's pure heart

To light my path

Before we part,

And please, dear Lord,

A friendly smile,

To take with me

On my last mile.

Digging Out My Wings!

Digging out my Wings!

'Angels Watching Over Me' - I pulled out Amy Grant's CD this morning, and was listening to it as I went about cleaning the dishes, and thinking about cleaning the rest of the house.  Here I am, an hour later,  still thinking about it  - the song and the cleaning!  The whole subject of angels walks the fine line between hope and skepticism.  A very wise and beautiful aunt recently sent me a card telling me that she has become more aware of her own guardian angel watching over her and inspiring her with encouragement, wisdom, and an awareness of God's loving protection as she struggles with the challenges both physically and intellectually of her aging body.  She sent the message to encourage me and mine to not give up hope - to know that we are each much loved and worth so much more than our human minds can fathom. 

Rather than making ourselves and others sick with gloom and doom thoughts, worries about loved ones or about  the sorry state of the world, I have been reminded, once again, to pull up my attitude.   We are not alone, and we are really not in charge, no matter how many gurus give us the opposite message.   Rather, we are precious children all, big and small,  short and tall, and we all need help when we stumble and fall. 

Whether you believe in angels or not, the truth is that without hope, this life has no meaning, so we should welcome its messengers, whatever form they take:  angels, friends, or strangers with kind smiles and actions, who carry it with them and pass it on to us.

I usually grope, eyes half open, towards that first cup of coffee to start my engine each morning - Perhaps I should be reaching first for the hands of my Guardian Angel - hands that have been given a very busy task list, watching over me!   In gratitude, there is no reason that I can't put on my own small wings of hope and lighten someone else's journey today. 

 Pass it on - halos are optional!