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."

Next Stop: 'Zoomerland'!

Next stop: ‘Zoomerland’!

I’m taking a good look at what happened during my trip through ‘Boomerland’ - that magical place where this life of mine was planted, filled with beautiful, powerful, and sometimes frightening ‘booms’ that have challenged me to accept who I am.  When I wake up each morning, (after I take a few deep breaths and coax my eyes into staying open this time for sure!) it is with the realization that I am a very small piece of a very complicated puzzle.  I offer up a prayer that whatever I am and can do, will help to make this world a better place, and I ask for help in overcoming whatever fears keep me from doing that.

 I step out of bed, hit my toe on a table, and boom! all of that positive vibe has moved aside to make way for a false set of priorities, carried in by my unwanted shadow, the worry bug: ‘Oh Lord, I need to vacuum the house, clean the windows, dust the piano and cover it back up again (We’re still in house painting mode), rake the leaves, and paint something!’  My heart tries to break into the conversation: “Ahem, perhaps you could go for a walk, do some writing, work on your next book, try some sketching, practice your guitar or jump into those leaves!?”  These are all things that might distract the worry bug and get him to lighten up - He’s such a serious fellow!

In the end, we are who we are, with all of our unique imperfections, but also with the immense potential that resides within us, waiting to be asked to come forward.  We are largely unknown to ourselves; the face that we see in the mirror each morning hides behind it someone unique that wants to meet us and be included in our day.  What do we do?   Cover it up with makeup of various kinds, and give it nasty looks as we ignore its hopeful gaze, and try to form it into some version of ourselves that we think is expected or will be accepted by the world out there. 

Perhaps this next trip into ‘Zoomerland’ will allow us to relax and grow in charming ways - like a weathered barn, a fragile little shed, or a mature graceful tree - more beautiful with age.  In my third children’s book “How To Stretch A Puddle”,  I included a poem called “The Mighty Little” and it asks the question:  ‘How could something once so small become a tree so big and tall; It looked around just glad to be, It didn’t know it was a tree.”   Never underestimate your inner strength, your potential or your Zoom!