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.

I Am Grateful -  Right Now!

'Experiencing gratitude is a learnable skill that improves with practise.  It isn't dependant on things going well, or receiving favours from others.  It's getting better at spotting what's already there.'

'Recent research has shown that people experiencing high levels of gratitude tend to be happier and more satisfied with their lives. When people were instructed to keep a daily 'gratitude journal', where they were to record each day, things that they felt grateful for, it was found to have a profound and reliable impact on mood.  When we get into the habit of keeping this kind of journal, we train our minds to notice the up side of life more easily and quickly.'

The above excerpts are from an article that was sent to me by my wise and caring Aunt Jane (Sister Jane), who is not without her own crosses to bear.  Judging from the positive vibes that continue to emanate from this beautiful lady, it is certainly a state of mind that she has attained and translated into lifting the spirits of others daily.  Therefore, the advice is well worth heeding , her example well worth following.   

Starting today, I will give more notice to the little wonders around me and

 practise gratefulness.

The little bird

That came today,

Because of a seed

On a little tray,

A tiny gift

For tuppence bought,

Gave back to me

A happy thought.

Does that tiny bird

Know what pleasure

She gave to me

With her greatest treasure;

Her lovely song

Sang out to me

That all I have to be

Is me.

Then to those seeds,

In happy mood,

I added grains

Of gratitude.

In The Aftermath - There Is Love!

In the Aftermath - There is love!

I'm sitting and thinking, and watching rain turn into icy fingers, wrapping themselves around the branches and seed heads (still there!) on our lilac tree.  It is reminding me that the world and life goes on around us, not paying any heed to the turmoil that is going on inside of us.  The fact that I have worried, stressed, rewritten and practised before delivering a book presentation to a lovely group of seniors yesterday, seems to have slipped nature's mind!  Perhaps I should take the hint to not take myself so seriously - to get out there and find the beauty that is all around me before my short stint on this earth is done.

 As it turned out, I had a lovely time relating my poems and my life experiences - and sharing my limited musical interpretations to boot - take that you unfeeling drops of ice!

 The fact is, that every time I give something of myself, I reap a wonderful harvest of gifts that others share with me.  It may be new knowledge of my surroundings, a verbal picture that someone paints of something that happened in their past, or it may be the sharing of a dream that lies unfulfilled in them, or in me - whatever, I am truly the richer.

 The world will still be here, long after I'm gone, but it will only have the use of my life for a relatively short time, and I only have this time to share whatever joy I can.   We all have a responsibility to help in the healing and building of this world with whatever gifts we are endowed with.  So rather than giving in to those 'hot on my heels' feelings of inadequacy and smallness, I will try to use my smallness, and take  Mother Theresa's words and example to heart:

               "In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love."

The Chocolate Chips of Life

The Chocolate Chips of Life!

I'm sweeping up after everyone has gone home -  and thanking God for every crumb - crumbs of every size and flavour - they remind me that life and love has happened here.  I reflected with love on the tiny hands that had dropped those crumbs,  on the amazing gift of those lives big and small - all dropping wonderful crumbs from God's big cookie!   

 The sous chef that filled the order for those cookies did a pretty good job, I must say, paying special attention to the instruction at  the bottom of the page - to sample just a few of them to make sure they were made properly and had the correct amount of chocolate chips!  And what of the chocolate chips?  Everyone needs vitamins and nutrients in their cookies - if possible - but a treat is a treat is a treat, and is created to give us a break and a much needed happy lift.

As we sanitize and clean up our homes, our world, let us stop for a 'think moment' and acknowledge every crumb, every grain of sand or dried leaf that travelled through our door as a result of our going out and contributing to life, to every spider trying to do his or her job (and asking for no finder's fee as it collects pesky flies) - remember Charlotte's web!

What crumbs am I dropping?  Well, my recycle box is currently filled with bits of paper containing small gems of ideas that I wrote and then discarded .  As I pulled this particular crumb back out of the box, I realized that it just needed a little more mixing, and that hopefully it would fall into the hands of others who might 'need' it a bit more.   So, let's not be too hasty in throwing away our idea crumbs - you never know which one might contain the chocolate chip!

I Resolve!

I Resolve!

If I knew that this would be my last New Year, what would my resolution(s) be?   How could I grow to my fullest possible potential - what improvements would be most important?  Would I resolve to love myself just the way I am, and while I'm at it, to do likewise for the other people in my life?  Would I look at each day as the best day it could possibly be,  given life's circumstances?

  Overlooking troubles, what good could I resolve to find there? create there?   Would I measure each of my steps as a privilege,  recognize each of my actions as a ripple, and decide that those steps and ripples would lead to positive places and events?  Would I resolve to smile more, finally realizing that a warm sincere smile can lead to actions that heat up the whole world?  Would I turn those resolutions into poetry that the world could sing after I was gone?

I resolve

To be at peace;

With joyful heart,

All worry cease. 

I resolve

To share my smile,

Especially in the

Midst of trial.

I resolve

To treat others fairly,

And to be just plain silly,

Regularly!

This Christmas - I Don't Want Much!

I Don't Want Much!

Christmas is not something that just happens,

It is built out of priceless gifts - our gifts to the Christ Child whose coming brought hope into the world.

Who and where are the wise ones who come to the manger today?

Take a deep look into the eyes of children when we think we have wisdom;

They have a way of unmasking us and revealing our unsure inner child.

The wisest responses are those spoken by our actions -

 A reassuring, love-filled hug is often the immediate answer that they are seeking, even if they don't realize it right away.

 They may hear our words, but  they will remember our actions, our kindnesses - no fancy wrapping needed -  there is enough beauty  in that gift.

I only want

A Christmas tree

With tiny bells that play,

And underneath, a little water

To give it life each day.

 

I only want

A song of joy,

Like tinkling bells that play,

To fill me up, like living water,

And lift my life each day.

 

I only want

A little hope

And happy bells to play,

When I get up on Christmas morning,

To ring in Christmas Day!

 

I only want

A little peace

And bells that ring and say:

"For all the world - the gift of water

For everyone each day!"

 

A  little joy, a little hope,

A little peace to help us cope,

That's water to my little tree,

The one that grows

Inside of me!

 

Christmas comes but once a year, but let's invite the Christmas Spirit to dwell in our hearts all year long, and promise to give it a top-up each December 25th.  In the meantime, let's keep building!

The Power Of A Quilt!

I know I wasn't feeling cold last night - perhaps it's the onset of Fall weather, and the promise of Winter, with all of its uncertainties, but I awoke at  3am, thinking about the multi-coloured crazy quilt that used to cover Mom & Dad's bed so many years ago.   I can remember sitting on that quilt with my sisters and playing travelling games on the beautiful landscape that we saw there; so many vibrant colours and textures - it fuelled our young imaginations!   I began wondering who had stitched that quilt - where all of the patches had originated - what clothing had been transformed.   As I wrapped myself in that warm memory, my older imagination kicked in and, lost in contemplation, I wrote the following poem:

My Crazy Quilt

Memories fade, and friends move on,

But in my heart they're bound;

I've pulled them into my crazy quilt

And stitched them all around.

I've pricked my finger many times,

But I soon forget the pain,

For my crazy quilt is a wondrous quilt,

That can never be made again.

I pull it 'round me every night

And I feel the love that's there,

All stitched up in my crazy quilt,

Each friend, a colour rare.

I've  travelled tracks, this way and that,

All up and down my life,

Those crooked stitches, funny patches,

Daughter, mother, wife.

My fingers trace the criss-cross path

That joins each memory,

And I wonder at the landscape fair

That my life has come to be.

As I live each day, I'll find a way

To gather patches new,

I'll pull them into my crazy quilt,

And I'll stitch them carefully too.

When the world seems scary, dark and dim,

I won't despair or moan,

For I'll feel the warmth of my crazy quilt,

And know I'm not alone.