Happy Mothers' Day - Why Worry?

Mothers' Day is coming up on Sunday, and there are wonderful tributes flowing from all sorts of media - mothers are the inspiration behind some of the most beautiful songs and poems.

 I decided to address one of the down-to-earth feelings that we all share as members of this human race, and one that mothers are particularly susceptible to - worrying!  

Sometimes, when we can't seem to get a handle on our problems or get past the bad feelings that pull us down, it can be helpful to write it all out - perhaps in the form of a poem?   And, perhaps in the process, we can have a good hearty laugh at what's bothering us - after all, it can't write back, and I'm not letting it touch my keyboard!

Why Worry?

"Worry, my old friend,

Where've you been?

Where've you been?

It's been minutes since

I've seen your sorry face!

Worry, where'd you go?

For it seems

I've missed you so,

That I couldn't cope

With happy thoughts

That tried to take your place!"

So, worry came back, knocking

At my door,

At my door,

Just when I thought

I simply couldn't

Worry anymore,

"I can see that you've

Been working out,

How wonderful!

How wonderful!

I almost fell asleep

In pleasant dreams,

But, I was worried

That a whole night's sleep

Without you,

Yes, without you,

Would leave my life a bore,

Livened only by my snore!"

Homeless Minstrels

“I like to inspire people who are still struggling like I was,” said Arcand, seated at a piano in Ambrose Place, “from being on the street, sleeping outside, going to shelters. Because I love people. I play for people."

These are the words of an Edmonton homeless man, Ryan Arcand, whose spontaneous piano performance was posted on the internet where it went viral;  He died in March.   He had been living in a supportive housing complex for a few months while struggling with a developmental disability, trauma, and mental illness which threw him into the downward spiral of addictions.  Piano was his one positive coping tool, and he was happy that his talent got acknowledged - a rare thing for people who are marginalized.            exerpted from Global News report, March 7, 2018

Homelessness is about more than not having a roof over our heads; mental health issues leave many feeling truly lost and homeless.  It is difficult to know how to respond to these issues effectively; where and how to help.  As human beings, we all , from time to time, jump to quick conclusions about others; We can be very  quick to judge our fellow man without knowing all of the facts.  I wrote the following piece in hopes of bringing the issue into the limelight and possibly generating some positive action.   

Inspired by his selflessness and humble brilliance, I wrote this piece,

 for Ryan:

An enigma stood,

Guitar in hand,

A  homeless minstrel on the street;

With  music playing in his head,

Words and chords came pouring out;

They formed without his knowing

Where the song was going,

What his final note would be,

Who would meet his eyes and see

The dream that he was sowing;

At home within his song he dwelt,

And welcomed in whoever came;

His door was never locked or barred;

Though rains came down and times were hard;

Lost in his own reverie,

He played his spirituality,

Free from ego, free from shame;

We met his eyes and urged him on,

And, listening to his gift of song,

Marvelled at his spirit free,

Winced at his humility;

Touched by tinges of remorse,

That pulled our hearts with gentle force, 

We checked our judgement at his door,

And  gaily clapped along;

A song is given each of us,

Placed into our care;

We cannot fully comprehend

The power of each note that we send

Into a world that needs to see

That we are all one family,

That each voice adds its colour to

One symphony we share..

The Calm Before The Storm

'The calm before the storm' is a well-known idiom that carries some pretty depressing baggage with it.  It tends to serve up foreboding and a sense of doom.   It has many cousins that carry similar gloomy messages:  'Just wait, this beautiful weather can't last.',  'We're going to pay for all of this good weather.' 'Don't get used to it, it's only March.'   etc. etc.

Why can't we just embrace outpourings of happiness, love, good weather, whatever positives that  happen to come our way, and not feel guilty,  or be apprehensive that bad things will surely follow - and while we're at it, why not be the authors of some happiness?

A Calm In The Storm

There is a calm before each storm,

Or so we've come to think,

And isn't it an awful shame

We let our spirits sink;

Before our souls have time to rest,

To  bask awhile in gentleness,

Thoughts break in of what might come,

When soft turns harsh, when calm is done;

Why waste the balm of healing scents

And healing sounds, when worries stop;

Why let unquiet walk with us,

And wait for some great shoe to drop;

Let's wrap our arms around it tight,

Embrace the calm - soak in its light,

Bid our hearts to see the good,

And shout our thanks, for well we should;

Enjoy this day - this gift we've got,

For night may come, or it may not;

Let calm surround us every day,

And when despair gets in our way,

Then tiny acts of love perform,

And be the calm that quells the storm.

The Dream Train

'I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.'   - Steven Wright

A recent issue of 'Discovery' magazine had an interesting article in it about the overlooked importance of daydreaming - who knew?  Apparently, it is when our minds are given the freedom to explore and  travel to wherever the moment takes it, that revelations occur; when a completely unrelated dream can lead us to look at a problem in a whole new way.  For all of you fellow daydream travellers out there - all aboard!

            The Dream Train

There's a train that comes by often,

A muse who calls to me,

"Come hop aboard, forget your work,

Let's see what we can see!"

"No ticket will be needed,

No carry-on", says she;

”Only thoughts will be collected,

And dreams can travel free."

It picks  me up at random,

While my mind is caught off guard,

Floating on a piece of  music,

Or wandering  through the yard.

It leaves at no particular time

And often takes detours,

There's food for thought in the dining car,

Where imagination stirs;

Travelling in my private car,

Alone, I ride along,

Oblivious to the outside world,

Lost in my own song,

         

So quiet is the engine,

You can miss time passing through,

Till you wake -  the ride is over,

And a dream steps off with you!

Mental Health Issues affect everyone, and it is so important to support all of the initiatives that are breaking down the harmful stigmas that are keeping people from recognizing symptoms and seeking help.  Laughter and humour can be powerful coping tools for all of us, as can the act of nurturing:

Talking To My Plants

I talk and talk and pour it out;

The philodendron's all worn out!

 The poor hibiscus is in a state,

The aloe plant can hardly wait

For me to rest my vocal glands,

The prayer plant just threw up her hands!

                   -------------

She's talking to her plants again,

She offers them a drink,

They're very good at listening

When she's deep into a think;

They never interrupt her,

When her mind's on the attack;

They welcome her encouragement

And try to give some back;

They share a secret nature knows;

Life is a giving wheel,

To nurture beauty where one goes

Leads our hearts to heal,

One more circle,

One more time,

It's our turn at the wheel.

In Johnstown,Ontario, just East of Prescott, there stands a strong 60 ft. tower, a former windmill and now a heritage lighthouse.  It was the site of the historic Battle Of The Windmill (1838), fought between approximately 250 insurgents called Patriot Hunters, from the United States who were sympathetic to the 1837 Rebellions in Canada, and local militia and British soldiers.

 A group of citizens called "The Friends Of Windmill Point" was formed in 1996, their mission to ensure that this impressive tower and its grounds are kept in good shape and open to the public during the Summer months, both as a resource to educate about the area's history and to share its beautiful vista.  I have been impressed by the number of people from all over the world who come to this site to view the beautiful St. Lawrence from the top windows of the tower, and to learn its story.

 On July 1st 2017, to mark Canada's 150th birthday, the FOW installed a symbolic light at the top of the lighthouse; When it was decommissioned some forty some years ago, its light had been extinguished.  As a recent member of  the FOW,  I wrote the following poem, a tribute to its strong, nurturing character:

The Windmill Lighthouse

I have folded my arms

They are gone, long ago,

And my eyes have been closed

To the travellers below;

I still gaze over water,

And watch in my way,

As below my strong tower

Parents stop, children play;

Their harmless mock battles

Remind me today

Of those others who died,

And oft times I pray

For the lives of the men,

Who surrounded my tower,

Could they not feel my sorrow,

Could they not feel me cower?

I cried when my walls

Were a refuge for men

Who came not in peace,

But misguided intent.

Now, I witness your struggles

As you pass by each day

And I silently cheer

When you choose the right way.

For years I've been waiting

Where your forefathers stood,

Now, once more I will shine out -

A symbol for good.

Feel The Sun - Be The Sun!

The sun is still up there, just wanting some quiet time and has closed its curtains for a much needed break.  It doesn't mean to offend us by this gesture; perhaps it is just setting an example and giving us some protected space to take our own time for reflection. 

 I try to help the sun out by creating my own small bits of sunshine, for myself and for my fellow life travellers;  some of my favourite attempts come from a paint box of words.  I try to steer away from the depressing colours of complaints, and those that create poor images of myself and others. The words that paint harmful gossip, and inspire only uncomfortable laughter will slowly but surely turn all of the other beautiful colours to a muddy grey - best to avoid!

In the grand scheme of things, we each have the potential to create sunshine by just being honest with ourselves, appreciating and sharing ourselves with others, complete with all of the faults that make us who we are.  The best way to turn a grey day into a sunny one is to take ourselves less seriously - to laugh at ourselves and to share in the humble humour of our humanness: (say that 3 times fast!).

Miss Patient!

Miss patient was a person

With a problem and a pain;

She went to see a doctor,

And she asked him to explain;

“I have a list of symptoms,

Though I don’t like to complain;

I wrote a few things down for you

To try and make it plain:

I’ve a pimple on my elbow,

A cracking in my knee,

And a funny sort of  popping sound

That really bothers me,

A ringing in my ears, a tingling in my thumb,

I can’t put my finger on it,

‘Cause my finger’s feeling numb!"

The doctor was quite patient

As he diagnosed her pain;

"The answer is not easy,

But, I'll keep it short and plain -

It seems to me, Miss Patient,

You've a hyperactive brain!"