Quiet Moments

Age has a way of changing our perspective. What we found important in our youth no longer matters as much; we forgive more easily, feel more profoundly, care more about the human condition. We place greater value on relationships.

We become reflective. Speak our truth with care.

We care less to impress.

We walk away from snobbery and pretentiousness.

We see the true colors of the ones we love.

We slow our stride and see all that is beautiful.

We make time for quiet moments. 

We enjoy our own company.

Most of all, we come to know that we cannot hold time at bay.

So we ride the wave, laugh the laugh, embrace the joy, the suffering, the sweetness of all our blessings.

And we say,

Thank you!

Really?

Do you ever get tired of looking at posts that talk about new beginnings, throw out the old, appreciate what you have, live for today. Their endless! People posting quotes about being a better person, enriched existence, spiritual connection.

Really?

How many people actually live what they post?

 We read a nice quote, get captured by inspirational words, read a touching story and for a brief moment we think,  "I'm going to live that way."

Two minutes later we go back to the norm.

That's not to say that there are not thousands of people who live by exceptional standards. They are the ones that mentor us to greatness, if we chose to follow their examples. People like Nelson Mandela, and Mother Teresa. They lived their words and so, if we are open to it, they inspire us to find the best in ourselves.

In the Box!

To be self absorbed is to live in a box of your making. Too consumed with the drama of your own life you fail to see that others walk difficult paths too. 

You miss the sun bursting into the sky early in the morning, you fail to see the beauty of the dew drops hanging precariously on the edge of  leaves, you miss the sweet sound of chirping birds as they greet a new day.

You listen but do not hear.

You see but do not observe.

You work but find no passion.

You breathe but do not inhale.

You smile but are hollow.

 You seek but never find.

You take for granted the gifts that lie before you and eventually, if and when you surface, they are gone.

The Dash

This might seem a bit morbid, but trust me it's not!

On rare occasions, I find myself attending a funeral.

When the final blessing is said and everyone leaves to return to the "busy" of their own lives, I often find myself drawn to the tombstones around me.

I read the names, see the photographs and dates etched in stone and I wonder.

What happened in between those dates-what secrets does that tiny little dash hold.

It tells us nothing but knows so much.

It is the journey of the person buried below; the keeper of their hopes, dreams, travels, joys and sorrows.

It is not the date of birth and death that matters so much but how that person lived every moment in between.

Sadly, only a few will know the depth of the dash of each person's life. And when those people are gone the dash of the lives that came before them is no more.

Live your life with abandonment, leave no stone unturned, love freely, play, sing and dance, travel but most of all have no regrets.

Make your dash a good one!

Moving Forward

A few days ago, I was chatting with my mom about family. 

"Isn't the nature of people incredible? Even when we think we can't possibly face another day we do!"

I looked at her and said, "Mom, what an interesting thing to say."
 I knew she was thinking of her own life. "Yes, it is, " I replied.

Life hands us many joys which we accept with abandonment. They are the moments that move us from one day to the next. They fill our souls so that when we are faced with disappointments, losses, and sorrows we are fortified enough to meet the challenges.

What is God's Plan for Me?

The other day my best friend turned to me and asked, "What do you think God's plan is for me. What should I be doing with my life?" 

It didn't take me long to offer my thoughts.

I  believe that you are exactly where you are meant to be. Live in the moment and devote yourself to the craft you  have chosen. If you love what you do, if you find joy in every moment, if you feel excitement when you are here, if there are not enough hours in the day to complete all that you wish to do, then you are living God's plan.

And when you feel a stirring, a restlessness, don't ignore it. That is him edging you in new directions. Follow the signs because there are many. 

Do not live over committed to others, to the point where you forfeit your own dreams. Travel, play, explore, adventure. This is God's plan.

The Season's of my Life

A while ago a young child asked me, "what season are you in?"

"What an interesting question," I replied."Can I think about it for awhile?"

"Yes," she answered, "tell me tomorrow."

It took me a few tomorrows to ponder my answer. 

A week later, I found her sitting by the window drawing.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to answer your question. I had to do quite a bit of thinking.

I am now in autumn."

"Why?"

I knew she would want a reason.

"In Spring we are born. It is the time when all of nature comes to life.

In Summer we are children, the world is filled with adventure, abandonment and the pure joy of living. We stay in childhood for a long time."

"How long?" she wanted to know.

"Until we find ourselves," I replied.

"Do we get lost?"

"Not really but we are looking for our purpose."

"Then what happens?"

"Next we move to Autumn. The time of harvest."

"Are we vegetables," she wondered.

This made me laugh,

"No, but it is a time for us to reap. We begin our careers after years of schooling, many of us fall in love, get married, and have children, just like you. We raise our families and we celebrate."

"What happens next?"

"Then comes Winter. The season of rest. The time to remember the joys, the trials, the sacrifices and glory of our lives, our seasons."

"But in Winter,everything dies," she whispered.

"Yes, that's true. But we hope that our Winter will be long."

She gave me a hug and returned to drawing a picture of me in the Autumn of my life.

I watched her as she colored in the leaves that had fallen from the trees that surrounded me.

"I hope you stay in Autumn forever," she said as she smiled and handed me the picture.

"Thank you, " I replied hugging her.

"And may your Summer be equally as long!"

To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal ...
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance ...
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.

ecclesiastes 3:1-8