Answers?

Many years ago, I was discouraged.
I had prayed and prayed.
And my prayers had not been answered.
Upon hearing my lament,my husband ask
"Have you considered the answer was NO?"


Oh!!! That is an answere, isn't it?

Caring

The daughter of a friend is seriously ill.

We don't wait for a "free" moment
to say a prayer for her. Each time
we think of her, that thought becomes
our plea.

"Give her strength, courage, and peace."

RESPONSIBILITY

An old fashioned idea? Not my fault! Somebody (else) ought to do something! We want to do what ever we want to do and also NOT do what we don't want to do. Where does ethics come into the equation? We are ENTITLED!

Wait? Of course not, we want it now, and we don't want to have to work very hard to obtain it. Society or the government or someone (other than me) ought to provide_____ (fill in the blank)! Everything has a price and someone has to pay. Does the thought process ever reach that far? Where is the money coming from?

An honest wage for an honest day's work. Pay as you go. Take pride in your work. Be responsible for your actions or your inactivity. Such old fashioned ideas. And we wonder why our society has problems!

WHY?

Our elderly and our children, two groups who should be cherished and loved and well cared for. Yet, our culture seems to warehouse many of them in the poorest conditions and pay minimum wages to the people hired to care for them. And we "wonder" why there is neglect and abuse? What is the rationale? What are we thinking? Are we thinking? What are our memories of those who touched our lives as children? Have we stopped to think about our future, when we can no longer care for ourselves? One would think that self preservation would push us to remedy the situation if shame had not already done so.

TRIGGERS

Smells, tastes, tunes, they all are triggers to our memory, immediately bringing back snapshots of yesteryear. Neighbors in the rural community where I was born had immigrated from Holland. Their family farm had grapevines near the garden. And in the era before canned soft drinks, grape juice was offered to guests. Mrs. Wissink died when I was quite small, I have no memory of her. But the taste of grape juice remains in my memory bank. One sip and I think of that family and say a silent prayer for them and realise how fortunate my family was to have such good neighbors and friends.

STUFF

Bittersweet thoughts accompany the dust cloth. Our home is filled with "bit & pieces", each with a story, a memory, a link to a loved one in our past. Dusting is not a chore, it is a stroll down Memory Lane. As we age, those memories become even more precious. There is no rush to finish and move on to other activities. Each moment can be savored like a sweet piece of candy, and a we say a prayer for those who have gone on ahead. R.I.P.

Accepting

Yesterday is history
Tomorrow a mystery
Today is a gift
That's why it's called the present

Former days

We were raised in a small town. It was an innocent time. Most Mothers worked only at home, so every house was a haven, in case of emergency. And they also contained a monitor, who would not hesitate to correct a misbehaving child. But freedom was enjoyed, to walk, ride bikes, play games or just sit in the shade. Fresh air and sunshine were the order of the day. Chores? of course we had chores! Rainy days were spent inside, playing card games, reading a book, or baking cookies. No TV or computer, but a swing in the back yard or at the school playground. Shopping (really wishing) was done holding a catalog. NO allowances. What did we need money for? And if you were taken in to a store, you were told to NOT touch anything (and didn't!). Siblings shared rooms, closets and dresser drawers. Younger children wore hand me downs, so new items were really appreciated.

Not a better or worse life-just different. Seemed to be just as much happiness and smiles. Did we know about stress? Imagine the same ratio of dysfunctional people, does that ever change?

Small world

Our neighbor's son and his wife came from Florida. He had just spent a week here with his parents, now only his Mother is here. We got to meet his lovely wife. She is a sister to a man in Cheyenne, who I have known for several years. And we smiled at the coincidence.

Life is full of quirky things, reminding us to be kind to everyone who crosses our path. They are someone's brother, sister, parent, or child. Regardless of their race, religion, opinions, hair style, or manner of dress, each is God's child and deserves our tolerance. Why do we accept those we know, but question the strangers? How do others view and judge us? Perhaps, pondering on that might temper our responses.

Learning

Something new each and every day.
Will we ever catch up?
Techonolgy changes in the blink of an eye.
Is it all necessary? Or just a flash in the pan?
Does it make our jobs easier? Or just fill up our days?
Becomes a challange to sort it all out and try to put in perspective.
Balance, moderation in all things, HMMMM.
Something to ponder....

R.I.P.

A neighbor and friend died Saturday evening. Finally at ease after several years of declining health. Leaving a wife of nearly 61 years and 3 children. "Someday" is no longer an option.

Every death reminds us how fleeting our time on earth is. Every death brings our thoughts to those we love who have gone on ahead, as well as those, who are currently struggling to hold onto their life, and those, who are young and healthy and may be gone in the blink of an eye. Death is indiscriminate, it follws no set path.

Time to "clean house"! In our hearts, minds, and our physical surroundings. The darkness of Saturday evening was followed by the bright sun the next morning. And Monday brought a layer of fresh snow, presenting the World as a fresh white canvas to begin a new painting of the future. Each day a new beginning, hopefully we will use it wisely, learning from the mistakes of our past. Not someday-

Today!

SOME DAY

some day - It never comes.

There is only today, only this moment.

Today-----

say "I love you"

do a good deed

visit a friend

spend time with a loved one

use the good dishes

sit in the sun and relax

write a note

take a trip

read a book to a child

hug your family

prepare your will

get your affairs in order

take a walk and see your world

forgive and forget

give (anonomously)

smile at a stranger

Make a deliberate effort NEVER to say "Some day I will..."

Do it today!

Why don' they?

Blood pressure to high. Hmmm. Lose weight, walk each day, lessen stress if possible. Make sure to get enough sleep. Seriously examine diet choices. perhaps cut back on the use of the salt shaker. Sounds like common sense to me. Seems most walk away from doctor's office with a prescription for medication and no advice about life style changes, or warnings about the side effects of the medication. And aren't medications expensive? Hmmm.

Diet and budget

Food that is good for you is not cheap. But it is less expensive per pound than most poor choices at the grocery store. If I don't buy potato chips and bring them home, they aren't on the shelf to temp us. Fresh fruit and veggies may be pricey-but figure our cost per pound for the chips! We seldom bake cookies or cakes. Try to keep lots of salad ingredients in the fridge. Almonds, cashews, peanuts are better snack foods. PEPSI, COKE, etc. -- cold water tastes just as good, with less calories, and sure is cheaper. Most of all, good choices at the grocery store end up being much cheaper that appointments at the doctor's office and getting prescriptions filled. Common sense?

Clear the clutter

The current hot subject for publishing is "clutter" and organization. I have always been organized. That is because I am basically lazy. It is less work that way. Do it once, do it correctly, and get on to more fun projects. Make lists and set priorities. Write it down, figure it out, do it!