Poem for my mom

This post may be late but it still holds the same meaning as when I gave it to my mom on Mother's Day this year. I haven't been the easiest child, (I sure wouldn't want to be my mom!) but she taught me so much and even if I haven't quite learned all of her lessons well, they are instilled in my heart. So... this is my poem for my mom..not much really, but its all I got. 

Thank you Mom, for giving me

The important things in life

By being strong and standing tall

For teaching me what's right

You've shown me how to see the light

When everything went dim

You never let me give up hope

When life was dark and grim

Always you've been there for me

At times I wondered why

It couldn't have been easy

To watch your child cry

By doing that you gave to me

A strength that will not die

Things happen for a reason, right?
But only if I try

So this Mother's Day I give to you

The thing I cherish most

A love you placed within my heart

and forever I hold close

Bandaids

It seems the road has been tough for many recently and for some reason mine has gotten a little easier. I have had some great friends and family to carry me thru times when I couldn't even crawl and maybe now its my time to carry them.

We can't always say the right thing or make someone do what we feel is for the best, but we can stand beside them, behind them and at times in front of them to guide and protect.

Never give up on a friend, even when they fight like hell to push you away. It's not easy and they may not want you around at times and may need to be left alone. Just don't leave them alone for long... stay with and near them... in touch with them anyway you can... nice messages, kind words or comments, whatever feels right and good.

We all have bad memories... sores that hurt a lot... but i was once told by a very wise man that we need to allow our wounds to open so they can heal. They just can't be allowed to stay open for long because that's what makes a scar.

We all need a bandaid now and then and someone to put it on for us... even if we know we can do it ourselves. Its called caring... its called love.

So here is to bandaids... may we all have plenty to share!

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"Maybe we like the pain. Maybe we're wired that way. Because without it, I don't know; maybe we just wouldn't feel real. What's that saying? Why do I keep hitting myself with a hammer? Because it feels so good when I stop."
~ Meredith Grey

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A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success, "Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today."
This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure or fear of rejection? Sometimes the fear is just of making a decision because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? "The early bird catches the worm" "A stitch in time saves nine" "He who hesitates is lost" We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant...

That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beats the hell out of never trying.
~ Meredith Grey

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"At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. It's like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And it's not so important happy ever after, just that it's happy right now. See once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you, and once in a while people may even take your breath away."
~ Meredith Grey

My Brother...

I wrote this a few years ago. As you may have realized by now, writing doesn't come easy for me, but I have moments when it just pours. This was one of those moments.
I am not denying my parents' role in my life, they have done a great job with what they were given. They had to because I was their child. But my brother and sister didn't have to do anything for me but yet they did and I am so grateful.

My Brother
 
My strength
My friend
My truth
My ally
My guidance
My heart
My eyes
My teacher
My hero
My musician
My poet
My storyteller
My icon
My mainstay
My sounding board
My shoulders
My backbone
My lessons
My right
My wrong
My listener
My supporter
My role model
My light
My laughter
My forgiver
My protector
My father
My life

Thank you for all you have done for me. You have been my totem pole, always strong and supportive. As an uncle and a teacher you have instilled your honesty and integrity in my son. I am so grateful to have you in my life and so proud to have you as my brother!

I love you with all my heart... your little sis

Below is a song by Steve Vai titled, "Brother".   It is a song I feel very close to and says so much even without words...

To Connie - I Believe

I recently met a lady who has provided me strength without expecting anything in return. I'm not quite sure how to express my appreciation for her kindness and insight but the following words came to mind...

"Remember to stay strong and true to those who love and deserve you."

I don't know many Connie's, in fact the only other Connie I know of personally is my cousin. But there are three things I've found to be characteristic of the Connie's I know to be true... they are independent, strong and stand up for what they believe.

The song playing is by Connie Talbot, who I first heard on America's Got Talent and also portrays the same characteristics and gifts. It's called, "I Believe". For those who can't hear the song, the words are...

I believe for every drop of rain that falls

A flower grows

I believe that somewhere in the darkest night

A candle glows

I believe for everyone who goes astray

Someone will come

To show the way

I believe, I believe

I believe above a storm the smallest prayer

Will still be heard

I believe that someone in the great somewhere

Hears every word

Everytime I hear a new born baby cry,

Or touch a leaf or see the sky

Then I know why, I believe

Everytime I hear a new born baby cry,

Or touch a leaf or see the sky

Then I know why, I believe

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

I hope you have a day you deserve... wonderful and caring, surrounded by all that love you.

I'm sorry I'm not with you, but I want you to know how much I love you and appreciate all you have taught me.

Father's Day Prayer of Remembering

"Fathers young, fathers old

Remembering good times are our gold.

Value earned through guidance given

Helping us go forth in livin'.

Each father adding to our trove

A treasure chest of love untold.

Remembering fathers in our lives

Taking time to realize.

Fatherly love brings wealth to living

Remembering this, we go forth in giving.

Fathers young, fathers old

We remember you all

As life unfolds."

By Susan Kramer

"The greatest gift I ever had
Came from God; I call him Dad!"

~ Author Unkown

Don't Forget to Dance for my sister

To my sister, on her birthday...

To my sister... I love you and I am so proud of you. You have accomplished so much with so little and I have and always will admire your stamina and determination.
I found a card you wrote to me when I was in college, over twenty years ago. Inside was a poem. Reading it again reminds me of another card you sent to me. It ended with a quote from The Kinks, "don't forget to dance, don't forget to smile".
So, this is my gift to you. It's not much, but it's from my heart. I love you and I am honored to have you as my big sister... Happy Birthday! 

Sometimes I get lonely
and thinking about you helps remind me
that there is a person I cherish so very much
always close in spirit
even when you are so far away
 But sometimes it hurts even more
to think of you...
your laugh, your touch...
and to remember just how much
I miss your gentle face,
your tender ways
your presence in my life.

Promise Yourself by Christian D. Larson

Love is a hard feeling to truly express, at least for me. I'm never quite sure if those I love really know how much they are loved... how much they mean to me.

I'm posting this poem again because I neglected to mention the person who gave it to me... my mom.

When I was in my late teens she gave me a little book called, "Keep Your Face to the Sunshine, A Collection of Creeds". There were a couple of poems she had placed a star next to and this was one of them.

Promise Yourself...

Promise yourself to be so strong

that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity

to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything

and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best

and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others

as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and

press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and

give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself

that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry,

too noble for anger,

too strong for fear and

too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

~Christian D. Larson

I love you, mom

A few of my favorite quotes...

From the TV show, Brothers & Sisters...
Justin: I Can listen while pouring.
Tommy: You can barely listen while hearing.

"I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead."

~ Mark Twain

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

~ William Shakespeare

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues."

~ Abraham Lincoln

And last, but certainly not least, a quote about teeth from a man who has stolen many a heart, including mine, and who's little girl and I share the same birthday...

"I've got loads of cavities. I had a root canal done eight years ago that's unfinished. It's like a rotten little stub, but I like it. It's like when the Indians would make something beaded, they would always put imperfections on it."

~ Johnny Depp

Happy Birthday to U.S. ("us")

In freedom we trust

So, celebrate we must.

Happy Birthday to U.S!

~ Meesharie

Biopoem from Darcy

The following is a Biopoem a friend wrote about me. I was surprised at how much she noticed. The funny, little things I didn't think anyone paid attention to, but she did. It meant a lot when she first gave it to me some ten years ago, and it means even more today.

Energetic, Bright, Talkative, Generous

Lover of... love, beads, Dreamsicles
Who feels the need to... send & receive lots of mail
Who needs... freesias, dancing, honesty
Who fears... betrayal, a new career, ignorance
Who would like to see... her rarely seen selfish side, more good people in the world, all the money people owe her
Resident of... a happy, hopeful home

If change is supposed to be a good thing ...

If change is supposed to be a good thing,

would it please slow down so I can catch up?
~ Meesharie

I guess I should be grateful that I'm not Britney or Paris... but my heart goes out to them. The world is changing much too fast and if it doesn't slow down, that brick wall we're heading for might just hurt more than we had planned.

Just a thought....

American Indian Proverb

"Only when the last tree has been cut down;
Only when the last river has been poisoned;
Only when the last fish has been caught;
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten."
~ American Indian Proverb

 

My son....

For one reason or another I've been having a difficult time putting my thoughts into words. Not verbally, that rarely happens, but in writing. It has been frustrating, VERY frustrating and the more frustrated I got the harder it was to write... so I didn't ... until now.

I was blessed with the most amazing child, my son, Cody.  In his second year of college he made the President's Honor Roll.  He didn't do it by taking easy classes either, he had Calculus, Chemistry and Physics!  And not only is he keeping his grades up, he works full time, is financially independent, and spiritually sound. He sees the light through the tunnel and does not let that veer from his sight.

That's him in the picture. It was taken during his baptism. It has not been retouched with Photo shop or anything else. That's exactly how the picture came out. Prior to taking it, Cody had been crying and yet there are no signs of tears or unhappiness in his eyes.

Yes, I believe he is my angel and that I have been given a gift.  As to why?  I haven't a clue.  I am no one special.  I haven't done anything extraordinary in my life but yet I have been blessed with a child who has touched my heart and brightened my world so immensely. The world can be pretty ugly and mean and people aren't always nice and respectful. I haven't kept my son sheltered from  all the hatred and ugliness. He has seen many sides of humanity and yet he is prevailing and shining in spite of it all. He gives me strength just by his presence. He listens to my incessant babbling even when I can't listen to myself anymore. He’s steady and steadfast and has grown into a fine young man.

Is it how I raised him? I tried but it sure wasn’t by example. Maybe by an example of what NOT to do. Yes, I am his mom and I believe he is my angel but I also believe we all have faults and it's our faults that make us strong and compassionate.  I have never tried to hide mine from Cody and there are times I just plain couldn't. It wasn’t always the right thing to do but it happened and we survived. To quote Izzie from Grey’s Anatomy,  

"I believe in the good.

 I believe we survive.

I believe that believing we survive is what makes us survive.”

Cody wants to be an Oceanographer. I don’t know a whole lot about Oceanography, in fact I don't care for the ocean much at all. But it's not what I like that's important, it's what he likes. There is no doubt in my mind he will succeed in whatever he chooses to do. That’s just how he is.

Cody,
There are no words to describe how proud I am of you!

You deserve the world and more.

You make things shine with your peaceful serenity and I know that you will achieve whatever you believe.

Stay strong, calm and true.

I love you!

"Always and forever" ... Mom

As I Wander...

"All that is gold does not glitter.

Not all those who wander are lost."
~ J.R.R. Tolkien

 

 

(Pictured: Edited version of "Wandering", by Patricia Gale)

My Family

The following was written by a little girl in pencil on lined notebook paper. It had been framed and was sitting on her mother's nightstand when she found it some 40 years later. It's rather silly and somewhat corny, but that's because I am the one who wrote it.  I'm posting it because it reminds me how much I really do love and need my family. That no matter how hard I have tried to push them away, they were always there for me... even when I wasn't there for them.

My Family

I have a family who knows when I'm sad,

And helps when I need it without getting mad.

And when I am angry they don't get upset,

But comfort and talk to me and help me forget.

They are there when I need them but will leave when I say.

And I hope that they know they are never in my way.

Not diamonds, not pearls, nor silver or gold,

Could ever replace the love that they hold.

And I hope there are more with a family as kind,

A family they love, a family like mine.