A Poem Shared at Paul and I’s Wedding:
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- Desiderata
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- Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
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- and remember what peace there may be in silence.
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- As far as possible without surrender
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- be on good terms with all persons.
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- Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
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- and listen to others,
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- even the dull and the ignorant;
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- they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.
xoxo
In my Storage Bin for my Precious Kiddos you won’t find their Sunday Best. You’ll find Stained Onesies with Alphagetti all over the Front. You’ll find Little Brown Boots with Spring Mud still caked in their Rubber Soles. You’ll see Worn Denim with Holes in the Knees. And Yes the odd Sunday Dress that was Mother’s Day Special. For Memories are made in the Ordinary Days. The days we did Nothing Special. The Days we just Sat and Read Dr. Suess on the Blue Checked Sofa. Smelling like Zoodles and Coffee and their Warm Bodies curled around me on the Sofa. The Soft Feel of Nap Time Settling In. Memories change as Time Goes On. Now I even Hate to Admit it, but Someday I will have Fond Memories of Heaps of Clothes on Their Floor. Three Day Cheerio Milk in Bowls by Beds. A Dog Diaper because Charlie wasn’t Fixed in Time.
The Last Two Weeks I’ve been getting Adrenaline Rushes. It’s Been Years. I guess it was Utter Adrenal Burnout. My Energy Levels were Zero. I Learned to Press On because of Necessity. I Learned to Prioritize. So you can imagine the Ultimate Thrill of waking up at Three AM and going “Shoot, I so wish it was Morning!”. I’m Excited to Live Again. Things Excite Me. I never believed in Adrenal Burnout. I honestly struggled Hating Myself. Deeming myself Lazy. But Darlings, Stress on the Adrenals is Real. Chronic Stress will Deplete your Energy Stores. I never understood why I felt so Convicted to Quit my Last Job. I loved it on so many Levels. Or why I needed so much Rest in the months following. But Friends, we need to trust our Bodies. Every Day they Work for Us. And they know when we are Tired. Near Burnout. So our Energy Drops. Our Bodies insist on Rest. And One Day, the Adrenals wake up from their Healing Sleep. And Stretch their Rejuvenated Limbs. And there’s that Feeling! That wonderful Surge of Life! The Stirring in the Belly. Your Heart Thumps for the First time in Ages. And instead of it being Scary it’s Stirring. It’s Life Giving. And you Realize you’ve Turned a Corner. And Wow you feel Young Again.
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