My daughter Helen sent me the music she will be walking down the aisle to wed her dear Jesse. My tears are still hot and sticky on my face.  My little Blonde Angel.  My Little Rock.  My Conversationist. My Sunny Bells.  So Constant in Her Spirit.  So Faithful and Loyal. So Optimistic and Always Sweet.  Even when she’s Cranky it’s just Pockets of Clouds with the Sun still poking through.  How I Love that Girl.  She has borne in her Young Life the Fury of the Gale.  She is already a Seasoned Sailor on the Sea of Life.  And ohmygoodness, I would’ve Capsized without her.   She’s been my Cheerleader, My Shield, My Shoulder to Cry On.  She’s Goofy, and Silly and a Side Ache from Laughter.  She “Wixes her Mords” and truly can be Airheaded and Yet is one of the most Intelligent Women I know.  So Tuned In to Current Events and History.  She’s a Walking Biology Textbook.  Her Knee-jerk emotion is Kindness.  I’ve never met anyone who is so Pure in Her Opinions of Others and Keeps such Short Accounts with People.  She is Fully Engaged in Life.  Loves Babies and Animals.  Enjoys Good Food and Has Close Loyal Friendships.  She is Not a Gossip.  She Adores Her Family and if  you want to Upset Her Long-suffering Heart, say something Derogatory about Her Kin. She Fiercely Loves. 

As a Child we called her Hells Bells, but she is truly an Angel Tinkle.  A Sweet Heavenly Breeze.  I can only Hope to Be a Blessing in Her Life like she is in Mine.  Bless Her Darling Heart.  You are an Honour to Your Namesake, Grammie Helen Robertson.

I Love you Helen.

xoxo

Most People aren’t Bad.  They just don’t Know Better.  I’ve Harmed People by my Ignorance.  Times when I felt Justified in my Hasty Judgments and Acted Accordingly on Them.  Kindness never Leaves a Scar.  But Rushing to Judgment Can.  There’s the saying …

“the words of a talebearer go down and wound the innermost part of the belly”.

Even though Others Hurt Us, It becomes our Responsibility to Heal it.  And one way is To Forgive.  Forgive them for Not Knowing what they Did Not Know. Forgive them for Being Human.  After all, I am a Human.  Deeply Flawed, but Beautifully Human.  As Everyone Else on the Gorgeous Globe.  Every time We Remember, We Hurt.  So Hence, 70 X 7 we need to Forgive.  A Conscious  Choice.  We say, “They did Not Know.  And if they Did Know, they would Act Different.”  A dear friend of mine once said, “If we knew everyone’s life experience, we would always forgive everybody.”  Hurt People Hurt People.  Let’s Stop the Cycle by Bringing Tenderness to Callousness.  Bring Warmth to others Cold.  Bring Blessing where there is Betrayal.

If we Love Love and if we Love Goodness, we will Look for Any Opportunity to Show it.  Remember Love can be Walking Away.  Love can be Boundaries.  Forgiveness doesn’t always mean Reconciliation.  But Love should always be Constant. Forgiveness not a Variable.  It isn’t an Action, but a Spirit we Live In.

Let the Spirit of  Love and Forgiveness Reign.

I Love You All.

xoxo

A Poem Shared at Paul and I’s Wedding:

• Desiderata

• Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

• and remember what peace there may be in silence.

• As far as possible without surrender

• be on good terms with all persons.

• Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

• and listen to others,

• even the dull and the ignorant;

• 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.

Not me! Yes, You! Couldn’t Be?! Then Who? Yup, I’ve been known to steal Cookies.  The Sweet Bits in People’s Lives.  Every time I don’t Practice Kindness.  Empathy.  Gentleness.  Meekness, I become a  Robber.  Of the Innocent.   We can Wreak Havoc where Peace did Reside.  Where Pureness Reigned.  It Sickens me to even Think About It.  We all want to believe we aren’t Capable.  That we are always Safe for Others.

When you hear the vilest deed done to man, Take Heed.  The ability to Harm and Destroy is One Perfect Circumstance away.  That’s All.  So Lets Guard Our Hearts.  If the Rumbles of Pride and Selfishness Permeate our Hearts, Know that we are about to morph into a Cookie Monster.  And that’s the Kindest Way to Say It.

Love Ya’LL….Let’s Bake Our Own Cookies and Share Em.

xoxo

J

Ever notice when you get emotionally hurt by another person, your chest hurts?  I always thought  that pain was from what someone did to me.  I realized it’s not.

One day out sitting in the newly green grass on the ravine I realized something.  I had a picture in my mind of a faucet being on and the vessel it was pouring into bulging at the seams.  That’s how my heart felt.

Human Beings are meant to love.  We can’t actually turn love off.  But sometimes when we get hurt we try to wall it up.  We try to dam it.  And our little hearts burst at the seams till our hearts break.  Our hearts break because we are walling up our love. In efforts to protect it.  We’re taught some people don’t deserve it.

Not true.  We love unconditionally.  That’s what feels good.  But unfortunately, in some circumstances we must love from a distance.  But we can think loving thoughts and send well wishes.  We can pray for them and even bless them from afar.

It feels good to know I can Leave the Love on.

To Everyone.

xoxo

Some days I’m so grateful I can hardly handle it.  Peace has become everything to me.  And this morning it was a warm blanket draped across my heart.  I’m so grateful for the space in time I’m in.  I’ve learned to trust my journey.  I’ve learned to embrace the unknown.  I’m grateful for every darkened hallway where I’ve learned to say thank you before the door opens.  In faith trusting on the other side is Light.  And most of all, Peace.  We have nothing if we don’t have Peace.

Have a Peaceful Day.

xoxo

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.

So Rest if your Body is asking for it.  It’s Wiser than you Think.

I Love You.

xoxo