What have I learned? What have you learned? What would I like to learn?
It’s a BIG question.
My answer is this: to TRUST more .. LISTEN more to the soft Whisperer within (God/True Source) – to BELIEVE with my whole heart
Life is fleeting. I’ve endured much loss – friends, spouses, days and nights to worry or fright – only to realize shortly thereafter that there is no need to worry – no benefit – however, to TRUST, PRAY, LISTEN, OPEN my HEART to God/True Source’s guidance and BELIEVE all will be well , therein, I find my wish for ALL persons – CONTENTMENT
What does Contentment look like to me?
It’s realizing that ALL I need, ALL around me is ENOUGH and ENJOY every moment of…
Breath
Warm Water
Clean Water
Healthy food – my Green/Fruity/Nutty Shake in the mornings
ability to learn and practice Yoga
Legs that move and allow me to roam the Mountains I love so much
Conversing with the Trees
Taking Photographs of all that catches my eye
Enjoying the Light of sunrise and Moonrise
to listen and walk by the River’s edge
my Grandchildren
my Children
the gift of my spouse, Steve and his innate laughter and support
my Church family
my Alanon Family
my Telephone calls and walks with Friends
a Job with loving people
Moments found to create Art
the gift of my Parents, my Brothers, my Nieces and Nephews
Friends abroad, Friends on Facebook
Trees and Flowers of so many varieties in my back yard – and a Pond
Life is NOT all doom and gloom – it’s different
What I’m learning is to look with eyes open, ears and heart open, hands – open to what’s ALL around me and say Thank you!
As I said I’m learning – NOT perfect, nor, would I want to be.
Happy year of Contentment is my wish for ALL in this New Year!
A familiar refrain comes to mind ‘Where does love go when the lights go out?’
Love is always here residing in the Heart, the Whisperer reminds me
The only thing required from you is to ‘Believe’
The answers may not be evident. Waiting is required. I’m not good at waiting.
Yet, I know, when the door opens effortlessly, I am walking in alignment with the Source of All Knowingness and Love, and once again, All WILL be Well.
freedom of thought, location, restraint, rules and a welcoming sense of
Peace, Acceptance, Love, Safety, Security and a DEEP Knowingness that ALL IS WELL
God is with me always, I need not fear any thing or any one
I have always believed that there is something I have to teach, to share, yet, I know I must learn more first, then, I can truly share my experience, strength and hope;
like the Oak Tree, my Prayers form with each root;
each utterance of this prayer is flown from the Birds and Butterflies who take them to the Heavens and are later turned into sunshine, rain or snow and fall back upon me softly to be absorbed, and the cycle continues
Those who know me, know that I often refer to Gratitude.
You may ask How did you know or get introduced to GRATITUDE? While listening to Krista Tippett’s podcast On Being, early one Sunday morning, she was interviewing Brother David Steindl-Rast, Founder of Gratefulness.org . This podcast was such a pivotal moment in my life as he described so many things, people, experiences, sounds, sights, smells, he was grateful for. I am a contributor to Gratefulness.org through monetary donations and my Photography. The practice of Gratitude I continue today. When I feel stuck in a ‘funk’, and I can’t think of anything to be grateful for, I begin with the letter ‘A’ and list whatever I am grateful for that begins with that letter and proceed through the alphabet. It’s amazing what comes out. Here’s a list of late:
A = Alicia (my daughter), Art, Air, AFG, Apple Trees
B = Brothers, color Blue, Blue Berries, Books, Birds
C = Chocolate (Dark Chocolate), Church, Couch, Catholicism, Creating Collages, Crows, Camera
D = Dawn, Doves, Daffodils, Drawing
E = Elephants, Ears that hear, Eyes that See, Europe
F = Faith, Father, Friends, Family
G = God, color Green, Grayson, Greeting one another
H = Home, Hot water, Hiking, Hawks
I = Imagination, Irises
J = Jesus, Juicy Pears and Apples, Job, Joy
K = Katharina (a faithful friend), Kites, Kibbeh, Kayaaks, Kayak, Kelly
L = Love, the sound Laughter, Lincoln
M = Mom, Memory, Mountains
N = Nandina, Notecards
O = Ocean waves and sound, Oxygen, Oranges, Orchids
P = Patience, Prayer, Pink Tulips, Peruvian Lilies, Photography, Pencils, Pens, Paper, Pope Francis
Q = Quiet moments, Quilts
R = Rest, Richard (son), Red Poppies, Robins
S = Steve (husband and friend), Sailing, Swimming, Seeing Smiles again
T = Trees (all kinds- Oaks, Redbuds, Weeping Willows, Dogwoods, Beech Trees), Today, Travels
Minds untainted by the whispers of others telling us what to think, do, perceive or believe
Maturing slowly from children to teenagers
Grasping to know who we are, what we truly believe
Asking ourselves what or whom would I most like to be
Then the sun breaks through in shades of pink, gray, white with a blue sky behind those clouds
And we know, we aren’t perfect
We are ALL doing the best we can to be a human, an adult, a sister, mother, situ, wife, friend, co-worker, neighbor
Traveling and navigating a Spiritual existence in a human body
We aren’t perfect
If I don’t say the right words at the right time, or misinterpret something you’ve said or done, don’t take it personally, kindness will return, if apologies are needed they will surface and be said, if not, know that this imperfect human is doing the best they can
So to you my brother or sister in Christ, know that in my heart, underneath layers of life’s experience, exists pure love