Sun Sprites and Other Delights

I still miss the rainbows that played on our windows when we lived right on the water.
Ripples reflected sun sprites through an unseen prism, that danced delightedly to me.
I know that there are scientific explanations for fairy dust and magic moments,
But I've never cared about who are what is, only what to me seemed to be.

I'll never forget the first time I heard each grandchild laugh out loud
To something that delighted only the innocent child's perception;
Simply sharing the delight that the child shared with me was magic
Though I know many say baby smiles are gas; that's their projection.


Was it a teaching moment for a lesson in science and natural phenomena
When grandson said the gulls were laughing and the sun was a ball he could touch?
Or was it a good time to enjoy his belief in life's wonderful manifestations
That I hope he and my other grandchildren always enjoy ever so much?

I am glad that there are those who figure out the ways nature works,
And those who help to mold nature to our earthly health and benefit,
But I also celebrate the child's, artists' and philosophers' souls
That have no patterns into which all nature should be forced to fit.

Blow Winds Blow

Wind, waves, and driving rains --
Ah, it's good to be home again!
There is something about the sea
That makes me feel drama-free.

When things around me are too still,
I have the urge to seek a thrill.
When nature is creating movement,
My soul tends to feel content.

I'm always grateful for a safe place
To lay my head and say my grace.
Watching turmoil that stays outside
I know my life's a truly blessed ride.

Blow winds, blow, out to the sea;
From my cares you set me free.
The new currents will bring in
A fresh place for me to begin.

Giving Back My Blessings

Friends of my daughter have complimented me
On the woman that she has become.
I answer them quite honestly that I only had
Sense enough to leave her and her calling alone.
She heard a more powerful voice than I ever had.

Her grandmother, who died as the babe grew in my womb,
Must have imparted her spirit to her grandchild,
And the fierce will that her grandmother possessed
Guided her through daughter, wife, and motherhood.
I'm humbled to have been chosen to nurture this special gift.

Her daughters are brought up to be mighty women;
What great seekers of earthly justice they can be!
How blessed I am that their mother has kept the faith,
And has continued to be true to the calling she was given.
Example and protection being what parents are meant to do.

 I have come through the darkest night of my soul,
When I feared my daughter's motherhood may be cut short.
I became greedy to hear her values so that I could stand in her stead.
I am so very grateful that she has lived to accomplish her goals,
Something that her grandmother was sadly unable to do.

There is nothing to replace a sense of mission in our lives;
There is not enough entertainment or life's drama.
For everyone there is a calling, whether we hear it or not.
If we ask ourselves daily how can we best serve,
We will find many ways to give back our blessings.

My children embody of all the special in their ancestors;
They are strong, generous, and kind as people and parents.
I never felt that they were given to me as gifts to keep,
Only spirits that were lent to me that I must safeguard.
I give back now by allowing them to truly fly on their own.

Mirrors of My Soul

My oldest granddaughter is almost eighteen;
In many cultures she'd already be married.
Thankfully, she lives in a country that allows
Her freedom to become her full self.

She has always had a head for numbers,
And she plans to become an engineer.
How wonderful that she is not yet limited
By the constant needs of her own family.

I don't know how today's families do it,
Juggling their careers and relationships.
I know that the couples have made changes
In terms of strict lines of gender roles.

Many is the husband who cooks the meals,
And the wife that earns the larger paycheck.
The work of the partners needs to be done;
It matters not who has the talent for each task.

Where my granddaughter will go from here,
And what path she will ultimately take,
My prayer for her is that she finds a partner
Who is equal in strength to her original home.

I hope she also finds kindness and laughter,
The kind of laughter that opens the soul.
And, if she should decide to become a mother,
That her children will be blessings to the world.

For she has been such a blessing to me,
As was her wonderful mother before her.
How little would I have accomplished in life
Without these young women to mirror my soul!

Free to Flee

A journalist that I met at a recent meeting offered this: 

Prayer to Help Relinquish Anger

"Anger is perhaps the most destructive of emotions. It not only sends negative thoughts in the world, but it can raise our blood pressure, harden our hearts, and lead to illness or even death. Teachers of the Kabbalah, the ancient book of Jewish mysticism, suggest that before retiring for the night, the following blessing be recited:

"May I forgive anyone who has hurt me, on purpose or by accident, in this lifetime or in any other lifetime. May I forgive (name) and release my anger at this time."

Or,

"May (name) be blessed."

Or,

"May (name) receive God's healing grace."

Blessing someone at whom we are angry is not easy, especially at first. At the same time, it is unwise to force ourselves to forgive another person when we are not truly ready to do so. For this reason, a suggested alternative might be:

"Although I cannot do so now, I pray to be able to relinquish my anger towards (name) in the future."

With daily practice, the act of blessing those who have hurt us will become more natural. Remember that the purpose of these blessings is not to become friends with the person, or involve him or her in our daily life. Its primary goal is to help us relinquish anger towards them, thus allowing ourselves the inner healing and peace that results."

But how should we protect ourselves and those who are vulnerable from injustice if we give up even the healthy anger that keeps us on alert to evil? I do believe that it is possible to be angry with someone's actions without necessarily continuing to be angry with the perpetrator. I don't think it's healthy or wise to give up all anger. Though anger does cause stress, it is necessary in the struggle to overcome injustice. 

Many of us continue to invest needless energy into a cycle of empty anger. When I am free to change my circumstances, continuing to operate in an arena that encourages anger seems senseless. I must always remember that there are those who will not ever be positive influences in my life. I should reserve my anger for their actions, not for who they are. I should also feel free, once our incompatibility has been established, to exercise my right to walk away.

Singing the Sacred

http://www.sonnyradio.com/alive-inside.html

Enough said!

Consensus Rather Than Competition

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." -- FDR

Our country is seething with fear, and we seem intent on destroying all that we don't understand. The unknown is always a source of stress, but not all stress is to be avoided. A seed doesn't become a tree without the stress of change and growth. A society, like a plant, either grows or dies. I'd like the people who are at the ends of their lives to stop attempting to drag society backward because of their unwillingness to continue growing.

One great thing about the societal changes that have transpired in this era of equality and revisiting of all the values that had come before is the new understanding of management. Where leadership used to be based on fear, it is now seen as more effective to manage through team building. Team building requires open minds in all  parts of the team. I hope this is simply the tip of the iceberg of what future generations of organizations will experience.

Even our understanding of The Almighty has been affected by these changes. We now see ourselves as partners in the master plan of the universe, maybe not equal partners, but, nonetheless, partners with strengths that matter. I would love to see all scriptural references that allude to "fear of the Lord" to be reworded to read "awe of The Almighty." Maybe then, we'd all be more invested in doing that at which we excel than in avoiding making the honest mistakes necessary to the learning process.

Fear paralyzes me; awe inspires me. I am in awe of the knowledge and skills of many people; this makes me want to learn how to be part of their teams. When confronted with those from whom I fear ridicule or punishment, I spend much of my energy trying to hide my failings and protecting myself from harm. I don't believe that fear is the best way to run an organization, much less a universe; therefore, I don't believe that fear is meant to be the driving force of humans.

Even pets and work animals perform their best when approval of those to whom they're bonded is their motivation for success. Isn't it about time that we humans stop treating each other like less than animals? Isn't it time that we seek to build teams through consensus rather than continuing our mindless competitions?