Life's Loving Memories

THE RAINBOW DESPITE THE RAIN  "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them."   --Maya Angelou Sometimes life can feel like it is weighing you down; problems arise and you can feel like you may never overcome them: bills to pay, the loss of a job or a home, an illness or a death in your family. What am I to do? Where am I to go? --may cross your mind. This is not he time to shelter in place, to sit in fear. Call friends or family for suggestions of who to contact for help. If you need help with anything, you can always google, "I need help with,____________", fill in the blank. Ask a local church or religious center for ideas about where help can be found. As May Angelou said, "You can decide not to be reduced by the events you cannot control." A friend of mine recently needed to find a place to stay. She went to the local Mission to find help. The process took some time, and it was not easy to go thro...

WAKE UP TO TO THE ATTAINABLE PEACE OF MIND   A human being is part of the whole, called by us "Universe", a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as sometimes separate from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the one issue of true religion. Not to nourish the delusion but to try to overcome it is the way to reach the attainable measure of peace of mind."    --Albert Einstein Einstein was a man with a brilliant mind. Growing up he was faced with many learning challenges. " Einstein struggled with reading and writing throughout his life, and he had difficulty with spelling and organizing his thoughts. Despite these challenges, he went on to become one of the greatest scientific minds in history. It is important to note that dyslexia does not impact intelligence, and individuals with dyslexia can excel in other areas." His opening quote above, abo...

FATHER FIGURES " Someone once said that every man is trying to live up to his father's expectations or make up for their father's mistakes....” ― Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope What memories do you have about your father? Was the relationship a fond memory, a nightmare, or a fleeting one? Being the youngest child in my family, I don't remember seeing a lot of my father. We moved from state to state as he followed the job market. He started in the automobile industry in the Midwest, and when I was nine, we moved to California and the aerospace industry. He was a design engineer and we always moved to where his next job was. I know he loved me, but I don't think I ever appreciated him until I was an adult, looking back. He was easy to smile, and he gave me a love of books and reading. My career for twenty-seven years, was teaching speech and drama, and my students had a way of opening up to me. I realized how lucky I was to have the Dad I had. I also realized tha...

EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY  " Even in darkness it is possible to create light. — Elie Wiesel Ever have one of those days, weeks, years where nothing seems to go right? Sometimes you find yourself so focused on what went wrong that you can't see what possibly could go right? I've had my share of dark nights of the soul in my lifetime, and I've realized that I have to see that every day is a new day, filled with possibilities.  There is a story about a woman who asks the Budd ha about the troubles she is going through. He asks her to knock on a few doors in her neighborhood  to find out if there is anyone she can find with no troubles. She thinks this is a strange request, but she follows the Buddha's advice. The first door she comes to, she finds a woman who is ill and cannot tend to her children. The woman decides to help and stays for a week to assist. She moves on to the next house, and the next, and the next. Eventually she is so involved in helping the individuals ...

  SUN, SAND, AND SANITY "Seasons keep showing up, year after year, no matter what. It can sometimes feel as if summer comes around again before we have cleared up some of our issues, and then life itself becomes hazy and confusing." Life's Garden of weekly wisdom,             -- Sandra Lindsey Smith Does life seem a little hazy to you right now? Do you look at unfolding new events that are occurring and find yourself saying, 'Oh my word, what next?' Our United States Preamble to the Declaration of Independence reads: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The first amendment to the Constitution reads: " Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of ...

BE THE LOVE, PEACE, AND KINDNESS YOU WISH TO SEE   Sometimes the world around us does not seem kind or loving; and wars, bombs bursting mid-air, is certainly not very peaceful. Often we are thinking, what to do, what to do, what to do? As the posted above says, be calm, be loving, and be kind. Start with your family and friends, are they healthy and safe? What about your neighbors, are they safe and healthy? Who needs a little help with something, call or knock on a door to see if all is safe and well. Lend a helping hand if you can. What's happening in your community? Does your faith center have places they contribute to? Do you feel strongly about:  justice for all; children who are homeless or going hungry: teens who live on the street: LGTBQ friends rights; discrimination of any kind,  resulting in not being treated fairly; or animals who have been neglected? Many organizations are just waiting for volunteers. Do your part in being Peaceful, Kind, and Loving. Pay it f...

  THE PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING " “You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us.  And the world will live as one. ”      ―  John Lennon Think of all the great peace advocates in our history. Martin Luther King Jr., who spent a lifetime working for justice, equality, and equity for all human beings through peaceful demonstrations and actions. Nelson Mandala, who demonstrated for an end to Apartheid, and was imprisoned from 1964-1982.  Upon his release, he brought an end to Apartheid, and eventually became the first president of South Africa from 1994-1999. Mahatma Gandhi, an anti-colonial nationalist  who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule. What did all of these great men have in common?  They were peaceful activists that spoke about what was true, just and fair for all human beings.  Sometimes our own peace in family si...

  SHARING THE LOAD MAKES THINGS LIGHTER “The miracle is this: The more we share the more we have.”                                                                        — Leonard Nimoy Can one person, by his or herself, build an entire house? Well I imagine it is possible, but I also think it would take a very long time. If you move from one house to another, is refusing any help from others the best option?  There are many things in one's lifetime that become easier when we actually ask for help when we need it.  What is it that keeps a person from asking for a little assistance when it is needed? Is it the day and age we live in? A hundred years ago I have heard of neighbors getting together to raise a barn together, or members of a church group building a church from the ground up. Is sharin...

  BE A BUILDER Years ago I remember my niece said to me, "Aunt Sandy, you are such a builder". I guess she did see the optimism in me. One of the things I enjoyed about teaching drama for so many years, was watching my students grow. Friends, family, and even those who randomly cross your path, can benefit from a random honest complement or even just a heartfelt smile. Be the person who takes the time to listen. Sometimes it is the best gift you can give to someone. I received that gift from my mother when she was alive. I remember that after I      was finished with what I needed to say, she would ask, "Do you want some advice, or was just sharing  enough?" It usually was enough, but I did enjoy her wisdom. She lived to be ninety-six, and in those later years I was able to return the favor of listening to her, and nodding and smiling as she spoke. It was hard for her to hear anyone, so it was my gift to just listen. "What we focus our attention on, is what sho...

TO DOUBT OR NOT TO DOUBT   "Dream your dreams, for in them lies, truth denied to men grown wise." Richard Bach Do you ever feel you have a great idea, and you start moving forward on it only to find yourself wondering if it was a great idea or not? Do you ever make a list of the pros and cons of the situation? I know that I do that. Sometimes I am up at all hours. I pour myself  cup of tea, sit in my comfortable chair and take it into meditation. Very often I will start with, "Spirit, what do I need to know about this idea?" And then I sit and sip my tea and listen with my head and heart. When I need to speak with Spirit, I pray. When I want to listen to spirit, I meditate. If not immediately, within the next day or so, the answer comes. One of my faults is that I am too compassionate. In any project I step into, I want to include all people who want to be included. In teaching drama for some twenty-seven years, I always found a spot to include even the most timid c...

FASTENERS-DO THEY HOLD THNGS IN OR KEEP THEM OUT? "When you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on." — Theodore Roosevelt Consider a fastener on a loaf of bread for a moment. Many loaves come in a plastic bag with some sort of fastener on the end, a twister tie, or a plastic tab. Is that fastener meant to freshly hold the bread in the bag, or to keep anything unwanted from entering? What about human beings? Do we try to keep things inside, events that happen: the loss of a loved one, an illness that occurs, a marriage that just isn't working? If we never address the issue, we are actually keeping the pain inside while keeping a possible solution out. What happens when you keep a problem bottled up, allowing it to fester inside you? Does the situation ever get resolved? It is amazing what sharing a problem with a trusted family member or friend can do to lighten your load. Sometimes it helps to find a group of strangers who are experiencing the situation yo...

  HELLO SPRING The spring wakes us, nurtures us and revitalizes us. How often does your spring come? If you are a prisoner of the calendar, it comes once a year. If you are creating authentic power, it comes frequently, or very frequently.        -- Gary Zuka My favorite time of year is Springtime; flowers bloom in so many vibrant colors: Canadian Geese squawk through the air; weather warms up; and birds share there song, while rabbits hop lazily through the flowering bushes. Nature shares its natural beauty, and I feel like I am fueled with joy/ What is your earliest memory of Spring? Mine was planting a vegetable garden with my Mom. We were up to our ears in dirt, busily planting green peppers, radishes, and string beans. My mother planted vegetables to save money, but to me, it was just a fun day spent with her. I think my happiest memories came from activities that didn't cost any money. Perhaps that's a great lesson to think about. I wish you well this Spri...