Life's Loving Memories

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...

  Love is the Only Truth "Love is Patient, Love is kind...It always protects, always trusts, always perseveres. Love never fails."    --1 Corinthians 13:4 This past week, I spent time in Reno, Nevada, at the "Together in Joy-Honoring, Connecting, Growing" Convention. It spoke of the importance of truly knowing one another and valuing  the gifts each person brings to the world. I bought a Tee-shirt that reads, "Love is the only truth", from ohmygodlife.com, that really says it all. People are not made with a cookie cutter. We come in different shapes, shades and genders; from different places and faith traditions; and when we connect with each other, and honor our similarities, we learn and grow. The thread that ties us all together is Love. Ralph Waldo Emerson  tells us  that, "Love is a synonym for God." Let Kindness, Truth, and Love lead the way. May curiosity about others allow us to ask  questions that form connections with each other. Curios...