PLANT A TREE

 Today’s blessing is inspired by Kahlil Gibran;

When we lose a tree may we take a moment

to grieve our loss…to cry…

Then quickly plant another one

so it can write its poetry upon the sky.

ONE OLD RED. MANGROVE TREE

 

 On the beach of the island where we love to take a morning walk…

there…down by the sea…

all alone looking out at the ocean stands an old red mangrove tree.

Over the years she has weathered a multitude of storms…

that have left her branches contorted and a little deformed.

I suppose when I stop and think about it…she is a lot like me

and why this sentinel of the beach is a treasured and favorite tree.

We heard the hurricane…as she departed our island

took the entire beach with her back to the sea….

And with it, we’re afraid, our favorite red mangrove tree.

With a hurricane that took so many lives and homes as she barreled in from the sea

Why, you may wonder, are we upset over one old red mangrove tree?

Because when this storm hit Florida and then up into the country she marched through

every person, pet, house and possession lost…was someone’s favorite too.

So many people are grieving today…over losing a loved one, a house

their favorite photos. pet or teddy bear….

Someone or something special to them…that, today, is no longer there.

It’s an individual and collective grief…brought upon us from this monster of the sea….

symbolized today…by one old red mangrove tree.

BE THE REASON

I am not sure who originally said these words… 

but…how blessed would our world be if we all found a way 

To be the reason someone believes 

in the goodness of people today?

 

SEEDS OF HOPE

 I’ve been blessed to walk along this country’s beaches, across her mountains

beside her rivers and her streams

to witness first-hand the beauty Mother Nature gifts us…to experience the Creators’ dreams.

Oftentimes wherever I have been…I’ve found myself stopping to say…

“The beauty that I’m seeing…takes my breath away”.

The other day I witnessed a different side of Mother Nature…Her destruction and her pain…

as I walked the streets of my city…after a hurricane.

Flooded houses, boats on top of boats, docks and piers no longer here.

Families who lost everything…left only with their tears.

This hurricane wrecked havoc…not only here…but hundreds of miles away

and seeing the devastation she left behind…well…it took my breath away.

We were lucky our trees only lost a few limbs and for two days we were without power…

but still resting on the picnic table in our back yard…was this plastic tray of flowers. 

Seeds Deborah gathered from sunflowers last summer…

she only days ago planted in that little plastic tray…

Seeds the hurricane…with all of Mother Nature’s power…failed to blow away.

And sprouting from that little plastic tray…as if they were enchanted…

little tiny sunflower sprouts…waiting to we planted.

We also saw neighbors and strangers helping one another…

all across this land

Which reminded us…when Mother Nature disappoints us…

Human Nature is there to lend a helping hand.

Yes, the devastation Mother Nature left behind 

contains more sorrow than many of us will ever know

but with the help of Human Nature…she also left…some seeds of hope to grow.

And as I watch Mother Nature’s seeds…and Human Nature’s kindness 

grow a little more every day…

Not only does it bring a smile to my face…but it takes my breath away.

INVITE HOPE

 

A message of hope from Maya Angelou…

I bring to you this day…

She said:

Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space…

So why not invite hope to stay.

CATERPILLARS AND BABY LIZARDS

 

If I’m ever filled with dread…feelings of gloom and doom….

I look for new leaves on the trees…and flowers about to bloom.

 

I greet the stars up in the sky…watch the sun rise on a new day…

I stop and watch baby rabbits in the field as they play.

I listen to the baby birds in their nests…not quite ready to fly free…

I look out on the water and find baby dolphins in the sea.

This time of year in Florida…I like to walk real slow…

and greet the caterpillars and baby lizards everywhere I go.

Why is this important…because in the way it helps me cope.

It reminds me how Mother Nature has not lost her hope.

 

If she wasn’t filled with hope…if she was filled with gloom and doom

she wouldn’t encourage her trees to grow new leaves…

or invite her flowers to bloom.

She wouldn’t excite the birds to sing…

or inspire the stars to shine up in the sky…

and if Mother Nature places her hope in caterpillars and baby lizards

then, Gook Heavens, so will I.

AAS LONG AS THEY'RE REMEMBERED

One thing that always makes me smile 

living life from a host of Januarys to Decembers

is knowing how

no moment that has past…

and no person who is gone 

will ever be lost to us…

as long as they’re remembered.

 

IT'S MY PLEASURE

I’m not sure how or why it happened but this morning

as I walked out the door from the house in which I dwell…

in my mind the door to some happy memories opened up as well.

I made no attempt to close it because I had no doubt

some of those memories have been waiting a long time to get out.

And I had to smile as I allowed these random memories

that only my mind’s eye can see

to escape into the morning and take a walk with me.

I love when this happens…because wherever I am I find

as I visit these wonderful old memories…the pleasure is all mine.

But I shouldn’t be having all the fun…why…that would just be mean

I imagine all you you have happy memories waiting to be seen.

So I suggest everyone who is reading this…open your happy memory doors.

No need to thank me for I am happy knowing the pleasure is all yours.

 

HAND IN HAND

 May we all be blessed to understand 

how love and happiness go hand in hand

And hands connected by love and happiness

contain a strength that is so great…

as long as we walk hand in hand

there is no room for hate.

THE MAGNET

 

It’s palpable wherever I go…I can feel it as I view it…

how love and happiness form a magnet…attracting more love and happiness to it.

And the wonder of this magnet is how the two forces interplay…

how, while it attracts more love and happiness, it pushes hate away.

I find the more I choose love and happiness…the more I begin to see 

how more love and happiness finds their way to me.

And I find the more love and happiness I’m trying to create

keeps me pretty busy and I don’t have time to hate.

That’s not to say choosing love and happiness is always easy.

It can be difficult finding time to love and dance and sing….

but I do my best to keep them in my life…

and let the magnet do it’s thing.

ANCESTRAL CHAIN

 

May we be thankful for the gifts we inherited from our ancestors

that never ending chain of people who came before us

their gifts of love and joy and laughter….

they left us before passing on…

And may we be blessed that our love and joy and laugher 

can be found upon the chain…

long after we are gone.

CHAIN OF LOVE

 

On my early morning walks…I always walk alone

It’s a quiet, peaceful…walk I take all on my own.

I was lost in sad thoughts this morning about guns and war 

about a world filled with hate and animosity

when I heard what I thought were footsteps coming up behind me.

I turned to greet whoever it was and immediately stopped to stare

because not only had the footsteps stopped…but…there was no one there!

Thinking it was my imagination…I continued walking…but then

the sound of all those footsteps started up again

I wasn’t frightened, however, I felt a comfort…a peace and harmony

I was either going crazy…or some of my ancestors were walking with me.

I have a wonderful family and friends in my life that help to see me through

but I imagine my ancestors just wanted to remind me…they are with me too.

Reminding me that when I walk…even when I think I’m on own…

I’m not…for if the footsteps were any indication…I never walk alone.

And though my ancestors did not speak to me…my spirits began to soar 

and when they did I could not hear their footsteps anymore.

I walked the rest of the way home in silence…

thankful for their not-so-subtle reminder….

to remember the world is also filled with people 

who are loving…generous..and kinder.

And for reminding me that although there is hatred in the world…

what I should be thinking of

Is how I am an invaluable link in a long ancestral chain of love.

A chain of love that stretches as far back as I can postulate…

A chain of love that is stronger and will last longer…than any chain of hate.