DAILYGRATITUDE ANCESTORS

 

Today I’m grateful to have so may ancestors

those I know 

and those I’ve never had the privilege to see.…

Blessed to know they are somewhere

watching over me.

ANCESTORS ARE IMPORTANT

 

If you want to know why our ancestors are important…

here’s a little rule of thumb…

It’s difficult to know where we’re going…

If we don’t know who we came from.

OUR CONSCIENCE

 

We’re all born with a conscience and wherever we go in life

our conscience comes along.

It’s that voice inside our head that lets us know

If what we’re doing is right…or if it’s wrong.

As we grow…if we listen closely to the voice we hear

it’s not always the same voice that whispers in our ear.

Sometime it’s our parents, sometime our grandparents 

sometimes it’s one voice…sometimes more…

and sometimes it’s a voice or voices…we’ve never heard before.

The Native Nation people believe these are the voices of our ancestors 

who walked on but are not dead…

That they are somewhere watching over us

and it’s their voices we hear inside our head.

These voices contain our ancestors wisdom

which they’re hoping to impart…

and are meant to guide us toward an open mind, 

a gentle soul

and kindness in our heart.

Their mission is to nudge us in the right direction

knowing the final decision is ours to make….

And when we don’t take their advice

their voices are there to help us learn from our mistakes.

More often than not when we listen to their voices…

our ancestors are happy with what they see…

and we find balance in our life

as we walk the path of peace and harmony.

But as I look around the world 

and see so much hatred, prejudice and war…

I’m wondering if when it comes to our ancestors voices

we should be listening to them a little more.

DAILY GRATITUDE KINDNESS

 

Today I’m grateful wherever I am

under the moon, 

the stars, 

the sun

to have been created with the ability

to me kind to everything….

and everyone.

CHILDREN OF THE EARTH

 

May we be blessed to remember that…

from the moment of our birth…

though each one of us is created differently..

we are all children of the Earth.

EVERYBODY HAS A STORY

We went to our Ava, our granddaughter’s, soccer game the other night

and once again I was shown

how everybody…every family…has a story of their own.

We saw some familiar faces (as at Ava’s soccer games we always do),

people who’s stories we’re familiar with…because we’re in a chapter or two.

 

Of course when it came to the other team and their families

I did not recognize a face…

In fact this night might be the only night our stories interlace.

And though we had our eyes on Ava while the game was on…

in those moments in between…

we had a chance to visit with some parents from the other team.

We talked to a couple all bundled up because the night was Florida cold

and another couple with a baby who just turned one month old.

Since Ava is the goalie we tend to do our cheering as we stroll

back-and-forth along the sideline closest to her goal.

As we were rooting for Ava to block every shot…

her goal posts to control….

next to us was a father from the other team

cheering his daughter, Ryan’s, shots would find their way into the goal.

I complimented his daughter Ryan…he complimented Ava…

and we reached this harmonious accord….

because Ava blocked a lot of shots…and his daughter Ryan scored.

It was a pleasant evening…as for one night our lives intertwined…

being a part of their story…as they were part of mine.

And I was once again reminded…as Ava’s soccer game began…

how we should try to walk into each other’s stories…

as gently and lovingly as we can.

 

DAILY GRATITUDE LOVE

 

Today I’m grateful for the love 

out of which I was conceived….

Grateful to be able to share that love with others

and grateful for any love I may receive

TURN HATE TO LOVE

 

If you hate…

may whatever deity you believe in…

whether he or she dwells here on Earth

or in the heavens high above….

find a way to touch your mind

your soul

your heart

and turn that hate you’re feeling…

into love.

MY LOVE

 

I’m finding it very difficult of late…

to keep love in my heart…when I’m surrounded by so much hate.

And therein lies the evil…the malevolence of hate….

It’s sole purpose is to trample love…as more hate it generates.

But I’m determined not to let that happen to me!

Determined that hate will never be my fate!

And I will continue to love in life…everything you haters hate.

I will do my best to love every person as each day begins…

no matter their sex, their gender, their religion…or the color of their skin.

I shall always love diversity…and the beautiful way our varied lives have intertwined.

I will love you and whatever letter or label you give yourself as long as you are kind.

I will love the Earth and all her creations…

as much as I love any woman, child or man….

and I pledge to treat you all with kindness and respect

and walk as gently and as softly around you as I can.

I don’t love our history…but I know we must study the mistakes we’ve made

who we were and where we’ve been….

If we don’t, as witnessed in this day and age,

we will make those same mistakes again.

You may call me names…turn your hate on me….

but your hate-speech will never make this country great…

and it will never stop me from loving all the many things you hate.

 

Besides…there is twist to your hate 

that I find i quite ironically clever

Because of all your hate 

there are so many people in this world

who need my love now….more than ever 

DDILY GRATITUDE AN OPEN HEART

 

 I’d like to take moment

before this new day starts…

to be grateful for everyone

who has an open heart…

Again I turn to the Native Nations

for their wisdom once again applies….

our gratitude can be as deep as the ocean…

if our hearts are as open as the sky.

STRONG, CONFIDENT AND WISE

 

 From our connection with Native Nations…

the first people to walk this land…

comes three bits of wisdom

that have to do    

with the way we stand….

The first one sets the tone:

May we be be strong enough to stand alone…

The second…comes from our heart:

May we be confident to stand apart… 

And the third will help us any storm to weather:

May we be wise enough to know 

when to stand together.

POWWOW

 

Today I celebrate the Powwow…if you’ve ever seen one

you’d find it not only beautiful but informative and entrancing….

It’s the Native Nations’ ceremony of feasting, singing and dancing,

It’s a time to come together…to let one’s heart and feelings soar…

A time to celebrate the present members of a community…

and those who’ve come before.. 

A time to celebrate all creation…to give thanks…to make amends.

A time to revel and enjoy the company of family and friends.

Perhaps the most important part of a Powwow

in our constant search for truth….

is it’s chance to pass the knowledge of the elders

onto the shoulders of the youth.

With the hope that when the new generation meets the old

and their lives are intertwined….

once the knowledge has been shared…wisdom will not be far behind.

For wisdom is not knowledge…It’s amazing how many people confuse it…

Knowledge is only information…wisdom…is how we choose to use it.

Knowledge is something we gain as through each day we catapult….

and from this knowledge…if we’re lucky…wisdom will result.

Wait…since I’m not a Native Nation person…some of you might take me to task…

What are you doing talking about Powwows…is a question you might ask…

Because through the years I have been blessed 

from the knowledge I’ve collected…

to be wise enough to know, as they did, how we are all connected.

Because of this connection…that through the years I have been shown…

I think it would be fitting…if everyday with everyone we meet 

we held a little Powwows of our own.