LOVE IS JUST A WORD

 

Love is just a word…like any other word….

It will not soar or dance or sing

until we impart on it…it’s meaning

until we provide that word it’s wings.

LOVE WAS SIMPLE FOR HIM

 

Life was simple for my Grandpa…when it came to love…

“It is something to be cherished.” He’d say, “and bask in the beauty of.”

“Love doesn’t have to be hard.” He’d say. “It truly is as easy as it seems.

It’s when two people come together and give life to each other’s dreams.”

“It’s finding someone who helps make you a better person than you were before you met.

It’s knowing…as wonderful as yesterday was with this person….

today will be better yet.”

Grandpa and Grandma were married over 50 years…

For 50 years the two of them loved having the other one around.

May we all be blessed in life…to find the simple kind of love they found.

CHRISTMAS WILL ALWAYS BE MAGICAL

 

May we be blessed to understand how Christmas

will always be magical in the eye of the beholder….

even when the eye of the beholder

grows a little older

Even when we’re a little wiser…

a little better informed

as to where the magic comes from

and as to how it is performed.

THE ELF AND THE CANDLES

 

In the bookstore we usually wait until after Thanksgiving to put up our Christmas decorations 

(Thanksgiving being a holiday we don’t want to forget).

but this year we decided to decorate early…figuring

we need all the Christmas we can get.

Which means our decorations are up…and two of them are specifically worth noting…

Buddy, our elf is hidden on the shelf…and up high…we have our candles floating

Whosoever finds our elf as they search our store shelves high and low

gets to use the power of our magic wand…to make our floating candles glow.

Yesterday four children from the same family were excited as they explored each shelf 

and even more excited when they screamed, “We found the elf!”.

One by one they took the magic wand in hand and running to and fro…

repeating magic words…they made our floating candles glow.

A few minutes after this family completed their magic and exited the store

A middle-aged man and his elderly mother walked in through the door.

The mother asked me, in a whisper, if she could use the magic wand. 

and was beside herself…

when I said, “Of course you can but first…you need to find the elf.”

Which she was excited to do…then happily took the wand 

and…walking to and fro…

repeating magic words she made those floating candles glow.

I’m glad we decorated the store early this year…

After all…isn’t that is what Christmas is all about….

to remember magical times when we were children

and as we grow older to remind ourselves to let that child out!

And I have to say I think it’s working because 

as I watched the faces of the two different families…

and felt how  their excitement filled the store…

between their faces and the candles….

I couldn’t tell…

which ones were glowing more.

THE STRENGTH OF EAGLE WINGS

 

May you have the strength of eagle’s wings

The faith and courage to fly to new heights

and the wisdom of the Universe to carry you there.

INDIGENOUS PRAYER TO CELEBRATE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

 

(May we hear and breathe the words of our indigenous ancestors

And may we all be so lucky as to have an indigenous future)

Life is a beautiful word. 

Oh Great Spirit

As we walk across the Earth

Teach us

Help us find

Peace

Dignity

Respect

The courage and strength to be brave

Wisdom and truth

Kindness

Honesty

Humility

We look to you for love

Compassion

and honor

So we can make a better world

for everyone

and everything

FOREVER YOUNG

 

From the lowest valleys to the highest mountain peaks

May this blessing…every day…be sung:

Although you may be feeling your age in parts of your body…

may your heart stay…forever young.