I am grateful to wake up each day with but one thought on my mind
as I think about my family…and the world family…
I look to the heavens above…
and throughout the day I make this wish on everything I can wish on…
Let there be love
Let there be love
Let there be love.
May we be blessed to understand
when it comes to love…
the laws of mathematics and physics
are not black and white…but gray…
for how else can our love grow stronger in our hearts…
the more we give it away
May we be blessed to understand
when it comes to love…
the laws of mathematics and physics
are not black and white…but gray…
for how else can our love grow stronger in our hearts…
the more we give it away
I think one of the greatest thrills in life…as far as I can discern…
is when you receive act of kindness…done in secret…
that asks for nothing in return.
In this case it was a little round stone with a red heart painted on it
that initially caught my eye…
Nestled in the hollow of a tree…to be discovered by a random person passing by.
Luckily on this day that passerby was me…out walking on my own…
who found this tiny little heart…painted on this tiny little stone.
This shiny little red heart occupied most of the face of the stone…
The artist left no signature…preferring to remain unknown.
I imagine it was meant to bring a smile…nothing more…
in a small way to astound…
after the artist painted it…then hid it…
once it had been found.
And after discovering this little stone…from the place where it was hid…
once my eyes fell on the heart…that’s exactly what it did!
I enjoyed it for a little while…then hid it where it might catch the eye
on another day…in another place…of another person passing by.
Hoping just like me…when found in it’s new hiding place
that stone would bring a smile to another person’s face…
And after enjoying it for a little while…
this person…just as I had comprehended…
would hide it for the next passerby…
as, we imagine, the artist had intended.
For that is the beauty of a moment like I had recently undergone…
Once you find and unexpected bit of happiness…
you want to pass it on.
I am grateful knowing one universal characteristic of love…
one that’s easy for everyone to spot:
It’s when we look around the world…
how Love, itself, is a polyglot!
It is easy in all the different countries…
everywhere we are fortunate enough
to be glancing, glimpsing or peeking…
to see peoples’ love…
even when we don’t understand
the language they are speaking.
Every year in this county and across the world…
common words that were once easy to repeat…
become antiquated and obsolete.
May we be blessed that soon
in all the diverse languages across the world we create…
some words will no longer be in use:
words like war, and prejudice and hate.
If not for us…then for our children…
Wouldn’t it be great in the future if with everyone they meet
all the callous, cruel and heartless words
were already obsolete.
I sat down to write my thoughts…and in my mind create
some rationale…some logic…some reasoning for hate.
Knowing hate adversely affects everyone on Earth…
how those who are doing the hating…and those they hate
are both stripped of their value…their dignity…their worth.
I am puzzled how some members of the same human family
can treat others members with such disdain…
and the more hate I witness in the world…the more difficult I find it to explain.
When I look into some people’s hearts and hate is what I see…
I’m convinced that understanding hate…
is for those much more intelligent than me.
As I was frustrated with all the sadness and heartache
hate had me thinking of…
A voice from inside my head said…
stop thinking about hate…and try concentrating on love.
So I turned my thoughts to my friends and family…
thinking how precious they are to me…
I thought how I love the beauty of nature…everywhere I see.
I thought of all the people out there who are caring and loving and kind.,..
and before I knew it hate…was the furthest thing from my mind
Sometimes I need to be reminded…to refocus…to concentrate….
to remember we were created by love…to love…
not created by hate…to hate
I wonder if all those filled with hate at this moment…
would take the time to sit down and create…..
a list of all the things in life they love…
they might find…there is no room on their list…for hate.
And when people think more about love…they will act act out of love…
they will give and receive more love…every day…
and before they know it love will surround their hearts
and their hate will fade away.
It’s funny how I sat down to try to understand hate…
which only weighed down my somber heart with dread….
and how my heart was lifted up…
when I thought of love…instead.
May we be blessed to understand
how one person can change another person’s world…
by something they say or do…
How wonderful would it be if today…
that person who changes another person’s world
is you.
If our mission is a more humane society…
(something, one day, on which I hope we’re all agreed)
Then we should be protecting, caring and rescuing
anyone in need.
We should be making a better world for everyone we meet
everyone we see…
Doing our best to end homelessness, misery,
suffering and cruelty.
This is actually the mission of the Humane Society…
every day that’s what they strive to do…
but their mission is the humane treatment of animals…
It seems to me we need a humane society
who’s mission is the humane treatment of people…too.
I am grateful in all the years upon this Earth I’ve spent…
for understanding the meaning…the essence of contentment:
Contentment is not the fulfillment of everything you want…
that is but a myth…
No…
contentment is the appreciation of all you already have
that life has blessed you with
May we be blessed to understand…
we do not need to hunt for contentment…
when we understand that contentment is an outgrowth
of being happy with what we have
being happy with who we are…
and being generous with both.
I am not a famous person…in spite of when I was younger all the times I’d try
and now that I am older I’m content with being just an average guy.
Being average is a great way to go through life
because it comes with an optimistic point of view…
as being average has never stopped me…from doing the things I like to do.
I’m not a famous artist…my art, as my family laughs, has flaws
but that has never stopped me…because I love to draw.
I’m not a famous singer…some say my singing voice stings…
but that has never stopped me…because I love to sing.
I’m not a famous dancer…you can see that at first glance
but that has never stopped me…because I love to dance.
I’m not a famous poet…like Emily Dickinson or Shakespeare in their prime
but that has never stopped me…because I love to make words rhyme.
I am happy being average…I’ve no reason for dismay…
for I have many other blessings in my life…I can add up every day.
I have a family I adore… they seem to like me too…
and I know whatever the world throws at us..
we’ll be there to see each other through.
I have friends…I have my health…life is following a cheerful plan…
and though I am not famous outside of my family…I am a happy man.
So when it comes to drawing, singing, dancing and rhyming…
How easy it is for me to see…
with all the other blessing I’ve been gifted…
average…is good enough for me.
