IF

“If you had your life to live over again,” she asked, “would you change it in any way?”

“I would.” he said with a smile, “I’d start looking for you right away.”

WHERE DO CLOUDS GO?

It’s a game that began when he was young.

Apparently it was something he just had to know

He and his Dad were watching the clouds when he asked,

“Daddy, where do all these clouds go?”

“As they’ve move across the sky…how cool would it be knowing

Where they all end up…where they all are going.”

He remembers his dad sitting up…this innocent question making him proud.

“That depends”, he said, “it’s different…for each and every cloud.”

“You see that shark up there?” he said pointing…

”The one that’s moving in slow motion..

I imagine he’s swimming in the breeze…on his way out to the ocean.”

“That angel is heading off to heaven…see how his wings are flowing…

and see that devil over there…I think we know where he is going.”

“And now it’s your turn.” His dad said, “Set your imagination free!

Take a look at all these clouds…and tell me what you see.”

“OK”, he smiled,  “I see a dragon!”…then his eyes got big and bright

“He’s flying pretty fast…and look! Behind him is a knight.”

“See that big cloud over there?  It looks just like a ship to me.

I imagine it has a crew of pirates…and they’re heading out to sea.”

And from that simple beginning a life-long game was born

finding elephants and horses…castles…and unicorns.

Watching clouds float across the sky…moving fast or moving slow

finding shapes and forms and faces…and imagining where they go.

Today his memory drifts to that day so many years ago…

When he overhears his son ask his father…

“Grandpa….where do all these clouds go?”

EARTH DAY

Today is the one day of the year set aside to celebrate our planet Earth.

A day to think how much she means to us...of her value and her worth.

I have a problem with Earth Day…something doesn’t seem right to me…

bear with me for a moment…I’ll reveal it presently.

First let’s take a moment and talk about this orb on which we dwell.

how all the parts of the Earth work together to keep her healthy…keep her well

There is an interdependence in nature...where does it all begin?

when seeds affix themselves to animals or are carried by the wind.

This is how regeneration occurs in our flowers, plants and trees

which are fertilized when pollen is transferred from the legs of buzzing bees.

This simple interconnection is paramount for all Earth plants to thrive.

They in turn provide the oxygen which allows us to survive.

When we see how every species on Earth is dependent on one another

we begin to realize though her name is Earth…why we also call her mother.

But somewhere along the way our relationship with Earth became obscure

when we forgot she’s not only here for us…but we are here for her.

We have ignored one important lesson...more important than all the others.

that we must admire, we must respect and we must be gentle with our mother.

Unless we learn to use the Earth like the bee uses the flower

I’m afraid the consequences of our actions will be harsh, sever and dour.

It’s a simple lesson which if not learned will be the cause of great alarm

The bee helps itself to the flowers sweetness but does the flower no harm.

When we only take and give nothing back…we…have committed a theft

and if we continue in this manner...there will be nothing left.

So here’s my issue with today, and hopefully it’s food for thought...

My problem is not that today is Earth Day…

it’s that every day is not!

THEY ASKED THEIR GOD

They asked their God:

“Why is there poverty, famine and injustice in the world?

Then pleaded…”Please, God, what are you going to do?”

“For as long as I can remember”, their God answered,

“Those are the same questions I’ve been asking you.”

THE BEAUTY OF TEH CARDINAL

He landed in the tree the two of us were sitting under

a lonely cardinal…red

Immediately we began to wonder:

Is that a relative whose dead?

Because we both are aware of the platitude

when you see a cardinal near

you should be filled with gratitude

it means an angel has appeared.

The platitude does not say with any certainty

(Which in the end I think is a plus)

as to which relative that might be

It leaves that decision up to us.

I closed my eyes…without a care

and in that moment I felt glad

glad there was a cardinal there

to make me think about my dad

I looked over at my wife

happiness on her face shown

as the person with whom I share my life

was lost in a memory of her own.

We sat in silence as he flew away

not a word between us….said

certain he had other visits to make that day..

our lonely cardinal…red.

For is that not the beauty of this bird?

Is that not his destiny?

To appear silently…without a word

and awaken a memory.

GROWING OLD WITH NO REGRETS

A funny thing about growing old (which happens to all of us equally)

is that our hearts and minds keep telling us we’re young…

but our bodies don’t always agree.

Take Deborah and I for instance…in the 30 odd years since we were engaged

while our hearts have grown a little younger…it’s our bodies that have aged.

It appears however young our hearts feel…our bodies like to tease.

We don’t see or hear as well, we’re getting shorter and we both have faulty knees.

Our young minds want us to do things…and they are often quite persistent

but when we ask our bodies to perform…they can be quite resistant.

Oh, our hearts and minds generally win out…usually get their way

but our bodies tend to be upset and scold us the next day.

Another funny thing about growing old (this is something worth shouting about!)

When you find someone to grow old with…you learn to help each other out.

When I don’t see or hear something…Deborah’s assistance I enlist

to tell me what just happened…to show me what I missed.

When Deborah is too short to reach something…or if it’s too high for her to see

She doesn’t fret…she doesn’t stew…she just calls on me.

If my knees give out…if I should fall…and land upon my seat

I know Deborah will be right there to help me to my feet.

Yes, it seems as we grow older…another fact we can’t ignore

when one of us is able to do a little less…the other helps a little more

And we know from past experience…a truth we happily proclaim

whenever they are needed…our friends and family will do the same.

Which means with all this love around us 

we can grow old with no regrets…

allowing our hearts and minds to stay young…

no matter how old our bodies get.

A TOAST

It was their 50th wedding anniversary

A truly memorable milepost

when, near the end of the evening,

the husband stood up to deliver a toast…

I was recently asked when was the first time I fell in love with my wife, he began

and I have to admit…that’s difficult to say…

the answer’s not as simple as you might expect

as there are many first times…every day

The first time I see her in the morning, 

The first time she utters my name

The first time I see her smile

I always feel the same.

I don’t understand how it happens

but from the first time that we met

and every first time after

It’s a feeling I’ll never forget. 

The first time we touch, the first kiss of the day

The first time she looks into my eyes

The first time she speaks, the first time she sings

The first time she laughs…or she cries.

Love is a magical feeling

It is subjective and difficult to explain

but I feel it every first time I see her

In my heart,

In my soul

In my brain.

I’m sure I loved her from the first time we met…he said raising his glass

by the way my legs went numb

so here’s to that very first time

and all the first times to come