THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE ME

 

Today I’m thankful for the people in my life who inspire me

who, whether they know it or not,

have opened up my mind…

and allowed my heart to soar…

who continually to make me a better person 

than I was the day before

THANK YOU

 

When I stop and think about it…a poem is like a song to me.

As I write…or read the words…the lyrics…my mind fills in the melody.

Which is why, I suppose, my favorite songs as I’ve moved along through time

are those where the music blends harmoniously…and the words or lyrics rhyme.

I have my favorite songs…songs I’ve lost count how many times I’ve listened to…

Melodies I’ll never tire of…as, I imagine, many of you do…

But often I have wondered…as I smile and sing along

who or what inspired the lyrics…what’s the story of the song?

In truth my life is one of my favorite songs…where I always find a way

inspired by what happens…to write new lyrics every day.

And the beauty of my daily song…the wonder…the excitement for me…

is I never know on any given day…who or what that inspiration will be.

One thing I have learned along the way…one certainty I’ve come to know

when it comes to inspiration…I don’t have far to go.

My lyrics are inspired by the beauty of nature…from the Earth to the sky above…

and by the people who surround me…who shower me with love.

From the every day, conventional things I see and hear around me…

to the unconventional and offbeat.

From the clouds, the animals, the flowers…to the strangers whom I meet. 

So today is just a thank you…for the inspiration…

written in the morning as I walk along….

thanking all of you our who inspire me…

who are…

the words 

and music 

to my song.

THANKFUL FOR MEMORY

 

Today I’m once again thankful for memory

How once we’ve lost someone we love

once we’ve said our final goodbyes…

we are blessed with the ability to see them

to remember them

to feel them…

whenever we close our eyes

ONE WAY TO BE REMEMBERED

 

At a memorial service for a friend in a park down by the sea

as we remembered her I wondered…how will people remember me?

I imagine most of the people at the memorial…from her friends to her family members

were thinking a similar thought…how do I want to be remembered?

This is a simple question…but its ripples extend quite far…

because how we choose to answer…determines who we are. 

The following night our daughter texted us…asking if we’d like to meet

her and a group of her friends…at a pub just down the street.

So off we went to join our daughter and her friends in a great old neighborhood bar

where we drank, we laughed, we sang songs like Piano Man 

accompanied by Shamus on his guitar.

And as I sat next to Deborah watching Ali and her friends so loving and carefree

I realized in that pub…how I’d like people to remember me.

When I look back on my life…from child to parenthood 

I don’t need to be remembered for being great…

but I’d like to be remembered for being good.

For being a good person…the best good person that I can…

A good husband, teacher, father, grandfather, a good friend…a good man.

I think I would be happy…when I reach my final day…

If everyone who remembers me…remembers me this way.

Yes, I thought of a good way I’d like to be remembered…in the Irish Pub that night

That people will think of me whenever they’re in the mood for a melody…

and remember…how I always left them feeling alright.

GRATEFUL FOR FRANZ KAFKA

 

The older I grow the more I’m thankful for Franz Kafka

Who…I’ve read…and I’ve been told

Said:

Anyone who keeps the ability to find beauty

never will grow old

MORE THAN A NUMBER

 

Deborah has a group of high school friends who get together every now and then.

Their latest time together was at the memorial for an old friend.

Old age is 65 or older…at least that’s what the experts say.

But it’s more than that..as this group of friends proves more and more each day.

There is no guide to growing old…no one secret…one truth…one little gem.

But here are a few things I’ve observed that makes the ride smoother for them. 

They are genuinely happy and supportive of each other

They are there when times are rough.

They anticipate each other’s needs and how sometimes…

just their friendship is enough.

They enjoy each other’s company.  They make each other laugh

and they hold on to one another when they cry.

They know instinctively whenever they need a friend…a friend will be nearby.

Though life took them in different directions…when they get together…this they know:

How blessed they’ve been to be around…to watch each other grow.

Through all of life’s ups and downs…these friends have been aware

whether it’s an up or it’s a down…their love is always there.

Their Love is there to help these friends get through…one day at a time.

In the poetry of their life…it’s love that is their thyme.

It seems to me these old friends understand as they navigate life’s changing weather…

the greatest gift they have been given…is growing old…together.

Of course I’m no expert…but I like to think all of us…before we reach our final slumber

will realize, like these friends do, how growing old is much more than a number.

THANKFUL WHEN I SEE CHILDREN RUNNING

 

Today I’m thankful when I see children running…

as I’m reminded of this old rhyme whenever I see them run:

Sensible children alway run…

Because walking is slower and really not much fun.