thirty one

patience is a key to joy.

as I grow older I think life will slow down. but the days pass, it seems, even more quickly. I don’t think I am any busier. but the world around me is busy. bustling. sometimes incoherently so. folks so involved that they can’t look up. couples sit together at dining tables each with their kindle. people walk the street never looking up from their iPhone. the other day I was talking with a colleague and he picked up his android and started answering a text message. is the other person pinging on call waiting more important than me?

all the distractions of the world make me anxious. unfocused. distracted. and I find myself making a conscious effort to take note. to say pardon me. please. thank you.

I saw a television commercial the other day that spoke about how we all have 25,000 mornings to enjoy. and how and where we will enjoy them.

I want to say clearly. calmly. patiently.

peace.

thirty

you will be rewarded for being a good listener.

sometimes I talk too much. I have very strong opinions. I am open. I am honest. I am full of questions. need answers. I say what is in my head and in my heart. note to self: sometimes just be quiet.

even the most diplomatic thoughts. innocent ideas. simple conclusions. basic concepts. when voiced, come out wrong. a bit harsh. misinterpreted. the opinion not regretted. but better somehow restated.

it is said that the most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said. I would add that the second most important thing in communication is to remain silent.

peace.

twenty nine

let go or be dragged.

I am a pinterest person. I love the creativity. there to share and return the favor. yesterday this proverb showed up. and while it’s not a fortune. it seemed apropos for omikuji.

there seems to be a lot of dragging going on these days. through the muck of politics. skeletons in closets. simple human rights. so many folks and factions – a fair bet to say all at one time or another – are intolerant of one another. whether presented as unique situations or day to day activities.

I am as guilty as anyone. I react. not always within reason. I pray for patience.

but the truth in the matter is if we took a step back. caught our breath. counted to ten. that initial upheaval would (maybe) dissipate and while the anger or hurt or frustration may linger, the lashing out – which I think mostly stems from fear – could be avoided. maybe. possibly.

we are taught tolerance. grace. kindness. we should practice what we preach. would. could.

one of my favorite sayings goes ‘you get what you give. so give what you want’.

another says ‘choose. it’s either fear or love, baby’.

both allow for the release. both require thought. both want for action. both beg for application.

I choose love.

peace.

twenty eight

much more grows in the garden than that which is planted there.

I am planning for a new garden. my front yard is empty where scraggly bushes and groundcover once stood. right now it is beautiful in its barrenness. but even more so as I draw. and dream. and prepare.

I study. try to learn the best for my purpose. I pour over design books and seed catalogs. the pages are bookmarked and dog-eared. all my choices would fill ten gardens. my eyes bigger than my stomach. but it is difficult to narrow down the selection. my wish list ambitious. my budget limited. my resources varied. my enthusiasm unsurpassed.

some will come to me by accident. happenstance. luck. good fortune. by donation. welcomed. unexpected. voluntary. some will be weeds. some wildflowers. beauty in the eye of each beholder.

I will start with a plan. to be worked on. improved. invested in. over a period of time. by trial and error. knowing there is always room for improvement. willing to accept the unexpected. I will have success. and failure. all started with vigor. laborious. at times tedious. always joyful. ever full of hope.

peace.

twenty seven

never underestimate the power of the human touch.

I am a hugger. a hand-holder. a contact person.

I try not to get inside your bubble. your personal space. but sometimes I am helpless against the gesture. it is part of how I communicate. I need that physical contact. to connect. to make a point. to emphasize. to empathize.

I saw a friend yesterday. the meeting was strange. out of sorts. and it later occurred to me that we didn’t hug as we usually do. and it left me wanting. the absence of that one loving friendly gesture left me sadly empty.

I read somewhere that ‘you are not here to save the world but you are here to touch the hands that are within your reach’. too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, simply the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn an attitude or an entire life around.

peace.