If you are doing something for someone, don’t think of it as a “chore,” or a “duty,” that must be performed, consider it as an act of love for the other. Say for instance you prepare and serve your family a meal, it is not merely an act you are obliged to do, it is you loving your family.
If you are on the receiving end of a service, even if it is a service you have paid for, show your gratitude by saying “thank you.” And most certainly, if you are the recipient of a service given freely, show your appreciation wholeheartedly. Even if it is an everyday occurrence that you are served at the family table, treat it as an act of love, not something that’s expected of the other. Give appreciation, return that love.
Labor, when performed with love, is no labor at all.
Here’s an example of how my life is, and how everything is always working out for me.
As some of my friends know I find things during my walks all the time, tools, money, etc. In the money category I find small change, mostly pennies. Well, after a while they build up, and I take them to my bank, and put them in the coin machine for processing. After they are processed, it spits out a slip, you take the to a teller and she gives you something other than pennies.
Today my bag of pennies came to nighty-nine cents, not a dollar, just nighty-nine cents. So, today it’s a long line, and I’m talking to this guy about why we are standing in line, and I mention my nighty-nine cents. He offers me a penny to make it a dollar, and I say, “That’s ok, I’ll be on my walk later and most likely I’ll find another penny, and that will make a dollar.” I go to the teller, get my nighty-nine cents, and head out to the car. I’m walking along the sidewalk outside the bank, and just before I get to my car I see not one penny, but three! Yup, my life is great!
Hopefully my friends will get this story, it’s about the “little things.” These are the small, almost unnoticeable blessings of life that come your way that we pay no attention to, that we have no gratitude for, but we should because it is part banquet of life that has been placed before us.
How rich your life is depends on how you count.
Life is a blessing, be grateful for it all, enjoy!
There is a Lantana bush in my front yard I call “Mattie’s Bush,” because my friend and wildlife photographer Mattie Bryant would spend hours photographing it from every angle.
The message I have this year is so simply clear, and it can be summed up in just one four letter word.
LiveOptimisticallyValueEveryone
I have so many friends, in so many places, scattered all over the globe. They are of all different nationalities, races, and religions, and they all have one thing in common other than being my friend, it’s the love they have for their families, and others. I am very grateful to have the privilege of being your friend, thank you. So, in the spirit of the season, I wish you all Happy Holidays, and a prosperous, joyful, New Year!
It is my Birthday today, I had planned to go riding on my new motorcycle all day as is my tradition. But, that’s not the way it turned out. I woke up this morning at 2:00 AM. I am not sure why, but I did, and I could not for the life of me go back to sleep. After three hours of not sleeping, I decided to get up and start my day. I followed my normal routine of eating, exercise, bathing, and getting set for my day. The only problem was, I was groggy, tired, just plain shot.
I had purchased a new Victory the day before, and because the process was so drawn out, I returned too late, and too tired to clean and prepare for the next day. So, new plan, clean now, ride later. It didn’t happen, I was just too tired. The best I could manage was lunch with a dear friend. After a late afternoon nap, I did manage to wash my new prize, and hopefully detailing will follow tomorrow.
If there is anything that could be called a sin, I have committed it today. Hopefully, this post will correct my error, my sin. What was my sin? This entire day, I have yet to express my gratitude for all the wonderful things I have in my life. You would think that I would be thrilled at the fact I have a beautiful new bike, no, I am complaining about how I am too tired to wash it. I have had friends wishing me well from five different counties, Face Book wall posts, private messages, voice mails, phone calls. But, did I stop and take a moment to feel grateful for their friendship, and love? No, I didn’t, apparently I’m an ass.
In the past year, my friends have been there for me, supported me when my Mom passed, kept me going, and even assisted in my new enterprises. Then there are the new friends I have made lately, wonderful, everyone. One in particular, has had such a profound effect, I am amazed at my luck to have met her, and have her in my life.
So now I must attempt to correct my error, my sin. Thank you for all the wonderful things I have in my life, my friends, family, every good thing that has ever come my way. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
When I went into the kitchen this morning a flash of color caught my eye, a bud on my Hibiscus had opened. I have had this plant for years, if memory serves, since 2005, it didn’t cost much, maybe $25 USD, you can find them for a similar price at any home center. This is the same one featured in “On My Back Deck,” a post I had made some time back. It’s not had an easy life, neglected, not watered, battered by the storms, frost bitten, etc. In other words, it’s had the typical treatment a single man would give it. I am amazed at how it’s “hung in there,” managed to survive, and bloom year after year.
I think we could all take a lesson from this simple plant, no matter how rough things get, how beaten up we are by life, we should stay resilient and keep in mind that someday soon, the sun will shine, and we will bloom once again.
I am constantly amused and saddened at the way folks are, I was at Wal-Mart this morning coming out of the store, I was headed back to my car, and I hear “you f***ing a**hole!” This wasn’t all I heard, I’m sure I don’t need to elaborate, but, I will tell you it was a torrent of angry obscenities. They were all coming from a woman and being directed at an elderly man who had just parked his truck. So why all the fuss? The woman was driving an older SUV that was pulling a rather long camper, and she had parked it by pulling through several parking spaces and he had just parked in a spot one space past her. Just to make things clear, this wasn’t at the back of the lot where you would expect to park a trailer rig, no, not at all! This was very close to the front, near of one of the store entrances. It was early, there were lots of open spots and room to maneuver if she was careful, but she should have known better.
It’s most likely the old man didn’t even notice where he was parking, or understand he might have been blocking her, and I don’t think he did it on purpose. But, her reaction was as if he had done it to spite her for parking where she did. She didn’t even attempt, “excuse me sir? could you park elsewhere? I’m getting ready to pull out and I need the room.” Nope, she just launched into her tirade, the moment the man heard her he just started to walk away quickly, trying to avoid the conflict and get away. Funny thing is, even after throwing a fit, she was still able to pull out, no problem, with room to spare.
And the benefit to all of her raving? None, she would have still been able to pull out without her useless tirade, if anything she made herself feel worse by getting upset. Then there’s her “victim” in all of this, what were his feelings during, and after her verbal assault? We’ll never know, but I would say most likely not good! Sad thing is, I have seen people like this woman before, they go through life angry, THEY are the victims, or so they would say, the world never gives THEM a break, everyone is out to get them, etc. It’s too bad that they feel like victims, and life is “unfair,” or what other terms they might use, but they victimize their own selves, with their thoughts, words and deeds. From the condition of her SUV, (old) and trailer, (ratty) prosperity was not something enjoyed in her world. The trailer was obviously her and her companion’s home, they were not on vacation, it had Illinois plates, and they took the southbound ramp to the Interstate, most likely heading to Florida, where there’s a job to be had, that won’t work out, because the new boss is a……. well, you can guess that one!
Lesson: Mind your thoughts, words, actions, you only harm yourself, if someone inadvertently gets in your way, causes problems, harms you, temper your reaction with patience, kindness, everyone make mistakes, don’t let your’s be one of anger.
Today is my Mother’s birthday, she would have been Eighty years old today had she not passed on November 14, 2011.
Mom
Mom used to say, “I’m just a dumb old country girl.” This is something I had also heard said by my Grandmother, I ‘m assuming she learned it from her and repeated it as a truth like so many children do growing up. I never agreed with that remark, and it would pain me to no end to hear it, but, I would never dare contradict her about it. No matter what she said about herself, to those who knew her, she was much, much more.
She was a devoted wife to my Stepfather for well over fifty years, and a caring Mother who raised four good sons who went on to be come successful engineers and artists. It’s not easy to raise four boys, especially us, but she did it, making sure we were well fed, educated, protected, and given a good start in life. We were always her first consideration, putting herself second, if not third or fourth in priority. She suffered the loss of one of my brothers to an HIV infection, when he became sick, it was my Mother who selflessly cared for him. She later became a Grandmother, and my brother Benjie’s kids gave her much joy and amusement as they grew into the bright children they are today.
Mom was a Depression baby who grew up in rural West Virginia during WWII. Life back then was not easy, she worked on her family’s farm just as soon as she was old enough, and her early education consisted of a one room schoolhouse. Despite the rough conditions of her childhood, she graduated High School and even had a year of college before marrying my Father and having me. Before that, her choice of a career and life path was to be an artist, and art teacher. My Father didn’t provide much in the way of financial support, so it was all up to her to keep things going. She finally decided to take a drastic step and divorce him, not a big deal these days, but in the Fifties, it was almost scandalous! As daring as divorce was, my Mother was willing to take the steps necessary to protect me, and improve our living conditions, something she could not do by staying married to my Father.
To be honest, I don’t remember my Father all that much, at best I can only recollect a few things, he was gone by the time I was three. But, I do remember my Mom carrying me to my Grandmother’s in the mornings before she went to work. It would still be dark outside when we left those mornings, and grandma’s house was at least a mile further up the dirt road we lived on, she carried me every step of the way. I remember one morning in particular, it was bitter cold, I was bundled up, and in her arms, I could see over her shoulder the snow-covered road behind us, and hear the frozen mud crunching under her feet. Back then I was too young to understand the sacrifices my Mother made to care for me. As far as the distance was up the road to my Grandmother’s house, it was three or four times as long back down to the “hard road,” for her to catch the bus in to town to work. We lived in a two room shack that she had purchased with her own money, there was no running water, and, the “bathroom” was an outhouse out back. I guess you could say things were “minimal” as far as creature comforts go, but, she had made a home out of it, she was determined to have a better life for the two of us. My Mom worked hard all her life to make sure I was ok, and these are only two examples, there are many, many, more, for all she has done I am truly grateful.
Sometime later she remarried, and we moved away from the two room shack and lived with my Stepfather, it was the beginning of a new chapter in her life. Soon I had one new brother, Benjie, then a little later, Chris, and then the last, Jeff. My Mother gave them all the same attention, made sacrifices, same as she had for me, her children were the heart of her life. She was a full-time Mom, when we were young there was no such thing as working outside the home, we were the job!
When we were older and all in school, she did go back to work, first as a part-time cook at our local elementary school, then later, working as a teacher’s aide. She even resumed her painting and art, something she had not done since the Fifties. That didn’t mean she had given up her role as our Mother, she still fussed over us, worried, gave advice, and did whatever she could, whenever she could to help us be successful.
My Mother grew up in a time when there was little expression of love, or joy, it was there, just not expressed. Openly saying, or expressing love was just not done, and this was her way. For years I never heard her say she loved me, toward the end of her life, she had an easier time saying it, and our weekly phone calls always ended in an “I love you.” Looking back, I have come to realize that with every act, every sacrifice, she was saying “I love you,” I was just too deaf to hear it.
In a few hours 2011 will be over. I’ve had some mixed feelings about it, in a lot of ways it has been a rough year. I have had two of my 2010 wedding clients lose their Mothers to cancer, both died too young, a friend lost his brother, and in the same month endured the devastation of a hurricane, adding to that, my own Mother passed away. Our country has been through some hard times, the bad economy, literally every country in the world hates us, or at the very minimum does not respect us, and our leaders are so wrapped up in their own selfish desires they have forgotten that they are the trustees of our nation.
You might say I should damn this year to hell, but, I can’t. In many instances of these “bad things,” I have had my friends and adopted family come to my aid and support in my time of need, for that I am so grateful. In Law Of Attraction we say that knowing what you don’t want helps you to know what you do want, so you ask for the improvement, this year it has come in abundance! With the asking comes the ways for the improvement, and expansion that is the way of the Universe. So, I did the asking, and the ways came, and because of that, 2012 will be so much better, and so, for this past year I am grateful.
Some say December 21, 2012 will be the end of our world, that so many calendars end, I do not think it will be “the end,” but a new beginning for our world if we will only allow it. They say that alcoholics and drug addicts need to “turn a corner,” or, “hit bottom” before getting help. I think we are at that point as a society world wide, we need to ask for the help, to visualize, and ask for the improvement. To ask, for example, not that our enemies are defeated, but that there is understanding, so they are no longer our enemies and there is peace so that all may prosper. That is only one example, and just a suggestion, I’m sure you can think of more, just keep in mind, that in the asking, ask for only positive things based on love. It may be hard at first to love an enemy, or someone you hate, and it may seem impossible, but move from it, bit by bit. The hate, distrust, greed, all the negative things must stop if we are to survive as the human race. (HU the human element) The best way to stop doing something is to start doing something else, so love, trust, and be generous with others.
What are you grateful for? What is your asking for improvement in 2012? And with the asking, are you ready to receive your desires?
The Emerald City Post 