Open Mind

An open mind
is a truly powerful tool.
But ...
it needs to be really open;
not just open to what you think,
what you believe,
what you like,
what you enjoy,
what you want.
A truly open mind
is literally open to everything:
absorbing, filtering, finding,
searching, listening, watching,
feeling, reading, learning.
You cannot have an open mind
if it is closed to certain things.

Your Name

I find it heartwarmingly euphoric how absolutely ecstatic I get
from just your name;
on an email, messenger, caller id, return address, etc.
It is just a blessing to realize that someone thought of me.
To be within someone's thoughts
is a very special place to be.
To be within someone's heart
is a beautiful dwelling.
To be within someone's prayers
is an extraordinary gift.
Don't ever underestimate the power
of a simple message,
a little text,
a phone call,
an email,
or a card or letter.
Your name
holds much more power
than you'll ever understand!

Rare and Beautiful

This week we acknowledge Rare Disease Week.
We attempt to bring awareness to ailments few know of
or perhaps educate folks on some they do.
Of course, first on my heart is dermatomyositis,
a life-threatening auto-immune disease
that attacks the skin and proximal muscles.
My son battled this monster for nearly a decade.
There is no known cure and treatment is awful.
Also front and center is NEMO, Fragile X,
Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Crohn's, and perhaps,
the worst of all, the as-yet-undiagnosed.
Before you judge appearances,
learn about signs and symptoms.
Help where you can and do what you're able.
Growing old is a privilege denied to many.
The kids I've known have the spirits of the Angels;
positive, polite, and hopeful.
Prayer and hope are as powerful as any medicine.
Remember how truly Rare and Beautiful
these precious people are.

You ...

You owe yourself the love
you so freely give
to others.
You deserve the blessings
that you so fervently pray
for others.
You warrant the grace
that you repeatedly offer
to others.
You are worthy.
You are vital.
You are loved.

Fly, baby! Fly!

So, I really take issue with the fact
that these little quotes are always geared toward females.
My Momma taught me
that there are no limits or excuses.

So ... just remember that this is inclusive of every person,
and I am merely reposting a quote:

She was fragile,
but her spirit was strong.
When she decided
not to give up on herself,
her wings appeared.

I Love You

This weekend I realized
that I hadn't really spoken to either child
in a number of days.
I texted them both with my regrets
and both assured me it was okay.
They know I love them and watch over them daily.
But is it really? Is it really okay?
I struggle with this daily.
Life is far too short to leave love unsaid,
hugs unsquished,
conversations unspoken,
kisses unsmooched,
feelings unknown.
And even though we are all busy people,
I will do better to let those I love
know that they are loved.
So to those that support me and read this
and are my friend, framily, or kin,
know that you have my heart;
you own a space in my soul;
you are important to me;
you are loved and squished and smooched.
I love you.

Freedom

Freedom
isn't free.
Freedom actually cost
quite a lot.
But ...
it costs absolutely nothing
to be nice.
it requires no money
to be kind.
it takes to funds
to uplift someone.
it takes not one cent
to be a decent human being.
So take your freedom
that was paid for by others
and do everything good you can with it.

Work In Progress

We are all a
work in progress.
Evolving,
involving,
revolving,
growing,
going,
mellowing,
listening,
loving,
caring.
In with the positive.
Out with the negative.
Reaching,
preaching,
teaching.
Absorbing,
enveloping,
encompassing.
The ebb and flow of existence -
ride the wave.

Practice the Paws

This little bit is really
"Practice the Pause"
but it's National Love Your Pet Day,
so whether you breathe for a moment,
or cuddle with your creature for a moment,
both will have the same effect.

Paws before judging
Paws before assuming
Paws before accusing
Paws whenever you're
about to react harshly
and you'll avoid doing things
and saying things
you will regret later.
And you might actually respond
with a tiny bit
of the unconditional love
that you relaxed with.

How

How extraordinary is the day
that is touched with a kind heart?
How light is the weight of others
when you lend a hand to lift it?
How tender is the touch
when it is offered in peace?
How awesome is the blessing
when given without recognition?
How joyous is the soul
that lives to love another?

BITMO

Perhaps a tad cliché,
but so incredibly important.
Tomorrow is never guaranteed.
This is not a dress rehearsal.
This is it.
This one little trip
on this giant blue marble
in a vast blank bunch of space.

Be In The MOment.
BITMO!

Listen. Learn. Love.
Help. Hope. Hold.
Dream. Dare. Do.
Frolic. Forge. Fantasize.
Play. Pray. Philanthropize.
Engage. Enlighten. Explore.
Give. Go. Grow.
Travel. Talk. Try.
Listen. Learn. Love.

BITMO!

MAR and more

Live with intention.
Walk to the edge.
Listen hard.
Practice wellness.
Believe.
Play with abandon.
Laugh.
Choose with no regret.
Give without expectation.
Appreciate your friends.
Continue to learn.
Pray without ceasing.
Do what you love.
Hope.
Live as if this is all there is.

Mary Ann Radmacher embellished.

Simple

Please,
today,
be the reason
someone
smiles!

My goal. Yours, too?

This is my goal in life.

There are souls in this world
which have the gift
of finding joy everywhere
and of leaving it behind them
when they go.

Yours, too?

Go and Give!

Today is National Giving Hearts Day!

What a beautiful day.
(Even if it's pouring and thundering and lightning!)

It is a day
(like every other)
to reach deep within yourself
and give to someone else.
No expectations.
No applause.
No neon marquis.
Just a soul who has the opportunity
to help another soul
doing just that!

Go and Give!

1

So, sometimes, if you can believe it, I am sad.
I am discouraged by the hate and nastiness out there.
There is so much divisiveness and ugliness.
It pains me.
Politically, whether you are of the left wing or the right wing,
they belong to the same bird.
Socially, wherever you sit on the percentage scale,
we belong to the same community.
The bird and the community are hurting.
I did not choose the title "One".  I chose the number.
When you break apart the word, you've got three letters.
When you break apart the number,
all you have is fragments;
parts without a whole;
specks without a purpose.
Why do we need a catastrophe to come together?
Differences do not need to divide.
Opposites really can attract.
We have 1 planet;
1 life;
1 shot to do the right thing.
Let's try a little harder folks.

NMAF

It's National Make a Friend Day!
In order to make a friend,
you have to be a friend.
Simplistic beauty.
To give of oneself
for another's happiness.
There need not be strings attached.
No unnecessary fanciness.
Reciprocity comes on its own.
When we shine our light
on the darkness of others,
the whole world gets a little brighter.
Take a moment today,
smile,
be kind,
help someone,
give a compliment,
Make A Friend!

The Big Why IMHO

Why?
Why are we here?

Here's my take ...

We each exist
to make an impact, to leave a legacy, to do something.
What sort is up to you.
I believe we should choose good, positive, uplifting.
If you think you're doing that and degrading or belittling others in the process.

Ummm, you're not doing a very good job.

You can speak your mind and leave it at that.
You can make your point and leave it at that.
You can be accomplished and leave it at that.
You will not shine brighter by dimming others.
You will not rise higher by stepping on others.
You will not be happier by demoralizing others.

Your experiences shape you, mold you, define your tenacity.
Use them to create a positive experience for someone else.
Your successes are a joyful accomplishment.
Now teach and guide others to do the same.
Your contentment is not a weapon to be wielded.
It is a net to gather those less fortunate and help them rise again.

Why are we here?
To help each other. To guide each other. To teach each other.
To love each other.

IMHO

THIS!

Do the things
you fear the most
and fear will lose
its control over you.

B+

It doesn't really matter
what malady or mayhem I face,
I might spaz for a moment,
but then I search for that beautiful silver lining.
A wise, dear friend recently said there is no sense in spewing hate
when you've no idea what tomorrow holds.
Is that hatred the last thing you want people to remember?
We are all entitled to thoughts, feelings, beliefs, emotions.
Mine are not better than yours.
Yours are not better than mine.
We've got to find a common middle ground on which to stand
and find some good in whatever we are looking at.
Doesn't matter what it is.
Stand firm in your convictions but be careful not to judge.
That is reserved for only one.
To be positive (B+) isn't just a quirky little phrase;
it is vital to our very existence.

Celebrate

Today, I celebrate!
Not just the birth of my amazing son,
but his every accomplishment.
He's danced this incredible dance his whole life.
He's faced more adversity that most his age.
He's faced immense sorrow and anger.
He's faced loss and betrayal.
He's faced negativity and misunderstanding.
And you know what?
He rose to meet every challenge.
He might stumble and backslide.
He might falter and fail.
But every failure was a lesson
and every falter made him stronger.
He's an optimist.
He doesn't care what's in it - he's got a glass,
and it is always brimming!
He's a realist.
If he wants it - he will work to get it.
He's a dreamer.
Makes a plan and reaches for those stars.
He lives each day with a quirky, honest, brazen sarcasm,
and the kindest, loving, giving heart.
And so … I celebrate!
Go ...
celebrate my Miles
(and the many others who share this day)
Celebrate!

So Grateful

A beautiful melody at that ...

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have
into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance,
chaos to order,
confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast,
a house into a home,
a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude 
makes sense of our past,
brings peace for today,
and creates a vision for tomorrow.

~ Melody Beattie

Shocking

A fabulous quote from Voltaire
(see what I did there?)

The most important decision
you will ever make
is to be in a good mood.

Didjaknow?

Didjaknow
that we all have brains?
Didjaknow
that we all have viewpoints?
Didjaknow
that we are each forged differently?
Didjaknow
that we are each uniquely amazing?
Didjaknow
that it's okay to think independently?
Didjaknow
that it's fine to believe different things?
Didjaknow
that an opinion really isn't cause for hate?
Didjaknow
that you're okay/I'm okay is real?
Didjaknow
that you can still converse/exist with
different opinions and viewpoints?
Didjaknow
that your value doesn't diminish
based on someone else's version of your worth?
Didjaknow
how incredibly important and beautiful you are?
Didjaknow?
Didja?

Be afraid...

A little rearranging of a great quote.

Those folks who exude self-confidence
and high self-esteem
are not driven by portraying themselves
as superior to others.
They do not seek to prove their value
by any standard of comparison.
Their joy is rooted firmly
in simply being who they are;
not in being better than someone else.
Do not fear being different.
Be afraid ... be very afraid
of being like everyone else.