2021

2021

by Lyn Marinello

It's just another New Year's Eve
2020, please, take your leave

chaos, mayhem, hate and fear

are welcome to walk out with this year

take with you, too, your divisive way,

and all the anger you've displayed,

the crooked cops and violent mobs

and the politicians who brought these probs

take the sickness, death, and tears

pack it away as the new year nears

let's put politics aside,

come together in single stride

toward generosity, peace and hope,

in a world where each of us can cope

where love abounds and understands

and we're not plagued with meandering demands

where ethics of the highest sense

are embraced and not some court defense

where the whole world might be color blind

and adopt the mantra of 'Just Be Kind'

wishful thinking at its best

but so much better than this unrest

so with tomorrow's rising sun

I wish you a peaceful, positive 2021

The Past

The past cannot be
changed,
forgotten,
edited,
or erased.
It must be accepted.
And learned from,
built on,
bettered,
and embraced.
We can only become stronger
when we grasp

where we've been

and find ways

to improve it.

Freedom

Saw this quote and was like, ... "Hey! That's me!"


Joy and hope are never separate.
I have never met a hopeful person

who was depressed

or a joyful person

who had lost hope ...

It is important to become aware

that at every moment of our life

we have the opportunity

to choose joy.

It is in that choice

that our true freedom lies,

and that freedom is,

in the final analysis,

the freedom to love

~ Henri Nouwen

Choose Hope

Well, it didn't start out this way,
but sometimes I am directed truly without my knowledge.

My cover photo was about hope.

My page post was about hope.

And so ... so shall my blog.

There will always be hate.

There will always be anger.

There will always be jealousy.

There will always be envy.

There will always be bullying.

But ...

I will always Choose Hope.

Hope to show hate love.

Hope to show anger peace

Hope to show jealousy inclusion.

Hope to show envy acceptance.

Hope to show bullying kindness.

And with each bit of hope

we will diminish the negative,

we will be gracious and giving,

we will uplift and enlighten,

we will envelope and love

and that hope will spread.

I will always Choose Hope.

Yes, please

For the remainder of this year,
for the start and duration of the next,
and for many more to come ...
this!

But groundless hope,

like unconditional love,

is the only kind

worth having.

~ J.P. Barlow

Peace and Blessings

To cover everyone and realize the Reason for the Season:

And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,

Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small

And the glory of the Lord shone round about them:

Was singing without any presents at all

And they were sore afraid

He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming. It came!

And the angel said unto them,

Somehow or other, it came just the same.

"Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,"

And the Grinch, with his Grinch feet ice-cold in the snow

"Which shall be to all people."

Stood puzzling and puzzling. "How could it be so?"

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David"

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags!"

"A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

"It came without packages, boxes, or bags!"

"And this shall be a sign unto you;"

He puzzled and puzzed till his puzzler was sore

"Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger"

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.

And suddenly there was an angel with a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,"

Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!

"Good will toward men."

Merry Christmas!

Peace and Blessings.

Normalcy

Whenever life seems a little hectic,
a bit overwhelming,
a tad stressful,
find a tiny shred of normalcy.

An opportunity to relax,

if it only means doing a little deep breathing

in the front seat of your car

before the next meeting.

Read a book ... or an article.

Take a nap ... or simply close your eyes.

Listen to some music.

Paint or write or draw or dance

or worship or pray or laugh or converse.

A minute moment of normalcy

can fix an enormity of nonsense.

Find your center -

even if it's ragged and exhausted -

and bask in that instant.

First Hand

Through early morning mist I see
Glassy waters mesmerizing me

Pelicans perched atop pilings strong

Nestled snug but not for long

Cormorants just gliding by

Lapping waves roll in to say hi

A struggling sun defies the gray

She rises brightly to greet the day

The quiet reigns with silent clout

Til the birds begin their joyous shout

One last fog rolls 'cross the bay

The final performance of this morn's ballet

The trees upon the distant shore

Create a horizon from beautiful lore

Good morning world from nature's hand

So blessed to see it all first hand.

Goodness

There really is
an innate goodness in people.
A want
to do the right thing;

to be charitable;

to be philanthropic;

to be kind;

to be supportive;

to be human.

That may be 

one of my favorite things

about this time of year.

Even in the chaos

that is 2020,

that goodness shines through

at the feet of the Babe.

The Search

Whether you are searching for
first steps,

first friend,

first job,

first accolade,

first date,

first mate,

first house ...

or the second or third or fourth,

enjoy the search.

Realize the value

of every lesson along the way.

Understand the depth

of each person and their attributes.

Relish the beauty

of every vista and each encounter.

Soak up the bounty

that you find in each smile, hug,

conversation and laugh.

Enjoy The Search.

Benefits

Sometimes,
things don't go
the way we hoped or planned.
That doesn't mean

we failed

or we should despair.

It simply means

we've been given

a different path,

a new venue,

an alternate course,

a change of adventure.

Embrace every second.

If it hurts, learn.

If it angers, breathe.

If it expands, thank.

If it benefits you,

give the glory.

And it all and always

benefits you.

Thursday Twain-age

A little Twain-age for your Thursday:

The two most important days in your life:

the day you are born

and

the day you find out why.

Each with a purpose,

whether small or grandiose,

we are integral

and vital

and necessary.

You have a beautiful intendment.

Little Quips

A series of little quips
that always seem to soothe my soul.
Hope they help you, too.

Follow your soul.

It knows the way.

People will forget what you said.

People will forget what you did.

But people will never forget

how you made them feel.

There are people

who take the heart out of you.

Ah, but, there are people

who will put it back.

My brokenness

is a beautiful bridge

for others who are hurting.

I opened two gifts this morning,

they were my eyes.

Light the way for others.

We are each others' keepers.

Mosaics

No matter
what occurs in your life;
no matter
the depth or width of your woes;
ponder this viewpoint ...

you, your life, your circumstances -

they are never shattered,

they are becoming

an incredible mosaic

patterned by your triumphs,

your over-comings,

and your victories.

You might be broken,

but you are beautiful.

We are all

magical, momentous mosaics

formed by our frailties,

made more spectacular

by our hardships and healing.

The Journey

Whether you are starting life,
starting school,
starting a marriage,
starting a job,
starting a home,
starting a divorce,
starting a treatment,
starting a friendship,

starting a relationship,
or whatever ...

it is not the starting

that is so important.

It is the journey!

Embrace every second.

Bask in each moment.

Hold tight to the memories you make

and the joys that you find.

The road may be rocky,

the potholes might be monstrous,

but the destination will be worth it

and the journey 

is what life is all about.

New Adventures

The world keeps spinning.
The clock keeps ticking.
And life keeps lifing.

Where we fit in

and how we respond

to the spinning,

ticking,

and lifing,

is entirely up to us.

Create an adventure

worthy of writing about.

Find the awe and inspiring

in all that you come across.

Absorb the beauty

and the smallness

and the greatness

of every single second.

Farewell Franklin

As we pack up the last of our belongings
and head for sandier paths,
I just wanted to touch on a few grand points
as we bid Farewell to Franklin!

We waltzed into a town we knew no one in.

We made friends, made an impact and

tried to make a positive difference.

There were a plethora of Ch-Angels

that crossed our paths - 

I'd list them, but would not want to leave anyone out.

We loved the views and vistas,

were charmed by the critters and character,

laughed at some of the quirks,

and overcame most of the hurdles.

The rogue horse AND cow that wandered down our road,

and the cows that invaded my cabin yard earlier.

The friendly mayor that seems to be sadly selective.

The Drakes - who throw one heck of a Pumpkinfest

and decorate like nobody's business.

The mysterious silver van with yellow magnets

that everyone knows and stays very far away from.

The neighbors and co-workers and friends and faith -

it is something of true small-town, tight-knit congruity.

I will carry it with me and hope to infuse it

wherever we land.

Farewell Franklin - you've allowed us

rest, laughter, respite and love.

I might be out of blogging range for a day or two.

Please understand and know that I'll be back at it soon.

Go be that person

Came across this little nugget
and boy, howdy, did it hit home.
Much like the Golden Rule,
this mantra should be
written in stone and shared every where!

Be the type of person

that you would like to meet.

Fantastic, right?

No ...

go be that person.

Busy

This Thoreau quote,

especially in these chaotic times,

truly got me thinking.

Perhaps,

it will give you pause,

for just a moment,

to really consider its query.

It is not enough

to be busy,

so too are the ants.

The question is,

what

are we busy about?

Makes ya go ... hmmmmm.

LIBTYFI

One of my favorite acronyms!
LIBTYFI
Leave It Better Than You Found It!!!

As I reminisce 

about my time in Franklin ...

I find peace in the knowledge

that I truly believe

I left it better than I found it.

I improved some work areas,

positively impacted some lives,

created a beautiful home and living space,

drew attention to the charm and beauty

of where I reside,

and will walk away with 

fabulous memories and friendships.

Wherever you are,

whatever you are doing,

whatever you are dealing with,

you ALWAYS have the option of

Leaving It Better Than You Found It!

There is no need for

destruction or negativity.

Leave no footprints

but only imprints of love and grace,

kindness and generosity,

charity and peace.

Who are you?

Even though this year
has been rather ... umm ... interesting,
it has produced some
extraordinary things.

I have learned many new tasks,

found out how much nonsense I can tolerate,

realized the value of a hug,

learned that life is truly what you make of it,

birthdays with family are always best,

babies make the world a brighter place,

a good support system is crucial,

it's okay to walk away from things

that do not benefit or serve you positively,

friends, old and new, are beautiful gifts,

blessings are bountiful

if you choose to seek them out,

and a good and loving partner

is a joy beyond words and life itself,

and faith is truly powerful.

This year does not define me.

The chaos does not limit who I am.

I am me.

Who are you?

I Choose

I choose,
each morning,
to greet the day with gratitude.

I choose,

each day,

to see what is beautiful around me.

I choose,

in each person,

to realize and acknowledge the good.

I choose,

in each moment,

to seek the positive and affirming.

I choose,

each hour,

to fill it with communication and laughter.

I choose,

each night,

to pray for others,

to seek His guidance,

to acknowledge my blessings,

to be thankful for everything,

to express my gratefulness.

What do you choose?

Find and Share

Find peace
amongst the chaos.

Find joy

amid the pain.

Find strength

within the hardship.

Find love

within His reign.

Share peace

when you see struggle.

Share joy

in each victory.

Share strength

when there is sorrow.

Share love

with all abundantly.

Let's Not Go Dark

So I was reading a book of poetry
penned by a very old and dear friend.
Certain lines of certain poems
truly struck a nerve.

One of my favorites:

"Let's not go dark."

To me, these four words,

speak volumes.

Fear not ...

No matter the circumstance,

there is hope.

Despite the battle,

be a fighter.

In a world full of darkness,

be the light.

You might only be hanging

on by a thread,

but that thread's attached

to the hem of His robe.

Hatred and anger

is never the answer.

We are a beacon

for one another -

guiding each other

toward better things.

Let's not go dark.

Shine on.