A Better Me

Had a smidge of this written prior to vacation.

(The title and first line - LOL).
It was finished up one early morning -
with a quiet house full of folks I love the most.


A Better Me
by Lyn Marinello

Expectations run amok on my appearance and my job
How I should always far exceed the average John or Joe or Bob

Isolated by my mirror and the frame of societal hope
The box I'm supposed to fit in is terribly minute in scope

But those boxes now have morphed; not sure toward positivity
The whole world's like a living part of Escher's Relativity

Up is down and down is up; back & forth and forth & back
Good is bad and evil wins. This whole joint is out of whack

I may not agree with everything, but here's the good news, friends
The difference in our opinions needs exactly no amends

When I awake each morning, I greet the sky with gratitude
The chaos that surrounds me will not change my attitude

I'll do the things my Momma taught me: be honest, frank and kind
Pushed beyond my limits, I will always speak my mind

I'll lend a hand when able. Always give 100 percent
Stand with those that are struggling, guide them through their discontent

I will not be defined by tomorrow's bourgeoisie
I will simply try with all I am to be a better me

Gratitude

I did not write this,
but sure do believe it.

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.

A simple reminder

Good Monday morning to you.
Welcome to a new week
and new possibilities.
Please remember this ...

Be kind.

Be calm.

Be joyful.

Be humble.

Be thankful.

Enjoy the day.

Circles

Today marks another circle made
'round the sun for me.

I celebrate my circle of friends.

I ponder on the circles I've travelled

and how each rotation finds me

a little more elevated ~

not in status or importance ~

but in understanding and acceptance.

I'm in awe of the mountains I've climbed,

the valleys I've viewed,

the words I've been blessed with,

and the people I've been gifted with;

and how they are all intertwined

and create the circle of life

that keeps me both jumping elated

and on my knees humbled.

Sometimes dizzy,

but always thankful

for my circles.

Going off-grid for this week.

Will write more next week.

Please let me know

if there's anything I can do for you,

any prayers I can pray for you,

any help I might offer.

The Best Answer

So the best answer to the age old question
is best expressed in a little
fabled conversation
between big panda and tiny dragon.

"Which is more important,"

asked Giant Panda,

"the journey or the destination?"

"The company,"

said tiny dragon.

Glow

We all have a light.
We shine.
We offer a path

for others to see,

to follow,

to find a way.

We ooze

an ambient warmth

that silently declares

safety and security.

We radiate

a welcoming haze

that feels like

love and hugs

and happiness.

Sometimes,

others dim our light.

It is tarnished

or muted.

Shake it off.

Clean it up.

YOU may be

the only spark,

the tiniest of flickers,

the smallest glint,

that someone else needs

to get through their day.

Get out there.

GLOW!

Observations

I find it terribly interesting
as I write these morning pick-you-ups ...

Some are just random thoughts.

Some are shared quotes.

Some are poetry that comes to me

from a much higher realm.

I share some as a direct interaction.

I share some because I see it

a thousand times and know it needs

to be shared.

I share some because I know

I need to read it, 

so perhaps someone else does, too.

and ...

What truly provides motivation to continue,

beside the fact that I do this in honor of my Momma,

is the reactions.

For all the reasons mentioned above,

and many more;

whether there is agreement, disagreement,

conversation, or debate;

I am sparking communication

and THAT is a wonderful thing

and true success.

Mash Up

These two principals
have been like guardrails
throughout my life.

Tenacity and Gratitude

When I stay within them,

I feel productive

and positive

and purposeful.

And so, today,

I give you ........

Tenacitude!

Go enjoy your day

Twofer Tuesday

Two quick little quips
to start your Tuesday
with a smile
and an eager heart:

Be happy;

it drives people crazy.

and

The idea

is to die young ...

as late as possible.

This! This! This!

Talk about grabbing my attention.
Hoping it finds whomever is in need of it.

Do Not Trade

Your Authenticity

For 

Approval!

Dang!

What a fantastic way

to start one's week.

Go be you!

You're extraordinary!

Difference

Miss Jane Goodall,
namesake of my only grandchild,

spoke these wise, wise words.

Let them truly sink in,

not just wash over you.

Let them permeate your skin,

your heart, your soul;

and go do good.

What you do

makes a difference,

and

you have to decide

what kind of difference

you want to make.

Wow! This ...

Now this one is short,
but incredibly powerful ...

A lot of what

weighs you down

isn't yours

to carry.

Sons and Daughters

Today is National Sons and Daughters Day!
If y'all know me,
you'll know that I've got two of the best.

They are fierce, yet frivolous;

determined, yet ditzy;

tenacious, yet tactful;

serious, yet squishy;

erudite, yet adventurous;

loving and loving and loving some more!

I am more proud of who they

unravel themselves to be daily

than they will ever understand

and I find it hard to express

both the width and breadth of 

all of the feels I have for them ...

me ...

the wordsmith.

It is a humbling honor

to have been given the opportunity

to mother such incredible humans.

Poems

I may have shared this before.
I have a few poet friends
who definitely would agree.

And I would urge them

to defy that paper

and write that stuff down.

There are poems

inside of you

that paper

cannot handle.

And for those of you

who aren't poets,

your stories are just

as important.

Roaming

Several quotes that touch my soul.
Origins vary ...

The mountains are my bones.

The rivers my veins.

The forests are my thoughts

and the stars are my dreams.

The ocean is my heart.

Its pounding is my pulse.

The songs of the earth

write the music of my soul.

I love places

that make you realize

how very tiny

you and your problems are.

I have a therapist;

her name is nature.

I like days

that are filled

with space to breathe.

Hoping that at least some of this

may have relaxed you and filled you

with peace.

Opposites Attract

Some of this fell out of me old noggin in one fell swoop.
The rest was a little bunched up and scrambled.
So thrilled that it finally unraveled itself and came to life.
Please let me know whatcha think.


Opposites Attract
by Lyn Marinello

Comfort and Calamity were sitting in the park
waiting on a picnic with their friends Bright and Dark.
Watching the activity in this setting so serene
children run off wildly as the parents all convene.
A cloudless sunny day, holds a tiny chance of rain.
A chance for the extraordinary though it all seems so mundane.
The friends emerge upon a path with their pals Yin and Yang;
A collective smile joins them followed by the usual harangue.
Lunch is light and flavorful though the chatter's thick and bland.
Old friends meet anew each time, firmly hug as they disband.
There are errands to be run, as they walk in all directions;
glad to have made new memories as they relished in reflections.
As the sun begins to set and the evening starts to stir,

it's clear what things are cherished, though the dates and times may blur.
Quiet time recharges. Chaos drains us dry.
We march in mad defiance and then retreat as we comply.
The back and forth, the to and fro, the depth of death and birth;
The ebb and flow, the push and pull, without one the other has no worth.
As we pour so much into life itself, we grasp at all we can extract.
For life to have a purpose, we must embrace that opposites attract.

Worth Repeating

I'm fairly certain
that I have posted all or part of this prior.
It is absolutely worth repeating:

To laugh often and much;

to win the respect

of the intelligent people

and the affection of children;

to earn the appreciation

of honest critics

and endure the betrayal

of false friends;

to appreciate beauty;

to find the beauty in others;

to leave the world a bit better

whether by a healthy child,

a garden patch,

or a redeemed social condition;

to know that one life has breathed easier

because you lived here.

This is to have succeeded.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I choose

I did not write this.
I surely wish I had.
It is wonderful!

(But, of course,

I had to embellish ~

just a smidge!)

I choose ...

to live by choice,

not by chance;

to make changes,

not excuses;

to be motivated,

not manipulated;

to be useful,

not used;

to excel,

not compete;

to choose self-esteem,

not self pity;

to listen to my inner voice,

not the random opinions of others.

I choose ...

to be my amazingly unique

and incredible self ~

offering my talents and gifts,

love and light,

trials and victories,

that my story might be

of some comfort

and safe passage

for someone else.

The Key to Happiness

The key to happiness
is not a place,
it's not a job,
it's not a person.
It is within you.
It is an attitude.
It is an effort.
It is a perspective.
You are in charge of it.
Never put
your key to happiness
in
someone else's pocket.

Words

You never know
how long

your words will stay

in someone's heart

and mind,

even long after

you forgot

you spoke them.

So be kind,

say nice things,

lift others up,

offer compliments,

be positive.

Last week,

while cashiering,

a young gentleman

finished his purchase,

put his change away,

looked me straight on

and said,

"You have the most

beautiful eyes 

I've ever seen."

And walked away.

I was completely overwhelmed.

A simple sentence,

left a very lasting impression.

Go leave yours.

When you can't

When you can't find the sunshine;
be the sunshine.

When you can't find a rainbow;

be a rainbow.

When you can't see the light;

be the light.

When you can't get a hug;

give a hug.

When you can't find the positive;

be the positive.

When you can't see the good;

be the good.

When you can't find the joy;

be the joy.

When you can't find a smile;

give a smile.

When you can't find the love;

be the love!

Hope It Helps!

So, I kind of took a few things,
cut them, mashed them, and made this mine.
To whomever I borrowed them from,
thank you for sharing.
To whomever needs to see this,
I hope it helps!

Even though it seems pointedly personal,

it is a rarity that people do means things

because of you.

It is directly related to their own

issues and insecurities.

It is in their own pain

that they attempt to pass it on.

You cannot control

what others say and do to you,

but you can certainly decide

not to be reduced by it.