Rare

As we acknowledge Rare Disease Awareness Day
here's a little something
that I, of course, made my own ...

There is nothing more rare,

nor more stunning,

than a person who is

unapologetically his or her self;

comfortable in

their perfect imperfection,

beautiful in

their rare uniqueness.

Whispers

A very wise Rodney Eiland said:

The words we say

to our children today

will be the whispers

they hear

when we are gone.

Whisper wisely.

Happiness

At the end of a rather lengthy story
that I recently received
was this summarization.

It is superb!

I hope you absorb its depth

and exude its purpose.

Happiness

is not a destination.

It is a journey.

Happiness

is not tomorrow.

It is now.

Happiness

is not a dependency.

It is a decision.

Happiness

is not an achievement.

It is a choice.

This whole statement

is just me.

What about you?

Drop

Now HERE is something
to ponder on.

You are NOT

a drop in the ocean.

YOU

are the entire ocean

in a drop.

You are worthy

and amazing

and vital

and loved.

(that is a Rumi quote, btw)

Happy

I do not know
if this should garner
acknowledgement
to anyone in particular,
but ... this is how
I choose to live.

I have chosen

to be happy

because it's good

for my health.

Does not mean

that I don't see the ugly,

am not harmed by the hate,

am not angered by injustice,

or saddened by the division.

It means that

I have chosen 

to be happy

because it's good

for my health.

Beautiful Things

For whomever
might need to read/see this.

The next time

you are thinking

of beautiful things,

don't forget

to include your most

amazing self.

Imagine

A little truth from
Marie Kondo.

Imagine yourself

living in a space

that contains only things

that spark joy.

You are in control,

the master of your domain,

the keyholder,

the 'thing' collector.

Zigging this Monday

A little Zig Ziglar
for you this Presidents' Day.

One thing is certain:

if you never take

the first step,

you will never

take the second.

HBV

So we just celebrated RAK.
(Random Acts of Kindness Day)

Today ...

something almost even better ...

HBV!

Happy Birthday, Victor!

My dear hubby ...

may the day greet you warmly,

treat you kindly,

and bless you abundantly!

You deserve all the love,

all the feels,

all the happy.

all the cake!

Enjoy Absolutely Everything!!!

If you'd like to comment here,

I'll be sure he sees them.

RAK

RAK

by Lyn Marinello

It takes such little effort
to simply hold a door,

to offer up a compliment,

to do a little more.

It doesn't cost a single cent

to inexplicably be kind,

to help another human

is a joy for both, you'll find.

It doesn't take much time

to comment on a beautiful smile,

to really listen to a story,

to go the extra mile.

In these random acts of kindness,

we start an amazing wave,

bringing tiny ripples far and wide

to folks we didn't know we'd save.

You've no idea how vital

your simple actions are,

so miniscule to one

is momentous to another by far. 

Calm

Not sure who said this, but ...
LOVE this!

Stop trying

to calm the storm.

Calm yourself.

The storm will pass.

Song

I have seen this before,
but it just came back to me.

When things recur,

I've learned to listen and share.

Someone (maybe me)

needs to see this, share this,

know this.

To my besties ... thank you

for knowing my song.

A friend is someone who knows

the song in your heart,

and can sing it back to you

when you've forgotten the words.

Love!

Whoever you are celebrating today,
do it with gusto!

Spouse, partner, friend, co-worker,

who-freakin'-ever!

Share the love!

Share your heart!

Share your self!

YOU

are the love

you're looking for!

Celebrate YOU!!!

Monday Moment

Stop what you are doing.
Whatever it is ... stop.

Sit down,

put your hands in your lap,

close your eyes,

breathe in deeply,

exhale slowly,

be aware of the sounds around you,

the sun (or raindrops or snowflakes) on your skin,

the air in your lungs,

birds chirping and chatting,

the aromas around you,

the absence of chaos,

the sweet simplicity of simply existing,

and know, my friend,

that you are loved.

Have a wonderful week.

Palindromic Saturday

From one Robert Byrne:

The purpose of life

is a life of purpose.

You're welcome.

Hope your team wins it

if they're ins it.

;-)

Power

Not sure
who to give credit to
for this,
but ... dadgumit ...
it sure is true!

It all begins and ends

in your mind.

What you give power to,

has power over you,

if you allow it.

Choose wisely.

ABC

A Birthday Ch-Angel!

Today I celebrate

my 'nother mother.

So embedded in my life

and in my growth

and in my heart.

You have pushed me,

pulled me,

laughed with me,

cried with me,

helped me,

held me,

loved me.

I cannot begin to thank you

for all that you are

to me.

So ... when it feels

as though you are underappreciated,

or if you are feeling lonely,

remember that I love you

more than you'll ever comprehend.

You are so special

and so admired

and so respected

and so very inspiring.

Happy Happy Birthday my 'nother mother.

God bless you Ch-Angel Susie!

A little Annie for ya

Not the 'sun will come out' one,
but Annie Ernaux.

Same general thought process,

but said quite differently.

What counts

is not the things that happen,

but what we do with them.

Life is all about choices.

How we behave.

How we respond.

How we react.

How we treat others.

There just is no excuse

to behave poorly.

Which are you?

Some people
look for a beautiful place.

Others

make the place beautiful.

Some people

search for peace.

Others

bring peace with them.

Some people

seek out acceptance.

Others

envelope all.

Some people

look for love.

Others

are love.

Which are you?

Thirty

Today,
my baby boy turns THIRTY!

Miles 

has always taken the road less travelled.

He has proven himself time and again

as a powerful, positive, extraordinary human.

With humility and humor,

grit and grace,

chaos and charm ...

he walks through life 

with an army of amazing friends

because he's an amazing friend.

Couldn't be more proud

of the spectacularly special soul

that you've carved yourself to be.

Enjoy your day

and every little thing in it!!!

Happy 30!!!!

Education vs Experience

Pete Seeger put this wonderfully:

Do you know the difference

between education and experience?

Education is 

when you read the fine print;

experience is what you get

when you don't.

Made me chuckle this morning.

For my givers ...

You all know who you are.
This little nugget jumped right at me.

Thought I'd better share.

Check on yourself

as much as you

check on Instagram.

THIS!

This is missing.
This is something

we all need to remember.

We do not have to agree

ON ANY THING

to be kind to one another.

Deep

This quote by Heraclitus
is one of those that just makes you think
and then think some more
and then some more.

No man ever steps

in the same river twice,

for it's not the same river

and he's not the same man.

What do you think about that?