Some Little Good

If you've been blessed with waking up today,
do some little good.
If you're out and about running errands,
do some little good.
If you're working hard and have a moment,
do some little good.
If you're able . . .
do some little good.

What a wonderful world it would be;
if we all just did some little good.

The Vine

So I have a plethora of climbing jasmine in my back yard.
When it blooms, I would love to just sit back there day and night and sniff.
It's just a wonderfully intoxicating aroma that soothes and calms.
It is a beautiful white flower that makes for a stunning fence cover.
And yet . . .
When we do yard work, I am continually redirecting the vines of the plant.
A single vine, groups itself with another vine, and another, and another.
This clump of tentacles then reaches out to consume whatever might be next.
I have to pull it away from our palm trees and other foliage.
It has already engulfed and literally broken a small palm that stood by the fence.

Such is the way of the vine.
Things get said by one person.
It is repeated by someone who simply parrots what they heard.
It is then shared by others.
That tentacle of untruth spreads and gnarls and engulfs many things.
These fingers of falsehood can ruin what should be seen
as a beautifully intoxicating gift.

Don't become ensnared.
Don't perpetuate the travelling malevolence.
Prune.
Redirect.
Enjoy the splendor as it was meant.

Which Are You?

There comes a point in nearly every life
where one must decide whether to be
a leader or a follower.

A good leader provides positive energy,
nurtures, teaches,
enlightens, applauds,
expects and extracts greatness and
provides boundaries and goals.
A good follower embellishes the worn path,
gives 110% no matter the task,
supports their surroundings,
steps up when required,
looks not for accolades but rather the next goal,
and pushes boundaries and goals for the good.

No one is better than anyone else.
And it's ok to be a leader some days
and a follower on others.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
A common core is the key to success.
Together, we can do great things.

Seventeen Inches!

Don't get alarmed . . . but do read on.

This might be a little long, but VERY worth it.
An aged, beloved baseball coach was asked to speak and the room was packed.
He approached the podium dressed to kill, but with home plate strapped around his neck.
He rambled on about baseball and then said, "You're probably wondering why I've got home plate around my neck."
He inquired of the crowd, "How big is home plate in little league?"
Someone finally muttered "Seventeen inches?"
"Correct!" the old coach bellowed. "How about in high school, the minors and in the big leagues?"
The answers came back quicker each time. "17 inches!" "17 inches!" "17 inches!"
He smiled broadly and then continued.
"Now, what happens if a pitcher cannot throw the ball over those 17 inches?
Do they widen home plate? And what if the player shows up late to practice? Or uses drugs? Or violates curfew? Do we change the rules to accommodate the player? NO! We hold him accountable."
The crowd hushed as he went on to explain that that is the problem with the world today. No one is held accountable to the rules. The rules are manipulated to accommodate the situation. We don't teach accountability and there are no consequences. If we continue to widen home plate, we lose the values we should be instilling in our children. The teachers have lost the ability to teach because they have to oblige everyone. Our leaders do not command respect, they command the widening of home plate and they lose the core of where we started.
Let's get back to the basics.
Let's hit a home run and get our kids back to home plate.
Respect, Honor, Accountability.
Seventeen inches worth!

Think

The skies here yesterday were just a wee bit ominous.
Perhaps Sunday, the sun will brightly shine.

Enjoy your weekend.

Good Friday

Happy Friday.
A day that begins deliverance.
For some . . . the weekend.
For some . . . relaxation.
For some . . . quietude.
For some . . . solitude.
For some . . . so very, very, very much more!

Have a Good Friday!

I Care

So, it would seem that a fault of mine would be that I care.
I care about my job.
I care about my efforts.
I care about my passions.
I care about my friends.
I care about my family.
I care about my ethics.
I care about my morals.
I care about being positive.
I care about my message.

When those things are being
attacked,
mocked,
violated,
bullied,
abused,
belittled,
berated,
diminished,
you will see a side of me that isn't pretty.

I hope you never meet that person.
I hope you have the strength to be that same person.
I care.
Do you?