Guest Blog Post: “Thank You,” in Marie Williams’ exact words

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acceptance of our place in the world, gratitude, Happiness Between Tails, humanity, loved, not alone, poems, poetry, small acts of kindness, Support, thanks, valued

I’ve been privileged to guest-blog on “Happiness Between Tails” by Daal. I’d like to thank her for the opportunity and the pleasure it has given me. Thank you Daal.

Happiness Between Tails by da-AL

Thank You

Thank you.   Two small words.  How often we use these words each day, so that it has become watered down and is said sometimes without much thought to what it really means.  But these two words are an indication of our knowledge of the place we hold in this vast universe.  What a huge thought!  Let’s think about this: thank you means that we are not alone.  To say “thank you” indicates that there is someone else there and that we are part of a great scheme.  A scheme which we cannot comprehend in all its entirety.  The complexity of life is such that we cannot hope to ever understand all that it is: only parts are revealed to us and each of us experiences these parts in varying degrees dependent upon our life experiences.

So when we say thank you, we are accepting that we are…

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The Past

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compass, emotion, healing, journey, memory, pain, past, philosophy, poem, poetry, present, self-knowledge, signpost, therapy

How philosophical the past has become. Everyone seems to have a view on it and it appears to be fashionable to voice it forcibly whether the situation calls for it or not. If you’re feeling blue and you don’t know what to do, some kind soul will undoubtedly advise you to “forget the past and focus on the present”. But I say, remember the past. The past: that vast territory which comes without a map, a compass, signposts and requires spatial awareness of the emotional kind. The kind that binds you to a memory, and drags you to that place, even if that is not where you intended to go. And when you get there, the constantly changing vista is never as you remember it: the pain was always more palpable, the joy jarred gently, words were welts on the prominent pathways of your psyche.

But I say remember the past: The past: that vast territory which needs preparation before you set out on it. So I say: equip yourself with sturdy walking shoes, shoes with a firm grip to keep you grounded, mentally make a map meandering mindfully through tough terrain, view the vista with new eyes, make pain a signpost to avoid and see it covered partially with weed. Strengthen your spatial awareness and eke out exits along the way. Present your passport if required and ensure it is stamped and that your visit has been recorded, so that you know that you have been there and that you can go there again. Be mindful of the knowledge that your journey has been a choice and that there are no boundaries concerning the past. It is a place that will always exist. It may not be sunshine, inky moon-lit nights, leisurely lapping sea on sand, it maybe storm-filled days, biting frost and thoughts of time to throw-the-towel-in, but the past is yours and mine. After all, we have all been there. Haven’t we?

~ MEW

Stronger

Tags

communication, harmony, healing, hurt, inspiration, journey, love, metaphor, Oprah Winfrey, peace, power, prose poetry, self-knowledge, therapy, tranquility

Yesterday I started to read Oprah Winfrey’s “What I Know for Sure”, and I found it “Bible-like”. It’s a good book to keep close by to refer to on life’s journey. It is full of truth, authenticity, guidance, self-love, love for others and wisdom.

The cover of the book is beige and green and it has an oak tree on it. The oak tree is a symbol for me of faithfulness and strength. Its sturdy trunk is rooted and unshakeable, and a place where I can rest my body if and when I need to. It wont collapse with my weight. It will stand firm and hold me up. Its girth will give me a sense of stability – something like when you are a small child and you run to your mother and put your arms around her. Your arms never quite reach to clasp, but that solidity and warmth, comfort and reassure you.

I am feeling fine today. I meditated for a while. I am getting stronger each day. I feel loved and wanted and special. Not knowing what the future will bring for me does not scare me. I am grateful for my breath, my body and my ability to write. These gifts are precious. They are worth more than gold, but I will not lock them away in a vault of fear, for fear that they will be stolen from me. I will display them and trust that they will stay. I will take these gifts, treasure them and hold fast to them.

~ MEW

Food for the Soul

Tags

Elbert Hubbard, flowers, hyacinths, inspiration, loaves, poems, poetry, quotes, Sadi, soul

Today, I discovered these beautiful verses in a post I read today and was minded to share them with you. The verses touched my heart and made me smile.

“If, of thy mortal goods, thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store two loaves
alone to thee are left,
Sell one & from the dole,
Buy Hyacinths to feed the soul”
– Muslihuddin Sadi,
13th Century Persian Poet

“If I had but two loaves of bread
I would sell one of them
& buy White Hyacinths to feed my soul.”
– Elbert Hubbard
(1856-1915)

Ask and you will receive.

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asking, finding, grudges, ignorance, letting go, loss, moral, pettiness, receiving, trivialities, true story

Ask and you will receive

This is just a true story about two people and how we let trivial matters impact our lives, so we miss out on really good things.

Someone (I will call her Jenny)told me about an incident at her place of work and when I thought about the story, I felt I wanted to share it because there was an important lesson here.

Jenny and person (b) whom I shall call Susie were at work and apparently they had some sort of disagreement. It was over something petty: about how many nappies one person had changed for the day, compared to the other person. It wasn’t life-threatening. It wasn’t a betrayal. It was simply one person feeling agrieved over how much work she thought she was doing, compared to another. Jenny thought they had aired their grievances and the matter was done and dusted. She was surprised the next day, when she said “good morning” to Susie and Susie pretended she didn’t hear and ignored her.

Later that day, Susie lost her favourite pen and was searching high and low for it. When she couldn’t locate it, she enlisted the help of some of her other colleagues. She asked everyone in the office, bar Jenny because of course, she wasn’t talking to Jenny because of the incident the previous day.

Nobody had seen Susie’s precious pen apart from Jenny who could see that the pen had rolled under a desk in front of where she was sitting. Susie continued to search and was plainly distressed about her loss, but refused to ask Jenny if she had seen it. So Jenny kept quiet and didn’t tell her where the pen was.

I think this is really sad. Had Susie let yesterday’s altercation go, she would have lost her pen, but it wouldn’t have been lost for long. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you the moral of this story, but doesn’t it echo (quite loudly!) how we should put things into perspective?

Nothing is ever truly lost if you ask for help in the right places!

~ MEW

Wise words to ponder

Tags

blogging, blogging university, blogging101, Kat's scribbles, leonardo da vinci, quote

Lovely!

Kat's Scribbles

Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and
poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.
– Leonardo da Vinci

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Tree of Life

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art, blogging, care, child, children, F.G.M., heart, poem, poetry, tree, wisdom

Beautifully said!

Saying “Sorry” Isn’t Enough

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abuse, awareness, blogging, child abuse, communication, compassion, control, cruelty, forgiveness, peace, season of good will

Stephen D Jennings post on “Saying Sorry is not Enough”

I have reblogged this post because it resonates with my “about” page. I am passionate about spreading the word that violence can never be the answer. It is the season of goodwill, and perhaps at this time more than any other time, we need to know that there many people who will not have a good time because they have a violent partner, parent etc. Rage and violence flares up (ironically) at this “peaceful” time. Sitting here on my pc is not going to solve the issue, but perhaps blogging about it will bring this to our awareness and if one violent person seeks help, I would feel my message is getting through. Forget about the present buying, the consumption of alcohol, the merrymaking for a moment and focus instead on the best gift of all – peace in our homes and our lives. Peace to all at this time and Season’s Greetings.

Steven D. Jennings

Back in 1994, I lost complete control of myself and my actions. Trapped in a self-induced drunken rage, I shot four young men and terrified countless bystanders. The pain I caused does not stop there. My actions also wounded the friends & family of those I hurt directly, and my own friends & family as well.

I take full responsibility for my actions. I blame no one but myself. I realize the magnitude of what I’ve done. I realize what I did was horrific, and to many…unforgivable.

With all my heart & soul, I am very sorry for all the pain that I’ve ever caused anyone. “I am so so so sorry.”

I know that saying sorry isn’t enough. There is nothing I can ever do to change the past, or to make things right. All I can do is serve humanity with kindness, love, and respect. With the spirit…

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Freedom, Courage, Integrity

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"Ten poems to set you free", abundance, enlightenment, fate, field, Miguel de Unamuno, philosophy, poetry, Roger Housden, sadness, seed, spirit

On days when things weigh me down, I like to read this poem.  I find it uplifting.

THROW YOURSELF LIKE SEED

by Miguel de Unamuno

Shake off this sadness, and recover your spirit; sluggish you will never see the wheel of fate that brushes your heel as it turns going by, the man who wants to live is the man in whom life is abundant.

Now you are only giving food to that final pain which is slowly winding you in the nets of death, but to live is to work, and the only thing which lasts is the work; start then, turn to the work.

Throw yourself like seed as you walk, and into your own field, don’t turn your face for that would be to turn it to death, and do not let the past weigh down your motion.

Leave what’s alive in the furrow, what’s dead in yourself, for life does not move in the same way as a group of clouds; from your work you will be able one day to gather yourself.

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

“Unamuno’s name is remembered in Spain, even today, as a symbol of courage and integrity. In saying that to live is to work, Unamuno even infers that a life without work is itself a kind of living death. But the work that is truly yours is the life that is truly yours; and if we have created something from our labors, it will speak for us long after we are gone.”¹

¹Roger Housden – “ten poems to set you free”