Rainbows

"The soul would have no rainbows had the eyes no tears" was a favorite quote That was starred in an old book of quotes that belonged to my grandmother. When I was young it appealed to me very much but not nearly as much as it does now. I've realized that with all the joys and blessings of life in this world come all the sorrow, pain and tears. In order to have an even, pain free existence we have to give up all the passion and joy. Feelings are not one dimensional. We only need to look at the uninhibited expressions and reactions of a small child who hasn't been tainted by the criticisms and judgements of those more mature people he/she encounters. The question is, do I have the strength and courage for all of life's experiences, even those I do not prefer, and am I willing to accept and endure the things I can't change in exchange for the exquisite joy and delight I've experienced along the pathways of my journey. Do you...?

Change...

It seems like the only constant is change; unless we die we change, our clothes, hair, friends, jobs, homes, always changing. But more important are the internal changes and the importance of ongoing change. Experience causes change and a thinking, open mind embraces the knowledge gained through this experience. Life is based on knowledge gained through experience starting at infancy. What we experience becomes who we are, our attitudes, prejudices, preferences and passions. These can become solid like a hardening mold of plaster or can remain fluid and maleable throughout our lives as long as we keep adding new material to the mix. As our experience of life, the world and people is growing so our attitudes and values develop and become more broad and complex, taking in many perspectives. When we stop growing we begin to wither,shrink and die. Embrace all you encounter today with an open questioning mind and with the joy of a child! Dance in the delight of the delicious world and all it has to offer, a grand buffet of differences and CHANGE.

Four Generations

I read an article that said studies have shown that war effects four generations of families involved at the time.  It's no wonder our society in this country has significant social problems since we have been at war through the past 7 generations with no breathing room in between.  Wives and children of service men who are killed or who return from war are forever changed by the trauma their husbands and fathers suffered.  Can this account for the spiraling increase of addictions and mental problems we've seen in the past 50 years? People are yearning for calm, for peace in their souls, for meaning in their lives and for the simple pleasures of work, love, family and living. Now we see the unrest in Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan, the overthrow of governments  and discontent of the people.  When will we ever learn to care for each other, sigh...food for thought.  The flower children had it right when they said "Make love, not war" We are more offended by sexuality in media than by violence; what does that say about us? Pogo said "I've seen the enemy and he is us"

Winter?

The days roller coaster by, first in the twenties, teeth chattering, nose freezing, then in the fifties, need to water the potted Rosemary and Ponytail Palm. They gulp the liquid hungrily. The forecast says twenties again by Wednesday, just as I was having garden thoughts sigh...patience is a virtue they say but not now, everything is "I want it now" it's not as calm and peaceful as in times gone by, is that our problem today? Is that the cause of all the agitation and conflict, not enough time to sit and reflect?

Welcome...

So many thoughts tonight, the world we live in conflict, caring, technology, simplicity, fear, acceptance. What to do about the lost souls in the despair of addictions, what is one person's responsibility for his/her "brother"? I feel like the speeding run away train in a recent movie on a collision course to disaster, completely out of control, no answers, no solutions, trying desparately to "let go and let God". What are we doing here, what's it really all about? I hope this will generate some discussion/thoughts. I'm hungry for some ideas and intelligent conversation.