Good Morning

A good morning

That’s what I call it

The sun is up 

Even if it’s behind thunder clouds

Even if it is pouring rain

As long as I’m awake and 

putting my feet on the floor 

it is a good day 

there may be 

      tears, 

   frustrations, 

             interruptions

but they may be mixed with

  smiles, 

   sunshine, 

     contentment and 

the beauty of trees, 

  grass and flowers; 

the kindness the community 

  as I go about my day. 

If I believe 

that all of the good 

is coloured grey, 

I will miss so much!

and so I wish you 

A Good Evening!

“A day is a day. It’s just a measurement of time. Whether it’s a good day 

or a bad day is up to you. It’s all a matter of perception.”

~ Donald L. Hicks, Look into the Stillness

Things I Did Understand

Things I did understand ~

questions unanswered 

asking why of no use because 

the answer was ‘because’ 

But when those ideas floated away 

I understood crayons, 

cartoon shapes to colour, 

dresses to cut out with the little tabs

Then I could

design ball gowns

for paper dolls

colour inside the lines

just right for this little girl 

bright crayons within my reach

What I understood was that 

I didn’t need to know any more 

than what the next picture needed, 

which doll I should cut out.

But I filled expectations, 

like setting the table for a meal, 

practicing piano or 

getting cleaned up for church, 

going to school. 

I did understand that I was ‘growing up’ 

but didn’t know that meant 

more than how tall I was.

Today in retirement I am still ‘growing up.’

“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.”

~ Tom Stoppard

(English dramatist)

Things I Didn’t Understand

Things I didn’t understand ~

questions unanswered 

asking why of no use because 

the answer was ‘because’ 

But there were ideas

I just let float away 

ideas stacked around my life 

unopened books on shelves, 

unused dishes in cupboards. 

Ideas 

about designing gowns, 

about being a journalist, 

about being a linguist ~ 

too big for this little girl 

too far out of reach. 

What I did not understand were 

moods, emotions and 

how to understand others,

why I learned differently 

not as fast as others. 

But I filled expectations, 

like setting the table for a meal, 

practicing piano or 

getting cleaned up for church, 

going to school. 

I didn’t understand how to be, 

but I understood how to do. 

“Doing” carried me a long way

Today in retirement I can learn how to be. 

“No one will understand you. It is not ultimately that important, 

What is important is that you understand you.”

~ Matt Haig,  The Humans