Standing in Your Truth

Leading from your centre ~
not the easiest thing to do
when both sides of the center
challenge each other
squeezing you on both sides
pushing you to go one way or the other, yet keeping a brave balance
in the midst of the noise of 
opinions and rhetoric

Leading from your center
full of uncertainty and self doubt
standing in your center
safe if winds don’t blow too hard
stepping forward from your center
like stepping into a darkened void
losing all sense of balance
until your heart feels the solid ground of your truth

“Be sure you put your feet in the right place. Then stand firm.

~ Abraham Lincoln

Grey to Green

Grey to Green

"‘Awareness of the world around me.' Why didn’t I think of that last week. I could have had this paper done.”

Katrina had been struggling with her homework. This first year of university had been pretty good, but the assignments were kind of different. Their prof only gave out a topic, the length and the format and after that they were all on their own. The Environment was their topic. She thought of marine life and icebergs and volcanoes. All things that she knew absolutely nothing about. There was no time to research any of them enough before the end of the week - an extension to the original deadline. 

The cement steps were cold and hard, but she had to figure this out. Sitting outside by herself, she stretched her long legs, leaned back on her elbows, stared at the sky. Interesting clouds. Clouds. That’s part of the environment. Wind snatched at her hair, swirled errant leaves in the air and ruffled the carefully landscaped campus. Wind. That’s another part of the environment.

The greyness of the day fit her mood and then Katrina smiled. Green lawns and spring flowers brightened the greyness. Katrina sat forward to clear weeds away from the new growth. Hmm...Her granddad had taught her many things about gardening. He hated pesticides. He always talked about the balance of nature and how pesticides were destroying that balance.

Katrina gathered her books into her backpack. Turning back into the library building, she was ready to write about what she knew. Any research was in the books of the library and from her grandfather’s wisdom. The greyness of the day was suddenly not so grey.

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and 

realities of the universe, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”

~ Rachel Carson

Growing Goodness

Believing in goodness can be difficult

 ~ sometimes just plain hard
yet goodness is all around
in a smile from a passerby
from a hug from a long lost friend

with the gift of a single flower 

when a door is held open just because
smelling the softness of a new born babe

Believing in goodness comes easily
when we balance the life all around us by
unfolding our hearts with little actions and kindnesses
even when we care for ourselves ~
maybe especially when we care for ourselves
allowing our own goodness to blossom
and share our own smiles and hugs
gifting others a single flower, opening doors and cherishing our children

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits 

of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

~ Desmond Tutu

Balancing Act ~ 1

Believing in goodness
Awareness of the world around
Leading from your center
Artfully creating personal choices
Naturally riding life’s waves
Carefully scanning each day’s horizons
Enthusiasm for the moment

“The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in 
your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. 
If you can do that, and live that way you are really a wise man.”

~ Euripides (Greek playwright, c.480-406 BC)

Light Breathing

Short month, 
yet the longest of winter
Short theme, 
a piece of wisdom too oft forgot.

Fun is like breathing - 
Phantom oxygen to one’s soul

Visions of fun a kaleidoscope of colours
While sparkling and joyous for all

Negative energy pushed out and away
With smiles, laughs and grins
Positive energy pouring into empty spaces
smoothing bumps and scars to the heart

There is a time for every season
Throughout the year long and
There’s always a time for fun times
To brighten hearts and minds and souls.

“Have fun, even if it’s not the same kind of fun everyone else is having.”

~ C.S. Lewis

Details, Details

This story developed from a random sentence from writingexercises.co.uk: “Well? What happened? I want all the details!”

Details, Details

“Well? What happened? I want all the details!”

“We went out to dinner at that new Greek restaurant. We shared tzatziki and pita. So delicious. The waiter said it would be very 'cool and refreshing'. For dinner, I had Spanakopita and a huge Greek salad. Jordan had Greek-Spiced Dry ribs……”

Jasmin sighed “Oh, come on, not those details!  You know ~ the ‘after dinner’ details.”

It was her first date with the high school hunk, and Meredith was really playing out ‘the details.’ She wasn’t going to spill everything, at least right away. She wanted to have a little fun first. Jasmin never had a problem getting a guy. But not with Jordan. No matter how much she flirted with him. Flipping her hair, batting her eyelashes, looking at him with big dewy eyes.

“OK. I’ll tell you. But you have to promise not to tell anyone else. We went for a walk after dinner. I mean, Jordan’s really nice. And so-o-o-o cute!! But really, really into himself. I’m mean I was so bored after the tenth time he told me about some award he won for...I don’t even remember what now! And then it was how his dad - his really rich dad - just gave him all the money for our supper and he didn't have to do anything to get it.”

“OMG! Really. And to think I was going to try and get him away from you. I’m so glad you told me.”

“What? You were going to do what?” Meredith stopped short in the middle of the sidewalk, just about being knocked over by a kid on a skateboard. “Jasmin, what did you just say!?”

“Well, you were having fun with me - so I thought I’d have fun with you. Actually, I never really thought he would be as great as he looked. Did you know there’s a sale on really cool jeans at The Bay? Want to check them out? They’ve got awesome designs on the back pockets.”

“Another teen friendship, another tiny mysterious universe.”

~ Austin Grossman, You

True Story ~ 1

May, 2015 - didn't have my camera with me today.

Actually a true story with a question - Who has more fun? 

My granddogs, Eva and Percy, racing through the trails around Thetis Lake, sniffing every bit of mud, moss, other dogs, puddles, logs stopping long enough to slurp the cold lake water before racing on not waiting for us just stopping long enough to look back before turning and racing off again?

Or my sons, Jeff and Jason, watching and cheering on their dogs, picking up after their dogs, breathing deeply of the clean clear air, enjoying a favourite outdoor locale, and stopping now and then to wait for mom (that’s me)?

Or me, Susan, watching them all and absolutely loving every minute, even times when the hills were too steep for this flatlander to keep pace, pausing to just breathe, stepping carefully down slippery rocks supported by trees and taking in the whole picture of my family?

“The Wilderness holds answers to more 

questions than we have yet learned to ask.”

~ Nancy Wynne Newhall