Life

Memorial Weekend is a time of reflection, honor and sincere
                                 
                                    THANK YOU'S.

Thank you's that can be offered only by living one's life with appreciation
and an honor to the sacrifice that made it possible.

I have a mixed bag of feelings and thoughts at this time each year.
The mixed bag has every veteran of our history mixed in with every
active serviceman and woman. And my Dad that left this world
Memorial Weekend 9 years ago.

Time is a living thing, it is always on the move. It changes you, in due course.It transforms pain into sweet memory. It lets the sun come out again when you were convinced skies would feel permanently gray.

One of the hardest lessons to learn is that whether you are holding the hand of someone you love or they are thousands of miles across the world and completely out of reach when they die, you  live on, I live on.

Yes, it becomes a new normal, buckets of tears are guaranteed to fall, but we must walk on for our lives have unfinished assignments in them. They need our attention. Curling up into a fossil won't bring them back into the land of the living, but living our lives to the fullest will honor them. Living life is not a betrayal, it is a way of honoring the precious life laid down. Nothing wasted. Nothing forgotten. Everything cherished. Life.

However You Say It...

Mom, Mom,Mom,Mom,Mom

Some women wish for a moment when that word was not spoken. 

A little silence please.

Some women long to hear it, with all their heart, and are met with silence.

Some women hear Mother, others Mom or Mommy or Mama or Ma

They answer: 

"It's me, I'm here, how can I serve you my darling, my dear?"

Some women, this very day, are making the announcement that their

 turn has come to join the honored crowd.  
"A Mom I'm about to be 

and I'm so proud."

Around the world it is spoken Madre, Mere, Moeder, Mutter, Mor, Matb, and many others

But the common thread in all of it is love. Our first connection. 
How ever you say it, however it is expressed.

Life is possible and life is manevered because of that incredible woman yours and mine.

 That elegant lady, that sassy chick.

 MOM

As You Pause

The wind blows, the water falls, 

the fire rages, the earth quakes. 

Life is forever different. You are forever altered. 

The siren blares, crushed bodies,
 twisted metal, broken glass. 

Life is forever different. You are forever altered. 

To stretch across the land to lend a helping hand. 

You begin to reach out, but how far can one arm stretch? Together we can extend ourselves 
over land and across the sea. 
Outside yourself you step
To those in pain, fear, and need. 

You rushed toward the hurt to give comfort, hope, 

an opportunity to begin again and heal. 

What you found is that now your heart and life are 

forever different. You are forever altered.

For this, you wipe a tear and thank God profoundly,
 as you pause and kneel.

Making, Taking, Never Forsaking

Observations worth making

Time worth taking 

Promises made, worth keeping, never forsaking

Togetherness, enough of it there isn't, without you, my heart starts aching

I love you with my whole heart

Any other truth, I never want you believing

The depth and sincerity of my love, you should never be mistaking 

Convictions running deep in my bones, these things I will not be shaking

Notice without being told

Use your time with care

Hold your loved ones near

When you believe, believe fully

Forward It Goes

       Time, it never stops...Forward it goes.

Sometimes it feels like it speeds up adding to our anxiety.....

 stacking up our woes.

You feel like screaming, "Stop, please, give me a break!!"

Just wait a minute, maybe a second, three, or four.

In the end, you might as well be speaking to the wall or.....

 that large oak door,

For the clock has only hands, it cannot lend an ear.

Forward it goes without ceasing.

Time, let it flow, you can pause and rest, 

allow the seconds to fly.

To rest or play is valuable use of that time.

Never forget, it is not necessary, every moment, to be on display.

Don't let the passing of time to cause you to hang your head,

release a sigh, and ask over and over again,

"Why?"  "Why?"

Time, forward it goes,

but peace, it waits, for you, for me.

Next time you reach out to stop time and it gets away......

Let it go free; instead remind yourself that peace waits......Take a knee. 

The Path I Choose

The path I choose to walk, I do not walk alone. 
He holds my hand and guides my feet around 
every rut and every stone.

The path I choose to walk was made with me in mind, every detail tailored personally, entirely by design.

The path I choose to walk is often steep and many times narrow. Because He watches over me through trouble deep and long, I remain good, amazingly better than fine.

The path I choose to walk, it has purpose, direction and it belongs to no one else, it is all mine. I have things to do, to accomplish and conquer bravely. I can do it, with confidence, not because I think I am special or I am particularly grand. It's because the one who hung the stars, He holds my hand.

What May Come Epilogue

"Is this the one, Papa?"  "That's exactly right. Thank you son, you're an excellent assistant."   Jenny came out on the front porch with a tiny bundle sleeping in her arms. "How's it going out here?"

"We almost finished, Mommy, do you think she likes it? "  Thad looked at his newborn daughter sleeping like an angel. "I'll tell you what, Michael, when she wakes up, we will ask your sister what she thinks."  This satisfied three year old Michael. He smiled with pleasure and wandered into the house to play with his trains.

Rachel walked up the steps, "Hey, looking good, I see you have added your latest addition."  "Just finished." Thad returned the screw driver to the tool box. The Hollingsworth family sign, hung with  love, had once again, grown by one. Sarah came skipping out the front door and let out a little squeal. Rachel gave her little cousin a tight hug and asked, "How is my special girl today?"  "I'm a happy girl today; did you see our sign?" She pulled Rachel by the hand for a closer look. 

"This says, The Hollingsworth Family." Pointing carefully, "Thad and Jenny, that's mommy and papa ....under it, that's me, Sarah. This is Michael and papa hung this one today, Is-a-bella." Sarah sounded it out, proud to be a big sister and proud that she could read it all by herself. She smiled wide revealing her missing tooth. 

It was the biggest accomplishment of her six year old life. She was a reader! She leaned forward pulling Rachel down to her level. "Did you know that papa gave mommy this sign so she would marry him?"  "Really?"  "Yes, he gave her this sign, and our house, and a shiny ring and his heart." She cupped her tiny hand over Rachel's ear, "Mommy says that was her favorite part, his heart."  Rachel flashed Jenny a questioning look. By way of explanation, "At breakfast, Sarah asked me how Thad and I met." "Oh, I see." They exchanged knowing smiles. Little Sarah popped up like a sprite, "Grandma and Grandpa are here and look, Nana and Pops. And they brought the pizza!"

Sunday dinner was a time when the Carmichael and the Hollingsworth families gathered as the tribe they were; ever growing, ever loving, and never silent. The house nearly burst at the seams, but there was always room for one more. As the hustle and bustle to set the table and lay out the food went on around them, two young boys stood looking out the large picture window that gave a spectacular view of the back yard. Thomas stood unseen, but listening intently to the priceless conversation taking place. Michael stood with his arm around his cousin, Niccolo. At two and a half, he was the younger of the pair. Michael took a deep breath, just like his mother always did. Thomas bit his lip, so he wouldn't laugh. "Now Niccolo, I will 'splain it one more time....the tree next to the swings is an apple tree; that is Sarah's. Papa says she is the apple of his eye. He planted it when she was borned. The tree by the pond is an almond tree and that one belongs to me. Papa says I'm his little nut with a big smile and busy feet.  And the little one, waaay out there, is a peach tree. Papa just planted that one for Isabella, because she is his sweet peach. Papa says that is what the best families are made of, fruits and nuts. Understand now?"  Niccolo had listened to every word, then he said, "Uh huh, we all fwuits and nuts."  Michael patted his cousin on the shoulder, "Yes, yes, good job." 
                         
                           "Dinner is ready, come and get it!" 

An orderly stampede followed. Thomas made his way to the table, smiling as he went. As Thad stood cradling Isabella in his arms, he took in the scene before him, his heart full with the abundant blessings that surrounded him. In a split second, his mind drifted back to when he first met Jenny and to their first book. To think that now, he is holding their third child and the bookshelves in their office are heavy laden with awards proving to everyone what they knew from the beginning: They were a team made in heaven. Jenny walked up and gently touched Thad's elbow to bring him into the present. Looking down into those beautiful brown eyes of hers, he said, "Thank you."  Jenny simply asked, "For?"  "For being like no other woman."