A Day In The Life.......Or.....Death

I stepped outside this evening and snapped a couple of photos of some of the out door cats. Smokey Joe, was sleeping peacefully in the porch chair, with out a care in the world. I left for about ten minutes to pick up some supper a few blocks away, and as I returned home.....Smokey Joe, was in the street. I picked him up, his body still warm but lifeless, a touch of blood from his mouth. Just a kitten....but my kitten and you might say one of the kids.

I had just heard on the TV about a young man drowning in a lake near by,  a young man killed in a car accident just a few minutes before.  Then there was the news of O.J. Murdock, a WR for the Tennessee Titans who died this morning at 25 as the result of a suicide.

A day of dying.....
A day of tragedy.....
A day of shock.....
A day of mourning.....

Parents, keep your children close. Nurture them, love them, and help them see each day as a wonderful experience, a gift, a blessing......

Children, love your parents, show them respect, savor each moment with them......

Live your life like there is no tomorrow, for we never know when tomorrow, will never come........

Feelings

We live in a world where pain, death, tragedy and hardships have become common place.  Sure, we've experienced these things through out history, but with the unlimited access from tv, computers, cell phones, iPads, etc, we become aware of what's in the news right after it happens.  With all of our technology, we are bombarded everyday with the world's tragedy, and with the news, it seems like we see more tragedy, then joy. It's as though we've become way too accustomed to it. It's as though we've forgotten how to feel.

My friend, Lin, made a comment on one of my earlier blogs about Mercy.  He said....
"Unless one is in or has lived in a place of pain, has known deep anguish, is not one to forget what it FEELS like, then mercy is in short supply."


Being exposed to so much....stuff.... on a daily basis, seems to have made us a bit numb at times, when it comes to our feelings. When we go through our own pain or joy, and really feel it.....Really Feel It.....we tend to show more compassion and empathy when others feel suffering. Then as time passes, we too seem to forget the deep emotions and feeling we had and become complacent in our own little worlds.

Maybe I'm talking more about me, than you.  We all perceive the world differently. We all deal with our feelings and cope with the world around us in our own unique way. Some of us tend to shut off our emotions in times of stress. Others are able to let the rivers of tears flow, in times of pain, and times of joy.
I tend to shut off more....then shed.

For those of us who are lovers of technology, we catch our minds running a marathon most of the time. With so much going on in our skulls, we tend to forget about what's going on in our hearts. We forget how to feel.

As with most things....good things...in life, we have to make a conscious effort to learn them, to let them grow, to let them become a part of who we are.  As we learn how to expand our minds, we have to learn how to expand our hearts.  We have to learn how to Really Feel, so the other good things in life....Love, Passion, Compassion, Mercy, Hope, Faith and Joy, can manifest themselves more fully as well.

So as I continue on my journey of life, I too have to continue to make that effort to Feel from the Heart, and not just the Head. To enjoy the life that God has given. To accept the things that I can not change and make the things I can better. To give the world my Heart and hope, in a small way, it becomes a better place......


and the Journey Continues......

Music

I've always felt that Music is the Key that opens the Door to the Heart and Soul.....

Music has always been my passion, my release, my escape, my heart......
It's been neglected at times in my life, but every time I find my way back to it, I find that comfort.
Hmmmmm......much like God......

When I sit at the piano...and yep....the piano is so much better than a keyboard, I can let my emotions flow for hours and hours without stopping. When I'm done, I'm drained, but at peace. Whether I'm just letting the music flow or I'm playing with the purpose of creating, it's a time of fulfillment for me.

I'ts amazing how many times I've been deep in the frustrations of the world and forgotten to let the music soothe me with it's healing powers.
Hmmmmm......much like God.....

As Arthur O'Shaughnessy wrote,

"We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams"


We've been blessed in life with different talents, some art and writing, some music and dance, some sports or mathematics, some the gift of being a mother or father or a friend, with a heart of gold. That talent or gift, as it seems, comes from a place deep within us, chosen by the God that guides us.  We can either take hold of that gift and run with it, or let it turn to dust by the wayside. We can let our dreams reach out to new heights or become dulled by the mediocrity of our own complacency.

So once again, I return to my music and let it once again become my passion and my joy. I will beat the keys with my anger and frustration, my inner most thoughts and feelings, as well as my victories and dreams. I will let the life of the chords and melodies take me to a place that only they can.
I will let go....
I will create.....
I will begin again.....


and the Journey Continues.......

The Quality Of Mercy

"The quality of mercy is not strained
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath
It is twice blessed
It blesses him that gives and him that takes"

I suppose, Mrs. Cooper, my high school English teacher, would be proud.  For some reason this popped into my head today.  One of those things we had to memorize years ago that seemed to have found it's way into a deep crevice somewhere in my brain, waiting patiently to rise up when the time was right.

The quality of mercy, one that goes hand in hand with humbleness, compassion, patience, love, forgiveness and a few other attributes that bring out the special beauty of humanity. It's a quality that we expect from our leaders, our preachers, our parents, our loved ones, and that list goes on as well. But in our day and time, Mercy, seems to be a forgotten art, a neglected trait. In a world where the act of giving and taking for oneself seems to be the norm, the quality of mercy has become much more difficult to find.

"The quality of mercy is not strained
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath"

It's as though mercy has lost it's place in the world, overcome by anger, hatred, bigotry, judgement, greed and power. The Bible speaks of Hope, Faith and Love and the Greatest of these is Love. And out of love comes mercy.

The dictionary describes mercy as compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power. The disposition to be compassionate.

Too many times the quality of mercy is not only strained, but it's seems to have been removed from our vocabulary all together.

"It is twice blessed
It blesses him that gives and him that takes"

It seems to have become easier to criticize, than show mercy, there for, no one is blessed.

As we strive to make the world a better place, maybe it's time to replace a lot of our actions and attitudes........with Mercy........
As we become who we wish the world would be.......let Mercy........become as falling, gentle rain........blessing the world around us......


and the Journey Continues.......

When We've Said It All

So what do we write when we've said it all.....or so it seems

We start from scratch and write a new chapter, a new perspective, a new story.......

When we've shared our opinions and desires, our pains and hurts.
When we've looked at the world with the reality of human nature and the simple faith of a child
When we've been torn apart from the inside out and found the need to live and love and hope again.......

When it's all been said....and done....
We must find a way to let go of the pain, the hurting inside
We must learn from our experiences
We must accept the fact that we are human, not perfect
We must endure what life throws our way, and seek out new and wondrous possibilities

When we've said it all, we'll learn, there are more verses to our song
We'll learn to let go of the deepest caverns of our soul and fill them with new light and life
We'll realize that each person is unique in their own way
And with that we'll learn to accept that they have their rights, opinions, beliefs.....
Just as we have ours
We'll realize that they are human as well and can be stubborn, biased and even heartless at times
But they can also bring us love, joy, friendship

When we've said it all......it's time to let go of it
It's time to lift our eyes to the Heavens  and see the Blessings that God has given
When we take our eyes off the turmoil
We can rekindle the things that brought us hope and happiness, fulfillment and peace of mind
When we realize that even though we are one, in a world full of millions
We can still make a difference
We can still give back
We can still be

When we've said it all, we must close the door to the past, and not let it pull us back
But let us take what we've learned and live for today, tomorrow, and the weeks and months ahead

To let go is one of the hardest thing we can do, but unless we do, there is no hope in growth, in change, and our pursuit of happiness

When we've said it all
We can begin a new

We must..........We must..........We must


and the Journey Continues

Sadness......

Sadness.....

The longing that digs deep....
The hurt that never finds relief....
The hopelessness that knows no comfort....
The sweat from a life of burdens.....

The tears that need to be shed
But are empty, a well that's gone dry

The struggle to find.....
To find something that will ease the pain....
That will heal the heart....
That will lighten the load....

The tears that need to be shed
But are empty, a well that's gone dry

Walking the streets of regret.....
Feeling the pain of choices.....
Corrupted by the multitudes around us.....
The loss that fills the depths of the soul....

The tears that need to be shed
But are empty, a well that's gone dry

Sadness.....

The frustration.....
The confusion....
The loneliness.....
The hopelessness.....

The tears that need to be shed
But are empty, a well that's gone dry


When will the tears come...
When will the dam break
When will we find relief...
When will the hurting stop...

When will the hurting stop...........

When will the hurting stop...........