To a Special Mom

My mother recently celebrated her 71st birthday. Like many women back in 1958 she married young and began a family immediately. I'm her first born and I remember life being simple and not filled with many luxuries. I feel very lucky. Thanks Mom for not filling my life with things, but with love and good morals.

Your love is like an island,
Surrounded by the sea.
It’s a place of rest and shelter.
A pleasant place to be.

Your love is like a beacon light,
A house of shining prayer.
And when my ship comes sailing through,
It finds a haven there.

Your love is like a cup of hope.
A quiet, friendly cheer.
With open arms to give a hug,
A love that is so dear.

A Bugs point of view

Looking at life through other peoples eyes can often help us understand them better. If you happen to be born into royalty you would look at life differently than someone born into poverty. Every once in a while it's good to imagine what life is like for someone else. You might be surprised at what you discover. It will help you write a better story, too.

Let’s imagine for a moment
from a bugs point of view,
you were changed into a beetle
instead of being you.

Let's imagine if you could
how strange it might feel
if you lived inside the body
of a small tank of steel.

Let's imagine what you’d eat
in this new circumstance,
how’d you munch on tiny aphids
that ruined garden plants.

Let’s imagine for a moment
that a giant looked at you.
Does it change your perspective,
of a beetles point of view.

Even if...

Have you ever had a perfect day? Often something will happen that makes it less than perfect. But how you react is very important. I've heard it said that life is 90 percent what happens to you and 10 perfect how you react to it. Still, even if things happen that are not pleasant remember there is someone watching who cares and can give you strength in the nick of time.

Suppose the things that I dislike
Occurred this very day.
Like an unexpected assignment at school
When friends asked me to play.

Suppose the juice that I had poured
Got knocked into the sink.
Or the sandwich in my lunch was squashed
What should I think?

Suppose my dog chewed on my shoe
As I headed out the door.
And half way on my walk to school
Rain began to pour.

Well, even if these things come true
I know there will always be
God, and all his angels—
Watching over me.

God Always Sees

My heart is heavy today. My eldest daughter recalled some things I had said that were not nice while she was growing up. I asked for forgiveness. One unkind comment I made was something about her piano playing. I was always after her to practice. Do you sometimes wish you could go back and do it all over again and not make those mistakes. As we said goodbye we gave each other our love. Still, I wish I could erase those memories. Most were said in frustration, but that's no excuss.
Later it dawned on me that just like in writing, every single word counts.

The sky is dim with left over day
And the night is not yet here.
Unchanging in twilight as I go my way
God’s sight is crystal clear.

Psalm 139:12

THE MOTHER PYTHON’S LOVE

Raising children is more about preparing them for send off than anything else. Still, it seems bitter sweet to have to release them after the time and energy is put into every nook and cranny of their lives. But that is the way it has to be. It would be cruel to not equip our children for the real world outside the cosy home we made. Here's a poem I wrote after reading how the python snake copes with letting their offspring go.

Shivering through the chilly nights
She keeps her young ones warm.
And watches from the brooding nest
To keep them safe from harm.
For days she wraps herself around
Her eggs so they will live.
And shields them with the fiercest love
Only a mother could give.
Then, as the young begin to hatch
The python slinks away.
It’s time to build another nest
Her work is done today.