You were there...

Last night we visited on the farm, I am so sorry we did not get to see you, we seemed to have just missed you, but I know you were there.  You see, I went from group to group in search of you, but you must have just left, they were still talking about you, laughing about something you said, or something you did.

I saw your shadow as you left your granddaughter's room, but could not quite catch up with you.  I followed the sound of laughter coming from the living room, the smile on your wife's face told me you were just there.  I lingered a while listening to some of your escapades.  How fondly I remember all the ones we shared with you.

I caught a glimpse of you in your sons' eyes, in your granddaughter's shy smile and in the faces of your grandsons.  I could feel the warmth of you coming from the earth you love and the smell of wood fire. 

We had to eventually leave, it was getting late, I was sure I felt you hug me in the way the night-air suddenly felt warmer just before I got into the car.  Sorry we did not get to see you, but I know you were there...

I would like to share this poem by Henry Scott-Holland:

Death is nothing at all. 
It does not count. 
I have only slipped away into the next room. 
Nothing has happened. 

Everything remains exactly as it was. 
I am I, and you are you, 
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. 
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. 

Call me by the old familiar name. 
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. 
Put no difference into your tone. 
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. 

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. 
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. 
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. 

Life means all that it ever meant. 
It is the same as it ever was. 
There is absolute and unbroken continuity. 
What is this death but a negligible accident? 

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? 
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, 
somewhere very near, 
just round the corner. 

All is well. 
Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost. 
One brief moment and all will be as it was before. 
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/death-is-nothing-at-all-by-henry-scott-holland

Ten Butterflies

The sun has risen over a brand New Year.  We have been blessed with a soft drizzling rain.  The earth laps it up like a hungry puppy.  It is beautiful.  Most of us are excited about the prospect of a new year.  It is part of human nature, we love new beginnings even if they sometimes terrify us.  It is also a time of reflection and making new resolutions.  However, often those resolutions do not last long.  I believe that one of the reasons of their quick demise is the fact that we do not take them seriously, so I thought, instead of jotting down a few resolutions, I will go a step further and make a covenant with myself for myself.  I came up with a list of ten "I Will's".  You could call them my ten commandments.

Here is my list, but you are welcome to make your own list.

1.  I will laugh more, even at myself.

Laughter has healing qualities.  It relieves our stress levels and releases endorphins.

2. I will leave the past where it belongs.

Dragging the issues and the pain of the past with us changes nothing about what happened, but it  steals our joy of the present.

3.I will fill my mind with positive thoughts.

Every thought we have has an impact on our happiness, on our actions and on our lives.  Our thoughts can steer our lives toward joy or sadness, the choice lies in what I allow myself to think.

4. I will look for the good.

Not only will I look for the good in people, but I will look for the good in my circumstances, the world, as well as within myself.

5.  I will have an open mind.

I will be willing to listen to other people's ideas, opinions and advice.  I will be open to new possibilities and solutions.

6. I will love people for who they are.

 I will treasure their unique gifts and value their role in my life.

7. I will cultivate a spirit of tolerance.

Tolerance leads to peace and harmony.  It says that we value diversity and we accept that the sun shines on all people in equal measure.

8.  I will think before I speak.

Our words have power to comfort or inflict pain. Words, once spoken, cannot be unsaid and they cannot be unheard.  We only have control over our words before they are spoken.

9.  I will be grateful.

Focusing on the things we are grateful for draws our attention away from the negative things around us.  When we have a grateful heart it is difficult to complain about anything.

10.  I will not quit.

Sometimes life is difficult, sometimes we face obstacles or hardships, but never grow weary, never give up. Keep going, one step at a time.  Making a promise never to quit, helps to keep us focussed on the end goal.

Print your list out, stick it on the fridge as a daily reminder for the year ahead.  Have a blessed 2019.