Strength and Beauty Were present From the start Kindness and Consideration Toward those Different from her Emerged early on The intrinsic notion That different Does not translate Into less than That we all Have a place In this world And sometimes An advocate is needed To help others Realize their abilities- Compassion Turned to passion Passion to action Goals set Challenges Accepted- A bright light In my life since The day she was born And to countless others Throughout her journey
Our sweet daughter, Rachel, graduated from KU today with her Master’s Degree! She is a high school special education teacher, specializing in transition services. We are so proud! ❤️
What makes a year? Logic says Seconds, minutes, hours Days, weeks, months Equally spaced To help us keep track- Of what, I’m not sure Oh, there’s no denying The answer when My birth year Is subtracted From the current year But the larger That number grows The less it represents Anything equally spaced What makes a year? My heart says The love of others The beauty of nature Grief, heartache, and loss Faith, hope, and love None of which Fit into any calendar All of which Even the torn edges Can be transformed Into a much-cherished Collage of memories
It’s too quiet Something my mom Used to say after Our holiday visits Well, actually After any visit Once their nest Was empty And although Our nest is Not quite empty I’m beginning To understand The sentiment A flurry of activity The aroma of food Being prepared But mostly, the voices- Once they return To their own homes The quiet leaves space For melancholy And missing But mostly, the quiet Leaves space For memories And a grateful heart
A day filled With family Young and old Enjoying Tasty food Prepared by Ones I love Ones who Love me Precious Minutes To watch And listen Smile and Wonder- Full heart Calm mind Tired body Ready to rest In the peace Left behind by Thanksgiving
Not all of our family could be with us today. And though we missed them, it was a wonderful time filled with reasons to be grateful. The house was full of laughter, stories, and heart-to-hearts. My husband, Gart, worked hard to make it a great day. He is quite the chef! And I am a lucky girl! ❤
What a perfect beginning to this Thanksgiving week-a writing circle hosted by Ali Grimshaw. https://flashlightbatteries.blog/. I was reminded once again of the importance of gratitude. Happy Monday! ❤
Giving and Receiving
What have I given of myself today? Was it more Than a thought Or a simple prayer Did my focus Remain inward Or did I take time To see you coming Slowly walking In my direction Wondering how I might respond Or if I would Offer a smile- Fairly certain I received one For it left a hint Of happiness As you passed by More precious Than any present I could have received What have I given of myself today?
Hold My Hand
Our hands reveal So much about The lives we live My dad’s hands Are rough and strong Calloused from years Of carpentry My mom’s hands Are softer Her work required A different touch And yet, time Is reflected in both- I notice changes In my own hands Spots on my skin Aches in my fingers While thinking about Hands I have held Some briefly Others lingering- But then you Held my hand A lasting touch That began at The tips of my fingers And worked its way Into the depths of my heart
The question We always ask Our children What do you Want to be When you Grow up? It’s funny I seem to be Answering That question For myself These days- When I grow up I want to hold Your tiny hand Watch your breath Rise and fall In the smallest Of motions Hear your cries Comfort your fears Feel the complete joy Only found In the heaviness Of rocking Back and forth In our favorite chair Reading our favorite stories Singing our favorite songs My heart younger As yours grows stronger
My job was to stir Sounds simple A wooden spoon Round and round But I remember Heat rising from The slow-to-boil Sweetness My dad was always Nearby, of course In case little hands Became tired It only took Helping one time For the tasty Result to be Permanently Etched in my soul- How is it that Precious details Are so easily Forgotten- Eating the remaining Warm chocolaty filling Out of tiny glass bowls Once my dad filled His homemade pie crusts- May my memory Of a yesterday Erase any complaints From today
Morning whispers From a cool Breeze as it Wakens the trees Mid-day melodies Sweetly strung Across the sky Celebrating blue Evening laughter From familiar voices Around the table Listening…no need to speak Middle-of-the-night Soft breaths From the rise And fall of A newborn’s chest Resting against mine As we gently rock- I can still hear them As I crawl back into bed Place my hand on your chest And wait for sleep to come
Baby, sweet baby All we know About you At this moment Is your last name Baby Morris And that you have A strong heartbeat Just beginning To grow, still Time to prepare For your arrival- But wait! We do know A few other Things about you- You are already loved You already bring joy Just by being you- Who you are now And who you will become- I can’t wait to meet you!
The kids shared this amazing news with us a few weeks ago! Needless to say, we are beyond excited! ❤️
Such a sweet way to tell me. I’ve got some work to do!
I first met the birthday girl a little over thirty years ago. She was kind and accepting even then. It is hard to believe she was my age when we met. Maybe a little younger. A mom and grandma, it seemed her life was already complete. At least, that was my perspective.
Here we are, thirty years later. It seems a lot more life has happened in that time. More grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the death of a spouse after fifty-plus years of marriage.
So now, as we celebrate her, I try to imagine her perspective. Those thirty years, though eventful, only represent a portion of her life. She did a lot of living prior.
She speaks lovingly of her parents. Just yesterday, about how her dad played the piano. Talks regularly to her siblings who are still living. Keeps up with distant relatives and old friends.
Has a love of horses that began as a child. She recalls fondly walking with her girlfriend to the stables. Pretending to gallop as they walked, then riding horses before returning home. She even bought two horses in her lifetime!
Her second horse was sold before she moved from California to New York. A job as a flight attendant at American Airlines called. And that move, that job, lead to meeting her husband. The rest is history, as they say.
So, how would such a girl celebrate her 80th birthday? Surrounded by daughters, granddaughters, great-granddaughters, daughter-in-law, granddaughter-in-law…you get the picture. Eating, laughing, remembering, and enjoying time together. And, of course, attending a horse show.
This birthday girl wears her crown of white with pride. As well as her life experiences. Sharing what we are willing to hear. Continuing to move forward, making new memories.
Piano Girl 