It is sometimes difficult to slow down in our busy world. Phrases like Just Breathe and Smell the Roses are commonly shared. Easy to say. I hesitate to offer similar advice. And certainly don’t suggest missing an event by trying to capture every moment. But when something catches your eye or your heart, it’s okay to stop and take the picture. 📸
Ideas and actions
Some good
Some not so good
Often designed
To bring fame
Even if only
Fifteen minutes worth
Fifteen minutes
Or a lifetime
Eventually, the attention
Rings hollow-
I used to think
I’d like to be a rockstar
Wearing rockstar clothes
Playing piano on stage
But now, I’m grateful
That I get to be
A friend
An encourager
Someone who cries
During sad movies
And laughs at
Her husband’s jokes-
Someone who plays piano
Singing a simple song
Smiling as her granddaughter
Stands nearby swaying
Back and forth to the music…
Looking at me now
You might not guess
Where I come from
Sometimes, I even forget
But today, I choose
To remember
I come from
Climbing trees
Digging in the dirt
Making mud pies
Walking down the
Tree-lined gravel road
Leading away from home
While hearing
Don’t go past the red clay hill!
I choose to remember
Loving this place
That held my life
In love and security
Loving this place so much
When the time came to leave
I was ready to go
Not to run away
But to continue
Walking down the
Tree-lined gravel road
This time, hearing
Come back soon!
As I passed the
Red Clay Hill
Taking home
Along with me
For the journey
Sharing one of the poems I wrote in a recent poetry circle. Many thanks to Ali Grimshaw https://flashlightbatteries.blog/ for sharing her heart and creating such a beautiful space. ❤️
A recording of
Ocean waves
Playing
On one side
An actual bird
Outside
The window
Chirping
Good night!
You and me
Me and you
Sitting quietly
In the middle
Gently rocking
The weight
Of my world
Gradually easing
With the increase
Of your sweet sleep
Rocking our granddaughter offers time for reflecting. I often think about how my parents felt when their grandchildren were babies. Which, of course, reminds me how much I miss Dad. And even though I wish he could have met Emi, I am so thankful for his influence on my children.
What a joy. Witnessing my dad, my husband, and my son be loving fathers. I do not take it for granted and will be forever grateful for their examples. Happy Father’s Day! ❤️
Nothing fancy
No gourmet recipe
This batch was not
As fluffy as I’d
Have preferred
Then again, I haven’t
Made them in
Quite some time
Still, there’s something
Sweet in the making
And in the sharing
A Saturday morning
Family tradition
For many years
Before I even realized
It was a tradition
But the kids knew
They sensed security
In such a simple thing
And for that
I am grateful-
This batch may not
Have been my best
Let’s face it, it wasn’t
But my little granddaughter
Ate them up just like
Her dad, her aunt,
And her uncle used to do
Every now and then
A sweet moment
Becomes an instant
Replay of the past
Even if not initially
Recognized as such-
A smile captured
Awakening a
Recollection
Prompting a search-
A search for
An image from
Another time
That when placed
Beside the new
Allows past and present
To share smiles
And sweet joy
Cherishing a
Precious treasure
Handmade with love
Happy Birthday to our sweet Emi June! This year has flown by so fast. And she helped fill it with so much joy and laughter. We love watching her grow and explore her world. And we are thankful to be her Gig and Papa. 💗
As a new Mom, I had much to learn. On-the-job training at its finest! There were many changes and emotions to process. I was barely able to catch my breath. And I haven’t even mentioned the lack of sleep. But, oh, so much love.
As a new Gigi, there is still much to learn. Much of it through reflecting. Seeing my babies as I hold my granddaughter. Understanding how my mom must have felt holding my children for the first time. And again, so much love.
Motherhood is a beautiful circle of strength and love sewn with unbreakable threads. It causes us to need each other in ways we may never completely understand. It leaves me humbled and grateful.
Happy Mother’s Day! 💗
We all begin
As a clean slate
Or do we?
How much of my mom
Was present from
The beginning?
What about my dad?
The physical likenesses
Are obvious, even expected
But what about nature-
Was I already more
Like one than the other?
Or did watching
Their example
Produce gradual growth
Transforming me not
From a blank slate
But from the outline
Of a complex
Paint-by-number portrait
Coming into view
As each new color
Is added and blended
Brushstrokes
Of emotions
And experiences
And connections
Rendering
My journey
Of Becoming
This year carried
An increased awareness
Concerning the
Life of leaves
Usually, there’s
An excitement
With the appearance
Of new buds
A sweet sigh of relief
A sure sign of
Surviving the cold-
And, of course,
There is always
Oohing and Awing
Over their magical
Color changes in Fall-
But this year…
This year, it was
The bright green
Of newly opened leaves
That filled me with
Joy and hope-
Just like the smile
In my granddaughter’s eyes
Another poem from the writing circle. Thank you, Ali ❤️ https://flashlightbatteries.blog/
Piano Girl 