Saying Goodbye to Internet Radio

"There are no little events in life, those we think of no consequence may be full of fate, and it is at our own risk if we neglect the acquaintances and opportunities that seem to be casually offered, and of small importance."
~Amelia Barr

Do you ever think about the people in your life? The above quote was on the back of Kim's business card, a painter I met at Home Depot who sparked a conversation because he thought I looked like an old girlfriend's sister. We talked as though we had known each other our whole lives and I wondered why this moment had presented itself. As I was leaving, he said to be sure and check out the website on his card www.allencarrseasyway.com
that helped people quit smoking. My prayers for that week had been to make my son's cigarette habit disappear. Our conversation seemed divinely guided and I was glad I allowed him space to chat. Are we a society that thanks the unseen world for the people who come for a season, a lifetime or just thirty minutes while the paint gets mixed? Do you go day to day without noticing and thinking nothing is for you?
As I reflect on my friends, I say thank you to Wendy. She came into my life to breathe just enough air to spark a fire so that I would remember to write. For one year, we met and interviewed the most amazing people on Conscious Living www.talkshoe.com. but lately, I started to feel like a duck out of water. My place is no longer with the show and I will be moving on to concentrate on my art projects and creative writing. Looking at the bigger picture, I now know Wendy and I were gifts for each other to last a season. She awakened my desire for words and I stuck with her with true blueness. Now she stands better alone, knowing I will always be there and I am once again, grateful for divine intervention with another friend.

Who breathes on your dreams? Pay very close attention for there are no little events in life!

My Buddy

How rude! First he climbed in the wire basket that held the bird feeders, then he clung upside down on the screen showing us his under belly. Feeling sorry for him, I gave him my entire basket of black walnuts as a gift, thinking he would take a nut or two and run off to play. Instead, he buried the entire basket of nuts in the soft dirt, tossing out the newly planted flowers on the brick walkway. If that wasn't bad enough, he ran upstairs while I wasn't looking and closed the screen door on me! How rude!

Happy Mother's Day

Looking through a family photo album one day, it saddened me to see how many pictures in the book were without me. It was as though I hadn't existed, not a trace and yet I was the person who baked the birthday cakes, decorated the Christmas trees, organized fundraisers, carpooled children to four different schools and three part time jobs in one year. Wasn't I the person who dried tears, broke up beer parties, waited up all night for prom and helped type overdue homework papers?

Always having had strong women in my own life, I gasped in guilt about the times I had taken my mother for granted, not noticing her feelings or seeing her tears when I voiced my opinions. She raised strong women who then raised strong women and it occured to me how very lucky I am to have had such a strong foundation to build from.

When a house is built, we don't see its foundation. We take pictures of the house and people comment on its beauty but never say, "great foundation!"On the other hand, if the foundation is cracked or damaged, the house will fall and then we may say, "what a horrible foundation! It won't hold a house."

There is much to be said about unconditional love and the women in our lives who give it. They remind me of the importance of our sun, trees, clean air and rain. Sometimes taken for granted or ignored, but dangerous to lose. For all women today who either have children or nurture others, Happy Mother's Day!

www.mothersdayforpeace.com

Gentle Snowflake

As hard as it is, it goes so fast and won't last forever. Given to us for such a short time like little snowflakes, unique in their own way. Watch your words, smile often and play everyday. They notice your every action, your every kindness. Give apologies when needed. Let them make mistakes too for that's how they learn.

www.savethechildren.org

Seeing The Inside/Nic Askew and Soul Biographies

Who paints a house lavender? What were they thinking and if that wasn't bad enough, it had pink plastic flowers in pots! Every time we drove past it, someone commented on the tacky house. It seemed out of place compared to its neighbors but there was some sort of energy emanating from the up stair's window. Finally, one day there was a garage sale sign in front of the house so I pulled off of the street to take a peek. "Come on mom! Don't stop at this one," my youngest daughter begged. There was something for us, I just didn't know what. As we walked towards the house, an elderly man approached with snow white hair and beautiful blue eyes. He was so delighted to see us and I got the feeling he hadn't had much company. There wasn't anything except junk in little shoe boxes but he was talkative and his smile was sincere. I mentioned how pretty his house color looked next to pink and then his story spilled out.
His only daughter had gone into the hospital when she was twenty for a simple operation on her ankle and died from complications. It had devastated him and he worried because he was never able to finish painting her bedroom lavender as he had promised. One day, he decided, what the heck, he would paint the whole outside of the house so she could see it from Heaven. Then he put in plastic flowers because he no longer had his wife who owned a green thumb. My daughter and I exchanged glaring shame on us looks and then said our good byes. The house has been sold to new owners long ago and the color has changed three times but I always feel a special "something" when I drive past the house.
We seem quick to judge others by appearances, place of residence, color and tone of voice. There are stories inside people worth being heard if we would quit trying to figure out the ending and let them speak. Nic Askew, a film maker who has captured the human spirit through his short films of many different people from all walks of life is such an inspiration. He says to come into a conversation without expectation, keep everything in the present moment and soon you'll walk away with a miracle that is beyond words to describe. After the interview, all I could hear were the words, "Be Happy!" www.soulbiographies.com
www.talkshoe.com (Conscious Living)

Spring's Cologne

late night thunderstorm
without a moon
blows scents of lilacs
throughout my room,
reminding me that
dead men hide in bottles
inside drawers and on top
of mirrored trays.
i'm the little girl
who knows this
from women of my yesterdays.
aunt rosie's cries still linger
like the memory of her
boyfriend once
held captive inside
a vessel made of glass.
i watched her smell the liquid
too afraid to breathe or blink
just wanting to smash the glass
and release him to the spring time air.

Silly Dinosaurs

Junk drawers hold the greatest treasures. Words and art by Dylan Tracy, aged 3.