bonds

Yesterday on the desk I was stymied by a technology question about an e-book and called on my new colleague for help. She came from the back room immediately and was able to show both me and the patron how to solve it.. And it was not that she solved it but what she said afterwards just to me that I loved. She told me that she had just been shown that trick a short time ago and has used it various times since. Now, I have no idea if that's true or not or how long ago she learned it, but in any case it was so kind, so gracious, so not in-your-face- superior that I made a big mental note. Remember this. This is how good relationships are formed in marriages, family, neighbors, nations. We're all learning together.

those elusive moments

I remember thinking longingly of January in the throes of December's holiday crunch. January with its long, cold days to snuggle and read and do little. What happened?? January is in the books! And I feel as though I spent very little time doing little! Is it the case with aging, that time speeds up - rather than slows down. Mother always told me this and I laughed! But each month, regardless of the varied activities or lack thereof, zips right by and I just want to put on the brakes! I think with each day as I hop out of bed and jump on the scales, I must remember - each moment is sacred, embrace, lengthen, cherish, enjoy it!

amaryllis

A member of my book club gave me an amaryllis kit as a Christmas present. And I thought, "how sweet" but truthfully, how much beauty can come from a box?? 

And the answer is - A LOT!!

Flaring scarlet trumpets of color have burst upon my dull January days! I watched the green stalks shoot higher and higher with interest, but dear God I was not prepared for the day when the buds shook off their snug green jackets! What brazen glory!

Now I know a gift that is truly a gift in the bleak mid- winter.

the fathers

Another quote I happened on recently was "My father was broken as a child. As an adult he never got fixed."

 My heart broke for him and his son. 

And once again, I give thanks for a father who was whole, strong in his gentleness, quiet in his wisdom. I know there were things in his background that could have broken him, but he somehow chose a path of understanding. 

His legacy smiles through my days.

sleep on it

"A computer lets you make mistakes faster than any other invention in history with the exception of hand guns and tequila." 

I laughed when I read this one morning when I was perusing my journals of old. I don't know where the quote comes from, but if you apply it to emails or now the pervasive Facebook postings it certainly is true. How often was something misstated or without the context of personal interface misinterpreted? That is not to say, the same errors couldn't occur in slower forms of communication, I think the current world of dashing off comments in the moment of anger, laughter, disappointment, hope, disapproval  is a slippery slope!

if winter comes

Last night when I was driving home from work shortly after 5, I rejoiced in all the ambient light that lingered from the day! It seems just a short time ago when I left at the same time it was almost completely dark! Wherein - joy! It is just another reminder to hang in there - whatever the slog - because the rhythms of life continue to roll and this too shall pass! Now, obviously I will have to chew on these words next month as I am struggling through the stormy streets of February!

Still, hope springs eternal -literally!

Not of this world

"I've come to think that's what heaven is - a place in the memory of others where our best selves live on." - from Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.

And truly the memories of loved ones was the wind that lifted the lives of the characters above their wretched circumstances. The ghosts hovered above them in the cold, hunger, abuse, reminding them of the goodness in the world somewhere. And the late words of Anne Frank, "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart..." It is that compelling tenacity that somewhere there is goodness because they once have experienced it and it enables survival.

I have no horror to deal with in life by comparison and but as surely as the sun rises I, too, feel the angels of my parents resting lightly on my shoulders, bringing a little bit of heaven to the day.

on the banks of the Conestoga

The Conestoga Creek was one of my childhood playgrounds. We could ride our bikes to it along the busy highway or hike down at the edge of the cornfields. Usually we opted for the latter. But the creek held such treasures! As our whole family was into birdwatching that was always a destination. But it was also a mecca for spring flowers and cool shade. From the high rocks way down the creek, a pure spring flowed that we actually drank from. A mysterious tin cup that we always assumed belonged to the wandering tramps of the area dangled invitingly from a nearby branch - though we didn't dare touch it and drank only from our cupped hands.  There were trees whose branches curved out across the water providing lovely nooks to rest on and view the world flowing by. Best of all was the swimming provided at the top of the dam - muddy water and all! As for the dam itself, covered in slippery moss we did our best to try to scale it, buffeted by the swift current, always succumbing and sliding down into the bubbly, churning base. How did we not crack our heads?! There was always the double-dare-you aspect to those steamy August days when summer had just about run out and boredom reigned! And on the rare winter days when the cold stayed long enough to freeze the flow, we skated happily along its winding curves.

The creek was our mother, father, sister, brother - an eternal, familiar presence throughout the seasons folding us into its silent pleasures, accepting, delighting, entrancing, entertaining.

No WiFi required.
 

moments

"Do not dwell in the past,
Do not dream of the future,
Concentrate on the moment"

says Buddha on the first page of my calendar.

That shouldn't be hard.
But it is.

It's really hard not to rehash old stuff - whether good or bad - and it's equally hard not to hoist baggage of any kind into the future. But to say, this is what I have - this present moment - is an enormous responsibility. 

I still remember a poem that our "upper level" teacher made us copy for penmanship class (what a present day joke!) and it went like this :

"I have only just a minute
Only sixty seconds in it,
Didn't seek it, didn't choose it
But it's up to me to use it.
It's only just a minute,
But eternity is in it."

Hmmmmm. Buddha and Mrs. Martin in cahoots!