I live in a free country.
I understand, that, others do not.
I am not writing this for a political or economical, reason or gain.
Yet, the freedoms I do not have, in that, there are laws.
Which if I choose to break them. The courts may act on behalf of society.
A punishment will be given and then I will be allowed my freedoms, once again.
I will also say I am naive. I am filled with naivete because, I think that free people everywhere; would know this and choose to not break the law, so that there is no opportunity to lose their freedom. And do so, out of respect for those in this world who can not get the same freedom.
With out the threat or reality of losing their life.
So some people who have that freedom use their free will as they chose to not to be free, dumb eh? Society is neither hurt or injured or rendered helpless by the actions of individuals or groups. It is the belief of society that bears the scars: Belief in justice, belief in equality, belief in doing no harm, belief in fairness, belief in compassion, belief in forgiveness, belief that democracy can exist. And acceptance; of one another, neighbor or stranger, man woman child, child woman man, to trust and be trusted.
Find that vitality in you which fully enjoys freedom, enough to die, so that others may discover and inhale the crisp air of their next breath without oppression, fear, betrayal and despair.
So many members of our military, have done this and freed so many... generations.
Live freely choose freedom. (Not free dumb)
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Why Darkness falls.......... every time.
We hear people say things like "night falls".
I think the sun sunk; night and darkness are inevitable.
But not permanent.
The sun rises.
Each day and I greet it.
Even here on the coast with clouds.
The sun has risen; it is found above the clouds.
Why do I stay trapped on earth, the sun is waiting for me.
To rise above.
So as the sun rises the darkness vanishes... swiftly.
We can focus on the cloudy, dark day.
Or we can anticipate a single sun ray. To relish it in awe.
In a simple pattern of sun rise, clouds close, darkness creeps in
night falls as the sun has set...... hope remains; for there may be moonlight
or not ...but hope remains.
As the night can be blacker than the pit, so can human hearts.
There is so much evil in dark hearts which operate in daylight.
Still I find hope, stay focused; on hope.
Nothing is beyond hope except eternity. For every darkness there is light
and every sunset there is a sunrise and often the moonlight will faintly
light the hope you hold for tomorrow. And the next day... and the next..
I have my own darkness, okay maybe it is only grey, but I see it as darkness.
When those around me need me - it slows down my willingness to, be vulnerable,
Sadly there are those near and far who the darkness owns or intimidates.
I am sad for both; one type is not a victim and one is..... "darkness", worry much for
your days is coming, the calendar can not turn any slower.... and on that day,
when all of us who know- yup- KNOW which Son; to look for above the clouds ..
As the ray beckons us to join, all at once above the clouds; glory will be heard.
There will be such a joyful noise, we will fall or throw ourselves to our knees.
Not by anything we have done; no, darkness is not permanent.
Eternity is.
Night falls, so does darkness, they can not win;
over hope,
over sunshine,
over moonlight,
over eternity.
Enthusiasm fills me when sunshine warms my face.
The warmth is briefly absorbed, not for very long
or I would not keep my eye and heart open for the next one.
I know confidently, what will assuredly happen, I will neither one day
have to wipe away any tears, nor console the broken-hearted,
it has been done - it is finished - we are all waiting ........
Eternally grateful, gratefully forgiven.
I think the sun sunk; night and darkness are inevitable.
But not permanent.
The sun rises.
Each day and I greet it.
Even here on the coast with clouds.
The sun has risen; it is found above the clouds.
Why do I stay trapped on earth, the sun is waiting for me.
To rise above.
So as the sun rises the darkness vanishes... swiftly.
We can focus on the cloudy, dark day.
Or we can anticipate a single sun ray. To relish it in awe.
In a simple pattern of sun rise, clouds close, darkness creeps in
night falls as the sun has set...... hope remains; for there may be moonlight
or not ...but hope remains.
As the night can be blacker than the pit, so can human hearts.
There is so much evil in dark hearts which operate in daylight.
Still I find hope, stay focused; on hope.
Nothing is beyond hope except eternity. For every darkness there is light
and every sunset there is a sunrise and often the moonlight will faintly
light the hope you hold for tomorrow. And the next day... and the next..
I have my own darkness, okay maybe it is only grey, but I see it as darkness.
When those around me need me - it slows down my willingness to, be vulnerable,
Sadly there are those near and far who the darkness owns or intimidates.
I am sad for both; one type is not a victim and one is..... "darkness", worry much for
your days is coming, the calendar can not turn any slower.... and on that day,
when all of us who know- yup- KNOW which Son; to look for above the clouds ..
As the ray beckons us to join, all at once above the clouds; glory will be heard.
There will be such a joyful noise, we will fall or throw ourselves to our knees.
Not by anything we have done; no, darkness is not permanent.
Eternity is.
Night falls, so does darkness, they can not win;
over hope,
over sunshine,
over moonlight,
over eternity.
Enthusiasm fills me when sunshine warms my face.
The warmth is briefly absorbed, not for very long
or I would not keep my eye and heart open for the next one.
I know confidently, what will assuredly happen, I will neither one day
have to wipe away any tears, nor console the broken-hearted,
it has been done - it is finished - we are all waiting ........
Eternally grateful, gratefully forgiven.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Father - What is age, but a number?
I watched my dad grow old.
For him it started as early as it starts for any of us.
But it did not help that he had a small vessel inside,
his head, that showed its' age too soon.
It wept, not tears but small amounts of precious blood.
He drank, he smoked when he drank and he slept so little,
he made up for it by drinking hours upon hours of coffee,
every day.
What is age, but a number, every ones last number, is different as
they are, down to the last; day, hour, minute and second.
What is age, but a number, not a system of ranking - he was a 74, and
all along I thought he was a 90.. while others thought he was only ever
a 50.
What is age, but a number that is only celebrated on your birth day and
reckoned on your last day.
He had a heart with scar tissue, I too have scars on my heart, but not from some
hidden heart attack that did not take his life, just lessened the zest he had for it
trapping him in the laws; of life and diminishing returns.
When he was 52 he no longer could answer my questions on how I could be a better
husband and father. His capacity to remember shifted like the sands in some
distant desert, each day for him was like walking in uncharted territory,
with out a map and compass, he no longer had the landmarks, it was even at times
unfamiliar as to why this was happening to him.
I never replaced him with a surrogate, how could I?
He was painfully human, he made more mistakes than right decisions
he was my dad, my father. He taught me much, showing me how frail
humanity is, and how stubborn he was, to hang on to what life he had left.
I loved him, he love me, he loved all of us - it was not easy for any of us.
He once told me the "one's ability to show emotion was something to be respected,
and not rejected as weakness" he of course said this in his best stoic Norse manner.
22 years he toiled, trying to find, who he used to be. All he got was further and further
lost. 11 hours of brain surgery would do that to most of us. Then that scar tissue
took a toll, then the tag team of Dementia and Alzheimer's took him on ... by this time
the only fight he had left was with the very strangers, who tried to take care of him.
I can not know how he thought things through. I could tell he was trudging through waist
deep swamp, trying to get out of the cloud that shielded the sun - he had no choice but
to wander mired while those of us visited him became more strangers and less family.
Father - what is age, but a number, and you were more than any sum to me, even with
your flaws, your bad judgement, I saw the good in you, a flickering flame, I kept my eye on it until it was extinguished. It was then, I said goodbye.
For him it started as early as it starts for any of us.
But it did not help that he had a small vessel inside,
his head, that showed its' age too soon.
It wept, not tears but small amounts of precious blood.
He drank, he smoked when he drank and he slept so little,
he made up for it by drinking hours upon hours of coffee,
every day.
What is age, but a number, every ones last number, is different as
they are, down to the last; day, hour, minute and second.
What is age, but a number, not a system of ranking - he was a 74, and
all along I thought he was a 90.. while others thought he was only ever
a 50.
What is age, but a number that is only celebrated on your birth day and
reckoned on your last day.
He had a heart with scar tissue, I too have scars on my heart, but not from some
hidden heart attack that did not take his life, just lessened the zest he had for it
trapping him in the laws; of life and diminishing returns.
When he was 52 he no longer could answer my questions on how I could be a better
husband and father. His capacity to remember shifted like the sands in some
distant desert, each day for him was like walking in uncharted territory,
with out a map and compass, he no longer had the landmarks, it was even at times
unfamiliar as to why this was happening to him.
I never replaced him with a surrogate, how could I?
He was painfully human, he made more mistakes than right decisions
he was my dad, my father. He taught me much, showing me how frail
humanity is, and how stubborn he was, to hang on to what life he had left.
I loved him, he love me, he loved all of us - it was not easy for any of us.
He once told me the "one's ability to show emotion was something to be respected,
and not rejected as weakness" he of course said this in his best stoic Norse manner.
22 years he toiled, trying to find, who he used to be. All he got was further and further
lost. 11 hours of brain surgery would do that to most of us. Then that scar tissue
took a toll, then the tag team of Dementia and Alzheimer's took him on ... by this time
the only fight he had left was with the very strangers, who tried to take care of him.
I can not know how he thought things through. I could tell he was trudging through waist
deep swamp, trying to get out of the cloud that shielded the sun - he had no choice but
to wander mired while those of us visited him became more strangers and less family.
Father - what is age, but a number, and you were more than any sum to me, even with
your flaws, your bad judgement, I saw the good in you, a flickering flame, I kept my eye on it until it was extinguished. It was then, I said goodbye.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Winter's White
It snowed overnight,
Falling flakes, white, with cold,
The ground was covered.
The sky was falling,
apart and not losing its'
place high above us.
The ground was lighter,
with flakes and whiter too,
yet stayed beneath,
our feet; only laughter,
left our lips and returned,
to the sky. It then
fell lightly on us
again.... softly falling flakes
of snow, winter's white.
Falling flakes, white, with cold,
The ground was covered.
The sky was falling,
apart and not losing its'
place high above us.
The ground was lighter,
with flakes and whiter too,
yet stayed beneath,
our feet; only laughter,
left our lips and returned,
to the sky. It then
fell lightly on us
again.... softly falling flakes
of snow, winter's white.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Why I call you Princess
It is written with a capital P.
I call you Princess because the world, won't.
The title I gave you so many years ago, was given freely - NOT through an inheritance, not through proof of a family lineage, not because of some vast monetary
family treasure. I gave it to you so you would know how you should be treated by those who truly love you.
The world won't view you as a princess, some friends will not either, still you must display
grace. I call you Princess because there can be grace behind Red rimmed eyes and the wiping
of tears. In knowing that personal strength is not measured or weighed by others but as a
weight on the balance of your character. Allow yourself to experience, joy visibly without
hesitation, there are joy-stealers around because they have none and want you to be the same-
without joy.
Princesses accept love and give love you have given and received many hugs and kisses.
I called you Princess because you are an encourager, from a very young age you have stood alongside in support of family and friends (your little brother too!) when they needed someone,
please, continue to accept our support, our love, our hugs and kisses, you need them even as you go from a child-princess to a young woman-princess.
Sarah I called you Princess because I wanted the person you meet, who one day will share your life, to treat you the best, No, better than his best. I want him to know that there would be know compromise on this. A princess is to be respected, loved and protected......forever.
Princesses are leaders but they can choose to follow. When they lead the army, they should
lead, it will move forward with prayer on the wings of eagles, guided by God's angels. When Princesses follow it must be trusted and true leaders.
The world will Challenge your peace, your happiness, your beauty. Let not the behavior of those around you mire or trap you to behaving as they do, rolling around in "the black tarry
substance" that comes from their insides. It is okay to have to walk through "IT" to lead them in humility or leave them, behind in your pity.
Princess titles come sometimes with expectations, mine only come with love. I did not Expect you to act more responsible, more mature or more caring but all of these you have done. I did
not expect to see you both a child and a young woman at the same time in the same second. I expect more of others and how they treat your and the example they show you, than I do from you. Please choose your closest friends and advisers wisely.
Princesses do exist. They have limits to their kingdomS. There is no property over which you reign, but that which you carry with you everyday, the look on your face and the clothes that
you wear and the actions you do. The world (both the good and the bad) will judge you by these things. Princesses are ultimately judged by what is in their heart, mind and spirit and no man may judge what beauty God has created in you.
Lastly, you are and alwayS will be a Princess. The only reason I have stopped, for the moment,
is I have spelled "PRINCESS" (seven letters in seven paragraphs before) The trust you have in
the good of people is huge, allow no one to totally tear it down and never be afraid to stand up
for what is right or ask the polite question, "WHY?" Friends will come and go, a
relationship lasts forever. Build relationships through observing the character and
actions of those closest to you when their life is at a low. Shed tears, share a hug,
write, experience , wonder my girl-child becoming a young woman-princess.
For Sarah, written many years ago celebrating your 13th birthday.
I call you Princess because the world, won't.
The title I gave you so many years ago, was given freely - NOT through an inheritance, not through proof of a family lineage, not because of some vast monetary
family treasure. I gave it to you so you would know how you should be treated by those who truly love you.
The world won't view you as a princess, some friends will not either, still you must display
grace. I call you Princess because there can be grace behind Red rimmed eyes and the wiping
of tears. In knowing that personal strength is not measured or weighed by others but as a
weight on the balance of your character. Allow yourself to experience, joy visibly without
hesitation, there are joy-stealers around because they have none and want you to be the same-
without joy.
Princesses accept love and give love you have given and received many hugs and kisses.
I called you Princess because you are an encourager, from a very young age you have stood alongside in support of family and friends (your little brother too!) when they needed someone,
please, continue to accept our support, our love, our hugs and kisses, you need them even as you go from a child-princess to a young woman-princess.
Sarah I called you Princess because I wanted the person you meet, who one day will share your life, to treat you the best, No, better than his best. I want him to know that there would be know compromise on this. A princess is to be respected, loved and protected......forever.
Princesses are leaders but they can choose to follow. When they lead the army, they should
lead, it will move forward with prayer on the wings of eagles, guided by God's angels. When Princesses follow it must be trusted and true leaders.
The world will Challenge your peace, your happiness, your beauty. Let not the behavior of those around you mire or trap you to behaving as they do, rolling around in "the black tarry
substance" that comes from their insides. It is okay to have to walk through "IT" to lead them in humility or leave them, behind in your pity.
Princess titles come sometimes with expectations, mine only come with love. I did not Expect you to act more responsible, more mature or more caring but all of these you have done. I did
not expect to see you both a child and a young woman at the same time in the same second. I expect more of others and how they treat your and the example they show you, than I do from you. Please choose your closest friends and advisers wisely.
Princesses do exist. They have limits to their kingdomS. There is no property over which you reign, but that which you carry with you everyday, the look on your face and the clothes that
you wear and the actions you do. The world (both the good and the bad) will judge you by these things. Princesses are ultimately judged by what is in their heart, mind and spirit and no man may judge what beauty God has created in you.
Lastly, you are and alwayS will be a Princess. The only reason I have stopped, for the moment,
is I have spelled "PRINCESS" (seven letters in seven paragraphs before) The trust you have in
the good of people is huge, allow no one to totally tear it down and never be afraid to stand up
for what is right or ask the polite question, "WHY?" Friends will come and go, a
relationship lasts forever. Build relationships through observing the character and
actions of those closest to you when their life is at a low. Shed tears, share a hug,
write, experience , wonder my girl-child becoming a young woman-princess.
For Sarah, written many years ago celebrating your 13th birthday.
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