7.30.21 Sunless Day

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” J.M. Barrie

I read the news today

and I think it might’ve been a mistake

I

think

I

might’ve been mistaken –

in my litany of sunny days

when others face smoke

and fog

and fear

and haven’t seen the sky in

who

knows

how

l o n g

Whether it is because of the dark that surrounds them …

or because they’ve forgotten how to look up …

a sunless day

is a sunless day

I read the news today

and I think it might have been important

I

think

I

might’ve been mistaken –

in my litany of sunny days

I should instead remember to pray with more intention than repetition,

to clear fear where I can

and hold hands where I cannot

to lift chins and wipe tears and embrace

with my words whomever I can possibly reach

Can you help me

even once?

Because sometimes,

(most times)

once is enough

Share the Light

7.19.21 Stay

“There are many different kinds of bravery.” J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Did you know that you were born of a wish? Longstanding and riddled with doubt at the test of time, your daddy and I didn’t know whether or not you would come true … but then, like the miracle you are … you did.

As an infant your days were wreathed in smiles, and giggles … counted, kissed fingers and toes. As a toddler, every day was an expeditious discovery of what was new. Stems and rocks, the way water splashed and the way bubbles floated, everything was alight with wonder. At school age, the adventure continued. You learned and you played and you nurtured the most important gift heaven gave you – your imagination. In the middle years you discovered what a wide world it truly is. You found friends across the world and met every new opportunity with integrity and curiosity, a most powerful combination.

And now, now my precious baby boy … now you are entering a whole new phase, a whole new chapter to the epic tale of you. It was some time ago that I came to realize how brave you really are – how brave you’ve always been.

Stay brave.

Sometimes things will be difficult, but you can handle difficult things! You have love. You have faith. You have your precious, priceless childhood filled to overflowing with memories to sustain you.

Stay young.

Remember that no matter who has opinions of you or for you, you know who you are and what you are capable of. You were created at this time in history for a purpose no one can fulfill but you. Don’t doubt your worth.

Stay true.

Finally, know that there is not one step of this beautiful life that you walk alone. Your faith, your family, your friends, and your spirit are not only beside, but within you. Focus your compass north, your mind heavenward, and your feet forward. You walk in the company of angels.

Stay close my son … always.

7.7.21 Reordering Fractals

It is not often that I give myself time to think

and lately I’ve been thinking

It is not often that I let my thoughts sink in

and lately they dwell

Some are light

frothy whisps and whispers …

dandelion puffs scattering a million different directions

like fractals of light

impossible to recall or reclaim

Other thoughts are heavier

dense, purple-bruised clouds

that thicken

and linger

and swell until I feel my feet moving …

physically up and walking me away from a brewing storm of chaos I unwittingly created

somehow my feet knowing my heart couldn’t handle if we stayed

Amazing how a multitude of musings have the power to free or ensnare you

to offer the comfort of company

or the isolation of introspection

Regardless of their condition –

of density to the point of saturation …

or fleeting fancies barely tiptoed across the mind,

thoughts require time

both the getting into

and climbing back out of

But prayer –

the utterance of a holy plea

to stay, to calm, or to go before me

is both my anchor and my lifeline …

Hemming me in

and letting me go

turning my thinking into reflection

reordering my fractals

into stars