Rock On

    I wonder if we were in outer space, would problems we carry be as heavy as they are on earth or would they dissipate into the barren air? Does the weight of a hurdle in our life slow us down when we are trying to be first to the finish line? Why do we want to linger in a negative state of mind instead of finding a way out? 

    Let me think, it must be because we are human. Problems, hurdles in our life, and lingering in a negative state of mind is part of our makeup as human beings. I believe it is a gift that we get to taste the bitter so we recognize the sweet.

    If we want to avoid the dilemmas in our life we could exchange our breath with a rock. Although there is a place in our world for a stone, it can never be mistaken for human clone. It has no worries, no pain, and the best it could do in life is become a pet rock. 

Hurry Hurry

    Waiting for spring is never a pleasure, the days are growing longer but I still don't see my treasure, for the air is still tinged with a winter’s snare, and it doesn’t seem that there is a carefree bird in the air.

    I wait and I wait to feel the energy of the morning sun so it may excite the window of my life, but all I feel is the frost that lingers from past glacial nights.

    I hunger to feel the mist of the morning dew, and to gaze at blossoms that nature can do. What’s taking so long for spring to arrive, not just by name but also with the bloom Nature can contrive? 

    Hurry, hurry the hour is short, there won’t be enough time for birds to nest, and blossoms to magically transform into a ripe delight.

    Hurry, hurry I can’t wait, let spring begin and winter finally loose it's frozen bite.

Baby Happiness

    Special days in your life do not come often but when they do, they are embedded in your heart forever. The anticipation and birth of your child cannot be matched. 

    How will our child look, will the baby look like my beautiful wife or me? Will I be a good father, and be able to stay up all night without losing my sanity? So many questions but who really cares. 

    The pregnancy seemed to last forever but the momentous day arrived with a splash. My heart started racing, it was time to make our dash. It really was more like a waltz because we only had to cross the street from her Doc. 

    The hospital was not far away, it took little time and my Honey was rolled into a room, tucked into bed, but the walls seemed to be whispering pull up a chair, it was going to be a while. The clock kept ticking, but our precious child still didn’t realize it was time. All he did was turn his butt to the world that was outside. This became a problem at our special time.

    The birth that was to be normal was no longer to be had. The doctor informed us that an ultra sound was going to be done.  An ultra sound what is that? It was a new way of imaging to see if normal birth was right. The answer was no, and my heart shuck in my chest. The doctor said all will be fine but a C-section would be best.The decision was easy and our sweet baby was born. He was perfect in every way and his mother was smiling as though nothing had been done at all. How do I thank her for what she has given me? Would trying to be a good father be enough?

    Seeing our boy was something I could not believe. Touching his tiny head gave me a feeling of happiness that only comes when complete love comes alive. A kiss on his forehead and they took him away, and I could not believe he was mine.

    The evening had turned into early morn, it was still to early for the sun to rise, but there was a special glow in my wife’s eyes. I kissed her good night even though it was no longer that. I told her I loved her and I would be back.

    The ride home was euphoric and the feeling in my soul was something that I had never felt before. There were no negative thoughts in my mind, no worries from the past nor present, but I knew the future started now. I guess being young and ignorant of life is something I would welcome now.

    After a few winks in the morning I was ready to return to see my wife and our baby whom we discussed was to be called Paul. I entered the hospital room with a plant in my hand and saw my recovering wife. She smiled with a special look as I walked over and gave her a kissy hug. I couldn’t wait to see our little bambino and hold him in my arms. I asked where is our little Paul? Her response was he is in the crib, but he is no longer Paul. I changed his name because I thought he looked more like a Nicky, that’s all. I couldn’t disagree with her at all, he was a Nicky from the beginning, and Paul would not have fit him at all. 

    I walked over to pick up my baby boy, and my little Nicky looked like a miniature toy. He was such a little bundle of joy and the warmth I felt when I held him was like I never felt before. 

    I suddenly realized he was a gift from God that I never had before and how could I ever ask Him for more.

Identical Love

    Two little sisters sit in a doorway of love, they mirror each other like a reflection in a pond. Their smiles echo the love we have for them, their giggles bring a happy rhythm to our life. Their vocab is minimal but the words they use are special in every way, especially when they  utter Nanna or Papa and want to play.

    Every moment we spend with them is a gift to us. I love how they eat and how they sit looking at books when they should be fast asleep. 

    They are little ladies that sometimes don’t want to take off the their dress which they had picked out earlier in the day. Somehow they are persuaded to slip into their Pj’s, but first they must race and flex their muscles just like their daddy taught. It’s a special site to see both of them race up and down the bedroom hall, stop for a moment, and go into a muscle pose. Our Kewpie Dolls begin to tire and a good night book or books are in demand. 



    We plop ourselves on the floor while the girls take turns bringing books that need to be read before we can get a good night kiss and close the door.

    While the girls nestle themselves on one of our laps, we begin to read the books from cover to cover. Finally the girls begin to somewhat tire and they are almost ready to give us a kiss, and say good night. It is time to awaken their woobies, so they can lovingly put them in their mouth. The time has come to say we love you and a kiss both good night. Isla’s crib on the right, and Morgan’s on the left are now ready to caress them for the night. 

    We close the door very slowly and steel one last look, this will warm our heart through any night. 

The Summer Wind

    Winter is over, spring has come and gone, but this summer has definitely gone wrong. I have failed to feel a calming summer breeze. Oh I have felt the rush of the wind, but it is not a summer breeze. A summer breeze caresses the soul and brings back happy memories when I was not so old. 

Even though the 4th celebration is over and all the fireworks has been shot, there is no feeling that it will ever get hot. It’s not that I’m looking for blazing heat, but without a flicker of fire there is no need for a   tantalizing sultry summer breeze. 

    
I’ll keep waiting for that perfect summer day that will give me a summer breeze not just a summer tease.

Nature's Fashion

    The gelid temperature in the air this morning brought out the best fashion that nature can don.

    The trees were wearing sweaters of white, their limbs and bodies were covered with milky woolen snowflakes that were woven all night, not one of them was alike.

    The trees vary in height creating a family portrait.  The two half - pint Spruces seemed to be embraced by an Oak and caressed by a Birch on the right, and they were all surrounded by their cousins that stood proudly covered in white.

This image lasted only until the sun warmed up the canvas of the day, and the trees changed their ivory winter sweaters to a grayish jacket of the day.

Perfection

A quiet breeze starts a milky sunrise and a new day of memories begin to grow. The color of the sun wakes up the petals of life and spills out for all to see.

 What will the new day bring? It really doesn’t matter as long as the sun still opens the door to a new day. Take a slice of the sun to brighten up your day.

    Now place your bet on the table of life and your chance of winning is great. Let the chips fall where they may, because the still of the night will allow you to cash in the chips of the day.

Let the warmth of the day comfort you through the dreams of the night and fill your soul with peace.

Another day is done but a wonderful night has begun. The peace in your heart will kindle the fire for another remarkable day to start.

Route 66

   

It’s time to call it quits retirement time is calling. Bitter sweet in many ways so how do I begin to enjoy them? I thought I was ready when I was 26, but at the age of 66 I am not too inspired.

    More time is promised to do things I want or need to do, but the clock keeps ticking. The vigor of my soul remains, but the energy is not as plentiful as I recall. 

    Do I have to learn how to be a senior citizen, because I have never been one before? Give me someone that can teach me how to slow the tempo of life and not to miss a beat the rest of my life.

    I don’t think I have to look too far. The satisfaction of my golden years is in my Grand children’s joyous hearts. The vigor that I am missing is never evident when I am with my four individual blessings.

  Forget the bitter it’s all sweet, it’s time to retire and let my grand children show me retirement’s real treat.

Abscess of Money

My teeth were perfect once upon a time, well maybe perfect in 1961, but my choppers would have been judged to be too crooked to be seen at the present time. It didn’t matter much to me because metal was only imposed when your teeth penetrated your nose. Now if there is one tooth out of line, they strap all 32 teeth together to make sure things are aligned. I guess that’s fine, but my father would have refused to pay the money no matter how big the overbite.

    I remember the night that fifteen dollars was too much to pay when asked by a dentist if your son needed a shot to subdue the torture he was going to put through. My dad said he would be all right, go ahead and start the root canal, never mind the shot!

    I started to sweat when I heard those words my father had just said. There was nothing I could do but hold on tight to the frightfully cold reclined chair, stare into the abyss of a 1940’s unnatural light and a wait for the drill to begin to penetrate my mouth. I had to remember there was a reason I was in this monstrous chair, it was because I had an abscess tooth and there was no way out. 

    I closed my eyes and started to pray, “Oh Lord it’s too late to ask for an extra fifteen dollars so please just make it OK”. 

    The dentist started the drill, and asked me if I was alright? I nodded yes as I was turning white. All I was thinking was to start the drilling so I could soon go home. My wish was his command; the gyrating drill struck my tooth as it began to whine. Suddenly the dental auger began to bore into my pitiful tooth and it began to spit and howl. It seemed forever, but I knew the end was near if only I could endure my painful thoughts and that awful drill. Finally the shrill sound of the dentist’s tool died, and he grumbled a big sigh, and muttered something like there was only one more task to be done.

    The canal was finally open and he could eliminate the pain by extricating the nerve that was driving me insane.

While balancing a minuscule fiber on the tip of a miniature pair of tweezers, the dentist started waving it as to surrender. All of a sudden the pain disappeared and I knew the torture was over. I never thought the painful memories would remain, especially the fifteen dollars that are still etched in my brain.

Beyond the Horizon

    To reach a goal one must go past the finish line and continue pursuing your dream everyday. The finish line is like the horizon over the ocean, it seems real and not so far away. You can travel towards it for many a day but it seems you always have to travel one more day.

    How do you continue reaching for the elusive horizon when it is so much easier to look the other way? 

    The answer is past the water that meets the sky, it’s called a new day. The sun rises just behind the horizon and begins to aluminate the sky. The sun seems to be floating in the water and paints a glistening new path on 
the morning waves.

   If you follow the sunbeams of the day, and allow yourself to get past the horizon, you will reach the sky.