DREAM

Follow your dream

wherever it leads,

don't be distracted

by less worthy needs

Shelter it, nourish it,

help it to grow -

Let your heart hold it

down deep where dreams go.

Follow your dream

pursue it with haste;

Life is too precious,

too fleeting to waste ...

Be faithful, be loyal,

then all your life through

the dreams that you follow

will keep coming true

~ Larry Chengges ~

Moving On

The hardest part of leaving a place and moving on is missing the people who you’ve met and loved.

Recently, my daughter received a letter from one of her friends at school.  It was a beautiful letter full of compliments.  As a mother, it was touching to see how my child had impacted the life of another.  In the middle of the letter, her friend said something like, “There are no goodbyes, only see you laters.”

I love that!  No goodbyes!  Goodbyes are so…final.  End of story.  No more to come.

Yet life goes on, just differently.  Who knows when paths will cross again?  They often do.

I believe this is the same with death.  Death is just someone moving on to a new place.  Life goes on, just differently.  One day, we will all see how it works.  One day, we will all rejoice as we see each other again!

Here is a poem I love:

Death Is Nothing At All

by Henry Scott Holland

(1847-1918)

Death is nothing at all.

It does not count.

I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.

Everything remains exactly as it was.

I am I, and you are you,

and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.

Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by the old familiar name.

Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.

Put no difference into your tone.

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.

Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.

There is absolute and unbroken continuity.

What is this death but a negligible accident?

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you, for an interval,

somewhere very near,

just round the corner.

All is well.

Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.

One brief moment and all will be as it was before.

How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

I used to fear losing people to death or a move.  Now, I look forward to the day we are reunited.  The possibility of meeting again gives me tremendous hope.  Those reunions are gonna be great!

I am a Duck!

We have lived many places. Each place has good and bad...things to enjoy and things to detest. Wherever we are, we have numerous experiences and meet many people.

It is important to retain the good and leave the rest behind (though easier said than done). Life is too short to hold onto difficult experiences...nonetheless, forgetting completely may be out of the question.

Growing up in Utah, I learned all I ever really needed to know for a happy life. To name a few...be honest, be kind, be helpful, be prayerful, families are forever, there is life after school, learning doesn't end when school ends. I cultivated a love for beautiful mountains, which always give me a feeling of peace.

In Kansas, I observed simple pleasures - cicadas, fireflies, gardens, sunsets.  The lesson...Life gets too busy, so slow down, Enjoy simple things, and remember what is most important in life.  Honestly, before moving to Kansas, I wasn't fond of sunflowers, the Kansas state flower.  Now, I love sunflowers! Sunflowers are cool, and they follow the sun.

New Jersey, Fuhgeddaboutit! The quick pace of life sometimes left me feeling overwhelmed. I began to realize that you don't know what you don't know. The biggest lesson of all was "things are not always as they seem" so look deeper. Living near the coast, I developed a love for the ocean and its power and majesty.

Oregonians enjoy nature. Even the university mascots are from nature - University of Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers. During rivalry games, we've never taken sides to support either school. Instead of a duck or beaver, we were more like a platypus (a little of both). Now, I cheerfully declare "I am a duck!" Why? Because I have learned to remain calm on the surface when paddling like crazy underneath. The key to progress is persistence and consistency.

Oregon has left an indelible mark.

People Who are Loving

I love people who are loving!  You know the ones...

They call just to see how you are doing.

They reach out with a hug or a compliment at just the right moment.

They know just how you are feeling without you saying a word.

They will do anything for you on the spur of the moment.

They don't insist on advance notice before you go to see them.

They don't wait for an invitation to stop by and check on you.

They somehow know exactly what you need and precisely when you need it.

They are always concerned for your welfare, even when they have stresses of their own.

They seem to have all the time in the world to talk with you, and yet they are some of the busiest people you know.

Remember the old AT&T commercials:  "Reach Out and Touch Someone".  They reminded us to make a difference in another person's life.

I feel very fortunate to have had many loving people in my life; some of them for only a short time, others for most of my life.  They have a huge impact.  They ease your burdens.  They lift your spirits.  They comfort your soul.

When you have loving people in your life, the world is a wonderful place. Truly, loving people are angels on earth!

Make a Difference

Most of us feel fortunate not to be in the public eye.  Why?  Have you read the "news" lately?  Most of it is negative and burdensome.  No wonder there are so many people suffering from depression... So much negativity and too many critics!

It seems that anything goes when it comes to "a story."  Much of the media twist events in a negative way to spark our emotions.  We buy it and react!  It seems society used to try and avoid the gossip, except for tabloid journalism.  Now, the biggest part of mainstream news seems to be tabloid material.

Quite honestly, I find it disgusting.  There are terrible things happening and we should be aware of them.  But why focus on the negative?  

The law of attraction states that like attracts like.  When we focus on negative things, it takes over our thoughts.  Negative attracts negative and creates more of it.  Likewise, positive attracts positive...and multiplies!

The following quote helps me put things into context.  It gives credit to those who work to make a difference; and it provides me hope and courage as I strive to do the same.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled and fell, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena: whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again…who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; and at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."  Teddy Roosevelt, The Man in the Arena

Another favorite quote comes to mind.  (Like attracts like...☺️)

"What I am suggesting is that each of us turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom we associate, that we speak of one another's virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears. When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically, my father would say:  'Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, doubters do not achieve.'"  Gordon B. Hinkley, The Continuing Pursuit of Truth

So forget about the critics.  There will always be critics.  Do something worthwhile.  Don't be distracted from worthy causes.  Make a difference!  We can change the world by accentuating the positive.

And remember:  "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."  Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Speaking Up

While sorting through many belongings and papers, I have come across a lot of "stuff" from our family's history.  Some of it has been challenging, remembering tough situations that we have survived.  Some of it has been impelling, re-sparking my conviction of true principles.

A letter I wrote to the editor is a combination of both.  I wrote it in 2003 after attending township meetings where I watched politics at work.  I couldn't take the dishonesty and felt a need to speak up.  Those township meetings were the beginning of some eye-opening events where I learned many things, but especially that things are not always as they are portrayed.  Since then, I have kept my eyes open to the bigger picture surrounding each circumstance.  You might say I am paying more attention "to that man behind the curtain."

I share part of that letter here:

From my teenage years, I remember Billy Joel singing a song titled “Honesty.” I can still hear the words..."Honesty is hardly ever heard, but mostly what I need from you."

Being raised in a community where honesty was valued and practiced, I was saddened that anyone would feel they “hardly ever heard” honesty.  I couldn’t imagine such a world.

As I have done business with some members of [the] community and watched the political arena, I no longer need to imagine a dishonest world, because it is reality.  Though money and power seem to be controlling forces, they don’t need to be, and we shouldn’t allow it.  Deceit and greed create confusion.

Unethical politicians will do ANYTHING to win, even breaking the law through intimidation, extortion, blackmail and racketeering (commonly referred to as “status quo”).  This behavior is wrong no matter to what political party one belongs.  The public shouldn’t dismiss this kind of behavior with “That’s politics!” and law enforcement officials and those in law-related fields should know better.

It gives a bad name to anyone who wants to make a difference in the political process.

People deserve truth from public officials and those who back them financially.  Since perception isn’t necessarily reality, we need to elect those who have respect for truth and won’t disguise it just to win elections.

Let’s not forget the lessons of September 11, 2001:  There are those who want to destroy our way of life—many who work within our established system of government.  Our families and freedoms are important and both are worth fighting to protect.  The daily choices we each make can help preserve or prevent our freedom.

Make sure you vote, and be careful for whom you vote because, good or bad, we all have to live with the consequences!  We want to leave a better society for our children—not one filled with corruption or confusion where honesty is “hardly ever heard.” 

We need to return to good principles.  We need to start with honesty.  It is essential to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” 

I have learned there is value in speaking up, not only for ourselves but for others.  Life is too precious to allow others control over our every move.  Freedom to choose for ourselves is what this country is built upon.  I believe it is also part of our purpose in life.  (Interesting to note that the more laws that are made, the less free we become.)

It is important to be aware of what is happening in the world around us.  However, when news and political processes are followed too closely, it is easy to lose hope.  Changing communities and focus has restored hope to my life.  I feel gratitude knowing that there are many good people left in the world, and there is much good still happening.  You have to look for it.  If you seek it, you will find it.