Life’s Landscapes

I am looking out over the landscape of my life,

Noting all the different shades, and some days of black and white.

The jagged mountains of my youth, the dark and lonely spaces,the soft spring rains of love and joy became flower colored places.

The land hard worked to bring forth life,
The prickly fences of unhappiness created by trouble and strife.

The days of of joy and laughter, all blended with some learning, using all my wits about to keep the home fires burning.

I see something special I hadn’t noticed before. I was never alone, there have been angels galore.

(feeling thoughtful today)

A Day Like Any Other

It was this time many years ago, with this type of cool and sunny day when my life changed forever. My oldest son went to play with friends, and never came home. It was an accident, it really wasn’t anyone’s fault. I know that I blamed God for years for taking my son from me. I know now that wasn’t true. It was just a day like any other. For a short time.

This horrid thing should never happen to any parent. My son was 12 and 1/2 years old. Parents lose older and younger children. It’s the nightmare you dread from the day they are born.

I guess I am sharing this today, because it is his Memorial Day. It was a day, in May, with the sun shining, and the younger kids laughing.

This day, like all the Memorial Days since then, has given me opportunities to ponder and grow.

I miss my son so very much. He was a happy and playful child. He adored his younger brothers and sisters, and loved being their babysitter. They lost a lot, in that day like today.

So….just a quiet moment for Jeremiah M.

Happy Memorial Day.

The Gift of Giving

English: image edited to hide card’s owner name. author: Arturo Portilla (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have been thinking about how our country works, the way we give to those in need and the methods we use to go about it. In the Bible Luke 6:30 states: “Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.” I really had to think about that quote for a long time before I could comment on it. Giving when we want to is easy, it’s a joy to share when we WANT to. Sharing because it is the “right thing to do” is not as easy, and giving because you “have to” is even less appealing. Still, I find that the United States as a whole had believed in helping those less fortunate by having everyone share in the “giving”. In the past ten years, however, that has been less and less so, to the point that we have Americans who are angry and jealous because they are “forced to” share.

Social programs that were put in place to prevent abject poverty, such as Social Security, Welfare, and medical insurance programs such as Medicare and Title 19 are a few examples of how we, as a country, share the wealth. Even more so are the heating assistance programs, the food programs for women and children, and the educational support,  all contributing toward making life better for those less fortunate. These programs have their faults, as all social welfare programs tend to, but they serve a useful purpose. The social mobility that is available to the person who uses these programs as a benefit has been seen as a good thing up until recently. Abuses of the system do not prove that the system is wrong, only that the abuser needs to be brought to task.

Our identity as Americans that live in a land of opportunity and equality is being threatened by our desire to pick who we share with. In a financial system that does not prevent abject poverty, but instead could increase it substantially will put us on the level of countries who have a class system. Instead of focusing on the things that need to be done, and focusing on the price tag attached to everything, we will end up with very rich and very poor people. This is not someplace America wants to go. Focusing on how the system has been abused, and putting in preventive triggers makes more sense, and is in better keeping with our forefather’s traditions.

My Best Friend

I often refer to my husband Scott as my best friend. That is simply because he has been the best friend one could have. The fact that we were friends before we became involved with each other helped, and I am delighted to say that after 38 years of marriage, we still remain friends. He knows all of me, the good, the bad, and the really ugly. He has been there through some of the thickest parts of my life, and the parts that I am not proud of. He has encouraged me and helped me become the best of me that I can. In total, he has taught me how to be a very good friend.

In my world, good friends are less interested in making a point, and more interested in just the discussion. It might seem funny at first, but you might try arguing the opposite of your point of view sometime. It is an absolute exercise in opening your mind and looking at the world differently. Scott also taught me that it is ok to take a stand on something, and stick by it. This is especially difficult in family situations, but sometimes you just have to say what you think and let it sit there. While I have never refused to compromise when it made sense, I have also learned how to stand for those things that are truly important.

With Scott I have learned to listen without comment, or to let a friend vent without making them feel bad. I have learned to tell people how much I appreciate them, and how important they are to me. My husbands’ parents taught me how to be an excellent and loving parent.

All in all, I was blessed by the Good Lord to have a life partner and love of my life all in one. I understand that is rare these days. I hope for all I talk to and spend time on blogs with, and people I know…that they have the same in their lives. Thanks for listening!