Poetry In Motion

First Band Concert

When a student becomes a teacher, there is great satisfaction for the instructor who has inspired the youngster to pursue a particular interest that has driven them through 4 very long years of a private institution in a very particular field.  In this instance, I watched as a Band Director videotaped his former student conduct her very first concert as a Music Educator.  The pride was apparent through the great big smile as he watched his young student interact and prepare this youth band for their very first band concert ever.

Music Student becomes Music Educator

• A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning. (Brad Henry) 

While it is up to the parents of the band students to brag about the concert itself, it gives me great joy to see this young lady, the music teacher, fulfill her dreams.  For she was once the clarinet player in the 6th grade band performing in her very first concert not so long ago.  And it was her 6th grade band teacher who found her that first clarinet.  All through middle school she worked hard to be the very best that she could be through private instruction, faithfully, with a clear goal in mind.  She continued on that same path into High School where she was mentored by a husband and wife music duo who just happened to attend the same music institution as her 6th grade band teacher and his wife.  It is at that very same music school where she would obtain her degree as a Music Educator.

• Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.  (Plato) 

I, as the parent of this beautiful young woman, could not be more proud as I sat in the audience with tears in my eyes witnessing her own personal joy.  This is just one more accomplishment of many more to come.  For she is a very strong-willed individual, and knowing she has come full circle from music student to music educator, is truly a feather in her cap.  This will undoubtedly give her greater strength as she continues on her path to inspire the youth of today with her passionate love of music...just as her own music teachers inspired and encouraged her along the way...including the one who made his way out of town, after a very long day teaching his own students, to witness and videotape his former student in her very first concert as a music teacher herself.

And we all know that music is truly a universal language...

Human Spirit and Giving Thanks

© 2012 hula~la

• "How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it." (George Elliston)

This day is truly beautiful as a result of a random act of kindness that I have witnessed first hand.   Generosity comes in many forms.  It can be as simple as holding the door open for someone, or raking the leaves for someone who is not able; a kind word said to another can make a difference in their world.  It is also quite nice to bake and deliver cookies to a neighbor...just because!!!  Or shovel the dreaded snow that is sure to be falling very soon here in the northeast.  This is a good one...pay the bridge toll for the car behind you, and just drive away.  Now I'd like to think the person who you just paid for, who has their cash in hand ready to pay, upon finding out his toll was paid, will now use his cash to pay for the car behind him...pay it backward in this case. 

What I witnessed today was a gesture so sincere that it truly took my breath away.  For someone to reach out and help another financially who they have never met before, most assuredly will restore anyone's faith in mankind.  The recipient of this generosity is a person who is always so caring and giving, yet is also someone who would never ask for help...of any kind.  Selfless caring and kindness is embedded in every human spirit, yet it must be nurtured through everyday living.  

• "You will discover that you have two hands.  One is for helping yourself and the other is for helping others." (Audrey Hepburn)

There are those in this world who feel compelled to take advantage of others.  That is how they live. For they somehow feel entitled to be something they are not, or have something they can not.  They are lacking in their soul the common decency that drives humanity.  Or the will to give of themselves freely, for how can they possibly take at the same time as they are giving?  Perhaps they have never been on the receiving end of a kind word or gesture.  Maybe they have never experienced the feeling of love or true goodness from the heart.  The determination to give of ones self comes from a place deep inside the human soul and is initiated by the brain with a simple thought of just being kind.

• "Things of the spirit differ from things material in that the more you give the more you have."  (Christopher Morley)
  

For those of us who have a heart and who have the will to make this world a better place, it is very easy to perform a simple random act of kindness towards another human being.  Make eye contact with everyone you meet and smile.  A great BIG genuine smile:)  It's that simple.  That single gesture can be the spark that lights the unconditional desire to show kindness of the human spirit towards another.  It's what truly makes us whole as individuals.  JUST DO IT!  The feeling you will have as a result will be your worthy reward.  And always, always give thanks!

Community

Higgins, BEST DOG EVER, with local turtle

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Cara

Higgins 1999 - 2012

A whirlwind of days has just flown by me like the wind that brought that terrible storm to the northeast bringing the beautiful month of October to a close.  The Nor'easter that was so dreaded, seemed to slip right through here, thankfully without any new damage.  The first snowfall, though bitter cold the air, has already faded away.  Thankfully, so that we all may catch up a bit from the personal traumas and dramas that have touched on our lives recently.  

• He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity. (Ben Johnson)

It's been said that bad things happen in threes.  Well, we have met our quota for now, I hope.  For the first of our recent bad times was when our beloved dog, Higgins died.  Now, this dog was truly the BEST DOG EVER.  He was a loyal companion to our children.  

The first day they ever had to ride the school bus, this dog, barking all the while they were getting on this big yellow vehicle, proceeded to just sit down directly in front of that school bus so it could not carry his beloved charges off.  Oh, the bus driver beeped her horn, and he just sat...and barked.  His BFF had to get off the bus to walk him away and back to the yard, barking all the while. 

Now I would've brought him back myself, but oh no, Mom was not allowed to stand at the end of this very long driveway and wait with the kids for the bus.  That's what Higgins was doing, and NO MOMS ALLOWED!  Since that day, he actually got on the bus with the children, and was rewarded with a treat for not blocking the driver's progress.  He made his way down the aisle with his kids until they sat, and made his way back greeting all the new friends he would make over the years...getting yet another treat as he disembarked.  

This morning ritual was then repeated, as he waited patiently for the afternoon hour when he could get back on that bus to greet his friends, for more dog treats and then walk them home safely, yet playfully with his tennis ball or squeaky hamburger that he would drop at the end of the driveway and retrieve on the rebound, for he was happy his playmates were back.  If he was inside for that afternoon hour, boy would he let me know with whining and pacing that it was time for the bus!!!  

Yes, he was the BEST DOG EVER!  And he is sorely missed!  That he died on our 25th wedding anniversary, with his kids by his side on his own terms, as he waited until the youngest daughter got home to sit by his side, was a true testament to his brilliance.  For it was the first time that we, as a family were all together at home for a change.  And we were together for him, as he was always there for all of us, whenever we needed him, without judgments of any sort.  True, loyal companionship.

• Grief is the price we pay for love. (Elizabeth II)

Part two of our three part trauma/drama is when a very dear friend's mother passed away.  Now this woman wore her faith on her sleeve and she was very proud that it would be the legacy that her family, friends and community would attribute to her.  At the wake, her daughter in law, while grieving smiled a great big smile and told me how thankful she was that Gloria's (Grandma, Mom) gift to her children was her faith.  For that is exactly what this family was drawing on to get them through this painful time together.  It brought them comfort.  Her church honored her for her dedication to the faith community that we were all a part of.  And that brought comfort to my family, too.

Now the third and final installment of our "bad x 3" events, took place just after Gloria's wake.  I had to make an appearance at a work function, so of course my cell phone was turned off.  Since I dropped my watch, and did not know what time it was, I took out my cell phone to check the time, and there were numerous missed calls by an unknown number.  Well, it is one of those dreaded moments when time escapes and the color in your face pales you.  

It was the 911 call center to inform me that my husband was being transported by ambulance to the hospital for an accident.  I will forego the details here, because I could not even breathe when I heard the words of what type of accident it was.  I ran to a friend for help, as I could not make any sense of the notification I had just received, but in short order she had me and one of my children gathered together as we followed that ambulance to the hospital.  One good thing about all this was that, one of our other daughters was with him in the ambulance, and it was his friends who were actually accompanying him to the hospital, ambulance driver, EMT...fireman...the works.  Thankfully he was not alone.  And there was a slew of "comedians" when we arrived at the emergency room to try and keep the spirits up for all of us...Fire Chief aka Principal of the middle school, and more fire dept. gang, policeman friends, gees, guess that pager/scanner thing alerts everyone who matters in our lives.

The accident itself, while it was severe and required surgery, thankfully was not life threatening and he is currently asleep and on the mends, though he must remain still for at least a month...says the surgeon.  Oh my...  He's just not that type of guy.  The troops have rallied, the children (all grown up) are the best, and I am just trying to catch my breath.  For this whole episode from Gloria's wake to the surgery, had only been 2 days, it seems like weeks have gone by.   And I am exhausted!!!

• Some people strengthen the society just by being the kind of people they are.  (John W. Gardner)

I believe that we are a good, kind family unit.  We are community minded individuals and always do our part whenever we can.  Now I am not gloating, because I also believe that the best type of charity is done anonymously, without seeking acknowledgment for the effort of any sort. However, I am able to draw this conclusion, because the outpouring of support to us has been tremendous since my husband's accident 4 short days ago.  

While our whole family unit was in the emergency room for hours, a clean up crew, complete with wood splitter, had been sent to our home to clean up the source of the accident...which happened while hubby was cleaning up from the incredible Sandy disaster that swept through here and left us with trees down and without power for days.  

Then the next day while at the hospital for pre-surgery testing, and endless paperwork, dinner arrives from a wonderful friend nearby for the children who were at home awaiting Dad's return. The day after that, a truckload of seasoned, split firewood is delivered to our home in preparation for the Nor'easter that threatened to take out the power and down more trees yet again.. (Thankfully that did not happen.)  That firewood was stacked neatly outside our front door and the wood stove has been burning hot ever since, because at the change of the clock from daylight savings the temperatures dropped to bitter cold.  Yes, splitting firewood is one of my husband's favorite past times, and he is not able to do that right now.  Yet, we are warm.   And warmed by the generosity of others.

Feeling safe enough to go back to work for a normal 8 hour day, while hubby was resting and under the watchful eyes of the kids to keep him from trying to do any sort of manly chores, like putting more wood on the fire, dinner arrives yet again to my home just before I get there.  Amazing!  Now this is what it is to be part of a community.  

• “Community has little to do with proximity.” (Aaron Starkey)

I would like to encourage everyone to perform a simple, random act of kindness towards another.  It can even be to adopt a pet from an animal shelter.  I have started a list of things that I will be doing for others to give back for the outpouring of friendship that has been bestowed upon us in recent days.  It involves, baking and sending anonymous greeting cards through the good old USPS. And we always, always pay the toll on the bridge for the car behind us.  Yes, simple random acts of kindness are good for the soul.  Give it a try, it will be the reward that you give yourself for just being human!!!

MOONDANCE

OCTOBER SKIES

MOONDANCE

WELL IT'S A MARVELOUS NIGHT FOR A MOONDANCE
WITH THE STARS UP ABOVE IN YOUR EYES
A FANTABULOUS NIGHT TO MAKE ROMANCE
'NEATH THE COVER OF OCTOBER SKIES
AND ALL THE LEAVES ON THE TREES ARE FALLING
TO THE SOUND OF THE BREEZES THAT BLOW
AND I'M TRYING TO PLEASE TO THE CALLING
OF YOUR HEART STRINGS THAT PLAY SOFT AND LOW
 AND ALL THE NIGHT'S MAGIC SEEMS TO WHISPER AND HUSH
AND ALL THE SOFT MOONLIGHT SEEMS TO SHINE IN YOUR BLUSH

CAN I JUST HAVE ONE MORE MOONDANCE WITH YOU, MY LOVE?
CAN I JUST MAKE SOME MORE ROMANCE WITH YOU, MY LOVE?

WELL, I WANNA MAKE LOVE TO YOU TONIGHT
I CAN'T WAIT 'TIL THE MORNING HAS COME
AND I KNOW NOW THE TIME IS JUST RIGHT
AND STRAIGHT INTO MY ARMS YOU WILL RUN
AND WHEN YOU COME MY HEART WILL BE WAITING 
TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NEVER ALONE
THERE AND THEN ALL MY DREAMS WILL COME TRUE, DEAR
THERE AND THEN I WILL MAKE YOU MY OWN

AND EVERY TIME I TOUCH, YOU JUST TREMBLE INSIDE
AND I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU WANT ME THAT YOU CAN'T HIDE
CAN I JUST HAVE ONE MORE MOONDANCE WITH YOU, MY LOVE?
CAN I JUST MAKE SOME MORE ROMANCE WITH YOU, MY LOVE?
ONE MORE MOONDANCE WITH YOU IN THE MOONLIGHT
ON A MAGIC NIGHT
LA LA LA LA LA IN THE MOONLIGHT
ON A MAGIC NIGHT
CAN I JUST HAVE ONE MORE MOONDANCE WITH YOU, MY LOVE?

written by Van Morrison   

Live It Up

"We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us." 

(Charles Bukowski)

A dear friend recently told me that the bumps in the road, the hardships and heartaches in life are inevitable. That the scars we suffer, give us character.  It's how we are molded. They in turn provide us with knowledge and courage and ultimately make us stronger.  They make us who we are.  Chalk it up to "experience".

Someone else told me just yesterday, that any day you wake up, is a good day. You're alive, you're above ground.  Very profound with so many obstacles out there to challenge our very existence.  Health being number one on that list, I'd say.  Not to mention all the negative outside influences that can present themselves on a daily basis without so much as a warning.  

Yes, the ultimate goal of every human being on any good day in which we are blessed enough to wake up above ground, is just that...LIFE!

• "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how."                        (Friedrich Nietzsche)

Now everybody has advice to give based on personal experiences and lessons learned along the way in their own pursuit of "life".  (see earlier post on my advice and Lessons Learned) We can choose to heed the advice given to us or not, based on the relationship we have with the person dishing it out.  The "trust" factor comes into play here to tap you on the shoulder in order to wake up the gut instinct.  It is in each of us to help steer us in the right direction and help decipher the message that is not always clear in the advice thrown at us.  For there are people out there who purposely give you bad advice in order to take advantage of you or a particular situation you may find yourself in.

• "Trust your hunches. They're usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level."   (Joyce Brothers)
   

Normally, we tend to listen to the advice of teachers and doctors, for isn't that their business?  And we can all learn something from the elderly.  Those genuine souls who have lived earnestly and productively could shed more light on just about any situation which requires not only common sense, but the lessons learned from the school of hard knocks.  Learning from the experiences of others, doled out as "advice", generally serves as a guide on how NOT to do something.  Come on now, we all have those tidbits of information tucked away and will draw on them automatically if the need arises. Hopefully before an occurrence that will give us pause, and make us shake our head, just before someone else slaps us upside it...with a quip about how dumb that was or worse, that phrase that we all dread hearing..."I TOLD YOU SO"!

However, there is no better way to learn than to have the experience for yourself. The endeavor itself should focus on the objective to attain the goal of success for the effort.
  

• "The reason I am more successful than most is because I have failed more than most!"  (Robert Kyosaki)

Depending on how you define success, the experience you will have gained in order to meet the goal is LIFE itself!  You are living it...and isn't that the ultimate goal to LIFE...LIVING???

• "For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin~real life, but there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.  At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.  This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness.  Happiness is the way.  So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one."  (Souza)

SO LIVE IT UP!!!

Old Friends

Now is the time...

today is the day...

what are you waiting for???

I have recently gone on a journey backwards in time, for I have come to the realization that time is passing me by without so much as a warning.  OK, perhaps I have had some clue; a few gray hairs, a couple wrinkles (laugh lines, I'd like to say, but most are truly worry lines), and I surely don't move as quickly as I used to.  

When I look back to where I came from, I can hardly believe that I am even old enough to have 3 grown children.  I just keep telling myself, "the children are getting older, but I am not".  I remember thinking with my oldest child, Kindergarten is so far off...And then WHAM!!!    Moving up day...High School Graduation...Move away to college...College Graduation...Good Lord...I am soooo not ready to be a grandmother!  Thank goodness, she is not either...

Slow down...you move too fast!  And then of course, there goes child number 2, and here I am with the last child graduating high school and I still haven't figured out what the hell I want to do with my life!!!  Oh, don't get me wrong...getting married to a wonderful man, 25 years ago this month, and having this beautiful family is exactly what I wanted for my life.  I believe I am exactly where I belong.  But, I haven't figured out what the ME part of MOM/ME~MOMMY is supposed to do now!

I still have a job that I love...most of the time.  I have some wonderful friends and I especially love to create things with my hands...outofhand...that's me.  I don't have a particular art skill, but I like to learn new things.  My favorite items with which to create are papers...I am very passionate about old books and vintage papers.  I absolutely love when I buy an old book and find some vintage piece of paper tucked away inside just waiting for me to find it.  If it is an old letter, I envision the writer and the recipient, as I hold it gently between my fingers to keep it safe.

Old books are probably the most intriguing item I can imagine.  My home is full of them.  They have such character and each is unique in a very special way.  Their bindings and covers are intricately designed with such wonderful detail.  Old books have a story that is not written on the pages within.  I wonder where they have been on their journey, who was the first owner, how many people have actually read them.  I am quite fond of books that have been written in by the owner in that lovely script handwriting from the old days, whether it be just to take ownership of the book, or as a way of gifting this special book to a lucky person on the receiving end.  And if it is dated at the same time...ever so sweet, indeed!  

• Books support us in our solitude and keep us from being a burden to ourselves. (Jeremy Collier)

Yes, as I have gone back and re-connected with some old friends from back home and beyond, I find myself comfortably at home with the many, many old friends I have acquired over the years...old books...old friends!!! 

Time to turn the page...

for I guess I have my own tale to tell...

Lessons Learned

"The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool."
  (Stephen King)

 

Turning the page is truly easier said than done.  That is, of course in relation to moving on after experiencing a great disappointment.  For when you are the victim of a breach of trust, the natural instinct of the brain goes into attack mode.  It is an immediate response that must be put in check quickly, so as not to produce a more negative result that will encompass your whole existence.  The mind, heart and soul are connected in a very unique way.  When the mind exercises its great power in rage, the heart and soul are directly affected. And at that point your health is also in jeopardy.  The feeling of a black heart will kill the soul.

Yes, we've all heard the phrase, "revenge is sweet".  And sometimes revenge can be accomplished very easily without much effort at all. But what good is revenge if others who are completely innocent in the whole matter are caught in the crossfire?  For the truth is, no matter how sweet the act of even planning revenge may seem, it makes you equal to the perpetrator. You become a victim, all over again.  And you are left with a feeling of despair and guilt for having acted in the same manner as the one who has wronged you so terribly.  Hatred and revenge are not the answer. 

•  In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.  (Francis Bacon)

No, the only way to overcome a deep and painful attack on your very existence from a breach of trust, is to acknowledge it for exactly what it is. It may have been done in a vicious manner, so as to harm, and it may have even occurred without specific malicious intent whatsoever.  Perhaps it was just an act of wanton disregard for human feeling.  Whatever the reason, the act itself is done...gone with the wind...and that, too, is how you must condition your mind to see it...done...gone...over!

The brain is powerful.  Your mind has the ability to allow peaceful existence to take over your body...heart and soul...and free you from the inner turmoil and anguish.  You must let it go!  Will yourself to find the lesson from it, because there is always a lesson to be learned when conflict obstructs our version of harmony within.  And finally, as hard as it may be, forgiveness is the way to release the mental torment that has taken hold of your human spirit.

Have faith and remember that patience is a virtue.  For this too, shall pass.  But until it does, here's a quick quip to keep you in check...

• Time wounds all heels.  (Anonymous)