Reason, Season and a Lifetime

A teacher is a candle who spends their whole life giving light to all of their students.

I never knew there was a World Teacher Day until I saw it on my calendar, so here I am. Because as a retired Spanish teacher, and a blogger who uses – SHINE ON – to end her posts, well, it was only fitting for me to write today.

Perhaps though I’ll go in a bit of a different direction. Because I think that the world is our classroom and all of her inhabitants are our teachers. Each relationship we have teaches us something else. We learn much from the people in our lives. That poem about reason, season or lifetime seems fitting at this juncture. We are blessed to learn something from each relationship we are in. I found this poem by Brian A. Chalker which I think explains it very well. Read on…

Reason, Season and a Lifetime

People always come into your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, or to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually. They may seem like a godsend to you, and they are. They are there for a reason, you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die, Sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall, the season eventually ends.

LIFETIME, relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway), and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas in your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. Thank you for being part of my life…..

My heartfelt gratitude to all of you with whom I have been in contact, had a relationship, and learned from as my teachers. You have shaped my life in amazing ways and I am truly grateful for all of you.

Shine On!

xo

Our Deepest Fear

Our Deepest Fear
By Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us;
It’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

 

Just a little inspiration for all of us.  May you continue to shine your heartlights!

Shine On!

xo

Greetings 2021

Happy First Monday of 2021 to all! I hope you had a lovely New Year’s and that you are quickly settling into writing 2021 as opposed to 2020! It always takes me a few days to get used to writing a new year in the beginning. Do you have the same experience?

I awoke this morning and realized that this is a new decade for me and my loved ones. A lot happened in our lives during the last decade 2010-2020 which brought about so many tears, changes and much upheaval. But I am looking forward to this new decade which comes in altogether differently with a breath of fresh optimism, love, light and healing. I am so grateful for the past decade which taught me so much even when it was so difficult. I remain blessed that what I endured during these last ten years has made me stronger, more resilient and has taught me more about life and people than I ever really intended. I’ve learned so much which allows me to help others who are in similar situations. For walking these paths is not easy and sometimes we simply need a hand to hold onto as we continue on. As always, I offer you my hand in friendship.

What I love is that I can honestly tell you that I am happy, and that I have healed from the past decade’s experiences. Overcoming so many life’s challenges without losing myself, nor my positive attitude, has been miraculous. I have had much help over the years and I am truly grateful for those who stayed and supported me, took the time to listen, to help me to heal and to inspire me to believe in love and life again. These gifts are so precious to me as are those people who reached out with kindness and caring.

I am raising my glass to you and to 2021 in greetings! May we continue to see the glass as. half full and be grateful for the glass itself which is refillable. May we hold precious those who care and love innately. May we be filled with hope, inspiration and the light of goodness as we fill our days shining our heartlights. May we never forget The Presents of Presence no matter how hectic our lives become – for this lifetime is short and is never guaranteed for a certain period of time.

So live a life that you are proud of,

a legacy of love,

that helps all with whom you connect

to feel the blessings

that your presence is to our world.

Shine On!

xo

What Is Love?

What Is Love?

Love…

unites, comforts, is sacred.

Love…

deepens, cuddles, is affectionate.

Love…

believes, blinds, is infinite.

Love…

cares, listens, is loyal.

Love…

lifts, soothes, is cherished.

Love…

connects, forgives, is non-judgmental.

Love…

inspires, bonds, is universal.

Love…

is passionate.

Love is shared.

Love is heartlights shining.

Love is here to stay.

Shine On!

xo

Never Borrow Sorrow From Tomorrow

Deal only with the present,

Never step into tomorrow,

For God asks us just to trust Him

 And to never borrow sorrow-

For the future is not ours to know

 And it may never be,

So let us live and give our best

And give it lavishly-

 For to meet tomorrow’s troubles

 Before they are even ours

 Is to anticipate the Savior

 And to doubt His all-wise powers-

 So let us be content to solve

 Our problems one by one,

 Asking nothing of tomorrow

Except “Thy Will be done.”

  ~  Helen Steiner Rice

 A good reminder for a quiet Sunday afternoon.  May your week ahead be lovely!

Keep shining your heartlights!

Shine On!

xo

May Your Day

May your day unfold on gossamer wings as the angels nestle you with love. 

May the heavens shine their sunlight rays and moonlit stars to illuminate your path. 

May the holiness of this precious moment be appreciated as the gift it is. 

May mercy, love and kindness be yours always.

Shine On!

xo

Rabbit Rabbit October 1st

It’s the first of the month and you know what you need to do, right?  Say…

Rabbit Rabbit White Rabbit White Rabbit!

May the chill in the air invigorate you

May the falling leaves blanket a path upon the earth for you to walk

May the bejeweled colors ignite your creativity

May what is no longer needed in your life fall away

May comfort foods nourish you

May family time warm your heart

May your head fall upon the pillow nightly with gratitude for the day’s events

May you snuggle down in front of a warm fireside at the end of the day

And fall in love.*

Shine On!

xo

*Poem by Y.D.

 

You Start Dying Slowly

You start dying slowly

You start dying slowly
If you do not travel,
If you do not read,
If you do not listen to the sounds of life,
If you do not appreciate yourself.

You start dying slowly
When you kill your self-esteem;
When you do not let others help you.

You start dying slowly
If you become a slave of your habits,
Walking everyday on the same paths…
If you do not change your routine,
If you do not wear different colors
Or you do not speak to those you don’t know.

You start dying slowly
If you avoid to feel passion
And their turbulent emotions;
Those which make your eyes glisten
And your heart beat fast.

You start dying slowly
If you do not change your life when you are not satisfied with your job, or with your love,
If you do not risk what is safe for the uncertain,
If you do not go after a dream,
If you do not allow yourself,
At least once in your lifetime,
To run away from sensible advice…

Muere lentamente quien se transforma en esclavo del hábito,
repitiendo todos los días los mismos trayectos, 
quien no cambia de marca, 
no arriesga vestir un color nuevo y no le habla a quien no conoce.
Muere lentamente quien hace de la Television su guia.
Muere lentamente quien evita una pasión,
quien prefiere el negro sobre blanco y los puntos sobre las “íes” a un remolino de emociones,
justamente las que rescatan el brillo de los ojos,
sonrisas de los bostezos, corazones a los tropiezos y sentimientos.
Muere lentamente quien no voltea la mesa cuando está infeliz en el trabajo,
quien no arriesga lo cierto por lo incierto para ir detrás de un sueño,
quien no se permite por lo menos una vez en la vida, huir de los consejos sensatos.
Muere lentamente quien no viaja, quien no lee,
quien no oye música, quien no encuentra gracia en sí mismo.
Muere lentamente quien destruye su amor propio, quien no se deja ayudar.
Muere lentamente, quien pasa los días quejándose de su mala suerte o de la lluvia incesante.
Muere lentamente, quien abandona un proyecto antes de iniciarlo, no preguntando de un asunto que desconoce o no respondiendo cuando le indagan sobre algo que sabe.
Evitemos la muerte en suaves cuotas, recordando siempre que estar vivo exige un esfuerzo mucho mayor que el simple hecho de respirar.
Solamente la ardiente paciencia hará que conquistemos una espléndida felicidad.

Mistakenly, this poem has been attributed to Pablo Neruda, but in fact, here, I found that Brazilian writer Martha Medeiros is the author of Muere Lentamente.  The translation above is not exact to the original, so I added the original in case you speak Spanish and want to read it in its original form.

This poem touched my heart and so I wanted to share it with you.  May you continue to shine your heartlights and stay alive with wonder.

Shine On!

xo

Oh May, What A Treat!

What a treat to get up every morning and greet the day ahead!  Don’t you think?  As a glass 1/2 full type of gal, I enjoy mornings and the clean slate on which to etch the day.  As I sip my morning coffee, I begin my day in quiet stillness.  It’s my favorite time of day.

Ode to May’s Treat

I hope that today brings you peace within. 

May the sun shine into your life. 

If you have clouds and rain as I do, know that it is within the darkness that the stars become brighter. 

May gratitude and peace surround you.

May your wishes be fulfilled.

May you revel in God’s love.

Open your heartlight to the Universe and allow love to flow to you, from you and within you. 

May healing encompass you. 

May peace within you germinate and grow. 

May love fill your heart to overflowing and may you extend that love to connect with all whom you meet. 

May forgiveness be yours – to be given and received. 

May mercy follow you and ignite your being. 

May grace and dignity walk beside with you. 

May you take the higher path without stumbling. 

May joy guide you on your path. 

May this day be a new beginning for each of us!

Shine On!

xo

Gratitude For Eight Years On WordPress

I got a note from WordPress today telling me that eight years ago today, I began my blog.  It doesn’t seem that I have been writing for eight years to you all, but I’m assuming WordPress knows what it’s talking about, don’t you think?  Ah, the benefits of blogging!

In eight years, much has changed in my life.  My initial focus was to help other women battling cancer, specifically breast cancer as I endured it myself and I am still here.  But as life developed, I have written about other subjects too including:  poetry, pets, children, parents, relationships, Mother Nature, horseback riding, Alzheimer’s and Dementia, holidays, angels, spirituality, religion, Rabbit, Rabbit, photography, SendOutCards, amazing books and movies, inspirational quotes, life in general and even death because I had first hand experience with all of those topics.  While I was enduring hardships, you were all there for me with your loving support and I am ever grateful.  I wrote to share my experiences in hopes that I would be able to help someone else along that path.

I am ever grateful for the loving connections that have evolved through our blogging community which we have grown through our writings and by reaching out in kindness, generosity and always with a loving heart.  Friendships have blossomed through our writings that have cemented many of us soul to soul in miraculous ways.  From WordPress comments to emails to actual phone calls, I can count many deep friendships which span the world now for which I am honored to be a part of in this lifetime – and yet, we have never met face to face.  But the love is there, without ever being in each other’s physical presence.

It’s so interesting to me that I have yet to meet anyone face to face that I met through blogging and yet I count many of you as true friends.  What a gift this Presents of Presence has been for me!  I pray that you feel the same way – that my writings, my comments and my love for all of you shines its heartlight and helps to raise the energetic vibrations of this world’s energy to encourage peace, love, compassion and understanding along with connections to all.

May your heart be lifted today and may your heartlight shine for all to see, for I see you out there dearest friends and I am ever grateful, as always, for our connections.

Shine On!

xo