Comes the Dawn

When I first read this poem, I was about 15 or 16 I guess. I read it in an Ann Landers column in the Gainesville Sun. I was so young for these words, but somehow they made sense to me. It made such an impression on me, I cut it out of the newspaper (the only time I have EVER done that) and it still resides in my scrapbook. As I got and get older, they made and make more sense to me. And, as I continue to get older (God willing!), I am sure it will make more sense than it does today.

To this day, when I am feeling frustrated, or blue, or defeated, I just recite 'grace not grief; grace not grief' to myself. I even had it typed and stuck to my bulletin board in my office for many many years. My co-workers would often ask me what it meant, and my response was always the same...."oh, it's just something I think about." But, it was how I wanted to live my life..... with grace, not grief. I am not always successful, but I sure try hard.

I found this explanation of it on-line and I can't say it any better than this, so here it is...

I came to realize that it is about inner strength, and learning that women have to learn not to depend on a man, or anyone else, for their happiness and fulfillment. I learned that in everyone's life there are good-byes of one kind or another. We are always saying good-bye. Spouses let us down; spouses disappoint us; spouses don't keep promises. Spouses and other loved ones die. Friends move away; friendships cool, and children grow up and leave home. They begin their own lives and aren't so much a part of ours anymore. Some stay close to us, some don't. Parents do the best they can, but most of us have some scars and issues from childhood. Eventually, they leave us, also. So,we have to build our own world, plan our own lives, and learn not to depend on anyone else except God. Most of all, we realize that we can survive if we are strong. Then, anything that comes along to make us happy is just icing on the cake.



Comes the Dawn

After a while you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul.

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't mean security.

That kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises.

After awhile you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes wide open,
with the grace of a woman,
not the grief of a child.

And you learn to build your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain
and futures have a way of falling in mid-flight.

After a while you learn that even sunshine burns
if you get too much.

So, you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone else to bring you flowers.

And you learn you really can endure...
that you really do have worth.
You learn and you learn
...with every good-bye you learn.

Author Unknown

Parents and Hymns

DH and I were invited to share the anniversary dinner with my dad and stepmom. What a treat! They have been married for 27 years now...which means I was 12 when they married. How hard was that!?!?!?

Anyway, we were treated to Ipanema in Ocala, and was it a treat!! It's a Brazilian steakhouse and it was just wonderful. More than anything though, I loved seeing my parents laughing and having a good time. They have worked so hard for so so so many years and it warms my heart to know that they are happy, well taken care of, financially secure and enjoying life. We have one live to live...live it!

My mother is going to the Panama Canal tomorrow. Older one heard me on the phone today and asked me who was going where now? He said, it seems like all your parents do is travel all through their retirement! I love that! He has only known them for a short time and recognized how much they love to live. I told him they could travel all the time I would be so happy for them. They worked so hard all their lives, all my parents, and now have the resources to be able to do the things they always said they would do. I said...spend it all! He thought that was strange and asked me what that meant. He'll understand one day.

My friend "Blessed by your Name" blogged about a song at his church this past weekend. That started me thinking about my favorite....here is perhaps my favorite contemporary song. How Great Is Our God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48xf_rh2Qsg

One of my most favorite traditional hymns was always a favorite, but really became a favorite after the funeral of DH's beloved grandmother. "Because He Lives". I have many, but this one has a special meaning....

I'd love to hear your favorites.....

Take care of yourself and Don't Blink!

Why God is a Republican and Santa Claus is a Democrat

DH posts on several blogs, one of which is for the diversity class he teaches at University. While most of the higher education system teaches from the left, DH teaches from the right. Here is a copy of a post from his blog, http://trulydiverse.blogspot.com/ You should check it out . .

AS TRUE TODAY AS IT WAS IN 1991

Why God is a Republican and Santa Claus is a Democrat
Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts To Explain The Entire U. S. Government | 1991 | P. J. O'Rourke

I have only one firm belief about the American political system, and that is this: God is a Republican and Santa Claus is a Democrat.

God is an elderly or, at any rate, middle aged male, a stern fellow, patriarchal rather than paternal and a great believer in rules and regulations. He holds men accountable for their actions. He has little apparent concern for the material well being of the disadvantaged. He is politically connected, socially powerful and holds the mortgage on literally everything in the world. God is difficult. God is unsentimental. It is very hard to get into God's heavenly country club.

Santa Claus is another matter. He's cute. He's nonthreatening. He's always cheerful. And he loves animals. He may know who's been naughty and who's been nice, but he never does anything about it. He gives everyone everything they want without the thought of quid pro quo. He works hard for charities, and he's famously generous to the poor. Santa Claus is preferable to God in every way but one: There is no such thing as Santa Claus.

The people you love . . .

Today, I was reading the blog that Misty Lawton keeps. I just love Bill and though I do not know Misty very well, I can tell she is a good person just from the stories she tells. One of her latest entries is very similar to this blog....she talks about the to-do and life lists that we all have and our full lives. ....and watching the birds and trees and listening to the life around you. I need to tell the people I love, that I love them more often. I made that mistake 13 years ago when a friend died from liver cancer before I could tell her...before I could recognize that about me. I corrected that mistake before my first husband died. I am glad of that. Guilt is a terrible thing..... so, I need to tell the people I love, that I love them. I will do that. You can drive yourself crazy with 'what-if's. I had that conversation with someone a few years back. What if this...what if that. You can only make good decisions with the information you have at the time you make said decision. I think I talked about that before.

Anyway, their blog is http://billandmisty.blogspot.com/ You should check it out! I need to tell her I enjoy her blog because I really do.

I have jumped on the Facebook wagon. Mostly I have 'friends' that are family or friends from school. I love seeing the lives everyone is leading and how everyone has changed...mostly for the better. Some people from high school peaked in high school and then it all went so wrong. Who knows the reasons but that person. And, I don't mean how someone looks, or what they do for a living, or their family. I mean the decisions they make in their lives.

Then there are those that just blossomed after they left school and took off on their own. Kids can be so cruel in school. At what point do we outgrow that? When you see photos or hear stories of the people you knew a long time ago, do you judge their life or compare it to yours? Why? There is one girl who was just average in school...much like most of us I guess. But, to see her photo now.....she is absolutely stunning and beautiful. I never would have guessed how beautiful she would become. She is a thoughtful and successful woman. Why did I not recognize her then? And, I always liked her in school...so why didn't I notice her more?

I am rambling, but I guess my point is to not wait on your life. Take each day as it comes, be a good person, love those around you, and recognize your blessings before you lose them.

The Sum Total of Life's Decisions

After a conversation with DH this morning, I thought more about this topic. We talk often about our life being the sum total of our decisions. Good, Bad, Right or Wrong....all our cumulative decisions throughout our lifetimes make up the lives we live.

Sometimes we know the turn our lives take with a specific decision. Other times, we may never know the safety that unknowingly befalls us and aren't we grateful for those times . . . Would it be better to know...or to live in blissful ignorance? I choose the ignorance. I live my life without regret and with decisions made with all the knowledge I can muster at the time I made that decision.

I am not referring to anything specific....just reflecting on a comment that lives in our house . . .

Life and Times

My mother's birthday was yesterday....how I hope I look as good as she does at 63....DH says the same thing!!! We took her for dinner at Red Lobster and drank manhattan's and ate shrimp and crab and laughed and laughed. I sure wish my brother and sister lived as close as I do. It's a blessing.

We spent a very nice evening with our long time friend, Bill Lawton, last Saturday night. He is still just as funny as he ever was. He is working on finishing his bachelor's degree and I am super proud of him. It takes a LOT of guts, determination, time, effort and lots of other things to go back to school. He has a lovely family and I so happy I am still friends with him.

Now that the days are cooling down a little bit (well, if you call 96 degrees down to a high of 90 cooler!), it is nice to get outside and work in the yards again. It is just too hot in the high heat of the summer. I finally finished planting my knock out rose hedge...I ran out of mulch and so I need to finish that up. I am determined to move my hibiscus out of the front door. They are lovely, but really too big to be where they are. aaaa....such drama at the Household!

I started back with this Fall Session of my study group at church. These ladies are just a wealth of wisdom and knowledge. I am the only one with small children and they are all with grandchildren! I love to hear their stories and listen and learn from them. They are easily 20 years older than me and I just love to be with them. The study this fall is on the New Testament. The good Lord knows I need all the help I can get. DH told me one of his students asked him the other day why he believed in God. DH's reply was 'because the alternative is horrific!" Seriously, I think the student was looking for some great insight from the 'professor' and quite simply he said....really, I believe because I choose to believe. It's just that simple.

Life is good....

Sarah Palin

Could we ASK for anyone better than Sarah Palin as VP nominee? She certainly believes everything I believe in. She can even hunt moose and shoot an automatic gun better than most men I have seen in some ridiculous photo-op trying to make them look manly!! This is no prissy little girl! Look, either you can shoot it or you can't. I imagine most people, men or women, wouldn't know how to shoot a weapon like this unless there is specific training or need to know how to shoot one. DH can shoot these...but he has trained for years on how to use these weapons.

She may not be the most 'experienced' out there, but isn't a fresh idea what we want? I was raised to honor a strict value system and if something is wrong, well then you do something about it or punish those involved for said 'wrong'. This is part of her attractiveness as a candidate....She hasn't been around long enough to play the game, and still manages to get a lot done, in a short amount of time. Can you believe it??? She was just city council woman 5 yrs ago and is now on a national ticket? Incredible! What a proud family she must have!!!

How can we NOT vote for her after everything we know about her. Her family, her son in Iraq (no pouting mama there!) raising a special needs baby that she JUST gave birth to and was back at work 3 days later!! She runs her state govt like a business and when there was too much $$, she gave it back to the citizens of AK. No crazy spending, no crazy projects to return favors.....

And, though John McCain wasn't the perfect candidate, he had my vote over the alternative. It took guts to nominate her....or maybe brains. Whatever the motive, and I am sure there were/are many, it was a good move. They have my vote.

Ok - I am tall enough....time to get off my soap-box. Vote for McCain/Palin.

The start of . . . "Don't Blink"

I had been thinking so often about starting a blog. I was stuck on how to get my thoughts down and build a place to share ideas, topics, etc with family and friends. After a conversation with Steve a few weeks ago when we were talking about dreams and what we wanted out of life came this idea. I started thinking about all the things I wanted to do in my life and didn't want to wait....then I remembered this song by Kenny Chesney... Don't Blink. See the link to the left . . .

I hope you visit here often. I'll happily add you to posting 'status' and you can share as well...just let me know. There are so many e-mails we all send and so this is a way for me/us to share easily and keep a record, too.

My wish list is growing.....learn to play tennis and golf. I don't have to be good at either one, but I sure would like to know how to play them both. I'd like to go to the Olympics one day. Sail the Caribbean. Around the world cruise. Drive Rte 66. See the Grand Canyon. Visit the 7 wonders. So many.......

Our summer vacation this year marked one thing off my list...and then added another. To visit Yellowstone and see Mt. Rushmore. Well, we had such a wonderful time at Yellowstone, we have to go back. So, one thing off my list...and to go again is one added.















Mt. Rushmore (above) Cindy & Older one and I at the Continental Divide!!













(THE signature photo of the entire trip taken just outside Yellowstone Park at our campsite..YES campsite!!!. )




So, my wish for you is to follow your dreams, follow your heart..... and ..... don't blink.

Cindy