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Showing posts from January, 2010

Grandmother's Mantra

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I was driving to work a few days after the horrendous earthquake in Haiti listening to NPR on the radio. The reporter was telling how survivors had gathered in a central area to wait for aid...water,food, medical care. She told how occasionally someone in the crowd of hundreds of survivors would break out in song, how others would join in the chanting and how it relieved the tension of waiting. During the reporter's wanderings through the crowd, she came upon an elderly woman who was seated under the shade of a small tree. The woman was completely alone. As the reporter approached, she realized that the old woman was singing, "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen!" She sang it with all her heart; her own little tune, over and over again. In speaking to her, the reporter found that the little grandmother had lost everything she owned. She had no home, no money, no family or friends. She was totally alone, except for her great faith in her God to which she sang a

Humility and Courage

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Miep Gies Miep Gies, the woman who hid the Frank family during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam died today. I was touched by her comment replayed on NPR regarding her feelings towards being considered a hero. She said in 1997 to school children online, "I don't want to be considered a hero. Imagine young people would grow up with the feeling that you have to be a hero to do your human duty. I am afraid nobody would ever help other people, because who is a hero? I was not. I was just an ordinary housewife and secretary." While Miep may have been an ordinary housewife and secretary, she had an extraordinary spirit which enabled her to brave the possibility of being arrested to help her friends. Her courage was more than ordinary, especially when you think of the times she lived through. We have all been blessed and will continue to be blessed by this "ordinary" woman's courage through the ability to read The Diary of Anne Frank . A testament to another &quo

2nd Blogoversary!

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Wow! Can't believe I have been writing my blog for two years. It has been a wonderful time. And, I have met so many wonderful people through the blog. So, I decided to highlight and celebrate some of them. These are the folks that I connect with almost daily. Please take a moment to visit their sites and enjoy the sweet essence of their words. Alexys Fairfield -You write with a wisdom and connection to the beauty of words that is unforgettable! I am so grateful for your friendship. Isabella Colalillo Kates - Wise woman, educator, artist, dreamer...thank you for sharing your path with me! Rebecca - Your photos are touch me. Thank you! Periwinkle - Each time I visit your site, I am awed by your photos, and touched by your words. You are an awesome Mama! So grateful for finding you in this mystical world of the web! Miruh - Your words gently remind me of where I want to be on the path of Life. I give thanks for counting you as one of my dear cyber-friends! Tabitha - What a

New Year, Full Moon

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Blue Moon - 12/31/09 I have long been enamored with the Moon. Her heavenly body radiates the reflected Light of another to bless us all. That simple example is one that we mortal beings can learn to practice...radiate the reflection of Light to others. Moon has many myths and mysteries. She has long been a symbol of the female power. Those who connect to the pull of the Moon are said to be "lunatic." The word took on the meaning we have today when medical science used it to describe the behavior of psychotic patients whose symptoms increased with the phases of the Moon. In many Indigenous cultures, Moon was the symbol of the Wise Women and women in general. A woman's cycle is known as her Moons. The ending of the past year and the beginning of the new year were blessed with a Blue Moon in December and the Full Moon on New Year's Day. The pictures below were taken on New Year's Day...Moon was playing hide and seek with the clouds. First Full Moon of 2010