My fathers

In my times of greatest sorrow

he touches my heart.

In my darkness

he reaches from beyond my seeing.

In my loneliness

I feel warmth and love.

And when I feel no ear is listening

I hear him sing.

For all those who suffer loss, whose pain is inconsolable there are those that are willing to comfort, lift and encourage.  My father does that for me.  When I reach a point where who I am is insufficient I hear him sing, whistle, and feel him encourage me.  The veil is thin, this life is short, and those we love are willing to buoy us up.  They are not limited by distance and every plea is heard.  I'm grateful to have been blessed to feel my dear ones near.

For those that are alone, there are hosts of unseen.  Many of whom we share as forefathers.  In a season where we celebrate our mothers and fathers, may we also celebrate their legacy and come to know them.  What beautiful promises await those who turn their hearts.  Mark your time with your sweethearts; live within arms reach. 

We share a Father who hears and loves us.  May we remember Him; He who has always remembered and blessed us... with all He has.  He who has never left us alone.  May we not abandon Him in His time of need; a time we can be His tools, His hands.

Let us honor their names.  Live worthy of the blessings that have been granted.  And express our love in word and deed.

Lover or Villan

A friend, we'll call her Robin (as if that somehow will make her beyond detection), said, "You know you can say anything about anyone as long as it's followed by, 'Bless his heart.'  You know like, 'He did the dumbest thing, bless his heart.'  or, 'She's a homely girl, bless her heart."  Okay, if you don't live in Texas, it's a bit peculiar to say, but put a little twang in your mode of talking and before you know it you're free to say anything you like and you'll still be considered the sweetest person around.  (Of course it's all the more convincing that it's genuine if you have a big round hair-do.)  It's truly brilliant, a little addition to anything you want to vent about anyone, including the person right in front of you, and voila! You have personal teflon; no one can get mad at you for saying it, because it must've been out of love, you blessed their heart!  So in essence we get our childhood wish, 'I'm rubber and your glue and anything you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.'

Okay so, my husband (and of course if I don't mention him by name, I can share the story without reservation) said, "Have you ever noticed that every time anyone's miffed at someone else they say,'I love you to death but,...'  Is that a Freudian slip?"

So in summary, context is everything.  But don't think too deeply about this, I'm sure I'll say, "I love you to death, bless your heart,..."   Don't read into it; I'm not bright enough to have come up with these observations on my own! Perhaps Robin and Andy came up with these thoughts after hearing me?  or then again, maybe I'm not as sweet as you thought I was.  MUWHAHAHAHA...

My Two Boys

Boy 1, age 7..."When I grow up I want 5 jobs."  My friends refer to a Jamaican sketch on SNL where the new immigrants are raving about how great America is because they have 8 jobs and the other has 15...She says,"Are you Jamaican?"  His response, "How did you know I want to make things?!"






Boy 2, age 2..."I want more cerdal (a.k.a. cereal)."  2 seconds later, "I want juice," and because I've put him off another minute he comes back with his stuffed bear and sweetly has the bear say, "More cerdal pease."  How can a mother resist?  I'm sure the boy's hungry if he's inventing new ways to get my attention... It might have something to do with being a bottomless pit (or more likely the fact that I'm blogging again.)