THE NEW VIEW

"You beautiful trees! I love every one of you as a friend."

~ Lucy Maud Montgomery ~

I used to long for expansive mountain views

That stretched on and on and on...

The broad rolling skyline!

And it is exquisite, for sure.

But the view I prefer to live with these days 

Is closer in,

Feels secure and lovely in a way the 

Big mountain view does not.

Light through leaves and pine needles,

Dappled, luminous, soothing, and

Kind. 

Home feels like a hug. 

INTEGRITY

"Hold integrity sacred."

~ The Myrtle, January, 1884 ~

Doing what we say we will do,

Being on time,

Responding to inquiries from business associates and friends,

Saying please and thank you-

These simple things make all the difference.

Without them, the world stumbles and lurches,

And it becomes irritating and nearly impossible to get things done.

Integrity is the force that 

Makes things 

Happen with ease. 

You can count on me. 

RIGHT SIZED

"Something it swings on more than the earth I swing on..."

~ Walt Whitman ~

The thing with arrogance in any form is that 

We give ourselves credit for things that are actually

Beyond our personal control.

As such, the boom must fall,

And leave us humbled,

Re-positioned, and 

Right sized,

Admitting that we 

Went too far. 

I am both more and less influential than I can possibly understand. 

ENOUGH

"Infinitely will I trust nature's instincts and promptings."

~ Muriel Strode ~

Sweet.

Bitter.

Smooth.

Rough.

Hungry.

Angry.

Tender.

Tough.

Loving.

Laughing.

Crying.

Stuffed.

However we are,

Is perfectly

Enough.

I accept the way life moves through me.

HAPPENINGS

"The why and wherefore passeth human understanding. 

That's just the way the Lord's got it arranged."

~ Cid Ricketts Summer

Days,  meals, meetings, phone calls, crises...

They all just happen the way they happen.

No amount of wanting guarantees any particular kind of outcome.

I accept the unfolding adventure of life.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

"Humor is the good natured side of a truth."

~ Mark Twain ~ 

A while ago, I booked a flight to Los Angeles to see my son, Nick,

On an airline I have found to be pleasant and reliable.

Last week, I received an email from them telling me that my return flight has been changed

And now,

Instead of getting in at 4pm I will be getting in at midnight,

Which is not the end of the world, but not exactly convenient,

And I still have a fair bit of time before the trip so I called today to talk to someone.

When I asked the computer voice if I could please speak to an agent,

I was transferred to another computer voice that let me know I was in the cue,

and very pleasantly mentioned that the wait time would be approximately

Six hours and eight minutes.

I hung up the phone and burst out laughing.

What else is there to do at that point?

When life is preposterous, which it often is, I can be amused by it.

I don't have to let it twist me into knots. 

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THE WAY IT IS

 "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid."

~ Frederick Buechner ~

The quote above is TRUE in that

Beautiful and terrible things DO happen,

All the time, to each of us...

Sometimes both in the same day.

And somehow, all of it plays out.

Always.

So, in hindsight, no need for fear.

We survive. We evolve. We pick ourselves up

And become useful to others who 

Come along behind.

We are resilient, and our pain makes us beautiful,

And grows us in compassion,

And throughout it all,

Known to us, or

Unbeknownst,

We are carried

And filled

With the Grace of

God. 

Living is life, and life is up and down and all around. 

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