Say goodbye to yesterday To make way for what’s to come Clean out the closet of our mind So we can dwell in possibility.
Say goodbye to yesterday The heartache and the loss We’ve made it through the craziness No matter what the cost.
Say goodbye to yesterday And thank it for the lessons We don’t have far to look They’re right in front of our noses.
Say goodbye to yesterday So we can move forward in faith And birth our soul’s yearnings While nourishing new beginnings.
Say goodbye to yesterday The toxic people in our lives The leaders that took us down a garden path To the graves of those we’ve lost.
Say good by to yesterday And make room for moments of today We think we know so much but if we’ve learned anything, It’s that life happens while we’re making other plans.
Say goodbye to yesterday And make your blessings count It’s in the moments you create Remember gratitude is attitude.
As we usher in the New Year it’s important to reflect on 2020 to release whatever emotions or patterns might be holding us back from moving forward.
Take some introspective time to reflect if you haven’t done so already and see what you need to let go of and what you want to birth this year in 2021.
While we are so ready to say goodbye to 2020, it seems we are a long way from where we were before the Pandemic started.
Eager to move on with a vaccine being slowly distributed but not there yet, and we must do our due diligence while moving into the year with the unknown. And we all know the unknown is one of the hardest places to hang out in.
This is my annual ritual I do in groups with clients or alone. Both are awesome. You could even call your support circle together outside or hold a Zoom meeting and do it together online. You could also do it with me below and turn the video on and off while you complete each step. It’s very powerful and I haven’t missed a year for 35 years and I started the tradition with my family as well.
New Years Burning Bowl with the Family
9 Easy Steps to Usher in the New Year and clear out the debris from 2020
Sit in meditation at your alter and light a candle, some incense, a flower and bell and root and ground for a few breathes or a long meditation. These 3 things reminds us of the impermanence of life as we know it.
Write down all the things you want to let go of from this past year on a piece of paper. This is your chance to get them all out of your body and mind and on to paper. Anything at all that has a hold on you. Ie: anxiety, anger, depression, jealousy, frustration, loneliness, hurt, resentment. It can go on and on and don’t stop until you have written each one down.
BURN IT! Yes, burn baby burn. Let it all go and feel it release far and away from you physically and metaphysically to create space inside for what you want to manifest in the New Year.
Write down what you are grateful for: I know this might be a tall order for some of you with loss and the challenge from last year but it is really important because Gratitude produces more abundance in your life.There are always things you can find even in the most dismal of times (yes, even in 2020).
And to think 2020 had such a good ring. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover…. what a lesson this was!
Write a letter to God, Source, the Divine, Your Higher Power affirming your wishes for 2021 thanking the powers that be. See my sample letter below from last year. I also might write some goals that I have with dates and a plan of action and add those to my calendar.
Pick 3 angel cards representing Past, Present and Future. This is optional but quite profound and fun to play with!
Stick it in an envelope, seal it and address it to yourself so you can mail it to yourself one week before the end of 2021 (write the day you will mail it to yourself in your calendar or you will forget).
Now, open your letter from last year. It’s amazing what you will find.
Past, Present, Future Healing with Angels Dorreen Virtue, P.H.D. deck
This year was like a surprise gift I could have never predicted.. If some things still haven’t come into fruition, you simply put them on your list for next year. In regards to my Angel Cards, I still have the same love transformed into more passion. I’m playing more and always have to be honest with my truth and integrity. I am curious about all of the cherubs in all 3 cards as this is rare. I have 4 children and had 1 miscarriage making 5. Does this mean I have grandchildren on the horizon? hmmmm…..I guess I’ll have to wait and see.
Remember to say Thank You!!!
Here’s are samples of what I wrote this year:
What do I want to release?
Impatience, frustration, perfection, fixation, being swept away, sitting so much, poor scheduling.
What I am grateful for:
My income only decreasing in half, clients that are so gracious, new definition of self, learning to do technology hard as it’s been, seeing clients on Zoom which has been awesome and more efficient in some ways, saving so much money by only spending money on essentials: Food and wine 🤣, learning how to structure my writing, my 1,000 followers to finish the year. Thanks again. My health, my yoga and Tai Chi practice, walking, strength training, sustaining my exercise routine, making videos, time with myself, effort, struggle and worry about income and just trusting, the beautiful clean air, starting my book and joining a writers workshop, doing some guest interviews, continuing even when I’m frustrated, help from some of you when I’m at the 9th hour and stuck, simple gatherings of everyone pitching in, letting go of messes in the house, amazing parents, kids, friends, pur word press family.
What I’ve learned about myself:
That I can stop driving myself to goals and trust the process, that I am capable of learning technology even though I have a difficult time with it, that I am resilient, that it’s ok to ask for help, I do much better with order and a schedule, it takes time to learn so it’s a double edge sword, to be gentle with myself, that I need to stop and eat and drink more water, that I love writing but hate sitting so much, that exercise, meditation and my yoga and Tai Chi are essential and imbedded in my genes at this point, I need to get up every hour and break, that interruptions of all of the animals is grating on my nerves, they teach me patience,
My letter From 2020:
Weird I started this right after my birthday Feb 29th on March 1st (late this year) before Covid
This was wild to read because all of this came into fruition this year without any thought that my life would shift. At the time I was seeing a full load of clients 4-6 a day. Covid was the gift of allowing me to create this new shift. Otherwise, I would have just kept plugging along in my familiar and expected patterns. Yes, it took a pandemic for me to ask what about me, what do I want? Ask any busy person to get something done because they will do that and more. Now I have limits on what I want to do and how much is actually good for me, which is so freeing.I’m not sure why I didn’t address my letter in my usual way with is usually Dear Father Mother God, Thank you for my blessings of……..
I also enclosed a second page this year which I never do. I also often write down exercise goals, etc. and put dates on them and add them to my calendar. Somewhere, I must have known there would be no schedule this year.
Here’s the second page I included. It was so unusual for me to do a semi poem or thoughts propelling me into writing without even knowing it. I thought I would spare you from my horrible writing this time. 🤣
Gathering, chirping, nesting Moving from limb to limb Leaping to new heights Swinging off branches Singing my song.
Listening closely to my heartbeat We all have a song waiting to be told And to share with the world Deep penetrating, dark open to shed light on wounds and cleanse Drinking in the nectar of life’s gifts.
Sharp fans spike shadows of light moving gracefully, gently and swiftly cutting through lies People have their ideas but they can’t define me All are mirrors to grow and learn from.
Happy New Year as you put into motion an attitude of gratitude so that no matter what happens to you next year, you can ride the current, go with the flow and find your dristi (focus) and bliss.
As always, thanks so much for your time and support. If you found this useful, please remember to like (if you do of course), comment and or share.
In wrapping up the year, I am feeling particular grateful for your friendship, follow, comments and sharing my work. Thank so so much for being here to share insights, learn, grow and support each other in our journey together. It truly is a gift and I have learned so much from each of you which I am eternally grateful for, whether it be how to technically do something when posting, learning a new form of poetry, learning about history or admire your amazing photography! A picture or quote says a thousand words. I am so inspired by our community and apprecaite you.
I know it’s been a tough year with loss, changes which have called us to higher ground and finding meaning in tough times but we are doing it.
Alrighty, let’s get on to blogging. I don’t usually write about blogging because I like to stick to my strengths and this is not my area of expertise. However, after 7 months of blogging regularly, I have some opinions and Pet Peeves if you will, that I want to share. I hope you find my ideas helpful.
Mind you this is my complete bias and everyone will and should run their blogging page in their own way. After all, it is YOUR POST and what you do with your site is up to you. Do it your way.
Write good content.
What do you want to impart? What is the purpose of your blog posts? If you have lousy content: NO ONE WANTS TO READ IT, EXCEPT YOU and perhaps the few others that find company in misery. Again, that’s ok, if that’s all you care about.
Edit your work!
Good editors will tell you straight up that it has to go to the chopping board if it’s not content worthy. Most of us won’t be hiring an editor for our blog post, so you’ll have to wear 2 hats… writer and editor. But you say, “oh it’s so good though.” Well, maybe to you but if you aren’t getting followers and you want them, get the chopping board out. And that means spelling, grammar, run on sentences etc. You will be forgiven for an occasional slip up but after a while, people will get tired of it, when they can surf to the next good writer. It’s a drag, I get it and as the queen of run on sentences and not framing my thoughts. I know how painstaking it is to go over something umpteen times, only to still get it wrong at times. That’s where my kids ridiculing me has come in handy or my husband’s first comment in the morning; “you have an error.” I get so mad and roll my eyes because I want to hear something positive after spending so much time checking it but it’s the best gift I could have been given.
Pictures and some Gify’s and emojis add a lot.
Start with one and grow from there. I’m still trying to figure out why when I do a tile picture someone sees it all chopped up and it looks perfect in preview. Do tell please, if you know the answer to this! As you get better, you can add more and use applications such as Canva, Getty Images etc. It’s been fun learning how to add words over pictures. Practice a lot, because you’ll forget unless you do it a lot.
SEO’s: Search Engine Optimization:
I hear they are great… I do try to title my post with some words I will use again so when people search me they will find me, and use post tags as well… Refer to Rising Star, Ero, Pooja Shelly etc for great articles on this and others. They are the masterminds here. There are SEO plugins that you can look up and will do a lot of the work for you. SEO’s are essential if you are trying to grow your audience. Rising Star has great tips for SEO’s in blogging as well as other tips. This posts does a great job explaining your options and considerations when learning about SEO’s. It’s a rabbit hole but very useful information to know. Also, check out Pooja’s posts at lifesfinewhine for great ideas. Ero Eromonsele Emmanuel, from ericotrips just put out the Good Bad the bad and honorable mentions in his last post with some great tips I had never heard of either. They are really helpful. Do check it out. Also, Shelly from Growing With Swan also has some amazing posts on blogging so check her out too. All of these bloggers are multidimensional and are genuinly great people as well.
Liking and commenting on Blogs:
If you don’t like a post, don’t comment. You can feel inauthenticity through the ethers. But if you do, acknowledge their work. It’s the old adage, what goes around, comes around. People say to me I write too much in comments and they have great tips where they copy and paste a few different line’s in people’s posts and rotate them which is a good idea and a great time saver, I just can’t do that unfortunately. I do end up way too long commenting but it’s because I only comment when I truly am moved and sometimes, it’s only a quick response. It builds relationships though and I feel a genuine connection with that person and I know they do with me. I actually search out some of my friends if I haven’t heard from them in a long time. I am just seriously hoping everything is ok with them.
Don’t like something?
Skip it altogether then. The beauty of W.P, unlike other sites is, it’s not a pissing match and there is deep respect most of the time for others points of few. I have only seen one or 2 times otherwise and it really is disturbing. How not to win friends and influence people. Lol. It’s just plain rude. Now, I love healthy bantering or questions and clarification etc. That is awesome and allows for learning about each other’s backgrounds and history where we can expand and grow in respect.
Share people’s names and site by referencing their content with a hyperlink or reblog. Referrals are the nicest form of flattery which is how I have single handedly built my business with a waiting list.
When someone follows you
Thank them and review their content and if you like their work, follow back. If you want to play, you gotta pay. It’s a 2 way street. I want to go to someone’s site naturally when they follow me because I’m so appreciative. You don’t have to follow but it’s nice if you are inclined and like their work. If you don’t, search out other blogs you connect with. It’s important you honor your interests. I sometimes follow people in another language even though I don’t know what they are saying because I’m drawn to them by their pictures, their smile etc. Sometimes I think, “God I hope they aren’t an axe murderer or something” but so far, my intuition has been right I think. 🤣. I also might not have an interest in their subject but I like them and want to acknowledge them. Sometimes I look for underdogs that have good content but no one sees it and I want to let them know they are valuable, so I like their work. It’s the life coach in me I guess.
Check you spam in comments:
Regularly for followers. Often your followers will end up in spam for a few reasons, either a misclick by you or they were flagged by WordPress. So, if you haven’t seen them for a while check and take them out if they were flagged incorrectly. If someone seems suspicious or is trying to post links in your comments, they may be a scammer and should be left in your spam folder. Scammers will use disguised links and proxies to lure you into websites with viruses or other scams.
Contests and Awards:
Up to you and it’s such an awesome way to make friends right away, acknowledge new bloggers in particular to motivate them and keep them writing. It also builds a following but let me warn you, it takes a lot of time, so be ready for the onslaught. It’s really fun at first ’cause it gets you out of the gate running but you will keep that race up and it can be exhausting. However, just know a lot of these people will be your forever friends because you started out together and are helping each other grow and thrive. It’s fine to have an award free site and write that on your site when people go to your site. It helps when people who want to give you an award know that you don’t participate. It’s a lot of work researching bloggers etc., so it saves them time and the hassle of explaining that you don’t participate in them. I should write that on my site but I truly want to help them and I think “oh, I can do this and I really can’t.
I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who gifted me awards this year and the ones I never got to even with the best of intentions. You know who you are and I am so appreciative and apologize for not having the time to participate.
A huge thanks to Kally at Middleme for doing an interview on me in the begining of Covid. She writes incredible interviews and career posts. It was well received and I was honored to be invited. Also, thank you Yvette from Priorhouse for the kind mini interview that came out last week. I will repost in January in case you miss it. I appreciate both of you for kindness and vauling my work and featuring me on your posts.
Make as many tags as possible so a greater audience can find your post .
Scheduling Posts is a great way to get a head start and make sure a post will go up at a reasonable time to be seen by others. TIP: WordPress uses UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). So you will have to look up which UTC time correlates to the time you want your post to go live.
Pet Peeves:
Listing your whole post in someone’s comments. Hello? What is that about? Acknowledge the writer you are commenting about. DO NOT AND I REPEAT DO NOT POST YOUR POST IN THEIR COMMENTS. It’s like showing up at a party you weren’t invited too! If you are one that does this, go online immediately and order an etiquette book or just take my word for it; it’s damn straight annoying.
Writing too much in a day:
Knock yourself out if that’s what you love to do and there are some writers that turn things out that are awesome every time. I can’t figure out how they can do this but they are a faucet connected to the powers that be which is commendable. But if I’m to be completely honest, I don’t want to see you show up with umpteen posts that require my attention. I want to like all of it because you’re so good but I just don’t have time. I want to like everyone of them but begin to feel overwhelmed because as your following grows you have limited time and I personally want to see all of my followers work. Posting 1-5 times a week is about right, again IMHO.
Apologizing for being gone. It’s not like anyone or most really care, seriously as much as is said about posting regularly etc. While there is some truth to that, come back with no apologies. You owe it to yourself to do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself.
Now, if you are going to be gone for awhile or on a break, it is nice to let people know because some of us legitimately care and will worry about you or wonder if all is well.
Ragging and brain dumping
It’s like getting a call from someone and before you even say hello the person goes straight into emoting and throwing up without as much as a hello or a breath.
We hear that all day long. On the news, from people, t.v. etc. Give us the lesson, what you’re dealing with, how you’re struggling or share something of meaning. We all get that because we all struggle and are working on growing, learning etc but ADD to our day, don’t just throw your garbage onto someone else’s page so you can get rid of it. Words have power so mindfully choose how you want to affect people.
Word Press Glitches
Not being able to edit because you’re in classic or block and cannot get out.
Timing Out
You’re almost done with your likes, comments and shares and somehow you can’t hit the like button. I have heard many things from too many people on the internet at that time, or you can only like so many at a time. I don’t know but if you know, I’d be so grateful if you would tell me.
Care to add to this list?
In closing I just want to say thanks for all of your support by reading my posts, commenting and sharing your heart with me. It has been a great honor getting to know so many of you and it truly makes my day to see you have visited and see your comments!
We as a community educate, enlighten and give voice to so many topics and I have personally grown so much reading your posts.
Have a wonderful holiday however you spend it and remember, we are almost there and we can say hello to 2021.
I will be on a break from writing posts because I think I will get kicked out from my family if I don’t 🤣 😝 but I’ll be back the second week of January and will definately be checking in on your writing. Hopefully, I can do this!!!
❤️
Cindy
Thanks for reading and liking (if you do of course), commenting and or sharing if you are inclined.
“Of course I say, that’s how life is; change is the only thing there is”.
He shoots me a stare, a snarl and a shake of his head,
I look at him in disbelief.
Neither are right or wrong but change is inevitable; and he is right;
“I’ve changed”!
They say woman marry men, hoping they’ll change,
And men marry women, hoping they’ll never change.
Is it that woman went along more, when love was new?
Or is it that they finally found their voice and speak up more as they bloom?
I’ve always spoken my truth but was always busy pleasing others, never asking questions.
That’s what mothers, daughters and wives do.
Put off me to be there for you.
He loves watching sports (any sport on T.V.) or on the radio,
However, I could care less.
I would rather listen to quiet music, meditate, hike and write.
Men are easy; Give them a sandwich and sex and they’ll follow you anywhere.
Women want to talk.
Just ask my son. His first sentence was “Mom too many words”
I’ve done it all from work to birthing babies, having umpteen pets, traveled with the 6 of us all over the world, hosted lavish parties with all the decorations. Cooked great food and concocted amazing drinks and now I’m content to sit in the void while those spin around me.
I’ve changed, it’s true.
I love my peace and quiet.
Clean floors don’t interest me much, nor does shopping for material objects or having meaningless conversations.
Don’t get me wrong,
I love a clean house and delicious food, and drink,
I just don’t want to execute and do it anymore.
I’ve changed.
And you should know, so when you come home to visit, you’re not disappointed when your Christmas stockings are empty and there aren’t many boxes and I’m not cooking up a storm.
You’ll find me early in the morning in the moonlight writing, quiet as a mouse, dancing or singing and ready to play a game, take a hike or jump on the bike.
I’ve changed so I hope you enjoy the memory of the mother, friend, daughter, wife that you once knew and can appreciate who I am now. If you can’t, I understand.
I love you all no matter what, but it’s important you know;
I’ve changed.
And I’ll keep changing and so will you.
Maybe the mother you once knew will reemerge like the butterfly from the cocoon,
But who knows, I’ve changed.
Nothing is set in stone.
Besides, the best gift is time spent and memories made and shared, not material gifts.
When you visit my home, please write your message on a stone
This was writen before I experienced the complete shift with my adult children coming home for Thanksgiving in a way that I have never seen before. I suppose all of my warnings have paid off. As they are starting to pile in for the holidays, it is always a gift to my heart. Have a beautiful day. Thanks so much for visiting today and hope you enjoyed this and gave you permission to listen to your inner voice.
Please like (if you do of course), commemt and or share.
As we celebrate the holidays and roast and toast; each in our own Covid bubbles this year, I am reminded of an old classic story that many of you will remember. If it’s new to you, I hope you enjoy it. I always love the sentiments and truths the story provides.
As the story goes;
One day after school a young girl noticed that her mom was cutting off the ends of a pot roast before putting it in the oven to cook for dinner. The young girl asked her mother, “Mom, why do you cut the ends off the pot roast?” Her mother replied, “Because grandma always did, but I’m not really sure, why don’t you ask her”. So the young girl called her grandmother on the phone and said, “Grandma why do you cut the ends off the pot roast before cooking it?” Her grandmother replied, “I don’t know, I did it because my mother did it. Sorry, I can’t help you, maybe your should call Great Grandma”. So, she called her great grandma in the nursing home and ask her and she said “well, when grandpa and I got married we had a very small oven and the pot roast wouldn’t fit in the oven so I had to cut it off“.
Finally, the mystery was solved. Often we do things on automatic piolet, never questioning where ideas and beliefs come from and continue on the same trajectory, even when they are obsolete.
The moral of the story might be a little different for each of us.
For me it reminds me that’s things aren’t always as they appear.
1. Let’s STOP BEFORE we believe things and examine if they are true for us or not.
How ever, you spend your holiday, enjoy it in your own unique way, ask questions, revist truths that have served you at one time but may not be appropriate anymore. Adjust where needed, keeping an open mind which allows for things to unfold.
Cheers while you Roast and Toast,
❤️
Cindy
Thanks for the visit, liking (if you do), commenting and or sharing,
Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening… Wherever this finds you on the globe,
My apologies for those of you who received this twice. I somehow tried to schedule it and it accidentally went through and then it disappeared.
I am giving you the option of listening to my video or reading my thoughts I compiled today. Chuck from The Reluctant Poet encouraged me to do so, thanks Chuck. If you don’t know him, please visit his site as he is most gracious in reblogging our work. Also, my Dad suffers from macular degeneration and glaucoma as I know some of you do as well, so this makes it easier to read. I hope you enjoy!
Blessings ❤️ Cindy
Peace is not a place you go when you finally lay at your grave. Peace is accepting right where you are.
It’s found in the depths of your soul, when you sit rocking yourself in the corner, in the midst of chaos. It challenges every aspect of your being, but if you can be gentle with yourself, you can find the corner where there is light in darkness, untouched by shame, sadness and disappointment.
You might be rocked by someone, but still feel alone. You might feel the presence of love through God’s hands, which brings solace to your soul, but you may not believe in God or a higher power, and that’s ok, even if you hear otherwise.
When your heart is punctured and you feel blood dripping down your chest or your head pounds so hard, you think it will explode, can you hold yourself lovingly and graciously, like a mother holds her baby, singing and rocking you in the dark night, to comfort you? If you die in my arms tonight, I will be here while you grieve and take your last breath. If you are keeled over in pain, I’ll rub your back and see you through. If you are standing at the bridge because you can’t go on, surrender and let go while you let the eagle carry you to shore. If your mind is fractured and you’re cracking, let me be your putty to fill you. If drugs and alcohol poison your body, drink the sweet nectar from the honey bees. You might ask but where are you, I can’t see you? I’m here right at your side. I’m the whisper of the wind, the reflection of the trees in the pond, I live inside of you and you in me. I am the top of the mountain on a snowy night that gives you frostbite so you can feel again. I am the sun that shines deeply sending rays of light to heal your wounds.
I am the light of the moon that illuminates your vision, so you can see again. I am the thunder of the night, to jolt you back into reality. When you smell the burnt flesh, bake a loaf of bread instead; break it and eat for nourishment and strength. I will never give up on you and on your last breath, I will breathe in air to carry your soul to everlasting light. I will never leave you, I’m right here at your side. Surrender, let go, you are light, it is your mission and plight.
This was written a couple of weeks ago, when so many dear ones I know are suffering all at one time for different reasons. I wrote this with the hope and truth that no matter where this finds you today, I am holding you in my heart and soul. The power of love can heal you, if you surrender to your shadow side while you hold yourself lovingly. Empty out and feel the love from which you came and are. I am holding the bridge for you to the other side where light and truth reside so keep the faith.
I’m grateful for your visit, liking (if you do of course), commenting and or sharing.
Whether it’s a kick in your rear or whisper in your ear,
I’ll lead you straight,
And head you out the gate.
On cloud or mule,
There’s no magic to reaching your dreams,
It’s just knowing what you want and follow through.
There are NO short cuts so take one foot in front of the other,
Till you reach your stars and follow the milky way till you get there.
You’ve got this!
❤️
Cindy
Have a beautiful day and remember no matter what the weather is outside, set your internal temperature to create the gauge you need it to be today, to fulfill your deepest desires.
Thanks so much for reading, liking (if you do of course), commenting and or sharing. I appreciate you!
Will we let ourselves get swallowed up in darkness,
Or continue to reach for the light?
It’s not easy this push to the left and pull to the right,
Even our families are in a tizzy and fight.
It seems so clear to me, and clear to them,
That they will do anything to divide our plight.
But the question is how can we continue to be true and honest to our ideals and have a dialogue so we don’t divide and separate creating more discord and dissonance? It’s one thing when we know someone from a distance or as a colleague or client, but it’s quite another, when it’s someone we love and care about; a child, sibling, parent or good friend.
Today is my Dad’s 86th birthday and we are on polar opposite sides in this election which isn’t easy. It gives me the opportunity to love unconditionally, while I disagree wholeheartedly, and a chance to get my bloated nothingness out of the way as Ralph Waldo Emerson said in so many words. What I do know is that the election will soon be behind us, and we will be faced with what is in front of us, and moving on from there is crucial, so we can create openings that unite, instead of divide. Why is this so difficult to do?
You can’t change the spots of a Leopard! (Cheethas) Photo by Jason Gotlib Photography; Tanzania Safari 2019
We are living in unprecedented times right now, which create unrest inside, while we try to find our center. The bombardment claws at us internally and we feel torn and ripped apart by opposing values. We feel violated, unheard, with forces opposing each other at every level, and the decency of being human, seems to be throw to the wind. This creates tension within, and a desire to search for meaning in our life.
Who are we is the age old question, and even if we knew at one point, we are forced to look again, and grapple and search for answers. We toss and turn and move into reaction by speaking out, or shut down, because it’s just too much to deal with. Something wants to be born and birthing is never easy. We can fall prey to false gods or to overwork, depression, anxiety, reaction, impatience, inertia or spin like a top, bouncing off walls. Our voice so much wants to be heard, so we yell which falls on deaf ears or we go radio silent, because we feel so powerless, wondering if our voice matters at all. These repressed feelings go underground and we think there is something wrong with us, when in fact, there is nothing wrong with us, but there is something terribly wrong in our world.
It’s hard to have discussions when we are polar opposites. So how do we survive this period in our lives that we are all in together and not go into reaction or no action at all? It’s hard to side step the issues because they are glaring at us in the face, demanding resolution, which bring justice not for one, but for all.
Locking Horns: It ain’t over, until it’s over! Two Thomson’s Gaazelles. Jason Gotlib Photograpy Tanzania Safari 2019
We all have different ways to deal with it but one way for me, is to come to my W.P. family, where I can write and get out on paper what, is so bottled up inside. I trust one of you will hear and witness me for having these feelings without being judged, and I feel validated and cared for. If one person hears us, it shifts our internal landscape and gives us hope. It’s a gift we share in our community here, where we contribute to the well being of each other and feel understood. We each have our own motives and agenda but we all have the commonality of writing from our hearts, to share something from our soul.
We each have different religious beliefs, color of our skin, sexual preferences etc, but we have writing in common. The power of our words, move people and each one of us contributes to the well being of each other. I had this epiphany when I read something that felt like it was written directly to me, which moved me so deeply. I had a cathartic experience where the words penetrated my soul so deeply and I felt so heard and seen that tears cleansed old wounds in my psyche and tissues. It made me think when we come to the page and share our stories, poems, thoughts, drawings, photography, ideas and hearts, that we never know who we impact and our words have the ability to reach deep in someone’s being, across continents and transcend time and space.
Tears run down my face in streams to the river, Grace touches my soul, I am heard and seen. My friends the trees, the flowers and your words hold me, As I swing from the branches. The rings tell their age, but I am young and free. How long do we hold grief in our tissue and our soul? I am heard and I am seen, for all of my flaws. I stand before you naked held in space, feeling whole, Hunger sufficed, as peace and joy fill the space, Taking the place where grief lives, Tucked neatly behind my smile. But I am heard and seen now. Thank you for this gift.
There is no distance in hearts that love. We are love. That’s why we’re here on this planet and if we can hold our tongues accountable and speak with kindness, we can hold each other together here on the page and change our future. If we can do it here, we can map that to each soul so that we may find peace and love. We might not change the world all at once, but one voice at a time, touching one soul at a time, rooting us back to why we are here on this planet at this particular time, gives me solace and comfort. I thank each of you for showing up with all of your trials and tribulations and sharing your stories, because you matter.
You matter to me. You are love, you deserve love and we all need each other. We are the stars in the sky and universe, each casting different gifts, reflecting back at each other to pave a path for love, wholeness, peace and happiness, casting light in shadows where we can all live as one. That is who we are.
Love of Elephants captured by Jason Gotlib Photography, Tanzania 2019 Safari
Thank you for reading this and the contribution you make in my life.
A special thanks to Jason Gotlib for his spectacular photography that is so heartfuld and a beautiful addition of love and support.
And Happy 86th birthday Dad, I’m fortunate to have you in my life to share our truth, even if we disagree. It’s an honor to have a chance to be truly authentic in my views, but I’m just grateful my vote cancels out yours!
In Love and always light,
Cindy
Please like (if you do, of course), comment and or share, if you are inclined,
The election reminds me of this cheer we used to shout on the sidelines at games, growing up when I was a cheerleader. Now, more than other we need to Stand Up and Do Our Part. Never let our tongues diffuse into anger and separation; No one wins that way. It’s toughright now when we have never seen such lies, deception, Covid, brutality etc. But we must persevere and be the change we want to see in the world, so human kindness can restore the broken desparity of inhumanity and do our part to show up and vote. That we can do. I will admit that it’s not easy to stand in silence right now and I need to do better at being tolerant instead of being on a rant. But if you lean too far right be careful what wish for.
Here is a picture of me and one of my best friends Sue Pratt, in grade school.
Me & Sue at a school rally at our Alma Mater, Westmoor High School in 1970
Vote like your life depended on it……says Michelle Obama. It does!
Lean in and Vote!
Happy Hump Day!
❤️
Cindy
Thank you so much for reading and as always, like (if you do or course, comment and or share). I am humbly grateful for your time and read!
