Words of Kindness and Joy

 

 Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye

Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.

 The blossoms are from my garden this week.

I came across this poem a couple days ago and it just took my breathe away. It says exactly what I have been thinking on kindness. I told a friend that the reason I am focusing on kindness this year is because I knew it was going to be a tough year. This poem says that in different words.

Look behind the kindness, what is sitting in each persons heart? What hurts have they seen?

Be gentle and kind with each other, dear friends.

Sending love, Marilyn

 

Happy Springtime!

 

Time to wake up little one.

Look around you.

What do you see?

 

A pretty party dress awaits.

Spring is here.

Time to dance.

Green grows the grass and leaves.

It feels like they are bursting all around.

Sing like there is no tomorrow.

Spring is in the air.

Spring and a bit of bling go together so well.

Just take notice and keep on dancing.

We are in the pink.

Is there something hanging here that takes your fancy?

Rejoice, Celebrate, Dance, Laugh!

Happy Spring time, dear friends!

Sending love, Marilyn

*pictures taken today at my favorite spring show, Monticello Antique Marketplace.

Words of Kindness and Joy

 

 "Human Kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough."  Franklin Delano Roosevelt

The gentleness of a soft spring blossom has the stamina that will bring summer fruit. As the blossom thrives, the bees come to pollinate and encourage the fruit tree to flourish.

May we flourish in the display of kindness with those around us. Sing in the sunlight, embrace each cloudy day and dance while sharing kindness all around us.

Sending love, Marilyn

Fickle Spring

Someone once said,
"The first signs of Spring make my heart sing."

Yes, it makes my heart sing.

When I drive in my neighborhood I wish I could have you all driving or walking along with me, enjoying the signs of springtime.

Daffodils and crocus appear every March, my birthday month, and I rejoice, laugh and sing at their appearance. These daffodils sit outside my window this very morning.

 

And on the first day of spring it was a balmy 70 degree day, I walked along the river enjoying the cherry blossoms.

 

I think others had the same idea. It was time to be outdoors savoring springtime.

 

These are all the blossoms I found on the first day of spring.

As I said in the heading, spring is "fickle".

One day it is 70 degrees and the sun is shining with a blue sky day.

The next day the clouds roll in and it is 50 degrees with the threat of sprinkles.

Visiting the market this week I couldn't resist walking through the garden center and coming home with a couple white geraniums, one parsley and one thyme for the herb garden too. Then there was also a lavender plant that jumped into my basket. Now I hope there is no more frost, but only sunshine and sprinkles. Oh those fickle days of springtime!

 

Raindrops on daffodils in my garden.

"In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside 24 hours." —Mark Twain

Are you enjoying signs of spring in your part of the world?

Is it making your heart sing?

Sending love, Marilyn

Words of Kindness and Joy

 

 

 On Joy 

  In the Company of Women 

           

Make me laugh over coffee,

make it a double, make it frothy

so it seethes in our delight.

Make my cup overflow

with your small happiness.

I want to hoot and snort and cackle and chuckle.

Let your laughter fill me like a bell.

Let me listen to your ringing and singing

as Billie Holiday croons above our heads.

Sorry, the blues are nowhere to be found.

Not tonight. Not here.

No makeup. No tears.

Only contours. Only curves.

Each sip takes back a pound,

each dry-roasted swirl takes  our soul.

Can I have a refill, just one more?

Let the bitterness sink to the bottom of our lives.

Let us take this joy to go.

 by January Gill O'Neil

 

Since sometimes we just need to focus on JOY, today I am doing just that. Can you remember the last time you laughed with a friend so hard that you could hardly catch your breath? tears were running down your cheeks? May you be blessed with great laughter and delight each and every day.

Sending love, Marilyn

Winter Flowers

 "The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the Imagination." Terri Guillemets

Each day of the year I watch for flowers and color around me in nature. In winter I particular search for color, as it is such a joy when I find it. Out of curiosity I did a search online this week to see what would pop up for winter flower quotes. I loved what I found and the thoughts behind each quote. As I share the quotes I am also sharing the color in my pictures that I have found as we quickly approach the end of winter and the beginning of springtime. The flower above is in my garden. It is called Hellebore or Lenten Rose. It is one of the first flowers I find in my garden during the waning winter days.

 

 "The flowers of spring are winter's dreams related at the breakfast table of the angels." Kahlil Gibran

Camellias are beginning to bloom in my garden and here at Lan Su Chinese Gardens too.

 

I was amazed to find plum blossoms above and Daphne below at Lan Su Chinese Gardens too.

 

Do you think the gentlemen sitting in this garden are talking about finding winter color? We can only imagine?

 

"Some flowers can bloom in winter reminding of the tenderness that can conquer the cold harshness." Unknown

 

Daffodils have begun blooming in my garden.

 

"If flowers can teach themselves how to bloom after winter passes..........So can you." Noor Shirazia

 

Do you search for winter color?

Do you have flowers beginning to bloom around you?

Notice what you notice.

 

Sending love, Marilyn

Words of Kindness and Joy

Sit awhile and have a cup of tea.

 What most inspired me to write this year about Kindness was viewing Steve Hartman's series on Kindness 101 on CBS and YouTube. He said that when sharing kindness, "their joy, that's the gift to you". I thoroughly enjoy seeing the joy in someone's face when sharing kindness. It is indeed a gift to me.

I encourage you to watch some of the series or all of it on YouTube. It will touch your heart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1A58bZXaBM&list=PLJzm9BhU_wL9co3T1JYzfld3xtL3_kKnA&ab_channel=CBSMornings

 

Walk somewhere pretty and enjoy the day!

This is a short post today; so you have time to watch Steve Hartman and his kids on YouTube. Enjoy!!

Have a great week. Seek out kindness wherever you go.

Sending love, Marilyn