thank you

/

I stand here

In the middle of all of this

Thinking of those I love

My heart is full

With emotions that are impossible to express

I am so lucky

That seems to be the only way to describe it

So very lucky

I stand here feeling blessed

For everyone that I have encountered in my life

The friendships that have developed deep over time

The brief encounters of strangers passing by

And my family who has stood beside me through it all

The moments of laughter that have filled up my soul

And the tears that have fell from eyes because I dug deep and let myself go

I am grateful for all of these things

And grateful for everyone in my life

It is theses moments

And each individual

That make my life so special

Thank you for coming into my life

Touching my soul the way you have

Because of you I have smiled more

And felt the beauty of life

Showing up

/

I show up here 

because it is food for my soul

A space for my mind and heart 

to purge all the contents that are swirling around

I show up here

because I know no other way

This page is a canvas for me to paint my words on

A blank slate to open up into

I show up here

because it is here that I feel seen

I am freely able to express my thoughts, ideas, and feelings

With unwavering support from others

I show up here

because it allows me the ability to connect 

with myself and with others

It is here that I know I am not alone

I show up here

and I am so glad that you show up as well

Thank you for every time you visit

An

d for each comment you make

Reading what you have to say lights me up inside

I see you, in all your beauty

I show up here 

to feel the connection we all have

We are never alone, ever

Celebrate you

/

We are each on a journey

Traveling deeply into it

Struggling at times

Laughing at other times

But always, always growing

Time passes by quickly

Before we know it a year is gone

And we have traveled through so much

Just look back a year from today

Now look back a little bit father, and a little bit father

Go ahead read the very first blog entry you wrote

I'll wait. . .

How about you read the one you wrote this time last year,

or two years ago

My how you have grown

Celebrate that

Celebrate the things that brought you down

And the moments that lifted you up

Celebrate each of them

For it is these moments that make up you

And you are who you are is uniquely beautiful

Celebrate that,

Absolutely celebrate Y*O*U!

ramblings from a park bench

/

I am sitting in the middle of this city

So much is going on around me

People passing by

Each on their own journey

I hear snippets of peoples lives

Snapshots of their most intimate details

Entering my ears as they rush by

Feelings of amazement wash over me as I sit here

I am trying to do my best to soak it all in

To really look at how different everyone is

Yet understand that internally we are all the same

A beating heart

Blood pumping

Thoughts

Ideas

Feelings

All of these unseen things connect us

They make us more similar than different

We are more than the clothes we wear

We are more than the job title we have

We are more than the music we listen to

I fantazie about where each of them is going

What is it they are up to

I wonder what their life is like

It is so easy to get soaked into our selfish existence

Forgetting that their are others out there

People we have yet to meet

They are living life

Going through all sorts of things

Struggling, standing, falling,

And picking themselves back up again

I can see more clearly now

I am not the only one that feels pain and happiness

I am not the only one who stumbles time and time again

I am not the only one learning how to gain my footing in this world

There are people out their with broken hearts

They feel lonely, inadequate, and unloved

Their are others out there living life

Soaking in the beauty of the every day

In fact there is a whole world of people

Each of their lives is different than my own

They know different people

Do different things

Have different experiences

Yet they all have one thing in common

They all feel something

Each person experiencing pain, happiness

Laughter and tears

It may not look the same to you are I

But the feeling is the same

Taking the time to sit and watch others

I am able to soak all of this in

Their is much to be seen

Much to be heard

The lives of others are unravelling before us

I let go

/

I sat by the river

Collecting my thoughts

Pulling out all the things that were lurking deep inside

I sat there alone for a long time

Listening to the sound of the water rush by

The voices of nature eased the words from my soul

For to long I have been gripping these things tightly

Things that no longer served me

Things that were not mine to own in the first place

I knew it was time to bid them farewell

But I also wanted to honor and thank them

They were each their for me in the moments I needed them

So I let my pen do the talking

Naming each of them and giving them praise

Showing my gratitude for what I learned during our encounter

Then with love I said my goodbyes

Letting them know that they were off on another journey

Destine to find someone else that needed them

I did what I had to do

To heal this piece of me

I let go