Tag Archive | love
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FRIENDSHIP

A dear friend of mine died several years ago & I mourned her being gone. As I came to realize, I was focusing more for what I’d lost than what I’d gained. One day I heard–as if spoken from above–

“Why are you wasting your time crying and ruining your make up? Get on with it–you’ve got lots to do!”

And so the mourning ended and the joy of knowing her filled my heart once again.

I never came to you, my friend

That I didn’t go away

A little stronger for the moment–

A bit more determined for the day.

You never came to me, my friend

That I didn’t make you feel the same

Helping you through a burden

Along life’s difficult way

 

I’ve driven the road to your house many times

Always sure of the things I’d find:

Laughter that was too loud, tears that often came,

Words that were never spoken but heard just the same

So how do I carry on now? Just the same you’d say.

The memories of us will get you through the worst day.

For you see, I’ll always come to you, my friend,

In thoughts and memories again, again and again.

 

 

Carole King – You’ve Got a Friend (Official Audio) – Bing video

 

 

 

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Traveling With Me

 

Today is the first anniversary of this blog, so I wanted to let you know I appreciate your spending time here.

If you’ve been traveling with me for the last year, THANK YOU for hopping on board.

If you are reading this post and visiting this blog for the first time,  WELCOME to my journey. 

 I’m reminded about the message of love I gave my children:th3US0WZ7J

If I could write a blueprint for living, I would wrap it in love, tie it with ribbons of hugs & present it to you anytime you need to be reminded you are God’s child.”

I hope my message has been clear, both to my children & grandchildren.  I believe in treasuring the wonderful times & even the troubled days…for how can you know you are blessed if you haven’t seen the other side. 

To say that I’m in my second “life” would be an understatement…I’m living again and maybe fully for the first time…but I can clearly see it’s right for this time.

When I retired, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do.  I thought my purpose was over.  Now I’m finally understanding that I am here EVERY DAY for a purpose.  It has amazed me the people who have followed my blog or tweets who connect because of a comparable belief, thought or interest.  I never imagined some of those casual contacts would become true friends across the miles – but that’s what has happened.  I didn’t imagine either that old acquaintances would re-visit me emerging from this new tool.

I’m honored to hear from my readers with comments such as:

  • “I needed your thought today” 
  • “Thank you for caring”
  • “ Welcome to my world”
  • “Hope to meet you”
  • “Good to see your post”

With a dream in my heart, I knew it was time to live it! Nothing fades faster than an opportunity not explored.  Writing has been my passion, so I began this journey one year ago. It is here on these blank pages I can pour out my thoughts, beliefs, ideas & words.  It has become my peaceful place to offer a word of encouragement or a lesson learned in my life. 

Having come through some health issues, daily I’m grateful I’m still standing upright & even standing!  I’m really careful about where I step, walk & things I do…but for the most part…I’m trekking down paths I never thought I would be able to explore.

New Journeys on Old Roads has become more than just a title for my blog; it has come to describe my life more than I ever imagined. 

  • Sometimes the roads are rough, so I slow down and approach with caution. 
  • Sometimes they have detours, so I look for an alternate route. 
  • Sometimes they are brand new black-topped roads over what used to be dirt, so I speed up a bit. 
  • Sometimes I get lost…but I get out my map, connect to my GPS, and try again…a lot like what happens when you fall down or fail.

If something I’ve presented here has been helpful, I invite you to post a comment or contact me in other methods listed here on this blog.

THANK YOU FOR TRAVELING WITH ME ON  MY 

NEW JOURNEYS ON OLD ROADS!

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Peaceful Existence

Have you been searching for a more peaceful existence? I was; and when I let go of my concerns about what people might say if I put my feelings on display, I found the best part of myself.

Revealing your inner thoughts on a public forum are sometimes frightening because you are opening yourself up for criticism. I know that to love and be loved, you must be available. Now I know to be accepted and accepting, I must make myself available, too.

If you are afraid of your emotions, your thoughts, or your opening up to others, there’s only a few answers for that.

  • One is to be bold.
  • Another is to be brave.
  • Another is to know it’s your time.
  • And, finally, believe you deserve the best life has to offer.

Love yourself. Then you can love others. Give them the best YOU you can give

Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides.
Margaret Thatcher

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Peace in the Midst of Pain

I glanced at the calendar this morning. I don’t really need to do that to know what day is near.  Each year I begin to feel it permeate my thoughts for weeks before.  I need no calendar for that purpose th[3]

It’s been a few years since a friend of mine left this earth. Among my circle of family and friends, we have had time to experience life without that precious presence.

…it doesn’t seem right…it doesn’t seem fair…
it doesn’t make sense…

There’s not much of anything you can do about it when a person’s time is up. Obviously, you can mourn.  You can stop living yourself.  Or, you can decide to do your best to carry on.  But you are not the keeper of time or extender of life.  You have no input or vote on that.

But then you ask yourself:

How am I going to get through this world without them? 

You need an answer for that, so you dig into your psyche and you try to reach into your heart and you can find nothing that really explains why it happened and what you are supposed to do about it.

Then, with time, comes the answer.  In a moment of clarity and perception you understand the simplicity of that answer.

There’s nothing you can do about the fact it happened & most likely nothing you could have done to prevent it. 

Your job is to continue on without them.  Maybe you can make a memorial to them; perhaps continue a legacy they began; you can live your life…that’s all.  The choices are few but it’s evident the only plan left for you is to honor the person with a permanent place in your thoughts allowing and not rejecting those thoughts.  It’s not a bad thing to think about a person who is no longer breathing on this earth.

conversation bwI’ve discovered one way to honor your loved one is to talk about that person.  Think about that person.  Tell your family about that person.  Especially tell your children about that person.  Share with someone else who knew them in a different way and you’ll have a new light shed on the person you loved.  It’s OK to have all those feelings because you still love them.  That doesn’t have to die–it can live on in you and those with whom you share your memories.

The only way I’ve been able to make it through such losses is to remember the good things, and time itself takes care of the bad things–they begin to move to the rear of your thoughts.  Oh, sure, you can harbor them and hang on to them but to what end?  That is no honor to your lost one.

broken-heart-red-cartoon[1]When the thought of their absence is so real it hurts, that’s okay, too!  Spend a moment in that thought…and then think about another time, another memory, another story.  Perhaps a smile will cross your face or you might even laugh out loud at what seemed a silly thing back then.  Allow yourself those beautiful and funny thoughts…that’s okay too.

There are no rules, no guidebook, no right, no wrong.
It never gets easier—it just gets different!

That’s what I’ve learned from experience.  My hope for you is that you find people around you who allow you to talk about your loss and your feelings.  I hope you have special memories that become more precious now that they have been entrusted to you to keep.  That’s a big job…to keep the good of a person going.  But you can do it—with love, hope, prayer, faith.  Then trust in all the memories you have to become the stories for others and create that as the legacy for your loved one.

If you are reading this and you have lost a friend or loved one, I am sorry for your loss.

May you find peace in the midst of your pain.

From Broken thTNI9F6VU

   To Healingserenity box

  ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥
     If you need more help than you’ve been able to find, 
there are professional people for you. Look around your 
community for churches or organizations that offer counseling,
or call your local hospital or contact your minister/rabbi/priest.
     For those related to a military member/veteran, contact
your local Veteran's Affairs office or your military base 
commander/chaplain.
     Here are three organizations online where you can find 
help immediately.

http://www.onlinegriefsupport.com/

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/find-support-groups

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Dance as though no one is watching you…

LOVE as though you have never been hurt before,

SING as though no one can hear you,

LIVE as though heaven is on earth.             —Souza

______________________________________________________

The story below came to me via an e-mail friend.  I couldn’t let the heart of the story pass without sharing it with you.  An old woman wrote this letter to her friend.  The last line says it all!

Dear Bertha,

I’m reading more and dusting less. I’m sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the  garden. I’m spending more time with my family and friends and less time working.

Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I’m trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I’m not “saving” anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom.

I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I’m not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.

“Someday” and “one of these days” are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it’s worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.

I’m not sure what others would’ve done had they known they wouldn’t be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was.

I’m guessing–I’ll never know.

It’s those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn’t written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn’t tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I’m trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special.

Every day,

every minute,

every breath

truly is a gift from God.

Take a few minutes to share this with a few people you care about, just to let them know that you’re thinking of them.

Life may not be the party we hoped for,

but while we are here couple_dancing[1] ewe might as well dance

Click to listen to the touching song “The Dance” by Garth Brooks

December 26, 2013  

Empty Tree

Empty Tree

What do we do now that the tree looks so empty?

If that’s what your are wondering today, it may be a perfect time to gather the family round the tree, hold hands and say a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s gifts and opportunities of this past year.  Every person may have a different thing for which they are thankful.  Sometimes though, families may have the same thanks and wishes for the days ahead.

God honors the requests and prayers of those who remember to give Him the praise for what they already received.

It’s not too early to think about your plans for how you will contribute to your family, your community, your church, your own future when the calendars change in just a few days to 2014.

If your tree looks empty, fill it with faith, hope and love.

And now three things remain; faith, hope & love…and the greatest of these is love.  [ I Corinthians 13:13]
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