Growing up in a family which celebrates Christmas and the values of that Christian family helps to keep you centered in your life. I could compare it to the point on a child's toy - a spinning top. The balance of the top is in the point on which it spins. If that is toppled the top goes out of control, yet when it is righted again, it continues spinning. Our spiritual life keeps us spinning. Since we are imperfect beings our balance sometimes wavers, but being embedded into our conscience, it rights itself and we regain our momentum to continue our ingrained spinning.
The strongest earthly source of energy to keep us spinning is our family. The stronger the family ties, the smoother the spinning, and the weaker the ties, the more likely it is that the energy runs out. As the reader may surmise, I am an advocate for strong family ties.
Families begin with a vow of fidelity, a promise to love and stay together, no matter what forces may try to break the bond. If the people taking the vow understand what that means and say it sincerely they are more likely to keep their vows and make a strong family. It is this strong bond of family that is foremost in my mind today. Much has been written about what makes a family strong. One thing that glues us together is tradition of gathering for special events, year after year, and Christmas is one of those events we celebrate. Being alone on Christmas day after having years of being together as a family can be a very lonely time. We have to relive the past times to keep from feeling alone by phone calls, or texts or emails or inviting someone into our homes to enjoy the warmth of friendship.
Happily, I had half of my family here to spend the night and then on Christmas day we enjoyed our time together with meals, games, gift giving and also with those phone calls to the ones celebrating elsewhere. Families do grow and begin to include new family members as children marry and have their own families. Families grow and change but our inner source of energy remains because we have been centered with special experiences which are unique to our family.
Each family has a different story to tell, some may be similar but at the core of our being is the love of the family that energizes us and keeps us spinning through life. I hope your Christmas events included those happy times with family to keep you renewed and energized, if not, try to find someone to be your family and start building some memories to keep you centered through both happy and difficult times.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
In the Aftermath
It seems reasonable to say that every American and most of the world has heard of the carnage of Sandy Hook. No one who has knowledge of this unfathomable event can go unchanged. Everyone can relate to it at some level. We cannot imagine how those parents will continue to live out their lives after this horror has been inflicted upon them.
Some changes will come about as our conscience demands it. To live in a free society we must come to terms with more controls to protect the general public. Those who never do harm to others will have to accept new measures to assure that those who would do harm are hindered in their efforts.
Looking back to the years when I was in the classroom with six year children to guide, educate and supervise to keep safe, I remember the tactics used in our schools then. Back in the 1950's no thought was given to major disruptions. Our concerns centered on snow and icy roads, playground safety, transportation to and from schools, weather and supervising the washing of hands before eating.
In my first classroom we had no running water. I was adamant about the children washing their hands before eating. Most of the children brought their lunches in brown paper bags or they walked home for lunch. Some of their homes were in sight of the school, which was on a mountain top. Each day we had a ritual. I had brought a round metal pan to school and a large pitcher. I stood beside the pan and poured water over the little hands after they had soaped with a bar of ivory soap. In a modern version of this procedure, I stood outside the bathroom and if I suspected little hands had not been washed I asked that they be lifted so I could smell for soap. Sometimes a little boy who was suspect at the time would just turn and go back into the bathroom not waiting for me to check his hands. He knew the procedure and what he had to do.
When I was in a school with an intercom system we would receive a coded message from the office if there was a need for it. Our school was near a prison so we would occasionally have a prisoner on the loose. If we were outdoors someone would come out to tell us to come in. The most we had to fear was an irate parent who would storm in the building and head straight for the room of the intended target. This coded message was for every teacher to step out into the hallway and just stand by his/her door. This was a silent message that witnesses were all around and although I never saw an incident to prove the effectiveness of the method, it was said to work very well.
Later on, a sign was placed near the entrance stating that visitors must sign in at the school office. I think much more stringent measures are already at play in our schools. Since I last had a classroom in 1991, our world has become much smaller with instant viewing of events around the globe. We are much more informed and vigilant and less safe than we were thirty years ago.
During World War II, President Delano Roosevelt said that "All we have to fear is fear itself". I am not so sure that will hold true for 2012. It is all too real that there is much to fear today. There are some real measures that we can take to reduce the possibility of danger, but in reality, we cannot be sure that we will be safe. To over react to try to defend ourselves can have ugly consequences. Unfortunately we have seen the consequences of this over reaction played out in this latest unspeakable tragedy. No one wants to put it into words, but it is a true.
Some changes will come about as our conscience demands it. To live in a free society we must come to terms with more controls to protect the general public. Those who never do harm to others will have to accept new measures to assure that those who would do harm are hindered in their efforts.
Looking back to the years when I was in the classroom with six year children to guide, educate and supervise to keep safe, I remember the tactics used in our schools then. Back in the 1950's no thought was given to major disruptions. Our concerns centered on snow and icy roads, playground safety, transportation to and from schools, weather and supervising the washing of hands before eating.
In my first classroom we had no running water. I was adamant about the children washing their hands before eating. Most of the children brought their lunches in brown paper bags or they walked home for lunch. Some of their homes were in sight of the school, which was on a mountain top. Each day we had a ritual. I had brought a round metal pan to school and a large pitcher. I stood beside the pan and poured water over the little hands after they had soaped with a bar of ivory soap. In a modern version of this procedure, I stood outside the bathroom and if I suspected little hands had not been washed I asked that they be lifted so I could smell for soap. Sometimes a little boy who was suspect at the time would just turn and go back into the bathroom not waiting for me to check his hands. He knew the procedure and what he had to do.
When I was in a school with an intercom system we would receive a coded message from the office if there was a need for it. Our school was near a prison so we would occasionally have a prisoner on the loose. If we were outdoors someone would come out to tell us to come in. The most we had to fear was an irate parent who would storm in the building and head straight for the room of the intended target. This coded message was for every teacher to step out into the hallway and just stand by his/her door. This was a silent message that witnesses were all around and although I never saw an incident to prove the effectiveness of the method, it was said to work very well.
Later on, a sign was placed near the entrance stating that visitors must sign in at the school office. I think much more stringent measures are already at play in our schools. Since I last had a classroom in 1991, our world has become much smaller with instant viewing of events around the globe. We are much more informed and vigilant and less safe than we were thirty years ago.
During World War II, President Delano Roosevelt said that "All we have to fear is fear itself". I am not so sure that will hold true for 2012. It is all too real that there is much to fear today. There are some real measures that we can take to reduce the possibility of danger, but in reality, we cannot be sure that we will be safe. To over react to try to defend ourselves can have ugly consequences. Unfortunately we have seen the consequences of this over reaction played out in this latest unspeakable tragedy. No one wants to put it into words, but it is a true.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Expecting Chester
Things happen in life which are totally unexpected, but which are so appropriate at the time. We were sitting around our dining table, eight of our family including two guests, enjoying our Thanksgiving dinner. The subject of cats came up and my son made the astonishing statement that "when cats look at humans they do not see a human face, rather a cat image". This was hotly challenged by all at the table, but he did not back down as no one had proof either way.
When I announced that I was looking for a guard cat to keep the squirrels away from my plants, I set off a series of plans which ensured that I would indeed be the recipient of a manly, no nonsense one eared cat which had earned the reputation of school yard bully. His owner proclaimed he could protect my place from cats, dogs, deer and any other approaching animal.
That was exactly what I was looking for. I want a pet that can stay outside, find his own food and stave off marauding woods critters, which I now have in abundance. I can only imagine I will need to entice him with some treats and tidbits not found on the run, but that, I am willing to do.
In the back of my mind I wondered if there were any red flags fluttering about in our conversation, especially when his owner said "I'd pay someone to take him." But when you are blinded by desire you do not see those streaks of red. All I could feel was the hot heat of anger from the squirrels eating all of the fat buds on my Christmas Sasanqua on the west side of my house. The county extension service agent confirmed that squirrels indeed will eat the buds off winter blooming Sasanqua. I needed to act quickly before they discover the fat buds on my red Camellia on the east side of my house. I could not bear it if I could not see those beauties next month when nothing else was blooming here.
So, I feel a new era is upon me, in the reign of Chester, long awaited savior.
When I announced that I was looking for a guard cat to keep the squirrels away from my plants, I set off a series of plans which ensured that I would indeed be the recipient of a manly, no nonsense one eared cat which had earned the reputation of school yard bully. His owner proclaimed he could protect my place from cats, dogs, deer and any other approaching animal.
That was exactly what I was looking for. I want a pet that can stay outside, find his own food and stave off marauding woods critters, which I now have in abundance. I can only imagine I will need to entice him with some treats and tidbits not found on the run, but that, I am willing to do.
In the back of my mind I wondered if there were any red flags fluttering about in our conversation, especially when his owner said "I'd pay someone to take him." But when you are blinded by desire you do not see those streaks of red. All I could feel was the hot heat of anger from the squirrels eating all of the fat buds on my Christmas Sasanqua on the west side of my house. The county extension service agent confirmed that squirrels indeed will eat the buds off winter blooming Sasanqua. I needed to act quickly before they discover the fat buds on my red Camellia on the east side of my house. I could not bear it if I could not see those beauties next month when nothing else was blooming here.
So, I feel a new era is upon me, in the reign of Chester, long awaited savior.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Where I Want to Be
Where Life Goes On
Exactly where I want to be, in the shelter of the
house
I helped build
Built to let the light stream in, through windows wide
and tall
To warm the earthen tile
Laid where the pattern yields angles and lines,
North, south, east and west
Where high stone walls
Climb up to meet the ceiling,
Easy steps curve gently to the upper room.
A balcony invites resting on the long, long, couch
A house with many places to stop and look and think
To lose oneself in silent thought and resist the urge
to move
Just rest, reflect on how it was
The last time you were here
Study the paintings on the wall
Paintings done so long ago
Of people, flowers, birds and things that lived in the
artists soul
Leave me here that I may be forever in this favored
place
Where life goes on if only in my mind
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Fall Feelings and Family Fellows
Before the sun was up, I was
Sleep had flown away
Ideas filled my head while I in
bed still lay
Of food like pumpkin pie and
stuffing and such
Thoughts came and left in frantic
rush
Of peach scent wafting
through the air
Yellow, dancing mesmerizing flames
Dominating the scene with fire
like games
While folks gathered together
for the ritual of fall
It is Thanksgiving after all
A time to go back to
grandmother’s house
To greet and meet and laugh
and talk
And perhaps to take a woods
path walk
Gather some colorful found
leaves along the way
To grace our table for the
day
We miss those no longer here
We may even shed a tear
Remembering those days gone
by
We never lose them you know
For in our hearts they live
and grow
While we are making ones anew
to
Carry forward to future times
that bind us
Forever to each other
To live again, another day
when future families
Come this way
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Autumn's Waning Gift
One of the pleasures of gardening isharvesting the fruits of your labor. On this cold cloudy day, after being up late to witness an historic event, the election of President Obama's second term of office, I went outside to gather what I could find in my slowly vanishing garden flowers. The picture shows what is left of the Cosmos, Stone Mt. daisies, Chrysanthemum pacificum, pink Rose, Lantana, Zinnias, Ageratum, wild honeysuckle and the blooms of a confused Azalea.
It won't be long before I will have an abundance of
red Camellias, and Christmas Sasanquas. They will actually begin to bloom in December. You may be sure that I will be clipping some of those blooms to bring inside also.
One plant which is turning a beautiful salmon color is the Mapleleaf Viburnum, I did not want to cut, as I am giving tender loving care the first winter for this new undergrowth tree.
I do not consider it cheating to bring in the wild honeysuckle along with my cultivated flowers. This vine has been pleasing me since I was a small child in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. We learned that we could not only enjoy its sweet scent, but also sip the nectar inside the bloom, much the same way the bees and butterflies helped themselves to it as part of their diet.
If you are living in a temperate zone, I challenge you to take a walk around with your clippers and see what you can find to bring indoors for an impromptu bouquet. It might just lift your spirits on a cloudy day.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
A Philosophy of Life
On this Sabbath day before departing to my own house of worship, I took my new revised version of the Bible and reread the 91st Psalm.
It sums up what the faithful has taken to his heart for his life's guide.
Psalm 91 - Assurance of God's Protection
You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust."
For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence;
He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent
For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone
You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.
In order to understand the symbolic wording of this Psalm, you need to think beyond the temporal things of this life. It is not a way of looking at life that comes instantly, rather over a life span of faithful living, of trusting in God's presence. I like the words "I will protect those who know my name". That is a deep idea.
This Psalm was read at the memorial service of William Craig Matthis, for it had great meaning for him in his lifelong reliance on God's presence in his life.
It sums up what the faithful has taken to his heart for his life's guide.
Psalm 91 - Assurance of God's Protection
You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust."
For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence;
He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent
For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone
You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.
In order to understand the symbolic wording of this Psalm, you need to think beyond the temporal things of this life. It is not a way of looking at life that comes instantly, rather over a life span of faithful living, of trusting in God's presence. I like the words "I will protect those who know my name". That is a deep idea.
This Psalm was read at the memorial service of William Craig Matthis, for it had great meaning for him in his lifelong reliance on God's presence in his life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)