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My time is precious. I invest it wisely. It is something that really matters. I am getting older by the minute so I am in a big hurry to make a difference, to do something of value even if others don’t understand why. So pull up your socks and join me. Don’t let life pass you by while you sit dreaming. Eat healthy, reach out to others, strengthen your family, your community, your world. We can make this a much better place.

Personal peace has always been important to me.When I don’t have it I lie awake doing rerun over rerun of the challenge that has me puzzled, uncertain. Some challenges hang around for days, weeks, even years. I try a different perspective. I question my thinking, my actions, my life. I read books from the library. I remember what I have said and done. How does one work with mentally challenged individuals? What will help them survive? to be at peace? to stay out of my hair?

 Yes, things are a bit different now But no matter how you slice it most of life is the same as in the time of the caveman. If you over feed someone and they get fed just because they are there meaning they don’t have to exercise or otherwise earn their food they will learn to be lazy, fat and unhealthy. They will become mainly over stuffed blobs not productive individuals. Now let’s think about people who learn to whimper and cry over minor problems. If as a baby you are always picked up and cuddled when you cry you learn to cry whenever you are disappointed. You learn you get more attention this way than any other way. Overly kind parents often raise neurotic children who have little strength to survive life’s challenges. These children may not learn to help others, to cooperate, to survive. They will be easily bullied. They cry for attention all the time. They are too needy. Let’s consider a child who is born with a major disability—no arms or legs? Too small, too large? Fighting a major disease? These children face impossible odds so what do their parents teach them—we love you—we believe in you SO this child can achieve miracles because they face challenges—they learn not to cry for attention-they earn attention. Are you enabling your child to become a whiner, a needy, self pitying kid who reacts to life’s challenges by throwing a tantrum, avoiding life’s challenges and demanding gifts or attention whenever possible? Healthy children learn to challenge life; to get over hurdles, to take turns, to share[ yes, even the time adults have to give needs sharing], to cooperate, to help his/her home life, school life and life in general go better. By doing this they earn respect. Children need rules—fair rules that teach responsibility—put your things away—it is dinner time sit properly at the table, eat politely—share toys, help each other, if you pick on someone you need to have a talk about how we treat each other—mostly you need to be treated as a valued adult who needs to understand. Life is not fair! But if every child is a prince or princess this world is going to see WAR after WAR because their parents are failing to motivate them to cooperate, to problem solve, to benefit society. Someone once told me I didn’t know how to raise a genius but I think I do. You don’t want to waste that amazing gift. Our family has one genius—my niece—her IQ is off the charts—but my sister carefully taught her to be respectful of others, to look after herself and her sister and friends. My family has several cousins who have earned the Governor-General’s medals and other honors but these same individuals learned to care about others with Down’s Syndrome. They learned they should give to society not society owed them a living. They learned to work with society, to be a friend. Learning to be a friend is essential for a genius otherwise he or she may just as easily become a unibomber.

Love—for the blood to rush

Straight through your veins

For your head just to swirl

To be almost insane

For the joy to carry you up,

Up, up to the clouds

For the feeling you want to laugh

Or to cry right out loud

Love—for its sadness

Its temporary madness

For the merry-go-round

You are on.

For the secret delight

When your heart is in flight

When the love that you share

Seems too strong to bear

And the glow that you feel

Seems to great to be real

For the heady emotions

That sweep like a flood to the oceans.

Love—when the pain that you feel

At another’s small sorrows

Makes you want to take them away

For a hundred tomorrows.

All the wrenching, the tearing-

It certainly is wearing.

Love—How long can it last?

When will this feeling be past?

What did I do to deserve it?

And—for goodness sake—

How can I preserve LOVE

it?

BEING A TREE

Being a part of nature, part of the Wilderness,

Part but essential as trees are to me.

Trees have played a consistent part in my life.

Always, always, there have been trees.

Trees to admire, to climb..

And later to chop down

To provide warmth and comfort.

Being among the trees a quiet, exquisite comfort.

A place of serenity where I belonged.

I didn’t see that I could be a destroyer of the beauty, of the peace, of the trees.

 

 

via Writing