Friday, March 25, 2011

Write Your Own Storybook

Could it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time rewritten every line?
(from "Memories," written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman for “The Way We Were”)

The past wears rose colored glasses to our untrained eyes.
The “good old” days call forth nostalgia and misty magical moments.
We rewrite our stories to heal our wounds and to assure ourselves that our lives are saturated with meaning and beauty.

But what if you create today as your water-colored memory for your lifetime?
What would your today embrace that would be memorable for decades to come?

Write your own storybook ending and smile!

Friday, March 18, 2011

The Road to Resiliance

The road to resilience is paved with real time relationships.

The people who “bounce back” from adversity have nurtured caring and supportive relationships. The literature claims that this is the primary factor in producing resilient people.

As a result of struggle people often learn something about themselves that increases their sense of self-worth, heightens their appreciation for life, and creates a more developed personal spirituality.

Life contains disappointments and challenges. Resilience lies inside ourselves. Pave it with love.

Friday, March 11, 2011

The Art of Making Memories

I remember with fondness my visits with an elderly man in the North Carolina hospital where I used to work as a chaplain.

He was frail in body and robust in spirit and stories. I spent wonderful hours with him as he reminisced about his life, his loves, his passions, and his travels. After many encounters he shared this wisdom spark.

Make your memories early, so you will have them the rest of your life

Friday, March 4, 2011

Better than the Real Thing

I recall the taste and smell of a café mocha.

I walk into Starbucks and purchase a tall decaf café mocha sans whip, and I take a sip.

I wait and take another sip. The third sip clinches it for me.

The thought of it was better than the real thing.

How can that be?

We desire something from the depths of our being. We gravitate towards it. We take the actions necessary to fulfill the desire.

Still, the café mocha has no buzz.

Our imagination creates the strongest desire of all.

Like a good drip coffee, let it flow drop by drop savoring the heavenly aroma.

Living into the desire is the real thing.