Just because…. sometimes we have the privilege of experiencing days this and we take them for granted. The day was perfect and all was noticed and fully appreciated.
~K
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
April 17, 2011 – Landscapes
April 15, 2011 _ – It Doesn’t Get Any Better…
Sweet boy.
Strawberries.
Smiles
Sunshine.
Such wonderful moments. Days you could only hope to have. Memories to carry forever.
~K
Monday, April 18, 2011
April 14, 2011- Live Your Life
In one of my more recent yoga classes, the instructor repeated a Native American quote that resonated with me. I wanted to share it here and attempted to look it up so that I had the wording right. Before I found what I was looking for, I came across this amazing thought by Tecumseh. It’s absolutely beautiful. Enjoy
"Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about their religion.
Respect others in their views and demand respect for yours.
Love your life, Perfect your life, and beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or sign of salute when you meet a passing friend,
or even a strange, if in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people, but grovel to no one.
When you wake in the morning, give thanks for the light,
for your life, for your strength.
Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.
Abuse no one, and no thing ... for abuse turns wise ones to fools,
and robs the spirit of its vision.” - Tecumseh
Isn’t that wonderful? Thoughts for today…. I’ll save the other quotation for another day.
~K
April 13, 2011 – Finding Peace
‘Hey, I like it here,’ she called back to us from the rock.
“I find it very peaceful.’
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Perfect. May she always be able to find peace.
~K
April 12, 2011- Better Together
“Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepia tone loving…
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here?
And where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together…” ~Jack Johnson
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Living a wonderful life, loving the moments in it and so glad to have such a fantastic person to join me on the way. There’s not a day that passes where I’m not fully aware of how fortunate we both are.
~K
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
April 11, 2011 – Lions and Butterflies
My babies got out of the bathtub and came running to me. They were each still dripping wet and both wearing a hooded towel which had the characteristics of an animal.
With wet hair, wrinkled fingers and big smiles, the butterfly and the lion emerged from the bathroom.
They played, giggled, harassed, hugged and then stopped for a kiss before bed.
These little moments in my life. Insignificant as they may be, I treasure them now and pray that they will burn into my memory forever.
~K
April 10, 2011 - Daydreams
Dream big, my little girl… the world is yours. I am so
grateful to walk by your side along the way.
~K
April 9, 2011 - Laughter
“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.”
– Author Unknown
Not only do I see this picture and laugh, but I can hear it and laugh just the same.
~K
April 8, 2011 – Happiness
“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”
- Aristotle
A week in the mountains with my favorite three, and even four paws. Sunshine and smiles…. busy days and easygoing evenings.
Pure, genuine happiness that certainly felt like the whole aim of my existence.
~K
April 7, 2011 – Smile
“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” - Mother Teresa
Share a smile and you share a gift. Share a smile and see what it does… look at that, this boy. I can’t look at this without smiling myself….
~K
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
April 6, 2011 – Wonderful Lessons
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” - Greek Proverb
I love watching the wonder in her eyes and in her movements.
May she always look at her world with such curiosity and intent. May she always look at her world and first notice all of the beauty and all of the possibilities. And may I always remember that there is so much that I can learn from her if I take the time to watch and to listen.
~K
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
April 5, 2011 – Today is….
Today is April 5th. Though maybe it was the 4th…
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I hung my American flag. It reminds me of him. Of him, in the fuzzy black and white picture as a young boy, bravely in uniform, whose world was about to drastically change. Of him, as it draped neatly over a gorgeous wooden casket that I never thought I’d see. Of him, in the face of a young soldier, looking deeply into the tear filled eyes of my grandmother, who then handed her the perfectly folded triangle with a final salute. Of him, as it now sits, folded into a neat wooden frame, preserved in a quiet space in their home.
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It was a year ago today and I was at the beach, waiting for the news that I knew may be coming. I ran along the water, day after day, choking on the salty tears that were streaming from my face.
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It was April 5th. Or maybe it was the 4th.
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Who the hell cares? (That’s what he would say.)
This day wasn’t important before and I refuse to allow myself for it to be a day of mourning now. This day marks simply a loss of time, and today is one year later.
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Today is April 5th.
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I didn’t cry today. What the hell good is that going to do you? (There’s his voice again.)
I thought him often though and each time, rather than mourn, I deliberately thought of something wonderful.
I thought of him leaning back, two feet of his chair on the floor, a toothpick in his mouth, scratching and patting his belly with a hand short of fingers. Laughing. Lots of memories of laughing. I can close my eyes and hear it now. Thank you, Pop Pop, for reminding me to always laugh… and laugh loud.
I thought of him unloading refinished wooden school desks into our house. A surprise from him so that we could play school more authentically. Thank you, Pop Pop, for that early influence in education. I loved those beautiful wooden desks.
I thought of dogs. And how for weeks after he died, every stray or lost dog in the neighborhood somehow found it’s way to me. And then I’d hear his cackling laugh in the wind and smile. Thank you, Pop Pop, for these strange oddities.
I thought of the incidents… the scares since he’s been gone. My dad’s accident, the night my son fell unconscious, birthday surprises….. and how his strength is always felt somewhere, everywhere,… reminding me. Thank you, Pop Pop, for watching over us all.
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Today is April 5th.
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I thought of mopeds and white socks and cracked windows and cigarettes and bookshelves and bubble gum and airplanes and fishing and twisted mustaches and boats and foot rubs and toy chests and old cars and coffee cups and wrapping paper and hearing aides and speeding tickets and Henry Ford and lawn mowers and pizza and country music and hair grease and memories and memories and memories of …. lots and lots of laughing. We were always laughing.
There were very few tears today. Atta girl, Kristian. (Thank you.) Life is for the living. (I know.)
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Today is April 5th. Thank you for the wonderful memories. Thank you for filling my life with laughter and love.
“I’m gonna walk with my granddaddy… and he’ll match me step for step. I’ll tell him that I missed him every minute since he’d left. And then I’ll hug his neck…” ` George Teren and Rivers Rutherford
~K
April 4, 2011- With Each New Day
I. Love. This.
“Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt, crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can,
tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely,
with too high a spirit to be cumbered
with your old nonsense.”~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
~K
April 3, 2011- May We Always Take Notice
There’s a song we have sang to the kids since they were first born. The song grew from a poem written by a young Russian child and has been referenced to by many, from President Reagan to Raffi. Here’s the chorus of it…
May there always be sunshine,
May there always be blue skies,
May there always be mommy,
May there always be me.
May there always be rivers,
May there always be green trees,
May there always be daddy,
May there always be me.
-Lev Oshanin
The chorus lines are interchangeable and over the years, we’ve included the words, ‘may there always be ...brothers, ….sisters, …grandmas ….rainbows, etc.’ as we sang verse after verse . Many a night, they fell asleep in our arms, as we held them tight and they listened to our repetitious thankfulness through the notes of this beautiful song.
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The kids were playing out front and I was inside making them lunch. I opened the back door to let the dog out and looked out off of our porch and saw this. I stopped. Grabbed my camera and took this picture.
Instantly, ‘our’ song came to mind and in my head, …
May there always be rain boots…
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Time goes so fast. I’m so glad I’ve chosen to take a moment to take a moment each day.
~K
April 2, 2011-Saturday Morning Soccer
One day….
we will sleep in again on Saturday mornings. With no early commitments, no cars packed with thermoses of hot coffee, fruit snacks, blankets, muddy cleats and singsong voices that are clearly too loud for the hour displayed on the clock.
But then what?
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But then what? I don’t know.
I do know that for now, I will enjoy every moment of our Saturday mornings. Because I do also know that if I blink for a moment too long, it will be then. It will be an empty nest Saturday and there will be no one to jump on my head to wake me at the crack of dawn, no mini shin guards to wrestle onto chubby calves, no bag of books and games to pack for the other… and no one to mind where we are or what we may miss.
Saturday Morning Soccer. In all of it’s madness… I will notice it. I will soak up every millisecond of these too short times and file it all somewhere. I will consciously do this so that on that morning then, I will be able to sit in my home and tuck my hands around my cup of coffee and then close my eyes and remember when….
Is it Saturday yet? I cannot wait.
~K
April 1, 2011- Father-Daughter Dances
“On behalf of every man
Looking out for every girl
You are the god and the weight of her world
So fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do” – John Mayer
I’m so grateful my daughter has this Daddy. He is gentle and strong, calm and smart. He treasures their time together and puts it first on his priority list. His influence in her life will shape who she is and help to form who she becomes. He will grow with her- be her rock, her sounding board and the soft place for her to fall. And though she has no idea of this now, one day, it will be crystal clear.
Smiles, love and goodness…. Fathers and Daughters.
~K
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