Quote of the day...

"It is not impossibilities which fill us with the deepest despair, but possibilities which we have failed to realize."
—_ Robert Mallet_

Friday's Wisdom

"Once in a great while, a person is confronted with a choice, the implications of which are so profound that its resolution affects your life forever. But that happens rarely and to relatively few people. For most people, life is long enough and varied enough to overcome occasional mistakes and failures.

"You might think that I'm now going to advise you not to be afraid to fail. I'm not. Be afraid. Speaking from considerable experience, failing stinks. Just don't be undone by it. Failure is no more a permanent condition than is success."

— Sen. John McCain

Love this

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue.  Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them.  And the point is, to live everything.  Live the questions now.  Perhaps you will find them gradually, without noticing it, and live along some distant day into the answer.  ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

A Poem

Gone to the Unseen

At last you have departed and gone to the Unseen.
What marvelous route did you take from this world?

Beating your wings and feathers,
you broke free from this cage.
Rising up to the sky
you attained the world of the soul.
You were a prized falcon trapped by an Old Woman.
Then you heard the drummer's call
and flew beyond space and time.

As a lovesick nightingale, you flew among the owls.
Then came the scent of the rosegarden
and you flew off to meet the Rose.

The wine of this fleeting world
caused your head to ache.
Finally you joined the tavern of Eternity.
Like an arrow, you sped from the bow
and went straight for the bull's eye of bliss.

This phantom world gave you false signs
But you turned from the illusion
and journeyed to the land of truth.

You are now the Sun -
what need have you for a crown?
You have vanished from this world -
what need have you to tie your robe?

I've heard that you can barely see your soul.
But why look at all? -
yours is now the Soul of Souls!

O heart, what a wonderful bird you are.
Seeking divine heights,
Flapping your wings,
you smashed the pointed spears of your enemy.

The flowers flee from Autumn, but not you -
You are the fearless rose
that grows amidst the freezing wind.

Pouring down like the rain of heaven
you fell upon the rooftop of this world.
Then you ran in every direction
and escaped through the drain spout . . .

Now the words are over
and the pain they bring is gone.
Now you have gone to rest
in the arms of the Beloved.

---Rumi

I really love this quote today:

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."--Buddha

So important to remember when it's easier to focus on the things stressing me out rather than reflect upon the things that happened during the day that I can be thankful for.

What Cancer Cannot Do

I have posted this before but it seemed like time to post it again. It helps me to read it.

What Cancer Cannot Do
by unknown

Cancer is so limited
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit.

Life Lessons

My good friend Jeri sent me this list in an email today. I like this a lot. It's one of those things that you should probably print out and put on your fridge or cubicle or wherever to remind you that life is good and worth treasuring.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Quote for the day

Saw this in my random quote of the day and wanted to share:

"The woman who holds a child in her arms and says, 'It's okay that they laughed at you. You are smart; I promise you are'; the woman who holds a man in her arms and says, 'You are no less of a man for having lost your job; to me, you are brilliant and strong'; the woman who can give hope to those who have no reason to hope; the woman who can endure deep pain and know that this too shall pass, and can hold on till it does–the woman who can do and say these things, and has the courage to mean them, carries a conviction that makes them true."– Author Marianne Williamson

The sun

Because I'm having one of those times in my life moments where I need to hear lots of positive things. I love this that I saw on a blog that I often to read and wanted to share it.



Does the sun ask itself, “Am I good? Am I worthwhile? Is there enough of me?” No, it burns and it shines.

Does the sun ask itself, “What does the moon think of me? How does Mars feel about me today?” No it burns, it shines.

Does the sun ask itself, “Am I as big as other suns in other galaxies?” No, it burns, it shines.

—Andrea Dworkin
From Our Blood

Leave it to Thich Nhat Hanh

Boy is this ever true. Sometimes you can give advice and listen to people's problems until you are emotionally drained and they won't heed your suggestions or change their situation.

"People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar." -- Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk and poet

Momma Wisdom

I have heard and said most of these.

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.'

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.'

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle
of next week!'

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
' Because I said so, that's why.'

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC .
'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not
going to the store with me.'

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.'

7. My mother taught me IRONY
'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.'

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
'Shut your mouth and eat your supper.'

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!'

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.'

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.'

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!'

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.'

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
'Stop acting like your father!'

15. My mother taught me about ENVY .
'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world
who don't have wonderful parents like you do.'

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION .
& nbsp; 'Just wait until we get home.'

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
'You are going to get it when you get home!'

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.'

19. My mother taught me ESP .
'Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?'

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
'When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me.'

21.My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
'If you don't eat your vegetable s, you'll never grow up.'

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
'You're just like your father.'

23.My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
'Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn ?'

24.My mother taught me WISDOM.
'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.'

25. My mother taught me about JUSTICE
'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.

Turning that frown upside down

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."– Margaret Mead

Rather than spend the morning feeling blue about class being cancelled, Josh and I made the most of our alone time.  Although there were near white out conditions when we turned out of our neighborhood, we decided it would be a good idea to get out of the house. We went to Panera and picked out a quiet spot to sit and study and have some coffee. After we were done studying we wondered over to Borders and looked at some books for "fun" reading. Luckily by then, the snow had stopped coming down, the wind had calmed down and the air had warmed up.  The snow even started melting which is a good thing when your county is out of salt. 

We picked Abby up from school and headed over to Huskie's Pizza just off campus for one of their "Ginormous slices". They cut the slices from a hand tossed 28 inch wheel.  Josh and I consider ourselves pizza connoisseurs and it was fun to try out a new place.  We will definitely be going back again. 

After lunch we went to the bookstore on campus.  I really wanted to get a Huskie decal for my car window which I did. It was really helpful to lift my spirits to be on campus. Seeing people and traffic on campus made me feel like normalcy is possible. It was good to be there.  It was healing to be there.  I really look forward to attending class this week and getting on with life.