I could have written this myself… I did not but, I could have. It tastes like my words but I so rarely share my poetic side…

I found this place and love it. I wrote this for you…

Lovely song…

Love.
And love big.
Do it fearlessly.
And be generous about it.
Love your friends.
Love your lover.
Love your family.
Love strangers.
Do it today.
Do it every day.

be of love (a little) more careful
than of everything
guard her perhaps only
A trifle less (merely beyond how very)
closely than nothing
remember love by frequent
anguish (imagine
her least never with most
memory)
give entirely each
forever its freedom

(dare until a flower,
understanding ceaselessly sunlight
open what thousandth why and
discover laughing)

- e. e. cummings, be of love (a little)

a little girl made a great big wish, originally uploaded by allison lee..

I remember as a child reading some piece of advice that stuck with me.

“Decide what you like in others, what kind of characteristics or qualities you find admirable or worthy, and then become the person you want to be accordingly.”

I made a list, a simple list back then, and decided I would do just that. Many of the things on the list I already was inherently. But some I had to work at. I did. I do. And I continue to revisit this list throughout my life and compare it to who I am at the time. It has become my own measuring stick of success.

I equate success with intangible things like being most of the things on my list, or positively affecting another person’s life. I measure success in quality of love and of laughter and listening. And I think this helps put things in perspective for me. It is only when I start to look to other measuring sticks to gauge my own success that I struggle with distorted self-images.

And I have to admit, that has been my problem for awhile. I have been trying to measure myself against a different standard, a standard I can never reach. So, I am revisiting the list and the girl I once was…who was so very intelligent and wonderful so many years ago, the girl who started the list. And I am going to ask…

What does she think about it all today?

And it is my guess she would still choose love and laughter and listening over dollars and promotions and constant new professional goals. She would choose people over things. She would choose living over accumulating. She would choose a good book over a movie or a TV program any day, any time. She would spend less time focused on all that she had done wrong and more time on what she can do right.

And so should I. So should I!

Outside, water was suspended in the air like a science experiment–an experiment that had been going on for thousands of years, and constituted the weather…

Nicole Krauss in her new book, “Great House”

I absolutely love the way she weaves words together and stitches complex human emotions into every sentence. This book is definitely worth getting. And if you are not familiar with her work, you will almost inevitably love her first book, “The History of Love“.

sunshine, originally uploaded by {life through the lens}.

“Kind hearts are the gardens, kind thoughts are the roots, kind words are the flowers, and kind deeds are the fruits. Take care of your garden and keep out the weeds, fill it with sunshine kind words and kind deeds.” ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A mesmerizing photograph, a lovely song… and a moving quote. Well worth the share, don’t you think?

For your listening pleasure… a few of my favorite renditions of You are my sunshine

Children – You Are My Sunshine
Gene Autry – You Are My Sunshine
Sara Gazarek – You Are My Sunshine

I am particularly fond of the last by Sara Gazarek!

We choose what we feel, what we think, what we believe, what we do, what we see, how we interpret every single thing. And it is the power of choice that determines your experience in this life.

Choose well!

But if you don’t, then observe the path along the way… learn, grow, stretch yourself far outside your comfort zone. Every experience is a new one–good, bad or indifferent. Scratch that. Never choose indifference or apathy, they are too common…to pathetic. Love purposefully. Laugh loudly any time, any place. Be open to experiences of all kinds and tell regret it’s not welcome in your life. Sing off-key. Read the same book ten times in row.

Just don’t get stuck in a mistake. There is always a door to venture through, always a window to hop out of, a puddle to jump in…

Mankind Is No Island from B2GYouth.com on Vimeo.

This is simply beautiful and heartbreaking. Will you stop next time you see someone who is less fortunate?

What I cannot love, I overlook. Is that real friendship?
- Anais Nin

I am so involved, engaged in the things and people I love or feel passionate about. I often do let the in-between fade into the background. I am one to neglect that which is not pressing, that which is not invoking in me something. I guess this is both a positive and a negative trait but it is a reality for me. Its not to say I do not get my dishes done and I certainly do not love them but they do annoy me when they stack up. They still provoke a reaction within me. Do I expect too much of those around me? Do I expect them to always be on their ‘A’ game? It is something I will think more about. I know I often go hot or cold. If you do not respond immediately, I lose interest. Why?

I often do not have the time or inclination to respond immediately. Why then do I expect others to? Hrm…food for thought. I am often unforgiving in little ways like this without even realizing it. Albeit, I am also very forgiving in some very real, substantial ways. I guess we are all a little give, a little take. And my flaw is impatience or indifference if you do not invoke in me interest. Luckily, I am fairly easily engaged in thoughts, ideas, conversations and thus I redeem myself with concerted, interested exchanges. But even that has it downfalls as when I am flittering about looking at something new, investigating, reading, writing, whatever… I let the conversation fall flat and do not come back to it till I have the time and inclination.

I believe you should be in the moment, present. Engaged. Involved. Interested. And this is both good and bad. It is important to having people feel heard, understood, cared about. However, it is also a double-edged sword, isn’t it? If I am present, engaged and involved–simply not with you, then ‘our’ interaction feels flat. Yes? But would anyone have me any other way? It is part of my charm and part of my annoying traits…isn’t it?

These questions are rhetorical, of course. I am simply doing some personal inventory through writing. I still like me. And you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. And you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. And you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. And you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. and you. In order to give my full attention I must take it away from all other things and thus it is a high likelihood you will experience draught. Don’t give up on me…I will return.