The little things in life

Jan31

My almost translucent pink phone case 

Makes me happy each time I see it

I wonder why?

Perhaps simple things can bring us joy as well

My pink case is a bright happy colour

And it comes with a new phone of course

I don’t get a new phone often

So when I do I notice the differences

It’s good to look for little things in our 

Daily lives to make us happy

A good cup of coffee

Time spent writing in a coffee shop

Sunshine streaming through the window

On a cold winter day

Imparting much appreciated warmth

I’m thankful for bigger things in life 

But appreciate the little ones as well

My phone case makes me smile each time

I look at it

January 31st, 2022

Women

Jan28
beach during sunset


Women are powerful and self assured
Problems don’t faze them
They are willing to go where no one has gone before
Adversity, from their purpose does not detract them 
Where others see a seed, they see a tree
Where others see challenges, they see opportunities
Their spirit is indomitable 
Their intuition strong
Don’t discount women 
They are the future 

January 27th, 2022

Crossroads of change

Jan28

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At the cross roads of change

Scary times

Exciting times

Anxiety provoking times

Constructive times

Change is never easy

It upsets the exciting order

It makes us uncomfortable

But change is necessary for growth

And growth is often painful

With open eyes

And an open heart

On can proceed on the path of life

And from time to time

Move to a different highway

Toward one’s destination

January 28th, 2022

My tea cup

Jan10

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My tea cup is white

And the word tea is written on it

Just in case I forget what it’s for

It has a rounded bottom which is pleasant to hold

Especially to warm my fingers on days that are cold

Many times when I pick up this tea cup

I’m transported to my youth in Vancouver

I taught English and this cup was the one

That sat on my desk during those years

I taught immigrants

I taught international students

And all the while my tea cup kept me company

Ready for when it was needed

This tea cup is around thirty years old

It has been with me in the various countries and cities

I have lived in

It has witnessed many things

It is one of the constants in all the changes in my life

Let’s have some tea!

January 10th, 2022

Freedom to choose

Jan3

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Why does mandatory head covering bother me so?

It’s because it’s something that is dictated by men to women

Why should men be able to control what women do and what they wear?

Why can they set the rules?

Optional head covering when it’s a woman’s choice I have no issues with

It’s when it’s being forced that it bothers me

Even if this were a religious mandate 

There should be freedom of choice to follow it

And what about those from other religions?

Hair is the adornment of women and men’s heads

Beauty is something to be celebrated

This idea of being aroused by women’s hair their body shape

No longer flies today

We live in a world that has changed

Ideas have changed

And trying to enforce old ways will not be easily tolerated

Women will fight against it

Women will prevail

It would be great if men did their share

To ensure the freedom of choice for women as well

Continue reading →

We can always go back

Jan2

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So, here we are in the middle of another lockdown

2022 is here and so is Covid still

Any hopes of it being over are a thing of the past

Thousands of flights are being canceled because

The personnel are sick and need to quarantine for days

Hospitals are trying to cope

Kids are back to studying online for a while

This virus is more stubborn that we thought

But we are stubborn too

We are not acknowledging our inherent oneness 

And dependence on each other

There are people who won’t get vaccinated

They will probably suffer most if they get sick

Countries are still looking out for themselves first

All kinds of false information is being passed around

Some governments are putting the lives of their people

In danger for political reasons

And in the middle of all this

Natalie helped me make my hair curly today

It’s its more natural state

I’m not super fond of it though

But it was worth a try

As to the world

Maybe we can give international cooperation a try

Try to follow scientific advice 

Think of others as well as ourselves

And if we don’t like it we can always go back

It is worth a try

January 2nd, 2022

2022

Dec31

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A new year

In the heart of winter

Challenges remain

People suffer

Our planet has been neglected

And maltreated

Injustice and prejudice continue to

Ravage many countries

But there is good will too

People who care

People who are peacemakers

People who serve their communities

People who are kind-hearted and honest

And this dichotomy is the characteristic 

Of the world we live in

It’s not all bad

But we have a long way to go

To allow our potential to come to fruition

We are diamonds in the rough

Sometimes seemingly unattractive

But the polish of the challenges of life

Will make us shine bright eventually

December 31, 2021

As I get older

Dec28

 

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When you look for your glasses

And find them on your nose

When you put the salad topping 

Next to your dog’s food in the cupboard

When names escape your mind

Like sand through your fingers

When your knees hurt from time to time

You know you are no longer 25

But that’s when you need to have compassion for yourself

Your body and memory may not be in their prime

But your heart is most likely more tender

Your rough edges have been smoothed in the rapids of life

You have more perspective and patience

Yes, the wrinkles have appeared and are there to stay

But wrinkles speak of challenges and lessons learned

Of laughter and joy

So be gentle with yourself 

And think of what you have rather than

What you may have lost

December 28th, 2021

The touch

Dec27

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The warmth of a touch

The love it communicates

The care it shows

The gentleness it conveys

The attachment it demonstrates

The warmth of a touch

Consoling

Energizing

Life giving

Irreplaceable

The warmth of a touch

So much tenderness

So much ardour

So healing

So blissful

The warmth of a touch

Magical

Otherworldly

December 27th, 2021

Masks and Omicron

Dec26

 

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I’ve graduated from wearing cloth masks to boring surgical masks

The blue ones still remind me of hospitals

So, I have the black version

They are disposable but can be worn more than once

No washing necessary as before but 

I still leave the form of my lipsticked lips inside them

The down side of masks is that it’s hard to hear others talk

It’s hard to to be heard

My smile can’t be seen 

They are inconvenient, but

Masks are essential during these times

The N95 variety preferably 

Omicron is not playing games

It definitely means business

These years will be remembered as masked years 

A few weeks turned into a few months, and now a few years

If there were more unity among us

Life would have been simpler

But some don’t see it that way

They don’t want to be told what to do

They don’t want to conform

They question science 

They don’t trust the experts

Countries need to cooperate too

We are not isolated entities anymore

What happens in one country will affect the other ones 

Unless we come together and be united in our thoughts

Unless we are mindful of the influence of our actions on others

We will be wearing masks for a while longer

This is our reality right now

What we do affects the outcome 

December 26th, 2021