Tag Archive | friendship

Depression sucks

 

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When I’m depressed I move through life like molasses

The simplest things take so long to do

And most of the time I have no motivation to do them

I have to force myself to do the easiest tasks

And then I wonder what happened to me?

How did I do things so easily, so quickly?

Why is my life in slow motion?

I think of my life and the things I’ve accomplished

And wonder how I used to be so effective? So creative?

It is like living in a different body 

Or like my mind has gone on holiday

It is quite discouraging to say the least

And doesn’t do much for my self-esteem

I watch people laugh and go about their lives

While I feel stuck and left behind

These are the unfortunate realities of depression

Each time, I know or I hope I’ll feel better soon

But it always takes much longer than I think

And days go by so slowly

At such times, my friends are my life boats

They give me energy to go on

Their encouragement is the sunshine of my day

Their love lifts me up

Depression sucks!

And only good friends and family 

Are my solace during those times 

 

February 2nd, 2023

Vulnerability

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Some people don’t like to share their cancer story
I understand that
It’s a personal matter
And often not easy to talk about
But for me, it has been the cause of
Connecting with old friends
And receiving a lot of support and love
It’s hard to be vulnerable
Less than perfect 
But revealing our vulnerability has many rewards
We get everyone’s love and support
And their prayers for healing
We can connect to others on a deeper level
It’s a win win in my opinion
But it took some years for me to be this open
With my challenges in life
I had to learn to trust
To know that others will only give me their unconditional love
I had to understand the value of community
Of reaching out
And I’m so grateful for all of your love




January 27th, 2023

My bead necklace

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It’s a handmade necklace made of Amazonite, Gladstone and Honey Clacite beads

The Honey Calcite beads are translucent and in shades of yellow and orange

Exactly how you would expect them to be

They are believed to increase confidence and courage

And assist in overcoming obstacles

The Amazonite beads are opaque and in shades of light green

They dispel negative energy and calm the nervous system 

And help in maintaining good health 

The Gladstone beads come in different shades

Mine glitter and are a dark goldish colour

These beads are said to have healing powers and call your spirit into serenity

But the most special aspect of this necklace

Is the love that went into creating it

The thoughtfulness

The generosity 

The caring

It is a gift from a kindhearted soul

Who is concerned about my well being

Time and creativity and positive energy

Have gone into making it

And a lot of goodwill

Those things by themselves bring me joy and healing 

January 16th, 2023

Bonds that bind 2

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These bonds of friendship criss cross the world

Borders can’t stop us now

Distance has lost its meaning

Air travel somewhat unnecessary

And then at a click of a link

I find myself with my dear friends

Friends I would not have gotten to know

If it was not for the internet

We sit in our homes

In different time zones

And talk about matters 

That are important to us

We exchange ideas

We smile and laugh

It’s amazing what the World Wide Web 

Has done for us

In the age of Covid and social distancing

Zoom and other platforms have come to our rescue

Can’t imagine life without them now

Sometimes I interact with people who live in other countries

More than people who live in mine

These international bonds have enriched my life

Without them these days, I would feel lost

September 26th, 2020

Our group

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Why do I spend so much of my time 

With my friends around the world

On our WhatsApp group or on Zoom?

Why do I try to read every post?

Why have I done that for the past five years without fail?

OK, during two trips I was delinquent 

There is a bond that connects us that goes far back in time

New bonds have been created in recent years

The space in which we meet is a positive one

With words of wisdom

With poetry and song

With artistic photographs

With chit chat of good friends

With laughter and joy

Why would I not want to go back?

 

In this world full of challenges

We need these kind of spaces

Safe spaces

Kind spaces

Happy spaces

Where we can express ourselves

Widen our horizons

Learn new things

Or simply be with our friends

 

So much love and effort 

Has been put in this space over the years

It’s like a building that has been built

A fortress

A fortress to keep us safe during difficult times

This fortress is made of love

 

August 9th, 2020

 

ps: This group of friends is made of over one hundred classmates who went to high school together is the late 1970’s in Iran. Now, we live all over the world, spending time together in the virtual world, as well as coming together in person.

Journey within

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We can live life on the surface

Or we can go deeper within our consciousness

And discover the gems of mystery that exist in us

Gems that need to be polished to shine

Gems that won’t buy us material things

But will enrich our spiritual life

We need to go deeper

We need to see with our inner eye

Our reality, which is most glorious

A reality that has been fashioned

To love and serve and create and contemplate

And we need to see the oneness

That exists in the world of being

And the unity that is at the core of us

The vastness that is available to us

The heights to which our spirit can climb

If we journey deep within us

 

July 21st, 2020

Coloring our lives

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The things that give color to our lives

During gray days, are:

Friendship with people who lift us up and inspire us

People whose positive energy can be felt 

People who make us smile

 

Creating art

Getting lost in the act of creation

And forgetting all else

 

Listening to music which is

“The ladder of the soul”

 

Prayer and meditation 

Going to that unknowable place

We all come from

And basking in its light and warmth 

 

Being helpful to others 

Why is it that when we do that

We smile and feel joy in our hearts?

 

Spending time in nature

The vast creation that surrounds us

Marveling at its beauty and grandeur 

 

Traveling

Finding ourselves in new places

With new people 

Who may see things differently from us

Recalibrating how we see the world

 

I’m sure there are other things that

Color our lives

These are only a few that come to mind

 

December 7th, 2019

Storms

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One storm is over

Another one is on the horizon

It’s not clear how bad this storm will be

Early indications say 

That it won’t be severe

But forecasting these things is not easy

And if it wasn’t this storm

There would be another one 

Life is like this

So, we need to build our homes well

So they can protect us

Faith, good friends, patience and perseverance 

Optimism and hopefulness 

Are good building material

 

October 9th, 2019

Chit chat

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Chit chat

But interesting chit chat

Consequential chit chat

Stimulating chit chat

 

We talk about art

We talk about books

We talk about projects

We talk about what’s going on in our lives

We talk about the deeper questions we have

 

We share with each other our goals

Our dreams

Our concerns

We share with each other

Our present, future and past

 

Lively conversations

Ones which leave me heard and understood

Ones that guide me and help me develop my plans

 

These are the kind of conversations 

I have with my dear friend, Elaheh

They are not just any kind of chit chat

 

April 24th, 2019

Bonds that bind

 

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Another connection 

Another bond of friendship 

The fruit of us being together

So many years ago

In the beautiful city of Shiraz

Shiraz, from where some of us scattered

Around the world

Each going on a journey of self discovery

And now we come together

Having experienced life 

With its ups and downs 

Its joys and sorrows

We come together 

With increased understanding

And renew and strengthen 

These bonds 

That were formed so many years ago

 

March 17th

With Farideh and Payam