It’s easier to appreciate the light
When you have spent some time in darkness
It’s easier to prize clarity of mind
If you have struggled with anxiety
It’s easier to know the value of friends
If you go through hard times and they stand by you
Darkness, anxiety, and challenges
Have their purpose in our lives
But sometimes it’s easier to see the value
Once we are on the other side
December 20th, 2019
When a negative thought comes your way
Replace it with a positive one
Don’t give in to it
Turn your head the other way
When you are about to complain
Think about what you are thankful for
Noble thoughts
Lofty thoughts
Loving thoughts
Create a positive reality
Nothing has changed
Except our attitude
And what we have chosen to focus on
Our thoughts are powerful
We need to stir them in the direction of optimism, high mindedness and gratitude
December 18th, 2019
We are considered weak by some
Defective, strange and to be avoided by others
It looks like we don’t try hard enough and
Don’t have the determination to beat our condition
Whereas to not give up hope
During the dark days of depression
Requires a herculean effort
As well as the support of family and friends
To get up each day knowing that a struggle is ahead
And march on anyway
To endure the pain of depression
A pain that cuts deep
To reach out to others
When all we want to do is isolate ourselves further
To pursue treatment that is not one size fits all
And to smile from time to time
And carry on with our responsibilities and obligations
These are qualities of a courageous, patient and determined person
Who doesn’t give up despite the challenges she faces
For days and sometimes months on end
So please don’t think we are weak
Have compassion for us
And be part of the group of people
Who help reduce the stigma
December 15th, 2019
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
Blessed to be feeling well
Blessed to have time to write
Blessed with my family
Blessed to live in freedom
It’s these seemingly little things we take for granted
That affect us so much
They don’t scream at us
They whisper very softly
It’s when we lose these things
That we notice how important they are
Anytime I want to complain
I ask myself what I’m thankful for
I remind myself of the little things
And listen very carefully
December 4th, 2019
What is the color of injustice?
It’s midnight black
And like the darkness of the moonless night
It wraps itself around you and starts squeezing
Injustice like a black cloth blindfolds you
And wrapped around your mouth, silences you
Injustice like a rope
Ties your hands behind your back and restricts you
Injustice is the thief that steals the light
Temporarily
But the darkness of injustice
Will give way to dawn
That day will come
November 2019
When I go through hard times
There are so many questions I ask myself
Why?
Why now?
Why again?
Didn’t I learn?
Why didn’t I see before what I see now?
Are there any good answers to these questions?
The answers are blowing in the wind
As the song says
The answers are illusive
My head becomes a jumble of thoughts
And it’s hard to make sense of it all
I can’t stop asking these questions though
I need clarity
Sometimes I need to accept the pain even though
I don’t have good answers to my questions
Sometimes all I can do is take it one day at a time
Or one hour at a time
Sometimes all I can do is to lean
On my friends and family for a while
I may never find the answers
But I will surly survive this painful experience
November 22nd, 2019
When you stop people from talking
When you close the schools down
When people can’t go to work
And the nation comes to a stop
There is something that’s not right
Something that can’t be explained away
In this age of communication
There is something wrong if you don’t let
people communicate
The seeming peace is a mirage
The embers are burning under the logs
Fire can still erupt from those embers
If the conditions are right
It’s not silence when you cover someone’s mouth
It’s not freedom if you don’t let people talk
November 17th, 2019
Thinking of the people of Iran
Sometimes in life
You have to live with uncertainty
And wait for clarity
Sometimes this depends on the people around us
Whose decision affects us
Certain questions don’t have a yes or no answer right away
The answer could be I don’t know or maybe, I’ll tell you later
How does one deal with uncertainty?
Perhaps through faith in the people around us
Those whose decision will impact us
Perhaps through prayer
Perhaps through resignation
Accepting things as they are
In any case uncertainty is part of life
November 15th, 2019
Is eternity too long to live
After we leave this world?
Will we get bored?
What are we going to do with all that time?
Eternity is very long
Will we have things to do, places to go, things to see?
They say we will be spirits
But what does that mean?
Why all this secrecy about life after we die?
There must be a wisdom in it
That we’ll only then find out
October 30th, 2019
Inspired by Emily Dickinson’s
‘Because I could not stop for death’
lida's musings 