In Honor Of My Husband

Our house is so quiet now that you're gone.
I walk silently through the hallways
Expecting to see you but knowing that I won't.
I talk to you but I can't hear your voice.

I miss you.
Your beautiful face, the one I fell in love with so many years ago,
Your touch, the one that excited and warmed me.
We loved each other so deeply,
I don't doubt that you can hear me even now. 
I see you in my mind,
I feel the whisper of your touch.

I wanted just a few more minutes with you before you left.
I wanted to tell you that I loved you just one more time.
Even though we knew that final day was near,
It came as a shock when at last you let go.
I will remember that day always.
You were having trouble speaking
And I was tearfully attending you,
But you looked me in the eye, smiled, and gently stroked my arm.
I can't remember if I told you that I loved you that day, but you knew.

Steve, you are gone from this world,
But you live forever in my heart.
Wait for me.
One day we will be together again eternally.

__________________________________________

Steve Lawson - 1/28/46 to 08/14/16

Feeling Lucky?

The Mirriam-Webster dictionary defines luck as "the things that happen to a person because of chance - the accidental way things happen without being planned."

Is luck truly a matter of happenstance, something that is uncontrollable, simple fate? I think not. I believe that luck, whether considered good or bad, is an opportunity given to us to improve or build upon in our lives. Here are a few other "lucky quotes": 

“I am not lucky, but I am favoured because luck runs out; but God's favour will abide with me forever.”  ― Gugu Mona

“I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it”― Thomas Jefferson

"Luck is not chance, it's toil; fortune's expensive smile is earned." — Emily Dickinson

“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”— Dalai Lama XIV

“Luck affects everything; let your hook always be cast; in the stream where you least expect it, there will be a fish." – Ovid

Here is my thought on luck:

Lucky

What is luck?

Is it by chance

or a predestined gift?

Is it something you win

or a chance gone wild?

Why do we covet lucky numbers,

Lucky stars, rabbits feet, and the like?

What if you are unlucky?

Does it stay with you all of your life?

Or is it temporary, just for the moment?

Can you change your luck

From a negative to a positive?

Is it a mindset,

One that can be willed to good favor?

I believe that to say "I am lucky"

Is like saying "I am blessed".

Luck is not what happens to you

But how you happen to it.

Prepare yourself and look for luck. When "unlucky" things happen, learn from them and turn them in to opportunities. The gateway is open - may you have a lucky life!

Life - What A Party!

It can be difficult to feel hopeful when there is a great loss. Sorrow and pain are natural in life. We are not alone. After a time, we must stand again and let go of the grief because there is so much more to cherish and celebrate before and ahead. As Dolly Parton said, "If you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain".

My poem was inspired by Joan Fleming's poem "The Party", included in Ann Hisle's book, "My House Burned Down and Now I Can See the Stars". Her book is about life's losses and finding hope and inspiration. 


Life.
What a party!

It's an event we often forget to celebrate.

Instead of shuffling our feet,
Keeping our heads down low
And shoulders bent over with pain,
We should be dancing in the streets
With our faces pointed towards the sky.

Let's give thanks!
Live without regrets,
Forget our failures,
Let go the woes,
Release the tension,
Unbind what ties.
It's only in our heads.

Strut your stuff,
Wear your finest,
Laugh whenever you can.

Act a fool
And ignore the naysayers -
They're not having fun.

It's your LIFE!
How will you spend it?
What time will you have?

I say - party on!

Life's Badges

Old age is for the lucky who make it there. Our outer appearance changes, we may forget where we put our keys, or mismatch our clothes. But the inner soul remains youthful and eager to proceed in life. 

My poem was inspired by Asian wooden figurines, one being an old man stooped over but looking to be walking on a path.


Life's Badges

My spine is curved forward
And I walk with a cane.

My beard is white
And my head bears no hair.

My teeth are false
And my eyes are a blur.

At times my hands tremble,
My mind draws a blank.

I don't sleep through the night,
But nap in the day.

I can remember being a child
As if it were yesterday,
But today I have trouble recalling your name.

These are the badges
I've earned with my age.

I'm old but not broken,
A little tattered and worn.

My time in this body
May be drawing to end,
But I cherish where it has taken me.

This is a gift.
What a wonderful life!

Stuck On You

Life hurts sometimes. It may be a physical, emotional, or spiritual "boo-boo" but these can be healed and made new again. We are fantastic beings!

My poem was inspired by a box of band-aids.

Stuck On You

Like a band-aid,
I'm stuck on you.

I will do my best to protect you from further harm,
Keep you safe, keep you warm.

I will guard over you,
Stand by you,
And never let you fall.

With so many things that can get under your skin,
So many things that can go wrong,
I will stick with you, my love.
Nothing dare pull us apart.

Count on me, 
Trust in me,
I've got you covered.
________________________________________

Everyday, it seems like there's something to report, 
a new sympton, ache or problem. So many troubles visited on a single soul. I am deeply troubled and sorrowful for you. I wish that our lives were different today, that there were more of the yesterdays, that a simple band-aid would patch the pain. I hate to see you suffer. 

Come what may, together we can.

For My Daughter

My daughter, Sarah, is now a manager working for our local In-N-Out restaurant. She was chosen to spend 6 weeks helping to train employees and open a new restaurant near Monterey, California. This is the first time she has been away from home.  She is beautiful inside and out and will undoubtedly go far in her career whether it be ruling over burger staff or running a corporation. 

It is hard when a "bird leaves the nest", even if temporarily, but this is a great opportunity and I am so proud of her! 

My daughter. My darling.

As you leave today

For adventures beyond,

I find myself weeping 

With tears of two sorts.

One is for joy

As I realize you are all grown up

And the world is yours to explore.

The second are tears of sorrow

because you are all grown up

and no longer mine.

I open my arms to let you go free

But hold you close in my heart

And there you shall stay.

Go on, introduce yourself to the world,

Sail the seas, 

Ride the winds,

Climb every mountain,

Sing in foreign notes.

You will amaze all you meet

And spread joy when you leave.

Just know you are forever in my thoughts

And my heart is your home.