I woke up around one in the morning. There was a flash of lightening and crack of thunder, then the rain came. When you live in south Texas, the sound of rain at any time of day is welcomed. I especially like a thunderstorm and rain at night. I was off to dream world within minutes. The storm was over when my alarm sounded. When I walked outside, there was a fresh smell to earth. Rain during a hot summer’s night and the fresh smell of the earth, things to be grateful for.
gratitude
Today’s Thought: Sunrises & Sunsets
I’m an early riser. I enjoy sunrises and sunsets. There’s something exciting to me about seeing a sunrise. A sunrise is to me a that I have another chance. It’s a signal that there are wonderful surprises waiting for me as my day unfolds. It’s a signal that I’ve moved on from yesterday to something new and challenging. Sunsets are peaceful to me. They give me a signal that it’s time to rest and to be at peace. It’s a signal that it is time of letting go. It’s a signal that it is a time for gratitude for all the blessings that came my way during the day. A sunrise and sunset are reminders to me to pray.
Navigating the Grief Swamp: Lessons from My Childhood
Listen to my Podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, Episode 118 on your favorite podcasting app or click here for Episode 118
Episode 118: Navigating the Grieving Swamp – A Personal Journey
In this heartfelt episode of “Journey from Grief to Healing,” I take you back to my childhood in southeastern Massachusetts, where summer days were spent picking wild blueberries in the Hockomock Swamps. These memories serve as a poignant metaphor for the journey through grief—a path often filled with loneliness, fear, and uncertainty.
Join me as I recount those early experiences of wandering the swamps, sometimes feeling lost and alone, much like the overwhelming emotions that accompany grief. We’ll explore the powerful lyrics of Brenda Lee’s 60’s hit “All Alone Am I” and how they resonate with the feelings of isolation many experience after a loss.
Through personal anecdotes and reflections, I’ll share how gratitude has been a guiding light out of the swamp of grief. Learn about the importance of moving forward, even when the path is unclear, and the transformative power of connecting with others and expressing gratitude.
Discover practical steps to embrace gratitude daily, inspired by the uplifting words of American poet e.e. cummings, and find encouragement to continue your journey toward healing. This episode is a reminder that, while the grieving process is deeply personal and often solitary, hope and recovery are possible.
Today’s Poem: Ode to Joy by Friedrich von Schiller
Ode to Joy
Friedrich von Schiller
O friends, not these clays!
But let’s tune into more pleasant ones
And happier!
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter from Elysium,
We enter, drunk with fire,
heavenly thy sanctuary!
your spells bind again,
What fashion Strictly divided;
All people become brothers,
Where your gentle wing rests
Whoever made the big hit
to be a friend’s friend
Whoever has won a devoted wife,
Mix in his cheers!
Yes, who even has a soul
His names on the earth round!
And whoever hasn’t been able to steal
Weeping out of this covenant
All beings drink joy
At nature’s brushes;
All good, all bad
Follow their trail of roses
She gave us kisses and vines,
A friend tried in death;
Pleasure was given to the worm,
And the cherub stands before God!
Happy how his suns fly
Through Heaven’s magnificent plan,
Run, brother, your course,
Happy like a hero to victory
Be embraced, millions
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers! Over the starry tent
Must live a dear father
You fall down, millions?
Do you sense the Creator, world?
Look for him over the starry sky!
He must dwell above the stars
Today’s Thought: It’s All Part of the Ebb and Flow of Life
Yesterday, thunderstorms rolled through. Anytime it rains in south Texas it’s time for celebration and gratitude. It doesn’t rain often, when it comes, it’s a deluge. That’s often the way it is with life. Waves of good or bad seem to band together to visit us. Like yesterday’s thunderstorm, things usually come to an end and life changes. Stay strong during the hard times knowing they won’t be hard for ever, they’ll run their course. Be grateful during the good times and treasure every moment. The memories will help to get through the tough moments. It’s all part of the ebb and flow of life. The tough times makes us stronger. The good times make us humble.
Today’s Poem: A Prayer by Max Ehrmann
A Prayer
Max Ehrmann
Let me do my work each day; and if the darkened hours of despair
overcome me, may I not forget the strength that comforted me
in the desolation of other times.
May I still remember the bright hours that found me walking over
the silent hills of my childhood, or dreaming on the margin of a quiet
river, when a light glowed within me, and I promised my early God
to have courage amid the tempests of the changing years.
Spare me from bitterness and from the sharp passions of unguarded
moments. May I not forget that poverty and riches are of the spirit.
Though the world knows me not, may my thoughts and actions be
such as shall keep me friendly with myself.
Lift up my eyes from the earth, and let me not forget the uses of the
stars. Forbid that I should judge others lest I condemn myself.
Let me not follow the clamor of the world, but walk calmly in my
path.
Give me a few friends who will love me for what I am; and keep ever
burning before my vagrant steps the kindly light of hope.
And though age and infirmity overtake me, and I come not within
sight of the castle of my dreams, teach me still to be thankful for
life, and for time’s olden memories that are good and sweet; and
may the evening’s twilight find me gentle still.
Today’s Poem: Greenness by Angela Weld Grimke
Greenness
Angela Weld Grimke
Tell me is there anything lovelier,
Anything more quieting
Than the green of little blades of grass
And the green of little leaves?
Is not each leaf a cool green hand,
Is not each blade of grass a mothering green finger,
Hushing the heart that beats and beats and beats?
Finding Joy in Simple Moments: My Friendship with Sammy the Gecko
There is a gecko that shows up on a fence rail outside my study. He’s (I think it’s a he. It could be a she) right on time each day. I think he’s putting on a show for me. He’ll change colors in a second, then change back. Occasionally, I’ll catch a glimpse of him snagging an insect. I hope it is a mosquito. He’s a patient one. he’ll lay on the fence rail and wait, intuitively knowing brunch will appear within tongue flicking range. I gave him the name Sammy. Sometimes, if I’m sitting on my patio nursing an iced tea he’ll show up and sit on the patio floor next to me. I peek over and ask him how he’s doing. I’m not sure he understands me. Perhaps I should look for a gecko language tutorial app. The point of this blog is nothing more than the friendship i have with this little creature. I’m grateful for Sammy.
Today’s Poem: If I Could Live My Life Again – Anonymously Attributed
If I could Live My Life Again
Anonymous
If I could live again my life,
In the next – I’ll try,
– to make more mistakes,
I won’t try to be so perfect,
I’ll be more relaxed…
I’ll take fewer things seriously..
I’ll take more risks,
I’ll take more trips,
I’ll watch more sunsets,
I’ll climb more mountains,
I’ll swim more rivers,
I’ll go to more places I’ve never been
I’ll eat more ice cream I’ll have more real problems and less imaginary ones If I could live again – I will travel light
If I could live again – I’ll try to work bare feet at the beginning of spring till the end of autumn,
I’ll watch more sunrises …If I have the life to live
Transforming Grief into Joy: Embracing a Moment of Forever – Episode 91
Welcome to episode 91 of Dr. Ray Calabrese’s podcast, ‘Journey from Grief to Healing’ Dr. Ray shares how grief, though painful and difficult, is a journey that secures cherished memories as precious treasures within us. He urges listeners to refocus their perspective from the bitterness and anger that often accompany loss to the bountiful memories of love, joy, and shared experiences that endure as our ‘moment of forever’. Through the lens of Kris Kristofferson’s poignant lyrics in “A Moment of Forever,” we explore how the perception of life events shapes our personal happiness. Author Dean Koontz’s reflections in “Odd Hours” provide insight into the transformative power of grief, steering us from bitterness towards gratitude. As we navigate the complexities of loss, Rainer Maria Rilke’s wisdom encourages us to embrace life’s questions and live with purpose. Through heartfelt anecdotes of beloved companions like Gypsy the German Shepherd, we learn to cherish memories and find solace amidst sorrow. The episode concludes with a poignant reminder from theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, highlighting the transformative power of gratitude in turning the torment of memory into silent joy. Join us on this profound journey as we navigate the path from grief towards healing and gratitude.
Subscribe for future uplifting and empowering episodes, or share your experiences of grief and healing with Ray at ray.brese@gmail.com. Anything you share is held in confidence. Visit http://www.dancingalone530.com for more positivity and strength.
You can listen to Episode 91 on your favorite podcasting app or click here for Episode 91
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