life

Roses and Sunshine ~ A Poem by Edgar Albert Guest

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Roses and Sunshine

Edgar Albert Guest

Rough is the road I am journeying now,
            Heavy the burden I’m bearing to-day;
          But I’m humming a song, as I wander along,
            And I smile at the roses that nod by the way.
            Red roses sweet,
            Blooming there at my feet,
          Just dripping with honey and perfume and cheer;
            What a weakling I’d be
            If I tried not to see
          The joy and the comfort you bring to us here.

          Just tramping along o’er the highway of life,
            Knowing not what’s ahead but still doing my best;
          And I sing as I go, for my soul seems to know
            In the end I shall come to the valley of rest.
            With the sun in my face
            And the roses to grace
          The roads that I travel, what have I to fear?
            What a coward I’d be
            If I tried not to see
          The roses of hope and the sunshine of cheer.

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Today’s Quote: It’s Where You’ll Find Life

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“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” ― Søren Kierkegaard

New Podcast: When Grief Meets a Song: Neil Diamond and the Human Spirit

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While stretching one morning, a forgotten Neil Diamond song—“I Am Alive”—caught my ear and stirred something deep within me. In this episode, I reflect on grief, memory, and the quiet resilience of the human spirit. With echoes from my past, poetic wisdom from Charlotte Brontë and Rainer Maria Rilke, and the reminder that sorrow is not the final word, we explore how simply saying “I am alive” can become a powerful turning point. Whether you’re walking through a hard season or just catching your breath, this episode is a reminder that even amid pain, life continues to bloom—and there’s always a sunny hill waiting ahead.

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My Bathroom Counter is a Metaphor for Life

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I’m not Marie Kondo, and my laundry basket would back me up on that. I’m not into cleaning, running around with a dust cloth in one hand and a bottle of disinfectant spray in the other. Sometimes you have become comfortable with a bit of disorder (check out my laundry basket or my bathroom countertop) because that’s the way life is. It’s not always orderly. Planes don’t always leave and arrive on time. I’ll pick a ripe watermelon and find out a bit later it’s not ripe. I think being comfortable with disorder makes a sunrise and sunset more beautiful. The contrast with my life is obvious to even a casual observer. Don’t get overly excited if you have a bad hair day, you forgot to floss that piece of spinach out of your teeth after lunch, or your puppy thought the living room rug was the backyard. It’s all part of life. Chill and enjoy.

New Podcast: Bluebonnets and Broken Hearts: How Grief Gives Way to Hope

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In this soul-soothing episode of Journey from Grief to Healing, Dr. Ray Calabrese reflects on the natural rhythms of life and how grief, like the seasons, slowly gives way to hope. Through wildflowers blooming in South Texas and timeless poetry from Tagore and Machado, you’ll find gentle encouragement to trust the flow of healing. Let life do what it does best—move forward. This episode is for anyone who needs a soft reminder: you are healing, even when you don’t feel it. 💛

Share this with someone who’s hurting. Sometimes all they need is a voice of quiet hope.

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Faith ~ A Poem by Nikola Vaptsarov

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Faith

Nikola Vaptsarov

Here am I-breathing,
Working,
Living
And Writing my poetry
(My best to it giving).
Life and I glower
Across at each other,
and with it I struggle
with all my power

Life and I quarell,
But don’t draw the moral
That I despise it.
No, just the opposite!
Though I should perish,
Life with its brutal
Claws of steel
Still I would cherish,
Still I would cherish!

Suppose round my neck they tie fast
The rope
And they ask:
“Would you like one more hour to live?”
I would instantly cry:
“Untie!
Untie!
Come, quickly untie
The rope, you devils!”

For Life there is nothing
would not dare.
I would fly
A prototype plane in the sky,
I’d climbe in a roaring
Rocket, exploring
Alone
In space
Distant
Planets.

Still would I feel
A joyous thrill
Gazing
Up
At the blue sky.
Still would I feel
A joyous thrill
To be alive,
To go on living.

But look, suppose
You took-how much?-
A single grain
From this my faith,
Then would I rage,
I would rage from pain
Like a panther
Pierced to the heart.

For what of me
Would there remain?
After the teft
I’d be distraught.
To put it plainly
And more directly-
aftre the teft
I would be naught.

Maybe you wish
You could erase
My faith
In happy days,
My faith
That tomorrow
Life will be finer,
Life will be wiser?

Pray, how will you smash it?
With bullets?
No! That is useless!
Stop! It is not worth it!

My faith has strong armour
In my sturdy breast,
And bullets able to shatter
My faith
Do not exist,
Do not exist!

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When One Door Closes Another Opens

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“If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new Hello. ~ Paulo Coehlo”

Engage With Life

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One of my favorite authors is Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho. His books are entertaining and filled with wisdom. I’m always finding something that makes me stop and reflect. Today it was this excerpt, “If you never take a risk, you will never know what changes you need to make.” Playing it safe may help one to sleep better at night, but it comes with a big price. One forfeits the chance to engage with life and test his/her skills against the challenges he/she meets. Anthropologist Joseph Campbell says much the same thing in his book, The Hero’s Journey. Are you ready to engage with life?

Podcast: Dare to Live: Embracing Life Again

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In this episode of Journey from Grief to Healing, Dr. Ray Calabrese explores the profound courage it takes to dare to live fully after loss. Inspired by Andrea Bocelli and Laura Pausini’s song Dare to Live (Vivere), we reflect on how grief transforms us—making us stronger, wiser, and more resilient. Through poetry, personal stories, and reflection, we discuss the challenge of stepping beyond survival into a life filled with meaning, joy, and love. Grief changes us, but it also deepens our capacity for life. What is your next step forward?

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Life Has a Way of Teaching Us

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I went to a wake and funeral this week. A friend of mine lost her brother. It didn’t matter if I knew her brother or didn’t know him. There are somethings in life that are important to do. Supporting someone who lost a love one is one of them. In my experience I’ve learned we remember who showed up. I remember who didn’t show up at my daughters’ weddings. I remember who didn’t show up at my parents funerals. And, I remember who didn’t show up at my wife’s funeral. I don’t hold anything against them, but I remember. What it taught me was life has a way of teaching us who the people are we can count on and who the people are who may smile at us but when it matters, you can’t count on them.

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