… And so the new year begins… just like that, not slowing or stopping for anyone or anything. The cycle begins again.

Are you ready?

Are you ready to jump on the wagon and enjoy the ride?

Or are you sill trying to put out fires from the yesterdays of 2022?

In the Poem of the Month for January 2023, ALL GOOD IN THE END, I am sharing some ideas and philosophies that I find helpful in just enjoying the ride.

And remember… whatever the question, love is always the answer.

ALL GOOD IN THE END

Sometimes when your spirits sag,    
And you think to yourself, “Why me…
What did I do to deserve this pain?
I guess happiness is no guarantee.”
The questions mount, you fear the worst;
You wonder if pain is your destiny.

Maya Angelou said, “No matter what happens
Or how bad it seems today,
Life does go on, and it will get better.”
(If only the course you will stay.)
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
Are the words Winston Churchill had to say.

New beginnings can come disguised as painful endings,
Designed to test your strength to its core.
Just ‘hang in there’ and everything will be fine —
But maybe not the way it was before.
Live the questions now, and gradually, without noticing,
You’ll live your way to the answers… furthermore…

There’s an expression I love; it’s been quoted over and over,
Even appeared in a movie I highly recommend.
Wilde and Lennon — “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
All shared the same philosophy, my friend.
“Everything is going to be fine in the end —
If it’s not fine, it’s not the end.”

I debated about presenting the poem “Peace On Earth” as the December Poem of the Month, since it was included in my annual Christmas Letter, sent out with Christmas cards earlier this month.

Peace On Earth is so much more than mouthing the words, and hoping and praying for it to magically happen… so here the poem comes, once again, for your (re)reading and, I hope, enjoyment.

The photo is one taken by my lovely daughter (in-law) on Maui when the moon was full. Enjoy “Maui In The Moonlight” by Eva LaFollette.

And please remember… whatever the question, LOVE is the answer.

PEACE ON EARTH

It’s said that peace begins with a smile.
And it comes from within; don’t seek it from without.
The behavior of others can test the measure
Of the inner peace you carry through the fallout.

“Peace cannot be kept by force.”
(This… according to Einstein)
“It can only be achieved by understanding.”
Peace comes through you; that’s the bottom line.

You have peace when you make it with yourself.
And peace is a day-by-day process.
Opinions gradually change; old barriers slowly erode.
With practice, it can become effortless.

“Do your little bits of good where you are…”
(As Desmond Tutu so wisely shared)
“Put them together — they can overwhelm the world.”
It’s an important way to show that you cared.

Someone asked me once when my “justice mode” was flaring,
“Do you want to be happy or right?”
Happy is peaceful, keeping stillness inside,
While winning at being right requires a fight.

When the power of love replaces the love of power
Then world peace will be given a chance.
Peace is not God’s gift to his creatures…
Peace is our gift to each other — do the dance!

Now that the weather is turning a little cooler and the skies here in the Northwest are turning a little”drippier,” one’s mind turns to curling up with a good book in front of a fireplace… at least, mine does.

Fireplace or not, reading a good book anywhere… on a plane, at the kitchen table, while waiting at the doctor’s [hairdresser’s] [barber’s] [manicurist’s] office, on a bus… is a joy!

As a member of a Book Club, I recently had the privilege of presenting a book that absolutely “knocked me out,” one that lingers long after I finished the second reading. The book is A Pilgrimage to Eternity, by Timothy Egan. I highly recommend it if you are interested in extremely well-written history and adventure.

This November 2022 Poem of the Month is shared with love, and a message: Find your own “knock out” book and spend some valuable time with it. Let it take you to some wonderful places.

And remember, friends, whatever the question, Love is the answer!

(HAVE YOU) READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Reading, as you may know, is a brainy affair:
You use you own, and borrow the author’s.
You increase your power by feeding your brain.
You, in turn, become a venturer.

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…
A non-reader, in contrast, lives only a few.
Books let you travel without moving your feet.
And reading good books broadens your point of view.

One glance at a book and you hear the voices
Of people who, perhaps, lived long ago.
When you read, you can easily voyage through time.
When you read, you know you are not alone.

Human nature calls for progress, and reading
Will give you the stimulus to expand your view.
To rise above the ordinary and continue to learn
Is a choice to be made, and worthy to pursue.

Reading affords awareness of others who’ve lived different lives.
As you read, your sources of information are on the increase.
The reading of all good books is like a conversation
With the finest people of the past centuries.

Reading is an exercise in empathy.
You walk in another’s shoes all the while.
You discover how they handled their personal issues.
You compare them to yours, and you smile.

Reading only one book is like eating one potato chip.
You will require more to satisfy your hunger.
The more you read, the more things you’ll know.
…Older with knowledge, but with curiosity that is younger.

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
You become a part of everything you have read.
Learning to read is to light a fire.
Without the skill it is difficult to go ahead.