In introducing the February 2023 Poem of the Month, I turn the floor over to an author whom I admire very much… Marianne Williamson, author of The Gift of Change; Tears to Triumph; A Return To Love, and many more.

“It isn’t the amount of our years that will determine the life we live now but the amount of our love. Our future is not determined by anything that happened 20 years ago, 30 years ago, our even 10 minutes ago.  It’s determined by who we are and what we think, right here,  right now, in this moment.  Almost every hour of every day, we’ll find ourselves in a situation  where we can be now who we weren’t before.  And from this newness in our being springs fresh opportunities we could ever have imagined. 
God specializes in new beginnings.”

Remember, dear ones… Whatever the question, love is always the answer.

NEW BEGINNINGS

How lovely it is to know that tomorrow
Is a new day for you… with yet no mistakes;
To have something so clean and fresh to look forward to
Gives you hope for your future, for goodness sakes!

In fact, every moment is a fresh beginning.
Start right now, don’t wait for tomorrow.
Your life does not get better by chance;
It gets better by change… lose your sorrow.

“The only person you are destined to become
Is the person you decide to be.”
Emerson shared this bit of wisdom;
His message is simple… I’m sure you’ll agree.

Be willing to get rid of the life you planned
In order to receive your life in the waiting.
You must shed the old skin, be open to change.
With new attitudes, a new life you’re creating.

Holding on is believing that there’s only the past.
Letting go is knowing that there’s a future for you.
It all begins in the beginning, as you know;
And it begins after you shift your mind… it’s true!

Stop being afraid of what could go wrong.
Concentrate on all that will go right.
As Dolly Parton says, “If you don’t like the road,
Start paving another one.” (Such insight!)

Buddha shared wisdom about new beginnings.
His words are soothing; they have much to say.
“Each morning… we are born again.
It matters most what we do today.

… 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!