When Special People Touch Our Lives

When special people touch our lives,
Then suddenly we see how beautiful and wonderful our world can really be.
They show us that our special hopes and dreams can take us far,
by helping us look inward and believe in who we are.
They bless us with their love and joy through everything they give--
When special people touch our lives, they teach us how to live.

For my mom...

Flusteration

I'm a firm believer of fate. What is to happen, happens. You can't make something happen unless it's destined to, and even then you'd merely be carrying out what is in your fate. If something is not destined to happen, the whole world can try to make it happen and it won't happen. Lately, however, my belief system has been trembling. Can someone change someone else's fate? Do people have the power to alter the course of preordained events? Where does hope fit in? Is there room for dreams? What is the extent of human power over destiny, be it theirs or someone else's? If you spill someone's water, are you now prolonging their thirst or were they not supposed to drink that water in the first place? Who's the more powerful here, the spiller or the thirsty? Is there a question of power or were both acting accoring to their respective fates? Does fate interfere with such minor details of life or are these random occurances? I do know that humans are responsible for their actions, but I just don't know if we have authority over each other's lives or not. It sure seems that way sometimes though. I need answers.

Nostalgia

On my way home today, a very beautifully built house caught my eye. It was simply amazing. The front lawn was very tastefully designed with garden stones, and the very elegant flowers next to the fences enhanced the house's beauty even more. The structure was solid yet graceful. It got me thinking, do the inhabitants of such a nice house have the lives that match their property's beauty? Is there a positive correlation between the charm of a house and the life of its occupants?

When I was young, I used to dream of living in a castle that was built on a cloud. But as I started growing older, many things became apparent. For the past 8 years, we have changed a lot of houses, and it always takes me a few months to start calling the new house my home. But today, sitting at the bus looking at that apparently gorgeous house, I realized something: Houses are made of stone and wood -- both mere objects. Homes are made of people and the bonds between them -- the most precious thing in the world. Reminded me of a quote by an unknown author, that it takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home. And then just as suddenly that the bus had stopped in front of that house, it passed by it, and now all that I have are the memories.

Lost Souls

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go -- 1 of 2 things will happen: either He'll catch you when you fall OR He'll teach you how to fly! God is going to shift things around for you and let things work in your favor. He closes doors no man can open and opens doors no man can close.

Have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing.

Six Degrees of Separation

Things aren't really as black and white as I'd like them to be. Many times our set rules need to be manipulated to accommodate some new perceptions and events. Does that mean those "golden rules" were wrong? Are we wrong in accepting them? For the duration of the summer I decided to volunteer at a womens' shelter, and every week I come across examples that force me to widen my thinking horizons. Today while talking to a woman, I learned that she used to be a prostitute for 23 years. So automatically, in my head I'm thinking this is wrong and she should've searched harder for a decent job or applied for welfare and whatnot. But as I'm going through these criticisms in my head, various things crossed my mind. By default, humans have an attachment to their dignity, shame, and pride. No one likes to be sullied in any way, children and adults alike. Some things are simply in our genes and we can not part from them. Other people in the group present at that time were criticizing the opening of a prostitution place (I don't know what the correct term is for such a venue) and this woman was defending it by saying had she not been in the field, there was no way her kids would have gotten to colleges and universities, and today they have scholarships and enough money to pay for their tuition, books, food and rent. So they have grown up to be benefitting members of the society we ALL live in. End justifying the means? Which side of the debate are you on?

Growing Up

Sometimes after living for so long, a few moments can change the course of our lives, our existence, and we realize how naive we have had been in the past. Learning is an ongoing process, no doubt! Maybe these are the times that bring in us the greatest changes and and we in turn cause change in our surroundings that work well with our newly developed/acquired senses and perceptions. So change is good in that respect. I guess this is what it means to be flexible. We need not narrow our path in life in order to make sure we stay unstained of impurities along the journey. There are many factors involved in everything, not just the ones that are obvious to us. We can open our minds and accept others for who they are without giving up our own morals and values. Perhaps this is what maturing is all about. There is good and bad everywhere and the two coexist. If we shun ourselves from the bad, we would also stay devoid of the good. If we start looking for the good in our surroundings, living and non-living alike, I'm sure we can benefit from the good and that benefiting may very well be the factor that would change us and make us react towards our environment in such a way as to create and bring about more good around us. It can also happen vice versa, but I am feeling optimistic right now.

Religion

I think it's simply impossible to enjoy anything, be it a sunrise or a wonderful job, if your heart is not at peace. I have seen people try many things to achieve this peace; to bring certain anxieties low; homeostasis, if you will. These include drugs, indulgence in activities (like listening to music), and so on. But these are all short term. For the effect of "homeostasis" to last, continuous supply of such stimuli is needed. Even then, sometimes life's stressors demand more than outside stimuli to reach base threshold. Happiness comes from within. I feel once you purify your heart and soul by making your peace with God, things are OK from there. So for me, religion works. It helps me enjoy life with all that it has to offer, by giving me the peace required to relish its beauty.

Treasure

Working through the pile of sand
Kneeling on the beach
Constructing a sand castle
Suddenly I found
Looking at my hand
It looked like an old antique
Until I zoomed closely
Below the surface of dust and grime
It was a treasure locked in inside
A bottle quite rare for centuries left there
Encapsulated in a bottle was a fading note crumpled
Legible to read
Not very sure why it found me or I found it
The excitement of a hidden treasure trapped in the ground
of a perfect level
Was a note not sure to whom or why?
It was a treasure money could never buy
As I began to unravel it my mind was anxious to know why
The encapsulated bottle would be mine
The letter was that of poetry
With the author's name exposed
With a picture and the date enclosed
You have found hidden treasure
Because you dug deep enough to uncover
The long lost message encapsulated
The bottle is about tarnished
But inside this note there is a message to be salvaged
"Cherish every special moment
Lavish your kindness on the ones who are broken other words heart-wrenched
Don't look down on those who feel hopeless or impoverished
Live your life as though you will vanish
So that when it is time to go you won't leave behind unfinished business
Remember life is a journey and it is not good to live in a hurry
Rather savour every meal with gratitude
Render help but don't intrude
Compliment success and learn from clues
Meditate and leave rest
Win some, share some
Lose some, learn some
Experience will teach you the best lessons
Likewise impact the world
Don't let up because of pressure
Or succumb to failure
Success is an act of trial and error
Learn to leave something more than pictures behind for your children
Not a debt load but a stock hold
Not a home loan but a home owned
Not a dead end but a open end possibilities
This note not sure to whom or why?
Encapsulated in a bottle was dug deep beside the sea of life
With the author's name exposed
With a picture and the date enclosed
You have found hidden treasure
Now it is time for you to measure and decide what to leave behind at the end of your journey of life

~Chidimma Mba

Remembrance Day

I lost my mom four years ago today. I miss her more than anything in the world and this death anniversary is the hardest so far. She was my teacher, guide, mentor, best friend… my everything. The love I have for my mother runs like blood through my veins – it’s a part of me. When we have something we take it for granted and the moment we are separated from it do we realize how big a part it was of our life. I thought my mother would stay with me forever. I thought there would always be time to listen to her, to do things she wanted me to do. But standing at her bedside moments after she was gone did I realize how lucky I was to have had such an amazing mother, to have been loved so truly, to have been raised by such a remarkable woman, and how unfortunate it was to have never taken out the time to tell her that I loved her, that I couldn’t live without her, that she meant more to me than the whole world. What I adore most about her is that she knew when to be strict and give me chance to better myself, when to be motherly and allow me to be a child, when to be a friend and let me share and when to be a counselor and walk me through difficult decisions. My life revolved around my mom and this week, out of all the weeks we have been separated, I miss her the most. “A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take” – Cardinal Mermillod. Rest in peace Ammi. Love you always!

Hope

The tide recedes, but leaves behind bright seashells on the sand.
The sun goes down, but gentle warmth still lingers in the land,
The music stops, and yet it echoes on in sweet refrains...
For every joy that passes, something beautiful remains.

~Unknown