Easter Thoughts

March, this year, reminds me of the second anniversary of my blog writings, of St. Patrick's Day (my Birth Date), of the first day of Spring and Easter.  My son, while working in Calgary, was instrumental in assisting me with the development of this challenging blog enterprise ~ which at first, seemed difficult.  Since its inception, I've submitted views about...philosophy, religion, seasons of the year, special monthly event days, humour, nature, war veterans...all components that deal with Life and how to cope positively with it.  Many of these topics were and are related to personal experiences.

This time of year, children’s minds and adults are often filled with the happy faced Easter Bunny, Egg Hunts, and a small wicker basket filled with golden straw holding chocolate bunnies and eggs…even European-styled deco-art painted eggs; family dinners, often the norm and possibly watching the oldie movie Easter Parade.  Others will concentrate on the religious aspect of Jesus’ death and His resurrection with services around the world to praise the true meaning of Easter.

Beside the Grand River

Now, as Easter approaches, I reflect on church services my family attended:  the hymns of praise we sang, the sermons delivered by the minister, the altar decorated with white lilies.  When we were teens, our parents gave my older sister and me new spring coats and new hats.  Then on Easter Sunday, they drove us from our Burford farm to downtown Brantford  to attend a Youth for Christ “Sunrise Service”.  In good weather, this crowd of youths gathered along the banks of the Grand River to appreciate the religious morn.  As the rising sun cast its golden rays across the wide rippling river water, gospel songs were sung and prayers presented to honour Easter Sunday.  Spiritual words were spoken messaging  the significance of this day.  At the conclusion of the Sunrise Service, we assembled for a hot delicious breakfast at a pre-arranged church in the city.  Easter Sunday was a most memorable experience!

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel

My first visit to New York City was many years ago on Easter weekend.  During the two months off from teaching, I'd toured Europe.  A few of us planned to meet in NYC to reacquaint friendships.  We stayed at The Ritz Hotel.  The weather was perfect:  suits and high heels were the “wear”;  forsythias and crepe myrtle trees were in full bloom;  the high-towering skyscrapers; the Broadway Shows; Central Park (843 acres...truly amazing) ~ by horse-drawn carriage, we observed hikers, cyclists, roller skaters, families playing together...on this warm spring day!  We cruised around Manhattan Island...and of course stopped at Ellis Island to visit the Statue of Liberty.  At a moment's decision, we decided to climb...all 354 steps to the top of her torch...surveying the spectacular panoramic view!  It was going down all these steps with high heels that excruciatingly pained my legs!  In desperation, the shoes were removed to alleviate the aching pressure...totally ruining my hosiery before ground level!

Stroll Along Fifth Avenue

               My son, now working by assignment in New York City, recently sent
               this descriptive commentary about discovering a bit of Manhattan. 

               On Easter weekend he'll explore more areas of this renowned city...
               perhaps an island cruise along the Hudson and East Rivers,  may even
               visit the Statue of Liberty. On Easter Sunday, he'll be attending his favoured
               church services and there play his flute accompanying the congregational
               singing and piano.

Hello Mom,

After work today, I rode the subway up to Herald Square, which is at 34^th  St. and 6^th Ave. ~ the very corner where the huge Macy's store is.  There was something I wanted to look at in a different store.

There was a nice little Bistro on Madison Avenue near there, so I thought I might walk over that way.  I walked along 34^th St. and came to the Empire State Building. It is on the SW corner of 34th St, and

5th Ave.  As perhaps, the most famous office building in the world, the owners have recently invested about five hundred million dollars in major interior renovations and upgrades.  It is well-occupied by business tenants...yet they have a number of suites available for rent.  The public entrance for the observation deck is on 5^th Ave.  It costs $25 to go to the main deck and another $17 to go to the top.  It's quite impressive from the street...like looking at Mt. Everest amongst smaller Himalaya mountains.

I realized I was standing on the corner of Fifth Avenue ~ yes, the Fifth Avenue!  The stretch with very exclusive “New York” boutiques and flagship stores is further north, but walkable ~ sort of 42^nd St. to 60^th St.  So I decided to walk it and see for myself.

It really was not all that impressive.  Yes, the Fifth Avenue stores, but from the street they did not look any more impressive than stores you'd see around Bloor St. or Holt Renfrew (both in Toronto).  Most of them are just street level of old buildings.  I entered one or two stores and was greeted by good service. While I was not really looking for anything in particular, I did not notice anything unusually expensive.  Many were just known stores you'd see in the mall...with a few average souvenir shops and outdoor peanut vendors.  I bought a small bag of peanuts on “Fifth Avenue” .  The empty fist-sized bag, I tossed into an ordinary trash can which said around the rim, (get this) “Fifth Avenue Business Improvement Association”. That almost seems like an oxymoron!  Here is one of the most famous retail fashion districts in the world, and notoriously the most expensive...and they have a “business improvement association”? I suppose it makes sense. Even the most exclusive outdoor retail district needs to be kept.

I walked up to about 57^th St. and found that exclusive Toy Store (FAO Schwartz?).  They had closed at 7:00, so I could not go in.  But there it was. Then I cut over to Madison Ave. and thought I might find that Bistro.  When I arrived at 46^th Street, I changed my mind and decided to walk across Restaurant Row (46^th St. itself), thinking if nothing else, I could go to the Chilean place (which I had frequented previously).  But they they had changed their name and now had an outside entrance...but a different theme.  So I went somewhere else.  There's another restaurant nearby I've been thinking to try...Swing 46. As the name implies, it is a supper club sort of deal with live 1940's big band swing music (and of course swing dancing).  While I know nothing about swing dancing, it's nice to watch; and the prices there are reasonable for 46^th St.  I find most restaurants here have a concept called “Prix Fixe” (or fixed price), which is simply a flat rate for a limited choice three-course-meal...a pretty good deal, actually.  Typical price is about $25 ~ not bad for NYC.

By the way, parking for a Broadway show is about $35.00.

From there, I walked back to Herald Square and boarded the PATH train to Harrison (NJ) and then walked up to Kearny.

Pearl of Wisdom

It is easy to  make a dollar.

It's much more difficult to make a difference!

Crafted by Merle Baird-Kerr...March 23, 2013

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Power of Attitude

The longer I live, the more I realize how Attitude impacts life! 
To me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past,
than education, than  money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes,
than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance,
giftedness or skill.  It will make or break a company...a church...a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will
embrace on that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that
people will act in a certain way...we cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have and that is our attitude...

I am convinced  that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.  

And so it is with Life...we are in charge of our Attitude!

Beginning of a New Day

                                        God  has given me this day to use as I will.

                                         I can waste it, or use it for good.

                                         Because what I do today is important,

                                         because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.

                                         When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever,

                                         leaving in its place something that I have traded for it.

                                         I want it to be gain, and not loss; good not evil;

                                         success and not failure...

                                         in order that I shall not forget the price

                                         that I have paid for it.

(Author unknown)

                                          Take time to think ~ it is the source of power.

                                          Take time to play ~ it is the secret of perpetual youth.

                                          Take time to read ~ it is the fountain of wisdom.

                                          Take time to love and be loved ~ it is a God given privilege.

                                          Take time to be friendly ~ it is the music of the soul.

                                          Take time to give ~ it is too short a day to be selfish.

                                          Take time to work ~ it is the price of success.

(Anonymous)

Prayer

                              Thank you, God, for the little things that often come our way;

                              The things we take for granted, but don't mention when we pray;

                              The unexpected courtesy, the thoughtful, kind deed;

                              A hand reached out to help us in the time of sudden need.

                              Oh make us more aware, dear God, of little daily graces

                                                      that come to us with “sweet surprise”

                                                         from never-dreamed-of places.

* * * * * *

Happiness is not an accident.

Nor is it something you wish for.

Happiness is something YOU design!

Learn how to be HAPPY with what you have

while you pursue all that you want!

* * * * * *

Crafted by Merle Baird-Kerr ~ February 28, 2013

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Essence of Prayer

Very glibly, we often say, “I hope and pray that...” and I question, “Do we truly pray?”  The universal response would be...”.probably not”! In the most recent news, we have heard much about and observed the selection of  the new papal pope ~ Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Thrilled immensely, I am, since he is the first Jesuit pope and first non-European since the Middle Ages; he has decided to call himself Francis after St. Francis of Assisi...the humble friar who dedicated his life to helping the poor. Although I am not of Roman Catholic faith and  have studied Comparative Religions, I have deep respect for all faiths and their places of worship. 

Many years ago, after my second year of teaching in Hamilton, I spent the 2-month summer travelling Europe.  Italy definitely impressed me.  One of our stops was at the Monastery of St. Francis of Assisi. The location seemed so befitting and spiritual...the monastery sitting atop a hillside of numerous olive trees...so serene and peaceful. When there, the symbol of  “the olive branch”  seemed so alive.

Prayer is an invocation or act that seems to activate a rapport

with a deity, an object of worship or a spiritual entity

through deliberate communication.

Prayer can be a form of religious practice,

may be either individual or communal

and take place in public or in private.

It may involve the use of words or song.

There are different forms of prayers such as: petitionary prayers,

prayers of supplication, thanksgiving, worship and praise.

When Pope Francis I was elected by the conclave and presented to the waiting crowd of thousands in St. Peter's Square, “with Francis' attitude of humility, asking  the crowd to pray for him before he prayed for them...his choice to travel alone to Rome alone (without entourage), his always walking or riding his bike throughout Vatican City (in lieu of papal transportation), his insistence on paying his hotel bill the next morning ~ will, if lasting, endear him to people, whether Catholics or non-Catholics.  It may armour him to take on the extravagances, corruption and in-fighting of the Curia, the Vatican administration,”  writes Robert Howard of the Hamilton Spectator.

His request for all in St. Peter's Square and everywhere to pray for him,  was most effectual as complete silence reigned...the thousands bowed their heads along with Pope Francis I … for a couple minutes of personal reflection and sincere prayer. Known to all Christian denominations and beyond, he cited a couple lines from the prayer of St. Francis ~  Lord, make me an instrument of your peace...Where there is darkness, (let me) sow light.

After his retreat from the balcony, he did what no predecessor had ever done:

he tweeted to the world...Immensely Happy to be Your New Pope...Francis I

Prayer of  St Ignatius of Loyola

                                 Dear Lord,

                                 Teach me to be generous;

                                 Teach me to serve You as You deserve;

                                 Teach me to give and not to count the cost;

                                 Teach me to fight and not to heed the wounds;

                                 Teach me to work and not to seek for rest;

                                 Teach me to labour and not to ask for reward except

                                 that of knowing that I am doing well.

                                 Amen.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

                                  Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

                                  Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

                                  Where there is injury, pardon.

                                  Where there is doubt, faith.

                                  Where there is despair, hope.

                                  Where there is darkness, light.

                                  Where there is sadness, joy.

                                  O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek

                                  so much to be consoled as to console;

                                  To be understood as to understand;

                                  To love as to be loved.

                                  For it is in giving that we receive;

                                  It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

                                  And it is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.

Sister Wendy Becket

(born February 25, 1930 in South Africa,

she is a British hermit who is known as an art expert)

                                  Please give me a loving heart

                                  that tries to understand how other people feel.

                                  Help me to be kind and sensitive and not to put myself first.

Prayer for Spiritual Renewal

by Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596)

                                        Disturb us, Lord, when

                                        We are too  pleased with ourselves,

                                        When our dreams have come true

                                        Because we have dreamed too little,

                                        When we arrived safely

                                        Because we sailed too close to the shore.

                                        Disturb us, Lord,

                                        When with the abundance of things we possess

                                        We have lost our thirst

                                        For the waters of life.

                                        Having fallen in love with life

                                        We have ceased to dream of eternity,

                                        And in our efforts to build a new earth

                                        We have allowed our vision

                                        Of the new Heaven to dim.

                                        Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly

                                        To venture on wider seas

                                        Where stars will show your mastery,

                                        Where long sight of land

                                        We shall find the stars.

                                        We ask You to push back

                                        The horizons of our hopes

                                        And to push into the future

                                        In strength, courage, hope and love.

Mahatma Gandhi:  One of the busiest  and most famous men in the world used to set aside Monday as  a Day of Silence.  “In His Image” by Paul Brand (page 211), he wrote about Gandhi,  “He needed the stillness in order to rest his vocal cords and to promote inner harmony in his soul amid the turmoil of life around him.  I wonder what power would be released if all Christians devoted one day a week to listening to the voice of God to discern His coded message for our lives.”

We Don't Always Get What We Pray For

(Anonymous Soldier...Civil War)

                                         I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.

                                         I was  made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.

                                         I asked for health, that I might do greater things.

                                         I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

                                         I asked for riches, that I might be happy.

                                         I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

                                        I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.

                                        I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

                                        I got nothing that I asked for but everything I had hoped for.

                                        Despite myself, my prayers were answered.

                                        I, among all people, am most richly blessed!

Modern Day Prayer Quotes

God, grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change, courage to change things I can and wisdom to know the difference. (Reinhold Niebuhr ~ American Theologian)

To be a Christian without prayer, is no more possible than to be alive without breathing. (Martin Luther)

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?  (Corrie Ten Boon ~ devotional writer)

Dale Carnegie was asked, “What is the secret of  your life?”  Dale replied, “Every day I pray.  I yield myself to God ~ the tensions and anxieties go out of me...then peace and power come in.”

Many a person is praying for rain with his tub the wrong side up.  (Sam Jones, an American revivalist)

Crafted by Merle Baird-Kerr...March 15, 2013

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Dedication...Beyond the Call of Duty

 To dedicate is to devote oneself to a cause or course of action.

To dedicate is also to give, as time for a sense of achievement.

“Beyond the Call of Duty”

is accomplishing much more than should be expected.

In most professions, there are always those whose performances are outstanding! What quality is it, these persons possess?  Sincerity and Confidence in their Knowledge…Desire to Achieve to Best of their Ability...Constant  Strive for Excellence!  These combinations equal Dedication.

We have heroes among us (many “unsung”) ~ who unexpectedly go “beyond the call of duty”:  e.g.  medical personnel, the police, the firemen, the military, the “average Joe” (man or woman), etc.  to save a life.  In most cases, it is super adrenaline that kicks into overdrive forcing individuals to perform deeds (usually exceeding his/her known ability).  With these heroes, there is inbred…Dedication to Care...Dedication to Help…Dedication to Act!

Unlike Pope,

no “cheerio” likely from Queen

(Excerpts from Hamilton Spectator, published February 23, 2013)

Pope Benedict XVI has done it.  Queen Beatrix of  The Netherlands has done it.  Will Britain's Queen Elizabeth II step aside from her 61-year-reign and let the light of a new generation in?

A representative from the palace told USA Today that everything the Queen, 86, wishes to say on the matter of going or staying has already, in fact been said ~ on her 21^st birthday in 1947.  The palace was referring to a speech the Queen made in Cape Town, South Africa, where she was visiting with her parents and younger sister ~ and had yet to receive her royal promotion.  She was still known as Princess Elizabeth.

          I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short

          shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family

          to which we all belong.

          We must give nothing less than the whole of ourselves.   
          There is a motto which has been borne by many of my ancestors ~ 
          a noble motto, “I Serve.”

So, she's staying, you would have to wager.  And life, for the Queen means life.

In this country, any resignation from a royal role is associated with the constitutional crisis of the 1930's  (when Edward VIII abdicated and married the American socialite Simpson).

We don't know yet why, precisely the Pope has decided to resign.  In the case of Beatrix, she had been talking about leaving for some time.  I think it highly unlikely Queen Elizabeth II will abdicate.

Plus, in a speech to mark her 60 years on the throne last year, the Queen effectively put a halt to any idle talk of cashing out in favour of putting her feet up.

          With the support of my family, I rededicate myself to the service 
          of our great country and its people now and in the years to come.

Dr. Maya Angelou

Born April 4, 1928, a black American author and poet has published 6 autobiographies, 5 books of essays, several books of poetry and is credited with a list of plays, movies and television shows spanning 50 years.  She is a remarkable Renaissance woman who is heralded as one of the great voices of contemporary literature.  On her 70^th birthday, interviewed by Oprah Winfrey recently, she quoted many lessons she has learned: 

          I've learned that people will forget what  you said.

          I've learned that people will forget what you did.

          I've learned that people will never forget how you made them feel.

          I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles

          these 3 things:  a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights.

Stompin' Tom Connors

The Canadian country-folk-legend known for...The Hockey Song, Bud the Spud, Canada Day, Up Canada Way, Sudbury Saturday Night...died on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at age 77.  A few days earlier, the musician penned a letter to fans that he wanted published after his death.  Here it is:

Hello Friends, I want all my fans past, present or future to know that without you there would have not been any Stompin' Tom.

It was a long, hard bumpy road, but this great country kept me inspired with its beauty, character and spirit, driving me to keep marching on and devoted to sing about its people and places that make Canada the greatest country in the world.

I must now pass the torch to all of you to help keep the Maple Leaf flying high and be the Patriot Canada needs now and in the future.

I humbly thank you all one last time for allowing me in your homes.  I hope I continue to bring a little bit of cheer into your lives from the work I have done.

Sincerely,

Your Friend always,

Stompin' Tom Connors

Connors garnered a devoted following through country folk tunes that drew inspiration from his extensive travels and focused on the everyman. The musician, rarely seen without his signature black cowboy hat, stompin' leather boots and guitar, was devoted to sing about  Canada's people. He was dubbed Stompin' Tom for his propensity to pound the floor with his left foot during performances.  His music came to be regarded as veritable national anthems, thanks to their unabashed  embrace of all things Canadian.

In a rare one-on-one interview at his home in  Halton Hills, he stated, “It just amazes me that I've been going so long, I would think that somebody would have picked up the torch a long time ago and started writing tons of songs  about this country...the most underwritten  country in the world as far as songs are concerned.  We starve; the people in this country are starving for songs about their homeland.”

Connors was born in Saint John, New Brunswick on Feb. 9, 1936 to an unwed teenage mother.  According to his autobiography, he often lived hand-to-mouth as a youngster, hitchhiking with his mother from the age of three, begging on the street by the age of four.  At age eight, he was placed in the care of Children's Aid and adopted a year later by a family in Skinner's Pond, Prince Edward Island.

He ran away four years later to hitchhike across the country.

He bought his first guitar at age 14 and picked up odd jobs as he wandered from town to town...at times working on fishing boats, as a grave digger, tobacco picker and fry cook.  Legend has it, that Connors began his musical career when he found himself a nickel short of a beer at the Maple Leaf Hotel in Timmins, Ontario in 1964 at age 28.  The bartender agreed to give him a drink if he would play a few songs, but that turned into a 14-month contract to play at the hotel. Three years later, Connors made his first hit in 1970 with Bud The Spud!

“It's not what you Gather...but what you Scatter

that tells the world...what kind of life you have lived!”

(Author unknown)

Dedication of Parents:  Is Your Child Caring?

If so, you've done your job.

In an article to The Spectator on February 19, 2013, Gary Direnfeld wrote:

On January 31, around 2 pm, I was stopped at the intersection of Dundurn and King Streets in Hamilton. There, standing on the sidewalk at the corner was a small elderly woman clinging to a post.  It was a blustery day.  Two young women, late teens or young adults, crossing the intersection  came upon her.  In my next glance, these two young women were walking this elderly woman, flanking her side-by-side across the intersection.  As I passed them, looking in  my rear view mirror, I could see those young women helping the elderly lady safely on her way.

We know we have done a good job as parents when our children can act benevolently; when our children can be aware of the needs of others and advance their needs over their own.

Good parenting is more than grades at school, ability to earn a living, keeping out of trouble.  If your child says “Please” and “Thank You”, shares his or her toys, and helps others, then you've done a good job as a parent, assuming no particular disability on the part of the child that would preclude these skills.

          The parents of the young women previously mentioned may never know

          of their children's good deed, but their children will  likely exude a kind

          and caring disposition.  Hopefully, your children will, too. 

          Then, you will know!

Lesson from Dr. Maya Angelou

“I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love a kind deed, a warm  hug or just a friendly pat on the back.”

Larry Carlton’s Exhortation

(an American guitarist legend ~

one of  the most respected  and sought after musicians in the world)

I always tell  my students to practise what they must…practise everything your teacher and college demands…go practise it!  BUT then go out and play what you like.  Learn whatever techniques that you can put together that help you express yourself deeply. Result?  Unexpected positive results!

Advice from Ludwig van Beethoven

Don’t only practise your art,

but force your way into its secrets

for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine.

Crafted by Merle Baird-Kerr  March 7, 2013

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Winter of My LIfe

Reading this e-mail quickly (sent from Carolyn a few months ago), I stopped and started over...reading slower and thinking about every word. This e-mail is very thought provoking...”stop and think!”

Time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.  It seems like yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with  my mate.  Yet, in a way, it seems like eons ago and I wonder where all the years went.  I know that I lived them all.  I have glimpses of how it was back then and all my hopes and dreams.

But, here it is...the “winter of my life” and it catches me by surprise.  How did I get here so fast?  Where did the years go?  Where did  my youth go?  I remember well, seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were  years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they move slower and I see an older person now.  Some are in better and some in worse  shape than me...but, I see the great change:  Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we saw and never thought we'd be.  Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day!  And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will...I just fall asleep where I sit.

Here, I interject about my elderly cousin, Zella, who had her small senior's apartment in Toronto.  Twice a month I visited her, having dinner with her  in the nearby Nursing Home and spending a few hours. Contacting her ahead of the scheduled day one time, she did not answer her telephone nor did she return my calls.  The “super” of her complex checked and found her on the floor beside her kitchen table.  Unable to get anyone's attention, she lay there for two days…she had fallen asleep...and fell, breaking her leg. We hospitalized her; following discharge, the nearby Nursing Home cared for her and tended to her needs.  This gave me “great peace of mind”.

And, so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do the things that I wish I had done but never did!  But, at least I know that though the winter has come , and I'm not sure low long it will last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...it's over.  A new adventure will begin!

Yes, I have regrets.  There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should  have done, but indeed, there are things I'm happy to have done.  It's all in a lifetime!

So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you believe.   So,  whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, please do it quickly.  Don't put things off too long!  Life goes by quickly!  So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see “all the seasons” of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that  you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!

LIFE is a gift to you.

The way you live your life

is your gift to those who come after.

Make it a fantastic one!

Remember, also, “It is health that is real wealth,

and not pieces of gold and silver.”

Live happy in 2013!

* * * * * * *

In closing, I relate to an incident in 2009...she was a real estate sales rep whom I had respected in this business...very slim and attractive...very personable with all her associates and friends. On this day  in December, I again saw her...sitting on a bench in front of a pharmacy (probably waiting for a ride).  Returning home, I wrote the following prose which I published in the first month of my blog writings...(March, 2011)...so appropriately does it “fit” with the foregoing.

I Feel So Lucky!

Outside a Pharmacy door,

I recognized a Realtor peer

whom long ago I knew.

Seated on a bench,

she was frail...'bout 80 lbs.,

slowly, turned  her eyes aside.

Hopefully, un-noticed she would be.

I Feel So Lucky!

I live in a pleasant Seniors' home,

near buses and a shopping mall.

Lonely are some women and men

...no visiting friends or family.

Oft they wait in the lounge for the delivered mail

(their daily routines, they chat about).

Read their letters...and show their pics.

I Feel So Lucky!

Some have walkers and some  have canes;

a few ride scooters..to ease weary legs.

Most of us here are still quite mobile;

attend all the lunches and pot luck events;

games of euchre and sometimes scrabble;

pedicures, manicures at reasonable cost;

weekly hair stylings within their abode.

I Feel So Lucky!

Lifestyles change as we mature:

I cannot schuss down snowy slopes;

cannot golf on fairway greens...

but am quite sure that I can putt!

Tennis agility is a skill of the past,

cannot polka or clog a routine,

cannot hike along lush forest trails,

Yet, I Feel So Lucky!

Many other pleasures I now pursue:

the Theatre, the Play, Observer of Sports!

Time to Imagine and Time to Create

fashion accessories and inspired to write!

A page-turner novel “transports me away.”

With dear precious friends, we e-mail and dine.

Duplicate bridge is one captive game;

many local clubs and Bridge Base Online.

My family of  “Friends” has greatly increased

from Chile to Turkey, to Portugal and France!

I travelled last year to US with my son...

discovered a Bridge Club locally to play.

A truly great Gentleman, I partnered with...

Amazing!  This Vet...of World War II.

I Feel So Lucky!

Recently drove the scenic distance

from California coast to Ontario home

(green Honda van for emission test).

Viewed mountains and canyons,

and high desert plateaus;

tumbling rivers and placid lakes;

ambitious cities and sleepy hamlets.

I Feel So Lucky!

I Feel So Lucky for All of the Above!

Yet, I have aches and I have pain;

a few weeks ago, I nearly fell!

Graciously I've learned, “Thank You so Much”.

Appreciate Tylenol and a Helping Hand.

As Two Thousand Ten, fast approaches,

I wish to all, “A Healthy and Happy New Year!”

Now, in the Spring when my Birth Date arrives,

“I'm another year Younger

and hopefully, another year Wiser!”

I AM SO LUCKY!

Crafted by Merle Baird-Kerr...March 3, 2013

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