Snowflake Creation

  “The first fall of snow is not only an event ~ it's a magical event! You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different...and if this is not 'enchantment' , where is it to be found?”

~ J. B. Priestly ~

I'm a delicate little snowflake

who over the long...frigid Canadian winter,

many humans abused my presence.

And to you I address my message:

You drive too fast with no regard,

smashed your cars or slid in the ditch.

You cursed me 'cause you had to shovel

and accused me for your windshield ice.

My advice:

When it snows, you have two choices

shovel or make snow angels!

But if you understand my creation

you may agree with someone who said,

“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake,

it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”

When an extremely cold water droplet freezes,

I begin to form on a pollen or particle of dust

to become an ice crystal in the sky so high.

As I now fall toward ground, water vapour freezes

onto my primary crystal...building new ones

becoming the six arms of my merging snowflake.

Under a microscope, each of us is...

a lacy white 6-sided crystal (a myriad of different shapes).

Super beauty, I've become ~ created by Mother Nature.

And now, you may ask, “How do I become Snow?”

When temperatures are low and there is moisture,

tiny icy crystals  in the atmosphere form.

When these tiny ice crystals collide,

they stick together in 'clouds'

to become the snowflakes you see floating down.

If enough crystals stick together,

they'll become heavy enough to fall to the ground.

I'm Falling, Falling, Falling...

Softly falling, blanketing the countryside

like an 'eider-down' on the cold barren earth.

With wind and multiple flakes, a brutal blizzard ensues...

turning a 'dreamy winter wonderland'

into a nightmare for humans and cities.

Civilizations, our strength can virtually shut down!

As a snowflake, I'll become white stuff

from beautiful white powder to roadside brownish slush.

If you tary with me, I'll show you many benefits.

You'll praise my attributes in lieu of steady complaints.

I bring you snow at Christmas (if Mother Nature permits)

lading evergreen branches so lovely.

Children make snowballs they joyfully toss;

Dads can help build snow-forts in which to play.

To nearby  hills, take the sled or toboggan

and slide to the bottom with laughterous glee.

After your work week of days and hours,

catch the fresh air to downhill ski

or don your snowshoes to trail quiet forests.

Maybe with family you'll have a sleigh ride

pulled by black horses with bells on harness.

Some people have become ingenious

(like the Eskimos or Inuits e'en today)

to build an 'ice house' like Rory and Jean

in their backyard on Hamilton Mountain.

 Thanks, Mother Nature and Father Winter,

it's 20 feet long and 12 feet wide...

complete with snow shelves, benches, tables and chairs.

For Jean's birthday on February 16,

Rory and neighbours (about 20 or more)

celebrated with music, lights... and of course, cold beer!

After numerous hours of scooping and carving,

says he, “It's the beauty of the snow...

it's great building material...

it insulates...and it's very soundproof!”

Just remember, Dear Humans:

Snow's an important ingredient

for the Olympics and Canada's Winter Games.

I’m honoured by novelists and poets ~

Here are a few cudos they  have writ:

Mehmet Murat ildan:  Snowing is an attempt of God to make the dirty world clean.

Nikki Giovannia:  I love you because no two  snowflakes are alike ~ you are unique.

Aberjhani: In your hands, winter is a book with cloud pages…that snow “pearls of love.”

Mary Oliver:  Snow was falling so much like stars filling the dark trees

that one could easily imagine its reason for being…was nothing more than prettiness.

William Hamilton Gibson:  Silent like thoughts that come and go, snowflakes fall, each a gem.

Edmund Hillary:  Despite all I have seen and experienced, I still get the same simple thrill, glimpsing a tiny patch of snow in a high mountain gully…and feel the same urge to climb toward it.

Vista M. Kelly:  Snowflakes are one of Nature’s most fragile things:  just look what they can do when they stick together.

Jared Kintz: We should model the English language after the Inuits who have 52 words for snow.

William Sharp:  There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very hollows in snow.  It is still ecstasy of nature, wherein every spray, every blade of grass, every spire of reed, every intricacy of twig…is clad with radiance.

Lama Willa Miller: The snow is sparkling like a million little suns.

Snowflakes are Kisses from Heaven.  (Unknown Author)

Neither 'flake' nor 'fluke' am I ~

I'm a crystal-wrapped Gift from Nature.

Created by Merle Baird-Kerr…March 12, 2015

To comment, email…inezkate@gmail.com  or  mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Simple Guidelines for Picking House Colours

(excerpts from Vicki Payne's article ~ The Charlotte Observer)

Colour can evoke a visceral response, whether for interior decorating, clothes, makeup or cars.  It makes a first impression...accentuates attributes...and softens flaws...and offers a glimpse into your personality.  The colours you choose can also be influenced by many sources:  friends and neighbours, magazine photos, designs on TV shows...or by experts who annually select what the 'big colours'  will be in home décor, fashion and graphic and industrial design.  However, what's hot today usually has a short lifespan.  Rather than chasing trends, you can be sure you'll be happy for  years to come, by following a few guidelines on choosing exterior colours for your home...whether 'new' or 'rehab'.

Deciding between bright and cheerful colours or deep, rich earth tones

will influence all other decisions.

You don't have to be a colour expert, but you should take a little time to learn how colours work together...or find someone who does.

You'll want to make your home distinctive, but for the sake of your neighbours, be considerate of your selections and surroundings.

Ensure that your choices in siding and trim don't clash with materials  you are not planning to replace such as roof shingles, brick, stone and tile.

The size and lot location of your house matters.  Light colours can make a house look bigger...and dark colours can make it look smaller.  If the house is set back in the lot, a lighter colour can also make it look closer to the street.

Landscaping will continue to grow and change colours as the seasons change...so trees, shrubs, and flowering gardens need to be considered.

Use neutral colours to de-emphasize things such as air conditioning units or gutters and downspouts; use contrasting or accent colours to highlight such things as architectural detailing, porch railings, windows and front doors.

Once you have selected your colour  palette...ensure the quality (and warranties if applicable) of your product purchases...this is conducive to the homeowner's 'peace of mind.'

Keeping your home's exterior looking fresh and timely

doesn't have to be challenging!

New Home Construction

For several years I represented builders as a Sales Person...often assisting the home-buyers with their detailed purchase options...both exterior and interior decisions...from choices of brick, siding, shingles and paint trim to cupboards and flooring, etc. In a sizeable North Burlington survey, I purchased one of the builder's designs; he advised me that my choice of lot would be the last one to be purchased (since construction vehicles needed this lot to reach the rear of other homes under construction). 

Many customers selected brick of standard tones...Burlington Beige (as we called it), brick reds, browns and ivories with siding on the upper levels and shingles to co-ordinate.  My choice of brick was a silver-gray with charcoal roofing.  Although the builder included 'shutters' on the front windows, he was amazed that I requested them on all windows...why not?  I'd be utilizing my back yard more than the front!  These he painted an 'indigo blue' ...very attractive!  Then I added a front yard 'lantern-style lamp post' from which I could hang exterior colourful wreaths with ribbons as seasonal accents. 

For the interior, although 2 or 3 carpet colour selections were available, I chose a light gray marble-patterned ceramic flooring for the service areas and a silver-gray carpet to run throughout...in living and dining rooms, the staircase runner, upper hallway and all bedrooms. This neutral colour-scape allowed personal selections by each family member...navies, wedgewood blues, pinks or rose...even tangerine for décor accents. Such a 'joy' to create a colour scheme for both exterior and interior!

My front gardens flowered with delphinium, larkspurs, blue lobelia and rosebushes...accented with miniature evergreens (dwarf conifers) e.g. mugo pines. The backyard housed a deck, utility shed (with shutters, of course) with attached doghouse. Gardens of annuals and perennials were my 'pride and joy'.

When my builder began a new survey in Walker's Heights,

I fell in love with a specific design ~ considering it a good investment,

I started all over again...with a lot across from a parkette of trees and stream.

Merle Baird-Kerr...written March 10, 2015

Comments welcome...email to:

inezkate@gmail.com  or  mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Toothbrush Saga

Look back and Smile on Perils Past!

(Walter Scott)

I'm an adult toothbrush, well designed of blue, white and red.

My name is “Colgate”  because I came with the paste.

Mistress uses me twice daily, her ivories and gums to clean,

 places me on a shelf over the body-waste-fixture.

It may have been January end...or perhaps  early Feb.

She flushed the toilet...its contents to rid.

Her hand caught my handle ~ I flipped to swirly waters.

She tried to catch me...but it was in vain!

Down the drain I sank...got caught in the “elbow”, wedged like a canyon rock.

“Please! Someone Rescue Me from This Terrible Ordeal.”

I fear I'm trapped tightly...either up or down, I cannot move!

The water comes and the water goes...and I'm still here,

existing in a space of rushing stagnant water...

I want to breathe air and I want to feel needed.

Mike, the Service-man from our building came

to my apartment to have a look.

He replaced a contraption in the holding tank

and hoped, with a few more flushes

my “being” would downward go.

“No Such Luck!  I Was Stuck!”

Mike told Mistress he'd return another day;

“To reach the pipe bend would be a Big Job.

Several hours it'd be to take toilet apart.

Or hire a plumber and pay three hundred bucks.”

Mistress was vary careful to cause no more disaster.

She didn't want an overflow on the washroom floor.

February passed...and so did March

and Mike? He  never did appear

(due to a job transfer)!

My life may not continue if not rescued soon:

My skin rubs the pipe sides ev'ry time the water's flushed;

I'm smelling like h__, withering and losing my slender shape.

A new Service-man came and Mistress relayed our dreadful plight.

Other emergencies of greater importance...he'd have to tend to them first!

Because my edges have become well-smoothened;

a little bit now, some movement I can sense.

Every time the water swirlingly comes,

I have high hopes I'll be rescued soon.

What is my choice?

To go through the lengthy pipe-line

or return to my worrying Mistress?

'Tis said “Good Things Come to They Who Wait!”

So, here I wait.

April, May and June are now long gone and we're into July.

I MUST Help Myself...if I possibly can!

Keep moving a bit with each water flush...

and maybe, just maybe...I'll be released.

Well, when the water slowly swirled,

I was able to float and swim to the top,

Mistress saw me...tried grabbing my bristles.

My body was so slippery, she lost her grasp.

And, once again I sank to the elbow

in very deep depression.

It was July 31...so it's Now or Never!

A New Day Tomorrow...and a New Month!

To the surface I must bust

with energy bursts determined.

“If at first, you don't succeed

you must try again...and again..”

ON AUGUST ONE...I WON!

Mistress saw me at the water's edge .

She tried to grasp, yet again I slid.

She reached past “the point of no return”

and there she felt my slippery self.

Holding tightly, she slowly inched me

past this “point” ... and from the water,

SHE LIFTED ME!

Thoroughly she rinsed me under the tap

and with paper towel, I was quickly dried.

And now the ‘body-waste-fixture’

is full-flush operational.

Mistress showed me Mint, her new “green and white”

and promised me a better life.

With a special prayer, I was sent  to “Toothbrush Heaven”.

  Colgate's Final Words were,

 “Be true to your teeth or they’ll be false to you.”

 “Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence.

The extra energy required to make another effort

or try a another approach ~  is the secret of winning.”

(Denis Waitley of the National Council of Self Esteem)

Merle Baird-Kerr...this true incident written August 3, 2014

To comment...e-mail to

 inezkate@gmail  or  mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Salute to March 2015

Winter Fancy

(composed by Kate-Lynn Reavley, a Grade 9 student at Delta Secondary School)

Today is the day...I can feel it so sound;

It's like happy little birds prancing on the ground

covered in ice...like a thin sheet of plastic.

The day is divine.  No need to be drastic!

The trees are bare, stripped of their leaves.

The air has been chilled, as the town's people breathe.

The snow has been falling for days upon days.

It's harder to see from winter's white glaze;

But no matter the weather, the day is still sound.

Those birds are still prancing

On the cold winter's ground.

Winter Fire Safety: (from Hamilton's Fire Department)

Burn dry, well-seasoned wood in fireplaces and wood stoves to reduce risks of excessive creosote. Allow ashes from your wood stove or fireplace to cool before emptying into a metal container with a tight fitting lid.  Keep the container outside.

Don't warm up a car or a snow blower by letting the engine run

in an attached garage, due to carbon monoxide levels .

Only use portable generators outdoors and place it where fumes will not enter the building. Keep space heaters at least one metre away from anything that can burn. Replace worn or damaged electrical wires and connections on vehicles and extension cords...and use the proper gauge extension cord for vehicle block heaters.

Health is Wealth:  (Nuts in moderation)  Even though nutrition experts say, “It's a good idea to eat nuts to keep your heart healthy,” only 1 in 4 adults eat nuts on any given day...and more women than men consume nuts.  Packed with nutrients high in protein, their consumption shows reduced incidences of heart disease in both men and women. About a handful of nuts is the daily amount (between 240 & 280 calories) depending on the type of nut.

Milking the Cow to Testing the Milk:  Yes, I was raised on a farm ~ and milked Jersey, a few Guernsey and Holstein cows twice daily.  The milkings were placed (in large milk cans) at the roadside and taken to a dairy to be pasteurized.  TODAY, Milk Truck Drivers, who are licensed specialists, take a sample of the milk on each farm they visit. The milk samples are then sent to the University of Guelph  laboratory where they undergo several 'quality assurance tests'.

From a rural public school autograph book:

They wandered down the lonely lane…

No love was on their brow

For he was the farmer’s hired man

And she was the Jersey cow.

Nature's Riches:  Mother Nature was having a good day when she came up with the frog design!  What a plan for a species ~ starts as an egg ~ lives like a fish for a while ~ then crawls onto land to spend the rest of its life jumping like a kangaroo. If that wasn't good enough, the creature was outfitted with a lightning-fast-tongue that lets it grab insects out of the air without moving the rest of its body.  And then, there is the 'ribbit' thing.  No identity crisis with this amphibian.

Coyotes in Distress:  They are just trying to survive!  Residential areas are becoming inundated with coyotes.  They are not the 'Big Bad Wolf'!  They have the same right to share this earth as we do. According to Tina Dior, a letter writer to the Spectator, “It is human greed and destruction that pushed coyotes out of their space...and brings them closer to us.  Surviving in a changing world is making it hard for all animals and humans alike. Don't put negative spins on animals!”

Bizarre Amazing Fact:  (True)  In 1140 when Wiebertreu Castle was defeated by King Konrad III, the women of the castle were granted 'free departure' and allowed to take what they could carry.  Thinking quickly, the women carried the men on their backs.  The King kept his word...and let the men live!

Best Sermons are Lived:  Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year old daughter asked me to start recycling.  I chuckled and asked, “Why?”  She replied, “So you can help me save the planet.”  I chuckled again and asked, “And why do you want to save the planet?”  She said, “Because that's where I keep all my stuff!”  (Courtesy of a collection from Carolyn).

Medical Advice:  Dr. Oz had a show on 'the fastest growing cancer in women...thyroid cancer!'  The increase could possibly be related to the use of dental X-rays and mammograms.  He demonstrated that on the apron the dentist puts on you for your dental X-rays, there is a small flap that can be lifted up and wrapped around your neck.  Many dentists don't bother to use it.  Also, there is something called a 'thyroid guard' for use during mammograms.  A patient states that she felt a little silly, yet asked about 'the guard' ...and sure enough, the technician had one in a drawer. She asked why it wasn't routinely used.  Answer?  “I don't know.  You have to ask for it.”

We need to pass the foregoing on to our family females and friends!

MBK's NewsBits:  “First Mustangs for China are on the way,” Ford says its first shipment of around 100 Mustangs has left Portland, Oregon and is headed to China.  Shipments to Europe will begin later this year.  The 2015 Mustang, which is made in Michigan, will be available in more than 100 markets.

“Good Samaritans”: A resident of the YWCA named Jojo took extra scarves donated to the Y and wrapped them around a tree in Hamilton’s Gore Park with a sign offering them to people in need.

At LaSalle Park in Burlington, Barbara Canney distributes dried corn and peas to the trumpeter swans, ducks and geese.  With the weather so cold, the water near the boat ramp (where they feed) is frozen.  “Friends of the Trumpeter Swans” keep about 140 swans fed throughout the year.

Notable Dates

                       March 8 (Sunday) ~ Daylight Saving Time Begins (except Sask.)

                                              March 9 (Monday) ~ International Women’s Day

                                              March 16 (Monday) ~ International Brain Awareness Day

                                              March 17 (Tuesday) ~ St. Patrick’s Day

                                              March 18 (Wednesday) ~ Ash Wednesday

                                              March 20 (Friday) ~ First Day of Spring

                                              March 29 (Sunday) ~ Palm Sunday

Irish Mothers Chat:  Kate and Lorna, two Irish mothers were talking about their sons. Kate says, “My son, Patrick is such a saint.  He works hard, doesn’t smoke, hasn’t looked at a woman in over 2 years.” Laura responds, “Well, my Francis is also a saint! Not only hasn’t he looked at a woman in over 3 years, he hasn’t touched liquor in all that time! I’m going to throw him a big party when he’s paroled!”

Merle Baird-Kerr…compiled February 17, 2015

To comment…email  inezkate@gmail.com  or  mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

My Winter Vacation

It wasn't any exotic location in the South Seas, not a Caribbean tropical island or a ski week in Quebec...it was 8 days on 23-acres of gently rolling landscape in the Region of Niagara along a paved road. The property is a 'post-card-vision' of a comfortable red brick ranch home...a separate double garage...evergreens and deciduous trees...all accenting the property.  A place to call 'home' with acres to roam backing on  Chippewa Creek. Often deer are seen prancing the snowy terrain.  Sounds idyllic?

This is where my daughter, son-in-law and grandson live. They are away on a group vacation with 6 other family kin...and I'm here to 'house-sit' and be a 'Mother Hen' to 3 orange and white tabbies, an Australian shepherd dog and an aquarium of fish.  This is my 'family vacation' for a week.

On Christmas Day, I spent with the human family and 3 days prior to Feb. 8^th, came for my 'orientation care' of house and pets. It's back to the country, akin to my parents' farms in Brant County.  Today, there are no cows to milk...no gardens to plant or harvesting for daily food...no gathering of eggs from the chicken coop...no horses to drive...no tractor, binder or plough to tend  the fields.

It was a wintery day when I arrived, wary of freezing rain, blowing winds and icy roads. Parking in the driveway, loud barking from the house welcomed me.  Wiley greeted me with  more 'barking hellos' and soon calmed down with a milk-bone-biscuit...and we are suddenly 'buddies'!  So for a week, I am enriched with Wylie (the Australian shepherd...a herd dog).  He's frequently out daily for his run and returning with a bark at the front door to re-enter. He craves for attention (to which I give plenty); he misses his family and like a built-in-timer, mid-afternoon he watches through the dining room window for the school bus to arrive with my grandson. When that doesn’t occur, he wants OUT...rolls in the snow and then sits up facing east from where the bus should come. His eyes, very intelligent looking and uniquely two-toned… brown on the outer sides and pale-bluish shade on the inner. He's very observant and very gently tolerates the felines.

Watching a special on TV about sledding in Northern Ontario with several Huskie dog teams, Wylie became most vocally communicative, barking with these dogs...so excited he was viewing them! Other breeds seen by him on TV, he'd aggressively bark...chasing them away.  Good Dog! During the day, he sprawls at my feet…reclines on any chesterfield or love-seat…or sits upright at the front door for ‘out’.

When offering him a doggie milk-bone, he'd take it and lay down to chew upon it. Following 2 times only, I'd asked him to sit prior to acceptance...Wiley, thereafter, automatically sat on cue to obtain the treat...whether milk-bone or tartar-bone treat. At night, when the lights go out, he wanders down the hall to the master bedroom awaiting entry to find his overnight position on the carpet (usually beside my daughter's side of the bed) or at the foot by the doorway.

If I had the energy and physical ability, I'd be out daily for the fresh air exercise!  I'm certain he'll welcome his human family home…due on Sunday.

And now for the felines:  All rescue cats, they are orange and white tabbies and appear to represent three generations ~  grandfather Mr. Floyd, son Magic and Chevy the grandson!  I comment here that the comparison between these four animals and having 4 human children at home is amazing in that all have varying personalities which call for independent attention.

Mr. Floyd:  A rescue cat originally from the SPCA, he was given to my daughter by a friend.  Now 19 years old, he’s a Four-Pawed Senior Cat Citizen! A bit bony, he’s  lost some of his ginger-coloured hair; his stripes are still visible on sides, legs and tail…beautifully marked with large white moustache and chest, a white stocking and 3 socks.  He’s well preserved and happily content…walks with dignity and determinately with each forward paw and manages to play occasionally with the other tabbies. Sitting, he’s very regal and poses with front legs and paws erectly together and glances around with an ‘air of wisdom’ in that cat head of his.  He reminds me of Grizabella from the musical Cats. Due to health issues, he has four small tins per day of Purina Fancy Feast with special meat and gravy aromas.  Then he flakes out…in sun rays on the dining area floor…a small child-size leather armchair…on the carpet near a floor radiator…or his favourite, a deep leopard-patterned cushion in a quiet dark corner.

Magic: Located below their deck one day, my daughter rescued him. He’s a real recluse that claims the basement his ‘home hangout’. He’s seldom seen with the rest of his family.  Ten or 12 years old, he has a medical problem that has caused great weight gain…often referred to as Fat Cat.  I didn’t see Magic until Wednesday evening when he waddled over to me, rubbing against my legs…his habit is to appear in the middle of the night, climb the stairs and wander to the dining area, leap to the table for his prescribed nibble food.  Surprisingly, he hung around to play with the other tabbies and with the red laser lights I beamed on the floor for him to chase. Then he flopped down to rest his orange/white body.  He’s a charming ‘loner’ who, to my thinking, was being hospitable with his guest…me!

Chevy:  In the Fresco parking lot of a large plaza, my daughter and a friend discovered him late last fall wandering alone…about the size of a 5 or 6 week old orange and white kitten.  They rescued him and named him after my daughter’s car.  On Christmas Day I met this bright-eyed ‘kitten’ with big green eyes whose fur is caramel and ivory/white. He’s extremely playful, frisky and friendly, now about 8 or 9 months old (according to the Vet)…looking like a mature ‘teenager’. He’s mischievous and full of discovery antics. He’ll tear paper, unwind the bathroom tissue and play with bootlaces.  He’s so lucky to have been rescued!  He gets special ‘Kitten niblets’ for healthy growth.  Mr. Floyd and Chevy’s feeding stations are on the end of a side kitchen counter.  To assist Floyd, there’s a soft-seated chair upon which he can first jump to reach his food  and water.  To satisfy Chevy’s taste buds, he gets a small forkful of  Mr. Floyd’s special diet.  Chevy can be found wherever  mischief will take him…playing in an open drawer among clothing…playing with a toy attached to the scratching post…stretched out asleep atop any chesterfield…snuggled on a person’s lap…even a hidden niche. At night time, he’ll enjoy the privileged place between the bed pillows of the adult bed.

The fish in the large aquarium are the most passive…large black angel fish(?) with spreading fins and several smaller fish swimming in tropical seawater.  I feed them mornings and at dinner time.  Chevy often sits and gleefully watches…and tries to paw-reach them as they float through the water.

My ‘vacation days’ with this family is high-lighted by the 'hotel-meal-menu selection’ provided me in the refrigerator…meat sauce for spaghetti, a full chicken dinner sufficient for two, chili-con-carne, large container of chicken soup, ham dinner, makings of salads with dressing choices, etc. Drinks include pure pomegranate/blueberry juice, lemonade or bottled water. For tea, I can boil water or operate their Keurig coffee machine for specialized brews by Van Houtte.

I just need …a maitre-de…with a selection of wines!

How fortunate is this menagerie of fins and four-footed pets!

Each a loved family member…living in a pampered family environment.

Perhaps it’s the quaint little quilted house labeled...“My Home” over the entrance

…with a long corded attached toy.

Merle Baird-Kerr…penned February 16, 2015

To comment about this ‘vacation’ …email to

inezkate@gmail.com  or  mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Poetic Compassion

LOVE is the Poetry of the Senses. (Honore de Balzac)

LOVE is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. (Aristotle)

One Love!  One Heart!  Let's Get Together

and Feel all right!  (sung by Bob Marley)

Love is the balm that contains the power of healing.  Love is the great refiner and beautifier. Love is more!  Love is the key to every door. It is the creative reality behind every ardent hope. Love is the cohesive power of the universe...as it holds families together, the entire world and the universe.

If love were withdrawn,

all things would fall apart and disintegrate. When a human being eliminates love from his/her life, he too begins to fall apart. Love is not only eternal...but it is the most desirable element to possess.

(Analee Skavin)

Several years ago, a long time friend (a High School English teacher) sent the following compassionate message to a personal friend who felt that her world waiting-to-be-fulfilled, was 'falling apart'...due to a relationship that failed to develop because of extenuating circumstances.

She wrote ~  “Love”...a philosophical poem based on my experiences

which hopefully will help you through the days ahead:

Love, unlike the fairy tale

Is not 'happily-ever-after.'

Love is like the rising sun

Which creeps up silently,

Predicting, but unexpectedly,

A new time every day...

Flooding the morning sky

With pink and golden beauty.

Momentarily!

Then moving restlessly,

Advancing on high

To a dazzling blue zenith.

The climax of its destiny...

Fulfillment of its journey...

Trembling triumphantly...

But hovering only briefly.

Then dipping slowly, gradually;

Diffusing gently,

Lingering reluctantly

At the edge of the horizon...

Flooding the evening sky

With a final defiant display

Of warmth and golden beauty.

Until the fall of darkness.

Then...sadness and loneliness ~

Yet, with the dawn

A new Love will be born!

* * * * * * *

Words of Wisdom

The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.

(Jacques Benigne Bossue)

No matter, how dark the moment,

love and hope are always possible.

(George Chakiris)

Don’t let anyone…EVER dull your Sparkle!

(Anonymous)

Merle Baird-Kerr...created February 1, 2015

To comment on this writing...email to:

inezkate@gmail.com  or  mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Gift of Love

 Do not value the things you have in life.

But value who you have in your life.

(Author Unknown)

The following true story was contributed by Tom.

The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps.  She paid the driver...and using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty.  Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.

It had been a year since Susan became blind.  Due to a medical misdiagnosis, she had been rendered sightless...and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity.  “How could this have happened to me?” she would plead, her heart knotted with anger.  But no matter how much she cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the painful truth...her sight was never going to return.  A cloud of depression hung over Susan's once optimistic spirit.  All she had to cling to was her husband Mark.

Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all his heart.  When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength she needed to become independent again.  Finally Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there?  She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself.  Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city.  At first, this comforted Susan and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task.  Soon, however, Mark realized that this arrangement wasn't working ~ it was hectic and costly.

Susan is going to have to take the bus again, he admitted to himself.  But just the thought of mentioning it to her made him cringe.  She was still so fragile, so angry.  How would she react?  Just as Mark predicted,  Sudan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again.  “I'm blind!” she responded bitterly. “How am I supposed to know where I'm going?  I feel like you're abandoning me.”  Mark's heart broke  but he knew what had to be done.  He promised Susan that each day he would ride the bus with  her until she got the hang of it.

And that is exactly what happened.  For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day.  He taught her how to rely on her other senses to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment.  He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her...and save her a seat. Each morning they made the journey together...and Mark would take a cab back to his office.

Although the routine was even more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Mark knew it was only a matter of time before Susan would be able to ride the bus on her own.  Monday morning arrived,  and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband and her best friend.  Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, his love.  She said good-bye and for the first time, they went their separate ways.  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...each day on her own went perfectly...and Susan had never better in a long time.

On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual.  As she was paying for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, “Boy, I sure envy you.”  Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not.  After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? “Why do you envy me?”

The driver responded, “You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus.  He makes sure you cross the street safely...and he watches you until you enter your office building.  Then he blows you a kiss...gives you a little salute...and walks away.  You are one lucky lady!”

Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks.  For although she couldn't see him, she had always 'felt' Mark's presence.  She was blessed ...so blessed...for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe ~ the Gift of Love ~ that can bring light...where there had been only darkness.

The Best Things in Life are Free:

hugs, smiles, friends, kisses, family, sleep,

laughter, kindness and love.

Freely given...to many, each is a gift!

Merle Baird-Kerr...scripted January 31, 2015

Comments are welcome...email to:

inezkate@gmail.com  or  mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca