Be Happy, Be Strong, Live Life.
I write for the love of it;
helps me think clearer and
somehow it also gives me strength.
it's been healing, it's been a journey;
it's about me, being a mom,
persons who mean much to me, memories, discoveries,
where life has taken me
and where
I hope it will head.
I am moving forward, I'm happier today (1 May 2012)
The chaos within me has abated, I am adapting and learning to deal with the conflicts and the anxiety of having my children's time monopolized and manipulated by my ex. The kids are old enough, they make their own choices. The final decisions will not be made for another month and a half and I am abiding my time.. I have stopped being and feeling defensive to my ex's whining (through his lawyer). The main thing I focus on is what is in the child's interest. I'll do what I need to do then, if it's not.
Now and then, the anger leaks in and I have a momentary lapse of wanting to lash out but it's under control. I've put him and his shenanigans out of my mind. After this year, I have come to realise I depend on him for nothing that is necessary.
Patience, humility, tolerance .. these run top of mind and that seems to help alot but forgiveness, that's not possible yet. I trust that truth will win out.
This Christmas is a new beginning for me. More than ever, I appreciate the family I have and the love that we share and I am grateful to God for his many blessings and lessons.
I wish all bloggers and readers a beautiful Christmas peace and a good New Year ahead.
It's my second blogging Christmas. And yes, I notice it 's a slow period for posts too.
I wish that was me in the pix above, just X 2 on the waistline.. .. lol.
It has been a year to remember in terms of upheavals. Honestly I'm glad it is over, I don't want to relive 2010 if given a choice.
Just wanted to leave you my wishes ..
May the good Lord bless you for your sharing.
May God spread his peace and grant you all his special blessings this season and in the coming New Year.
May He continue to bless our blogs and guide our minds and hearts as we circulate, meet and reach out to others through our posts. May those who are lonely where ever they are, find a blessed hand to reach out to touch them.
Enjoy the 'Carol of the Bells.'.
Love and hugs to all.
A Blessed Christmas and a Joyous New Year to you
My last assignment was finally handed in and that weight is off my shoulders. It's time to prepare for Christmas.
It has been a year since I got the 5 ft tree. Last year I put it up alone, this year, the kids will do it.
The rainy season has kicked in too. Christmas is always wet for us, not white.
The personal stuff still weighs heavy on my mind but I am practicing at managing it. Proceedings are not over yet, a couple of hurdles yet to go over what is called the 'ancillaries.' But I am less worried over that.
Today saw the slow beginning of spring cleaning. The first are the children's bookshelves. There are so many good books and yet the boys who need to get in the most reading have the toughest time about it. They are not into my definition of 'good' books, they are into beast master, monster,... ghost and creature, ..power or action figure fiction.
I end up buying books they will read so that they do read.
Why is it so much harder for boys to read books than girls?
I was thinking maybe I should pay them to read the good books !
I had to make space painfully and so many of these books will have to go to the thrift shop because I know they will never get read at all here. So sad.
The new year will hold many new experiences for us, and keeping those in mind, I am looking forward to it.
Like the rain that washes the air clean, so too the new year will bring us a cleansing of the negative.
This year I enjoy an ADDITIONAL wonderful and different experience for Christmas, because it is my FIRST blogging Christmas. It has been an interesting journey because for the first time I share it with many more beautiful individuals across the globe who are/ have shared their thoughts and expressions for the season.
It has added to my awareness and made me appreciate more of what this time of the year means from different perspectives for different lives, how they celebrate it, their favourite recipes, what they think of it, how it depresses some, how simple and beautiful it can be and how it provokes giving and sharing for many.
This is a BLESSED medium too that enables interaction for lots of lonely people in this world and by reading between the lines you will discover them. Comments do more than you realize in many instances. There is a lot of love and prayers being passed on and that is a marvel and a joy to behold.
May the good Lord bless you for your sharing. May God spread his peace and grant you all his special blessings this season and in the coming New Year. May He continue to bless our blogs and guide our minds and hearts as we circulate, meet and reach out to others through our posts. May those who are lonely where ever they are, find a blessed hand to reach out to touch them.
This colleague of mine was going on about the ‘Christmas feeling’ and that was why she had ‘no mood to work’. I asked her what she meant, she said it’s like the feeling of a holiday coming up, lots of associates away from the office (on vacation), add that to lots of special cakes and food, extra lunches which come with year-end and receiving presents. I suppose that’s what it sums up to for non-Christians, a combination of these factors at this time of year which creates that ‘Christmas feeling’.
That ‘Christmas feeling’ for me has always been the anticipation of the Lord’s coming, the Christmas mass and the preparations that include lighting the advent candle, looking forward to a pageant, singing carols, Christmas music, the decorations, helping mum make special biscuits, putting up the crib or tree or both and the family get- together on the Day. There is an excitement as it draws nearer. Add warm greetings and well-wishes, it is a 'special' time of the year.
Very little has changed during this time of year since my childhood really, except that I do appreciate it better and instead of receiving gifts, I now give more than I receive, and that’s the extra activity involved for the season.
The Nativity reminds me of these words from St Louis De Montfort "the world was unworthy to receive the Son of God immediately from the hands of the Father, he gave that Son to Mary in order that the world should receive him through her "
Got my tree up (it's 5ft), done with 25% of my to-do list..and still working on it...almost 10 days more...
Here's a little info about one of my favourite carols - 'O Holy Night'.
Did you know that 'O Holy Night' ('Cantique de Noël') was based on a French poem 'Minuit, chrétiens' (Midnight, Christians) by Placide Cappeau (1808-1877). The music was composed by Adolphe-Charles Adam(1803-1856) in 1847, and translated from French to English by John Sullivan Dwight (1813-1893). Cappeau was a wine merchant and a poet and had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem.
It is a beautiful carol, hymn and prayer.
Below is the direct English translation of the poem which was composed in French, the English version of the carol 'O Holy Night' is not a direct translation.
