Poems to Ponder

I have learned- That Beauty is only skin deep, and the color of ones skin doesn't matter.

I have learned- That it is better give than to receive.

I have learned- That a smile is worth more than a thousand words.

I have learned- That my problems are very small compared to others.

I have learned- To forget and forgive.

I have learned- That no matter how much I care some people just don't care.

I have learned- That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I have learned- That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I have learned- That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I have learned- That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you are down, are the ones to pick you up when you fall.

I have learned- That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I have learned- That when you think that you have no more to give and an Elder cries out to you, you will find the strength to help them.

I have learned- That talking to others can ease the emotional pain one goes through.

I have learned- That if you go that extra mile the rewards are endless.

I have learned- That you don't have to be part of the family to feel like you belong.

I have learned- That a comforting hand or a soft spoken word can calm the fear on a dark stormy night.

I have learned- That I am never alone when I have the thoughts and memories of the past to help guide me through a sleepless night.

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Drinking From The Saucer

I've never made a fortune,
and I'll never make one now.
But it really doesn't matter
'cause I'm happy anyhow.
As I go along my journey
I'm reaping better than I've sowed.
I'm drinking from the saucer
'Cause my cup has overflowed.
I don't have a lot of riches,
And sometimes the going's tough
But with kin and friends to love me
I think I'm rich enough.
I thank God for the blessings
That His mercy has bestowed.
I'm drinking from the saucer
'Cause my cup has overflowed.
He gives me strength and courage
When the way grows steep and rough.
I'll not ask for other blessings for
I'm already blessed enough.
May we never be too busy
To help bear another's load.
Then we'll all be drinking from the saucer
When our cups have overflowed.
~Anonymous~

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Only One Childhood

I stopped to watch my little girl
busy playing in her room.
In one hand was a plastic phone;
in the other a toy broom.

I listened as she was speaking
to her make believe little friend
and I'll never forget the words she said,
even though it was pretend.

She said, "Suzie's in the corner
cuz she's not been very good.
She didn't listen to a word I said
or do the things she should."

In the corner I saw her baby doll
all dressed in lace and pink.
It was obvious she'd been put there
to sit alone and think.

My daughter continued her "conversation,"
as I sat down on the floor.
She said, "I'm all fed up I just don't know
what to do with her anymore?

She whines whenever I have to work
and wants to play games, too;
she never lets me do the things
that I just have to do?

She tries to help me with the dishes,
but her arms just cannot reach
and she doesn't know how to fold the towels
and I don't have the time to teach.

I have a lot of work to do
and a big house to keep clean.
I don't have the time to sit and play --
don't you know what I mean?"

And that day I thought a lot about
making some changes in my life;
as I listened to her innocent words
that cut me like a knife.

I hadn't been paying enough attention
to what I hold most dear.
I'd been caught up in responsibilities
that increased throughout the year.

But now my attitude has changed,
because, in my heart, I realize
I've seen the world in a different light
through my little darling's eyes.

So, let the cobwebs have the corners
and the dustbunnies rule the floor,
I'm not going to worry about
keeping up with them anymore.

I'm going to fill the house with memories
of a child and her mother
for God grants us Only One Childhood,
and we will never get another.
~ Unknown~

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The Rose

Some say love it is a river, that drowns the tender reed.

Some say love it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed.

Some say love it is a hunger, an endless, aching need

I say love it is a flower, and you it's only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance

It's the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance.

It's the one who won't be taken, who cannot seem to give

And the soul afraid of dying, that never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,

And you think that love is only, for the lucky and the strong.

Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow

Lies the seed that with the sun's love,

in the spring,

becomes

The Rose

~Amanda McBroom~

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Until they are gone,

you never know

How much you'll miss their smiles.

But you lift you head and go about,

Glad that you had them for a while.

You cherish thoughts

of grubby hands

That left marks on the wall;

The urging, "Eat your vegetables,

And you'll grow up big and tall."

You miss the goodnight kisses

From sweet and innocent lips,

The soft, small arms that hold you

To give a bear-hug grip.

There's no more "going potty,"

There's no more "Wanna drink,"

It's strange, but to not

hear these things

Is more lonely than you think.

And then there's all

those trips at night

To get them off to bed....

They say, "I'm scared,

I want some milk,"

And stories to be read.

The shoe lace always

seems untied,

The toys strew the floor...

"Soupy noses" need a wipe,

They never close a door.

So now that all is silent

(You can even hear TV)

Why do your days seem empty?

Even as you sense relief?

I guess their sweet and loving ways,

Your mind just keeps on file,

And never lets you once forget

That it was all worthwhile.

~EveLynne~

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Why Mothers Cry

Why are you crying?" he asked his mom. "Because I'm a mother," she told him. "I don't understand," he said. His mom just hugged him and said, "You never will!"

Later the little boy asked his father why Mother seemed to cry for no reason. "All mothers cry for no reason," was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why mothers cry.

So he finally put in a call to God and when God got on the phone the man said, "God, why do mothers cry so easily." God said, "You see son, when I made mothers they had to be special. I made their shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave them an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times come from their children. "I gave them a hardiness that allows them to keep going when everyone else gives up, and to take care of their families through sickness and fatigue without complaining. "I gave them the sensitivity to love their children under all circumstances, even when their child has hurt them very badly. This same sensitivity helps them to make a child's boo-boo feel better and helps them share a teenager's anxieties and fears. "I gave them a tear to shed. It's theirs exclusively to use whenever it's needed. It's their only weakness.

It's a tear for mankind."

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I Loved You Enough.....

Some day when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent,
I will tell them:
I loved you enough to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home. I loved you enough to insist that you save your money and buy a bike for yourself even though we could afford to buy one for you. I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep.I loved you enough to make you take a Milky Way back to the
drugstore (with a bite out of it) and tell the clerk, "I stole this yesterday and want to pay for it." I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken 15 minutes. I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment and tears in my eyes. Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect. I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart. But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them,
because in the end you won, too.

~Erma Bombeck~

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DON'T EVER

Don't Ever Try To Understand Everything~
some things will just never make sense.

Don't ever be reluctant to show
your feelings~
when you are happy, give in to it!
when you are not, live with it.

Don't ever be afraid
to try to make things better~
you might be surprised at the results.

Don't ever feel threatened by the future~
take life one day at a time.

Don't ever feel guilty about the past~
what's done it's done, Learn from
any mistakes you might have made....

Don't ever feel that you are alone~
there is always somebody there for you
to reach out to.

Don't ever forget that you can achieve
so many of the things you can imagine~
imagine that!! It's not as hard as it seems.

Don't ever stop loving,
Don't ever stop believing,
Don't ever stop dreaming your dreams...

~Laine Parsons~

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