It only takes a few little words to cause much pain, and it only takes a few words to cause much happiness. It only takes a few words to crush a heart, and it only takes a few words to give a heart joy. It only takes a few words to alienate a friendship, and it only takes a few words to make a friendship blossom.

It only takes a few words to cause someone to go astray, and it only takes a few words to help them find their way back again. It only takes a few words to destroy someone's hopes and dreams, and it only takes a few words to give a person reason to hope and dream again. It only takes a few words to make someone cry, and it only takes a few words to take their tears away.

It only takes a few words to make someone's day sad and dreary, and it only takes a few words to make someone's day happy and cheery. It only takes a few words to cause dark clouds to appear, and it only takes a few words to chase all those dark clouds away.

Just a few little words can comfort one in grief, can soothe a broken heart, can bring one back from the brink of despair. Just a few little words can help someone cope, can help someone lonely feel not so alone.

Just a few words can calm someone's fears, and ease someone's troubled thoughts. Just a few little words can brighten someone's day, and make their road in life easier to travel. Just a few little words can lift someone's burdens, and help them make it through the day.

Fireflies in the night,
Rainbows overhead,
Golden sunlight,
Evening sky of red;

Snowflakes falling down,
little eyes aglow,
Happiness all around,
Footprints in the snow;

The Sound of rain,
Fluttering butterflies,
The birds' refrain,
Bright blue skies;

Autumn leaves falling,
Trees in the breeze,
Mothers softly calling,
Magical moments are these.

Two of my favorite birds are the cardinals and chickadees. They don't go south when the weather gets cold, but stay around all winter to cheer me. To the bright plumage and cheerful chirping of the cardinal I owe a great deal, for the cardinal lingers through the long, cold winter, and adds a bit of beauty and cheerfulness to that sometimes dreary season. The cardinal, or redbird, as he is commonly known, is a welcome sight in winter bobbing over the snow, and bright and glistening on a bare tree limb.

The cardinal keeps alive our hopes and dreams as he reminds us that all is not that bad, and speaks of a happiness and glory we almost tend to forget during the long winter nights. Perhaps the cardinal is the Creator�s gift to us sent to brighten our spirits through the long winter months.

In the winter the grass is gone, the trees are bare, the flowers no more, and many of the birds have departed for warmer climes. All is silent and lonely, except for just outside our window the cardinal hopping on the ground, or setting in the bushes gaily bedight in his red suit and black tie singing joyfully in the cold, crisp air.

I have also always loved the little chickadee. In the winter when we open our door he comes and greets us, that friendly fellow with his black cap, and sings us a happy song. He does not leave either like the other birds, but stays around just to cheer our heart and brighten our day. When the trees are bare, and we feel lonely amid so much bleak emptiness, then comes the little chickadee, and sits thus on a limb above our head, quite near, and sings us a little song.

One Day At A Time

Yesterday is past.
Tomorrow is not yet cast.
Just getting through today,
That is the only way.

My loved ones are here no more.
They are on the other shore.
They would want me to go on,
And not despair that they are gone.

The future is a sealed book
Into which I cannot look.
This day is all that is my own.
No use to worry about the unknown.

The following beautiful poem was written by Bonnie. Thank you very much Bonnie for permission to place your beautiful poem on my page.

EDGE OF WINTER

Here I stand on the edge of winter,
God's frosting agleam on the leaves.
The chill in the air giving form to my words,
Small icicles cling to the eaves.

Can that be the first snowflake of winter
That I just saw float past me in time?
Will it be the beginning of snowmen and sleds,
Or the start of a landscape sublime?

Spring's beauty of rebirth is full of new hope.
Summer's warmth is a caressing hand.
And the pallette of rich hues that autumn presents
Leave a beauty that covers the land.

But the second snowflake now is joining
The first that shines up from the lawn.
And I'm anxiously waiting the blanket of white
That I know will be here by the dawn.

Please join me in watching this wonder
Of nature change worlds overnight.
The softness and sparkle of newfallen snow
Must be Nature's child of delight.

Take my hand as we walk into winter
'Cross the threshhold of a magical door.
To a season of thankfulness, joy and of love
To a peace that we're all hoping for.

Merry Christmas
--Lipstick (1999)

Bonnie has a wonderful site, and she is very talented at creating her own graphics and beautiful webpages. Please visit Bonnie's Holiday Pages, graphics, music, greetings, humor and poetry pages at-Lipstick's Lounge

The Invisible Cords

Invisible cords which are tied to our heart link us to others. Any rending of the cords tears a part of our heart. Those dear to us when they separate from us either in death or in emotional or physical separation take part of us with them. The stronger the cords we share with others the more secure we feel.

Our life is bound by the cords of friendship. Yes, our life and our happiness. It is being bound to others which keeps us from falling off the precipice. The cords prevent us from plunging into the lagoon of desolation and despair.

The best of what we are and hope to be we owe to others. Being loved by another adds ten times more strength to us. Inspiration is derived only from the love of another. All our faith and hope can be directly attributed to those who have cared for us in the past and who care for us now.

It is our caring for someone else that makes us strive to succeed. We do not have the imputus to labor merely for ourself as we do for others. We want those we love to be proud of us and share in our success, and this is the reason for most of our actions. To merit their admiration and acceptance we would literally go through fire. For when all is said and done we are nothing unless we love and feel that we are loved.