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REFLECTIONS OF A MINDFUL HEART AND SOUL

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REFLECTIONS OF A MINDFUL HEART  AND SOUL

Monthly Archives: January 2017

The Joy Of Childhood Games.

30 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in photo, Poetry, Psychology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Betterphoto.com., Childhood Games, feeling strong., freedom, Hide and Seek., Joy, Pinterest photo- Hide-n-seek., Playing under the stars., poetry by Yu/stan/kema

It was dusk and the stars

Made just enough light

To play the game                                        

Found on Pinterest on 1-30-17. Hide-n-seek. Better photo.com.

Found on Pinterest on 1-30-17. Hide-n-seek. Better photo.com.

We all loved as children:

Hide and seek,

Under the bright yellow moon.

 

Laughter bounced off trees;

Our legs pumped hard; and

Air whistled through our lips

In the summer night.

We danced on feet, 

Lighter than Thistle down.

 

We felt the mighty surge

Of adrenaline in our veins.

Time stood still, 

And we felt invincible.

Joy ran like water in a jug

That never overflows.

 

We were rich then,

Because we were free

And imbued with power

That came from being

Stronger than we thought

We could ever be.

Yu/stan/kema.

The Journey Of A Snow Melt.

29 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in photo, Poetry, Psychology, spirituality, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Journey of a snow melt., Mike Blanchette., Ocean, Pinterest photo, poetry by Yu/stan/kema, river, Rivulets, stream

THE JOURNEY OF A SNOW MELT

Coming down the mountain,

Snow is melting fast,

Causing little rivulets

Found on Pinterest on 9-26-16. Mike Blanchette.

Found on Pinterest on 9-26-16. Mike Blanchette.

To join a stream at last.

It flows over granite,

Down to a sun-lit pond,                        

And it hugs the shore a while

Until it forms a bond

With a larger river

That flows through the lea.

It merges with an ocean

In an effort to be free.

It’s a lonely journey 

For a snow melt to make.

It serves as a reminder that

God doesn’t make mistakes.

Yu/stan/kema

The Demise Of Simply Being Me.

28 Saturday Jan 2017

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in photo, Poetry, Psychology, spirituality

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Alone, Facing reality., Feeling helpless, Pinterest photo- pixidaus.com., poetry by Yu/stan/kema

Rain falls down

From gray skies,                        

Found on Pinterest on 4-27-16. Pixidaus.com.

Found on Pinterest on 4-27-16. Pixidaus.com.

Chilling me to the bone.

I am unable to move

Or say a word

While my heart

Turns to stone.

I know for sure,

No one will come

And take my hand, 

Or save me from

A fate worse than death.

I cling to worn out memories

As I draw my last breath.

Yu/stan/kema

 

The Sweet Gifts Of Gratitude.

26 Thursday Jan 2017

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in Photos, Poetry, Psychology, spirituality

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

and plus google.com.., For the morning. my house, goodness, Learning to give gratitude., my friends, Pinterest photo, Pinterest photo- peacefulafricandaisues. blogspot.com., poetry by Yu/stan/kema, spirituality, the evening., Yan L. Photography.

Found on Pinterest on 9-21-16. Saved from peacefulafricandaisues.blogspot.com.

Found on Pinterest on 9-21-16. Saved from peacefulafricandaisues.blogspot.com.

The Sweet Gifts Of Gratitude

Praise God for the morning,

Bright with the rising sun; 

And all the trees around me,

Waiting for Spring to come.

 

Praise God for my simple house

That serves as a shelter,

To protect me from life’s storms

And acts as a filter.

 

Praise God for my loyal friends,

Who stay and support me;

They fill my life with joy,

And allow me to be free.

 

Praise God for the goodness,                        

Found on Pinterest on 1-25-17. also on plus google.com. Yan L. Photography.

Found on Pinterest on 1-25-17. also on plus google.com. Yan L. Photography.

I find in another’s heart,

When I reach out in friendship

After being pulled apart.

 

Praise God for the evening,                               

When sweet darkness falls;

Even though the night comes,

There is light from the stars.

           Yu/stan/kema

 

The Conflict Between Duty And Need.

24 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in photo, Poetry, Psychology, spirituality

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Tags

beauty, Being bogged down by the world's sin., Conflict within, Duty, Need to find, peace, Pinterest- Today's Parent., poetry by Yu/stan/kema, protect., Real peace begins with me.

I am torn between 

The urge to protect 

What I love and respect,            

And the need to find

Beauty and peace                                

Found on Pinterest on 5-16-16. Just Breathe- a video about mindfulness. Today's Parent.

Found on Pinterest on 5-16-16. Just breathe, a video about mindfulness. Today’s Parent.

While living in

A troubled world.

Things are not

As they seem.

In my mind,

I try to reconcile

What is duty,

With what has

Unfurled.

Is it a

Bad dream?

Have I forgot

What really is

Worth while?

Bogged down

By a world of sin,

I suddenly see

That real peace

Begins with me.

-Yu/stan/kema-

 

 

Be Of Good Courage.

22 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in photo, Poetry, Psychology, spirituality, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Be of good courage., don't fear it., Endings, hear the drum beats, make your voice heard., March, Misgivings, Pinterest photo-Keith Broch., poetry by Yu/stan/kema, Rise up

A week with misgivings,

I see the endings

Of values and dreams.

The world around us 

Becomes surreal.                           

Found on Pinterest on 10-5-15. Sea Horse. Keith Broch.

Found on Pinterest on 10-5-15. Sea Horse. Keith Broch.

Where are the leaders,

Courageous and brave,

To pick up the pieces

And work to redeem,

What America stands for,

And carefully save, 

What soldiers have

Fought for and

Know To be real.

Rise up

Tattered spirits,

March in the streets,

Make your voice heard.

Don’t fear it.

Hear the drums beat.

Do not forget

What has occurred.

Yu/stan/kema

 

 

My Life Seen Through The Lens Of Logotherapy.

19 Thursday Jan 2017

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in Article., Books, Psychology, spirituality, Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Article by Yu/stan/kema., Logotherapy., My life seen through a lens., The meaning of existing., Viktor E Frankl., We have a choice in how we respond to difficult situations.

In looking back over my life, it’s been interesting to see that the concept of Logotherapy played an important part in my life, even though I knew nothing about Viktor Frankl when I was a little girl living in the Heartland of the USA.

I grew up in difficult circumstances, but it was never as hard as experiencing the horrors of a Concentration Camp. Still, I lived the first ten years of my life with parents who were addicted to Vodka, had severe mental health problems, abused their children on a regular basis, and neglected them. Both parents were absent from home most of the time and food was scarce. Five children were left to fend for themselves.

My father was sadistic and treated every one he met with disdain, verbal abuse, and threats. He was characterized by others in the neighborhood as dangerous. He was self-centered, lied on a continual basis, created drama, was unpredictable, and people feared him. He physically abused his family when he felt society was victimizing him.

My mother was an alcoholic, and spent a lot of time in a mental hospital. When she was home, she overdosed on her medications while drinking Vodka. She was abusive and neglected her children by sleeping in bed, oblivious to her environment.

Four of the children dealt with the abuse and neglect by fighting and attacking others, shoplifting, setting fires, disrupting school classrooms, and staying close to home. One of the children dealt with the chaos in a different way.

As a toddler, I learned that Nature could take me places in my mind like nothing else could. Beauty could touch my soul and transform me. I found I could create words in my mind and dance to their rhythm as I traveled the alleys in my neighborhood. I made friends in my travels and we built club houses, played sandlot baseball, told stories, and made rules that later became part of a value system that was different from my family.

At school, I loved books and the excitement of learning new things. I protected other children, and had compassion for those in need. I wanted my life to be different from my parents and siblings. I was young, but I wanted to be much more than I was. Most of all, I wanted my life to have meaning and my existence to matter. I became a problem-solver, set goals for myself, and worked hard to meet them.

When the State removed me at the age of ten, and two of my siblings, they placed us in a Children’s Home. I played outside as much as possible, created space for solitude, set goals for reading books that were available, and wrote poetry on an ongoing basis. By the age of fourteen, I had read hundreds of books on psychiatry. I knew I wanted to help others who had been abused and neglected.

When my siblings ran away, I stayed at the Children’s Home. I bought seeds and planted gardens filled with flowers and tended them. I studied hard, and earned scholarships to go to college. Later, I became a teacher and worked with children who had been abused and neglected.

In the years that followed, I went to graduate school, got a professional degree, and worked as a therapist for thirty years. I retired, and started writing more poetry.

I continue to help others in ways that I can. My value system is still in tact. I have found meaning in my existence over the years. I can see, in looking back, that negative experiences can bring forth good, and that whatever circumstances you find yourself in, you can choose your response to it and become more than you are now. We all want to find meaning  in our existence. We all want to matter. But to accomplish that, we have to take the initiative, and do the hard work it takes to complete the tasks we are meant to do. 1

Yu/stan/kema


1 Frankl, Viktor E. 2006. Man’s Search For Meaning. 25 Beacon Street. Boston, Massachusetts, 02108-2892. Beacon Press.

A Book Review: “Man’s Search For Meaning.” Viktor E. Frankl.

19 Thursday Jan 2017

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in Article., Books, Psychology, spirituality, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

A book review, Article by Yu/stan/kema., Author- Viktor E. Frankl, Logotherapy., Man's Search For Meaning., Surviving in Concentration Camps., Turning life's negatives into positives.

Man’s Search For Meaning was written by Viktor Frankl. It is a book about men surviving horrible conditions in the Concentration Camps in Nazi Germany and  what enabled them to keep on living while others died. Viktor spent years in four Concentration Camps in the 1940s and he used his time observing other prisoners like himself enduring the cold weather with little clothing, going without food, working long hours and doing heavy labor, undergoing torture, verbal abuse, and being separated from the people they loved.

What Increased the odds of survival  was having hope in the future and knowing why they wanted to live. Frankl kept himself alive by having hope he would once again see his wife, and he believed he could give much to the world through teaching others the psychological aspects of surviving  the terrors of Concentration Camps. He believed his observations and experiences could help others who were experiencing despair. He created a kind of therapy he called Logotherapy. He believed:

  • Life was not a quest for pleasure or power, but a quest for finding meaning in one’s existence.
  • Prisoners were more likely to survive if they had important work to accomplish, loved ones they cared about and looked forward to seeing in the future, or they found meaning in their suffering.
  • People could lose every thing, and yet retain the ability to choose how they would respond to difficult circumstances.
  • Happiness could be achieved by being dedicated to something greater than oneself.
  • The inmates discovered their inner lives became more intense; they experienced art, nature, and beauty more intensely; humor helped them come through difficulties; pre-occupation with concrete things in the environment helped them cope with pain and loneliness; they took on the responsibility of taking care of each other; how they bore their suffering really mattered; and if they could see a future goal they could look forward to, they could survive.
  • Frankl  found the meaning of life was taking responsibility to find the right answers to problems and fulfilling the tasks that give meaning to one’s existence.
  • Frankl saw mental health as the tension between what one has already achieved and what one still ought to accomplish.

In summary, Viktor Frankl wrote  that man discovers meaning in life by: creating a work or doing a good deed; experiencing something greater through art, nature, and beauty; loving someone; transforming a personal tragedy into a triumph; and turning life’s negatives into something positive.1

I enjoyed reading this book. For such a little book, it packs a powerful message.

Yu/stan/kema


1 Frankl, Viktor E. 2006. Man’s Search For Meaning. 25 Beacon Street. Boston, Massachusetts, 02108-2892. Beacon Press.

A Beautiful Poem I Love This Year: ” ‘Tis The Last Rose Of Summer.”

15 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in photo, Poetry, spirituality, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

'Tis Last Rose Of Summer., By Thomas Moore, Facebook Timeline photo- rose, It's hard to live without your friends, Shared by Yu/stan/kema.

‘TIS THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER.

‘Tis the last rose of summer,

Left blooming alone;                                

All her lovely companions                        

Found on Facebook Timeline on 7-6-16

Found on Facebook Timeline on 7-6-16

Are faded and gone;

No flower of her kindred,

No rosebud is nigh,

To reflect back her blushes,

Or give sigh for sigh!

 

I’ll not leave thee, thou lone one,

To pine on the stem;

Since the lovely are sleeping,

Go sleep thou with them.

Thus kindly I scatter

Thy leaves o’er the bed

Where thy mates of the garden

Lie scentless and dead.

 

So soon may I follow,

When friendships decay,

And from Love’s shining circle

The gems drop away!

When true hearts lie withered,

And fond ones are flown,

Oh! who would inhabit

This bleak world alone?

-THOMAS MOORE-

Yu/stan/kema

Teaching A Child To Fly.

12 Thursday Jan 2017

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in Photos, Poetry, Psychology, spirituality

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

A child hiding in fear., A teacher came, A Teacher was committed, Flying close to God's light., Pinterest photo-Nancy Noel., poetry by Yu/stan/kema, Teaching a child to fly.

One child lived,                       

Hidden within,                               

Found on Pinterest on 1-11-17. Nancy Noel. Sweet- angel-1-tumblr.com.

Found on Pinterest on 1-11-17. Nancy Noel. Sweet angel-1-tumblr.com.

Safe from a world

That ignored her,

Often abused her,

And tried to break her.

She knew a time 

 Would come

When she would

Have to break free.

Of the darkness,

And fly upward

Toward the light.

A teacher came                         

Found on Pinterest on 1-11-17. Nancy Noel

Found on Pinterest on 1-11-17. Nancy Noel.

And said, “rise up,

Spread your wings

And follow me.”

” I am committed

To this task

Of helping you

Find peace within.”

The child smiled,                     

Stretched her wings,

And learned to fly

Way up high,

Close to

God’s light.

Yu/stan/kema

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