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REFLECTIONS OF A MINDFUL HEART AND SOUL

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REFLECTIONS OF A MINDFUL HEART  AND SOUL

Tag Archives: family

A Part Of Family.

02 Monday Nov 2020

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

A gift from God., Adding a family member., family, Giving acceptance., Poetry by Yu/stan/kema., Promising to protect and teach a new family member.

An angel was sent from Heaven.

She was born and brought to our door.

Her cheeks were smooth and rosy.

She was all we were hoping for.                               

She blessed us with her arrival.

We saw Heaven within her eyes.

We held her in a warm blanket.

God sent us a sweet surprise.

We all gathered close around her,

And we promised to keep her safe,

To teach her of Love and Truth,

And how to have a strong Faith.

We knew from the moment we saw her,

She would always and forever be

A part of our hearts and lives,

An important part of our family.

-Yu/stan/kema-

The Bird Who Could Not Sing.

21 Friday Feb 2020

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

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

birds, companions, courage, family, Finding his song, God notices., grief, inability to sing, leaving his nest, love, Pinterest photo- quote by Kahlil Gibran. Every Day Spirit., Poetry from Yu/stan/kema, songs

There once was a bird

who had no song.

He would try to sing,

but it felt all wrong.

His heart was broken.

His mother had died.

He felt so lost and

empty inside.

 

Photo-Found on Pinterest. Quote: Kahlil Gibran. Every Day Spirit.

 

He thought he would

never sing a tune.

So he tried his best

to bay at the moon.

But it felt all wrong,

and he fell asleep.

When the morning came,

he could only weep.

 

He refused to sit

in his nest all day.

So he chirped with birds

along the way.

They introduced him

to friends.

He finally felt that

he could mend.

 

On one of his flights,

He met a brown bird,

and he fell in love

with just a word.

They built a nest

and lined it with care.

Soon, little birds  

chirped everywhere.

 

The bird who thought

he could not sing,

lifted his feathers

and took wing.

He sang, ” Cheer,cheer, “

with such great love,

That God sent him praise

from the heavens above.

-Yu/stan/kema-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music Uplifts The Soul.

10 Wednesday Oct 2018

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bayou, family, Mother's love for family., Music, Pinterest photo-French Creoles.com., Pinterest photo-sacredspirit.files.wordpress.com., Poetry by Yu/stan/kema., poverty, Value of memories. Uplifting the soul., violin

My mother lived in a little shack

down by the bayou.

My mother worked from dawn to dusk

to make alligator stew.

 

Her fingers were busy making clothes                                  

Found on 4-27-16 on Pinterest. French Creoles.com.

to clothe her brood of five.

Her face was weary from the stress

of helping her kids survive.

 

Her body was thin and her skin was grey,

from hours without sleep.

She washed the clothes in a big tin tub

and some times she would weep.

 

Day after day, she lived in fear

her man would not come home.

She knew he loved to be outdoors

and often he would roam.

 

She stayed home and did the chores

and worked until they were done.

Then she would lift an old violin

and play with the setting sun.

 

She put the rare violin to her chin,                                        

and her bow went across the strings.

She tapped her foot to the melody,

and her soul sprouted wings.

Found on Pinterest on 11-12-17 sacredspirit.files. wordpress.com.

 

We loved to see her fingers dance

and her eyes reflect pure joy. 

She was beautiful when she smiled

and played for her little boy.

 

Now she has gone to a better place,

but her music still remains

in the halls of  my memories 

When I say her name.

Yu/stan/kema 

 

 

 

Love Surrounds Us.

18 Monday Jul 2016

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

but it's there., dogs, family, Flower garden in Illinois. Photo taken by Jim Tanselle., friends, God, Love is all around us., Love of Nature, Pinterest photo, Pinterest photo-Zachariah Davidson., poetry by Yu/stan/kema, teachers, We may not see it

Love floats in the air around me.                   

Verbena grown in an Illinois garden. Photo taken by Jim Tanselle, July,2016.

Verbena grown in an Illinois garden. Photo taken by Jim Tanselle, July,2016.

I feel it in the wind:

The clean smell of flowers in the spring,

And the gentle sway of trees against

A deep blue sky.

 

Love grows in a bed of summer roses,

In the hearts of dogs who shadow me,

In the smile and laughter of a friend,

And my son’s hand in mine to keep

Me from tripping.

 

Love is found in a teachers words,                   

Found on Pinterest on 10-21-15.

Found on Pinterest on 10-21-15.

And the skills I learn that help me

Become more mindful in living.

 

Love endures in the people who learn

To accept my strengths and weaknesses,

Yet inspire me to stretch beyond my limits;

In a mother who learns to let go of her son,

So he might become a better man;

In trees that last a life-time to give to me             

Found on Pinterest on 1-9-16. Holyhocks. Zachariah Davidson.

Found on Pinterest on 1-9-16. hollyhocks. Zachariah Davidson.

Beauty and hope in my darkest hours;

And in God’s promises which give me courage

To endure the losses and grief found in life.

Love is in the air that surrounds me.

Yu/stan/kema.

 

 

Memories Are Gifts From God.

08 Wednesday Jun 2016

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

family, Good things about friends., Long-time friendships., Memories are gifts from God., Pinterest photos., poetry by Yu/stan/kema

Found on Pinterest on 11-2-15.

Found on Pinterest on 11-2-15.

Memories seem to pop-up

In the later years of life.                           

It helps me to know 

I was a good, caring wife.

Many are the pictures,

I’ve stored in my mind.

Some call it reminiscing,

But its God being kind.

When I hold my child,

As I did so long ago,

I see his face light up.

I’m  watching love grow.

Over the years I’ve had

Several dearest friends,                                   

Found on Pinterest on 9-21-15.

Found on Pinterest on 9-21-15.

Whose love I cherish,

After making amends.

I’ll never sell my memories.

For precious they are.

They brighten up my life 

Just  like a shooting star.

Yu/stan/kema

 

 

 

What I Cherish About Christmas.

06 Sunday Dec 2015

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Article by Yu/stan/kema., Capturing Joy by Kristen Duke Photography., children, Christ, Christmas., Facebook Timeline photo by Jim Tanselle., family, friends, gifts, lights, loved ones, Manger, Mary and Baby Jesus-Pinterest photo., memories, Pinterest photos., Things I cherish about Christmas., trees

12313817_1226029214077728_7674724012913473677_n.jim

Found on Facebook Time Line on 12-5-15. Taken by Jim Tanselle.

Christmas is a very special time of the year for me. I’ll be seeing my son and his partner on Christmas, and the scene above reminds me of the happiness I will have. The scene invites me to remember all the joy the season brings: being with the people I love, sitting before a blazing fire, enjoying the good food my son makes, and making Christmas dinner with him. His house is always cheerfully decorated at Christmas. I often meet his friends and neighbors that stop by. We have a wonderful heart warming time.

I love Christmas. It reminds me of the greatest gift given to mankind, God’s Son, and all the promises that are a part of that when we accept God’s gift. A manger was part of my decorations on Christmas: a hand-made stable made of lumber and tree bark and the many life like figurines I placed around the manger. As I grew older, the tree became harder to get up, but I always put out my manger and the figurines, given to me each Christmas from my son.

Found on Pinterest on 12-6-15. Mary and Jesus.

Found on Pinterest on 12-6-15. Mary and Baby Jesus. youtube.com

I love the smell of pine trees and firs in the air as well as cedars. We had a live tree in our house until I found out my son and I were both allergic to it. How glorious the smell was though. There is nothing like it. We would decorate the tree, and the miniature lights were the best part. I would put out all the decorations he had made. It was such a lovely sight. I have an audiotape of a Christmas, long ago, of him waking up, and the sound of his laughter as his shoes hit the floor and him running for the Christmas tree. So many precious memories I still see and hear around this time of the year. As you grow old, these memories enrich your days and remind you of the most important things in life.

My son was born in December. He was the only baby born around Christmas at the hospital. The following photo reminds me of  that Christmas. He was the dearest gift I ever received.

Found on Pinterest on 12-6-15. Capturing Joy by Kristen Duke Photography.

Found on Pinterest on 12-6-15. Capturing Joy by Kristen Duke Photography.

I hope this Christmas will be a happy one for you, and  that the days ahead in the new year will hold wonderful memories  for you and your loved ones. Best wishes for the Holidays.

Yu/stan/kema

Mothers Shape Our Lives Even In Dysfunctional Homes.

29 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in Article., Psychology

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

abuse, acceptance, alcoholism, anxiety, child abuse, children, coping skills, depression, Domestic abuse, drug addiction, family, mental illness, Mothers, Neglect

Mothers who raise their children in dysfunctional homes have a difficult time dealing with all the stress that comes with domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism, neglect, and mental illness. These factors influence child development in ways we can’t even begin to understand. Families living in poverty and single-households have their difficult times, but many of them do commit to making the best future possible for their children. I have great respect for mothers that create a loving and safe environment for their children despite a lack of money or a spouse to help them take care of them. These are strong mothers , courageous women who do so much with very few resources.

When alcoholism or drug addiction is involved, the  home can become an unsafe and dangerous place for a child. Mothers who take drugs and drink alcohol in access, often fall asleep or have personality changes that can be frightening to a child. Instead of focusing on the child’s needs, she focuses on herself and may be oblivious as to where her children are. When personality changes occur, like a quiet mother becoming loud, obnoxious, or unresponsive,  the child often isolates, finds a safe place to go, and even goes outside away from the smells of vomit, unwashed clothes or an unclean house. Some of them worry about the mother’s health and so becomes the responsible one in the family, the caretaker of the adult.

The greatest fear is that mother may die or go away forever and leave the child alone to fend for himself. Often the child goes without a bath, and has to dress himself in unclean, torn clothes, and then goes to school without breakfast. If he comes home for lunch, mother is passed out or walking the streets looking for drugs or alcohol.. Money becomes tight because it will go to the addiction. The child will fix himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and head back to school. He mostly takes care of himself. Nice hugs or kisses are rare. No one takes the time to care for him. Since his environment is so unpredictable, it is hard to trust or rely on anyone but himself. He does not feel cherished. He feels like he is invisible, that his needs don’t matter. He is taught not to need, not to feel, not to cause trouble, There is little eye contact between the mother and child, very little affection, or affirmations of him as a human being. He is often forgotten. There is little communication between them. If any mirroring happens, it is negative messages being fed back to the child. Sometimes terms are used such as selfish, stupid, needy, trouble. The child ends up feeling he can never be enough or do enough. He will probably be anxious, have poor self-esteem,  and want to please others. Or he may choose to externalize his rage at being invisible, not cared for, and lash out at others and become negative or belligerent.

If there is domestic violence and mental illness in the family system or physical and sexual abuse of the children, they will have trouble trusting adults, have poor self-esteem, have symptoms of anxiety from trauma, or depression. There is very little affection in these families, or affirmations about the children. The children are often taught they are bad and many negative messages have been imprinted on their minds and souls. They have been through  a battlefield and the enemy lived inside what should have been their safe place.They will have problems in their relationships because of “wounded attachment” to their mothers.

Have respect and compassion for these children for they have been through a war and survived. Many used the only coping skills they had to make it through to adult hood. They are a courageous bunch of children, resilient for the most part, and having compassion and empathy for others. Do not pity them for they do not want your pity, but they will need mentoring, good friends, good therapy, someone willing to stand by them and believe in their capacity to love, to grow, to relate, communicate and contribute something worth while to the community they live in. Give them patience for they are in need of acceptance, caring, attention, and time. If they survived that, think what they could do if given a chance to grow and heal? Mother’s day will be hard for them. They didn’t get the chance to have all the things that a  caring mother could provide.. The greatest gift you could give them is to stand by patiently and allow them time to heal with psychotherapy.

Yu/stan/kema

The Greatest Treasure Of All.

22 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in photo, quote, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

family, health, looks, love, pinterest picture quote, special people, Treasures

Found on Pinterest on 3-21-15. Also found on healthyfoodhouse.com

Found on Pinterest on 3-21-15. Also found on healthyfoodhouse.com.

One of the saddest things in life is not realizing what treasures  you really have until they are gone. As human beings, we have the strange habit of always complaining about what we don’t have, instead of being grateful for what we already have. When our children are young, we think about how nice it would be to think about our needs. When they go off to college, we miss them and realize how much they mean to us. We have lots of time to see to our needs, but we long to hear the door slam and the sound of footsteps in the hall. We often take our spouses for granted, not realizing how much they enrich our lives and how much we depend on them for comfort and support. When they die, or there is a divorce and they no longer are there for us, we are left with grief and the little things that bothered us before, seem so insignificant compared to the loss of them in our lives.

Some of us are born with a few things that distinguish us from everyone else. Yet we often spend so much time trying to change our eye color with contact lens, or we dye our hair a different color or lose weight because we are dissatisfied with our looks. When we reach seventy, we yearn to have our old hair back, our old body back because being wrinkled and having sagging skin is not what we expected. When we are young and strong and full of vitality, we take our health for granted. We do risky activities. We think we are invincible and  we will live for ever. When the diagnosis of cancer or some other debilitating illness, robs us of our ability to do the things we use to do, we sadly realize that we were so blessed and so blind to the value of what we really had.

It is important now to take stock of the blessings in our lives. It is crucial to thank those people who have touched our lives in such significant ways. It is wise to take a look at our health and try to improve it any way we can. It is time to tell those that matter to us that we love them. For love is the greatest treasure of all.

Yu/stan/kema

 

APPRECIATING THOSE WHO CARE.

28 Sunday Dec 2014

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

appreciation of others, caring from the heart, Choices, family, friends, honor, respect, Taking for granted

-(1) Found on Google+ on october26,2014. Words of Wisdom.

-(1) Found on Google+ on october,2014. Words of Wisdom.

       Those Who Care

We seem to appreciate others we barely know for doing  random acts of kindness towards us. Because it is unexpected, it gets our attention and we respond quickly. Yet those who interact with us daily or on an ongoing basis, such as family members or good friends, we   often fail to see the little ways they make our lives easier and we end up taking them for granted. Sometimes we even feel entitled to more than what we have been given. In some part of our mind, we tend to see them as parts of ourselves.

But they are not. They are separate from us and choose to give to us from their hearts. For them, a meal, a clean house, a well-kept yard, a word of comfort, a pat on the back is their way of saying,” I am here for you and I care.” One of the greatest gifts any one can give to another is to stay in our lives, and to make a commitment to enjoy the good times and bravely deal with the bad behavior we often perpetrate on those we take for granted. They work hard to accept the things that can’t be changed, and they make an effort to seriously work out the difficulties that can be resolved with those they care about. They deserve our thanks and our respect because deep down inside, if we remove the denial, we can see  we have our own weaknesses and days of selfishness. In the coming year, we can choose to make life sweeter for those who have given so freely to us from the heart.

Yu/stan/kema

REFLECTIONS ON LETTING GO.

18 Thursday Dec 2014

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

essential things, family, friendship, God, Google, letting go, nature, purpose, Rick Schwartz

Half Moon Bay on the Rocks. Dec.14,14. Seen on Google+

Half Moon Bay on the Rocks. . Seen on Google+ on July 10,14. by Rick Schwartz.

Letting Go.

I find it amazing that the older I get the more I learn from books and those I come in contact with. When I watch others struggle and deal with events beyond what they can bear, and see them rise to new heights of courage, I am humbled and it gives me new hope in the human race. This usually happens when those who struggle learn to let go of the nonessential things in life. Perhaps because life becomes refined to its basic elements when the fires of hardship burn. What is left is: Friendship, Family, God, Nature, and Purpose. Jobs come and go. Money ebbs and flows, and sometimes disappears. Power and fame are transitory.

Love endures. Friends come and go, but the memories we have of them stay. even after they are dead or move away. We can carry their footprints in our hearts and souls, even when they are no longer with us. Family endures: sometimes with sadness, or anger, and often with joy. God also remains whether we want Him to or not. When we are angry with Him, or feel abandoned by Him, we still acknowledge He is there. When we are given to, we thank Him.

Nature exists. Nature reminds us of our place in the world, in the universe. Nature comforts us, teaches us, and sometimes, Nature hurt’s us.

Purpose drives us to reach heights beyond what we are capable of climbing. What will always exist in us is: a need to love and to be loved; a need to find God and be more like Him; a need to serve those who touch our lives, even for a moment in time; a need to grow in knowledge and wisdom.; a need to serve; a need to fulfill our purpose in this world; and a need to enjoy nature and become one with Her.

Yu/stan/kema

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