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REFLECTIONS OF A MINDFUL HEART AND SOUL

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REFLECTIONS OF A MINDFUL HEART  AND SOUL

Tag Archives: memories

Memories Are A Gift From God.

01 Saturday Jun 2019

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

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Tags

Gift from God., Little Boys, love, memories, Mothers, pinterest photo from flickr-Simple Gifts Photography., Poetry written from Yu/stan/kema.

 

When my son was young,

And he crawled into bed,

He always took time

For prayers to be said.

He’d rub his sweet eyes

And point to a book,

While he begged me to take

Just a quick look.

Found on Pinterest on 4-24-16. Flickr. Simple Gifts Photography.

 

He’d sit close to me                               

And giggle and sigh                      

When I’d act out the part

Of mean Captain Bligh.

He nestled his head

Right under my chin

As we traveled the world

“Of what might have been.”

 

He’d fall asleep

And I’d turn out the light,

And watch him smile

Through a peaceful night.

I’d give all that I have

Just to relive those days,

When he’d cause me to laugh

At his little boy’s ways.

YU/stan/kema.

 

 

Some Of My Favorite Things.

18 Wednesday Apr 2018

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

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Tags

Article by Yu/stan/kema, childhood., favorite things give us hope., life, memories, Receptive to life., the good and the bad.

When I was a child, life was hard and a daily struggle for survival, but it was also filled with so many delightful experiences. I lived in poverty, food was scarce, and I was hungry most of the time. I was lucky enough to have people, who lived near me who believed in the old African saying, ” It takes a village to raise a child.” My next door neighbor was a Mexican woman with a son about my age. She would send him out to play with me with extra hot tortillas to share. I suppose that is why my favorite place to eat as an adult is a Mexican restaurant, Carlos O’ Kelly’s.  I also stop by the Sonic most of the time on my way to get my infusions, to buy a breakfast burrito. I’m sure it’s a way the child part of me receives comfort and warmth before my eight-hour infusions at the hospital.

During childhood, I played in the alleys and a near-by school with children from the neighborhood. My best friends were twin boys whose father owned a local IGA store. We would play baseball all day long in the hot sun. The thud of a baseball in a well-worn glove and the crack of a bat still brings fond memories. After we finished playing ball, the twins would take me to their dad’s grocery store. He would hand us all popsicles. I always chose grape. I never forgot the feeling nor the taste of a melting grape popsicle clinging to the roof of my mouth before sliding down my throat. My favorite treat now is buying a grape slush at the Sonic. It’s another way of connecting a pleasant experience from the past to the present and it brings comfort.

As a girl, I was fearless in the out-doors. Inside my house was poverty, domestic violence, and alcoholism. My parents were absent most of the time. But outside, there were people who cared about me, alleys to explore, flowers to smell, trees to hug and rest against, a river to catch crawdads in, insects to study, and birds that sang beautiful songs I still recognize as an old woman. I carry inside me now a passion for nature who gives me safety and comfort.

Even though life was filled with hurtful experiences in my childhood, it was also a time filled with life-giving, beautiful experiences. These experiences built hope for the future. All I had to do was reach out and take it with a receptive heart.

Yu/stan/kema

The Meaning Of The Fourth Of July Is Found In Memories.

05 Wednesday Jul 2017

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

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Tags

Angie Lee Colona, baseball., celebrations honoring the birth of America., fire-crackers, Honoring our flag, Independence Day, laughter, memories, Photo found on Country and Farm Photography., Poetry by Yu/stan/kema., singing songs, The Fourth Of July., watermelon

THE FOURTH OF JULY.

It is the sound of laughter

That fills the summer air

As kids go out to shoot                              

Found on Country and Farm Photography on 7-4-17. Taken by Angie Lee Colona. Sadie Mae ready for the 4th of July.

Fire-crackers every where.

 

It is the smell of hot dogs

Sizzling on a charcoal grill,

And lots of American flags 

Draped over the window sills.

 

It is the crack of a bat

After we sing a song

Honoring our Country

And feeling we all belong.

 

It is a piece of watermelon

Being held by a child,

As she spits out the seeds

And shoves them in a pile.

 

It is the pride that we feel

In celebrating America’s birth, 

And the many ways we find

To honor all she’s worth.

Yu/stan/kema.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY.

18 Sunday Jun 2017

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

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Tags

Affection, commitment, Father, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY., lessons taught, memories, Pinterest photo- Eliza J. Photography., Pinterest photo- L'ubomir Cervence., Pinterest photo-Julie Newell Photography., poetry by Yu/stan/kema, role modeling., Son

” I’LL ALWAYS BE YOUR DAD.”

Daddy, can you hear me singing,                         

Found on Pinterest on 6-19-16. Father and Son. L’ubomir Cervence.

All the songs you sang to me,

As we walked the hills and meadows

In the state of Tennessee?

 

Can you see me hold a rifle,

Like you said, “So carefully,”

As I walk the streets of Bagdad

And drop to a trembling knee?

 

Can you smell the Honeysuckle                       

That filled the air in June,

As we sat on the back porch

And we both strummed a tune?

 

Do you remember all the lessons                       

Found on Pinterest on 6-17-17. Some Father/ son love. Eliza J. Photography.blogspot. com.

You took the time to make me learn:

How to be a man of courage,

And be kind when I am stern?

 

How to keep moving forward

When I’m tired and want to quit;

And when I’m in a tight place,

Take the time to pray a bit?

 

So many things you taught me,

Are useful over here:

Like “Be a man I’m proud of,”

And  “Stand your ground with fear.”

 

I wish I could have told you

As a boy and now a man,

How proud you made me, dad,

When you took me by the hand.

 

I loved your gentle laughter

Ringing in the summer air,

Found on Pinterest on 6-16-17. Julie Newell Photography.com.

As you put me on your shoulders,

Or you ruffled my hair.

 

There were times you scolded                        

When I was acting bad;

But you looked me in the eye

And said, “I’ll always be your dad.”

 

I really miss you, Father.

I see you often in my mind.

I’m glad God gave me to you.

You are one of a kind.

Yu/stan/kema

 

 

Planting Two Rose Bushes.

31 Tuesday May 2016

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

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Tags

In remembrance., Joy, memories, nourishment., Of love, Pinterest photo-Our Lady Roses., Pinterest photo-Vintage rose., Pinterest photo.-hgtv.com., Planting rose-bushes., poetry by Yu/stan/kema, trust

Found on Pinterest on 3-14-16. Vintage Rose.

Found on Pinterest on 3-14-16. Vintage Rose.

I planted a rose-bush

In my garden,

To remind me of you. 

And when I did,

I planted it deep

In the chambers

Of my heart, too.

To help me remember

To tend to it

In all sorts of weather.

To watch over it

When storm clouds rise,

And when

The skies are better.

I planted the rose                                  

Found on Pinterest on 5-30-16. hgtv.com. Roses.

Found on Pinterest on 5-30-16. hgtv.com. Roses.

With loving care,

And gave it

Water to grow.

I nourished the bush

Inside with love

And memories

We both know.

I sheltered the rose

In the pouring rain,

And treated it

With insecticide.

I sheltered the one

Within with trust,

And refused to

Give in to pride.

The bush is growing

With beautiful  flowers.                            

Found on Pinterest on 5-30-16. Our Lady Rose.

Found on Pinterest on 5-30-16. Our Lady Rose.

I’m happy as

Birds  that fly,

For my inside bush

Is full of joy,

And love flows

In you and I.

It’s important to nourish

The bush outside,

As well as

The bush within,

For it takes two people

Working on it,

For any heartache

To mend.

Yu/stan/kema

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I Cherish About Christmas.

06 Sunday Dec 2015

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

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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

MEMORIES KEEP THE HEART AND SOUL ALIVE.

29 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by Yu/stan/kema in Article., Photos, quote

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

child, fried chicken, God, memories, picture quote

                                                Memories

One of the most important gifts I have received from God has been the gift of memory. The gift comes with both good and bad memories. Over time, I have learned that I can train myself to become more mindful of the good, and for a time, put the bad ones in a corner somewhere in my mind until I have the time and resources to deal properly with them. The secret lies in focusing on what can be dealt with today, and putting the others off to a future time when the chances of dealing with them are greater. God gives us the ability to remember, but the catch is both the good and the bad memories occur.  Sometimes, I think it is because He knew we learn valuable lessons from the bad memories which can help us grow emotionally and spiritually as human beings.

The world would be a lonely place without the gift of memory. Certain smells can bring up memories of fried chicken and how good it tasted to a child who was hungry. She couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into it. The memory of black diamond watermelon on a hot summer day, ice-cold lemonade sliding down a parched throat, and chocolate chip cookies baking on a cookie sheet make my mouth water even today.

My fondest memories are of my son as a little boy,sleeping peacefully in his bed at night with a ragged doll clutched in his tiny hand as his small mouth curved around a pacifier; standing with his feet apart with the most  mischievous smile on his face as he held one hand on his hip and the other hand pointing his second finger up, communicating to me no-no at the age of four; and hearing him  run out to the garden to see what new blossoms had come in the night for him to see in the morning light. Memories, both good and bad, and yet I am better off having them because of the joy they bring to my life and the lessons I have learned.

Yu/stan/kema

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