Walking on the street
under the pouring rain
nothing seems sane
all are insane.
Walking on the street
under the pouring rain
people with hearts
people with brains.
Walking on the street
under the pouring rain
people in hugs
people in chains.
Walking on the street
under the pouring rain
people who lose
people who gain.
Walking on the street
under the pouring rain
people in pain
people in pain.
Life takes us forward for a reason. Things that happened in the past should stay in the past; you should only carry the lessons you learned forward. People you once knew and no longer know shouldn’t be thought of, you are just wasting your time paying attention to a minor detail that no longer matters in the course of your life.
Seize your day. Be happy where you are and live in the moment. There are many things we take for granted and cannot see because our eyes are focused on the rear view mirror. Life is a one way street that needs to be treasured. It is the journey that matters, the only journey you will have, so make it count.
Laugh with your loved one. Don’t let your pride stand in the way. Apologize when you’ve made a mistake because nothing matters. Hold values in the center of your being and make sure nothing alters what you’re truly made of.
A one way street, focus forward.
Source: Writing Prompt #350
She floated above the freezing lake waiting for the monster to reveal itself. The cold air fluttered around her like pigeons. She sighed, breathing warmth into her cold hands. A little ripple barely noticed was all that she needed to smile. He’s come, she thought to herself.
She turned to her right just as the monster’s head gently surfaced. His blue skin was sleek with water dripping down, his green eyes glittering with the reflection of the mountains around. Sarah, is it time? It said in husky voice.
No answer, the sound of silence was calming. She looked at the monster whose head was rested on its back and thought of the many days she spent conversing with her friend. Their friendship was anything but conventional and she will miss it dearly.
More silence. A cold wind brushed across Sarah’s face.
The sun was setting and Sarah felt like it was now or never
And with that, Barlac tipped forward onto Sarah’s head in what can only be considered a kiss and quietly descended back into the quietness of the lake. She stood taking the scenery in for the last time, recalling the days she sat discussing Barlac’s teachings, debating morals and historical events, and uncovering answers for questions she never asked. It was time to learn and unlearn, time to move on, and time for another chapter in her life.
They say confidence is key. Key to what, I wonder as I put on my beige dress. Here I am getting ready to graduate at the top of my class from a great university and I still wonder how did I get here? I never thought I was the sharpest tool in the box (is that how the saying goes?) and I never really did so great in school; and yet I got accepted in the state university on a full scholarship. I remember joking with the counselor who insisted I apply for the scholarship telling me that I was a great student and all universities would love to have me. I thought he was joking but I got nudged into it by my mom who held the camera as I played the violin. I missed a few notes but didn’t feel like redoing the whole thing, so I sent in the tape with all the mistakes.
A few months later, I got the acceptance letter and felt ecstatic. Scared, but happy. Then my complex kicked in: am I as good as they think I am? Am I really worth the money they’d be throwing away?
I walked around campus those four years trying to keep to myself most of the time but it was evident that things cannot go unnoticed. My high grades got me on the honors roll and I was turned into one of the university teaching assistants and library buddy. I was also playing the violin in university performances and was given awards for “best performance” and “Classical music guru”. Yet I kept wondering what they see in me. What can they see that I can’t?
When things go against my will, I understand. I live in that unknown and thrive in knowing nobody is watching. Then I excel, and everybody watches… and I start questioning.
Am I a fraud? Am I an illusionist who has everyone scammed into believing I am made of something that I am not?
Then I look around, and see people who have accomplished less than I have, look half as good as I do, and are less talented but who are booming with confidence. I choose to keep quiet in seminars, even though I know the answers before anyone raises their hand. I try to live in the shadows of my doubt, to live behind those who are in their fuschia and turquoise dresses, screaming for attention. I choose to stay in the shadows where only those who are looking for perfection would find me, could find me. They would take me out, polish me a bit, and stand in awe at who I am.
And then, as I stand glistening in the sun, I will still wonder if I’m a real diamond… or a fraud.
Many people prefer to hide their scars and stretchmarks not keeping in mind that they make us who we are. We are all born the same: an empty canvas which awaits what life brings upon us and which can be showcased to our grandchildren. Yes, scars remind us of the times we learned and stretchmarks remind us of the times we grew.
Scars.
Physical scars from childhood reminding us not to take that route, not to climb that tree, and not to play with those kids. Physical scars from adulthood reminding us not to take that route (yes, again), not to forget the seat belt, and not to talk to that guy. Emotional scars from childhood and during adulthood reminding us that best friends may change, boyfriends may cheat, and loved ones may die. Scars that represent lessons in life, that tell a story of where we have been and where we once longed to be. Scars tattooed all over our bodies and souls making us human.
Scars that cannot be covered.
And stretchmarks. Representing the times we changed and grew: gaining weight after high school, losing weight when you realize that weight you gained was a bit too much, growing less confident, growing more confident, pregnancy and motherhood, changing what we believe, changing who we believe, changing who we are. All those changes are changes to our skin and our minds. Not accepting to change means that we are made out of stone and are no humans. Not all change is evident but a simple change makes a big difference in our humanity.
I do not wish to hide my scars nor my stretchmarks. On the contrary, I wish to show everyone all my wounds, to show how alike we are and how human we can be. I accept the lessons in my life and thank the growth that they brought upon me: work less, love more, and be gentle.
You are a magnet to all the beautiful and good things in life. Love, laughter, joy, money, success, are all being drawn to you. You are powerful in yourself. You have in you the power to heal yourself and others all through your mind.
You are powerful.
And I am powerful.
And the person sitting next to you at work is powerful. And the person sitting in his house halfway across the globe is powerful too. Every person is given the power to change and alter his universe through the meditation and mindfulness that places him in the now. Meditation and mindfulness that turns us into magnets for the good that we want and hope for.
Meditation and mindfulness strong enough to gather all the strength of the universe in the center of your being, thereby pulling towards you all goodness found around, and releasing it to others in the form of love.
Loving kindness meditation, a Buddhist tradition, is when a person concentrates on sending love and kindness towards another. We often find ourselves thinking of loved ones when we are away from them, so knowing that we can send them love is heartwarming. Knowing that there is love being sent your way is heartwarming too, someone thinking of you and wishing you are well.
So if everyone is a magnet, and everyone can send and receive love, ideally we can get rid of all things bad around. If love is in the air, literally, thoughts of love flying from one person to another, the world that is filled with hatred and discrimination and war must deteriorate. If thoughts are our most powerful force, and humans are the most powerful vessel for such a force, we should be able to get rid of darkness through love.
Meditating and mindfulness, thoughts of love, loving kindness meditation, are all arms and tools we shouldn’t ignore when facing wars.
Because what can be more beautiful than forces of love towards a fellow human?
What do you wish for? World peace.
When you think of old age, you either think of someone else or of a funny meme you saw online of an elder doing something funny or technology related which, in your opinion, is purely cute or basically obscene. It is never that we think that we, one day, will be old in our age and will have to consider how the younger generation perceives us.
You see, how old you are in your mind varies from one person to the next. I always saw myself as a late teenager/early twenties person. My sister always perceived herself as she were, and a friend of mine saw herself as an older person. (In Your Mind, How Old Are You?)
It is not a joke when you start having grey hair. Thank you, mom, for the great genes (yaay). It is also not a joke when you get diagnosed with high blood pressure, kidney stones, diabetes, heart conditions, and all the fun stuff that are pointing towards the way life is flying by. This is not a post to make you seize the moment, by all means, carpedium all day. This is a post for you to consider those elders in your lives and what they feel.
Their bodies are not as strong as they used to be. Imagine how that would make you feel? They can’t see as well, start losing a bit of hearing, and some start forgetting words.
No. It’s not very dignified.
And we come in, all young and stupid acting like we know best. Some have lived through wars, seen how life changes, lost loved ones and families, and yet we come in, all young and stupid acting like we know best. Acting like our limited knowledge of how smart phones work gives us the power to know.
No.
It doesn’t.
Just because they ask us how to download their emails or they believe everything they see on social media doesn’t make them any less. It makes them more.
They are pure in heart, pure in soul. Lived longer and seen more. Wiser, warmer, and much better than we ever will be. And we will only know their worth when they are gone.
God bless our loved elders who still have patience in all our foolishness and childishness.
Dignify your elders and you will be dignified.
I love traveling. Who doesn’t, right? There are many ways in which you can turn your travel experience to better or worse. Obviously, you must research where you are going, what you’re going to do, and what your budget is. Who you’re traveling with is very important too because you don’t want to end up stuck with that person you can’t handle for ten days straight, right?
Well, this is the first time I travel with both of my children. One is three and a half years old and the other is almost a year old. Things were great, I didn’t expect to have some alone time, nor did I expect to have any free time to shower but, all in all, we created good memories.
Things I learned in this trip could be written in a book but this is a post about lollipops. Let’s go back to 2009 when I visited Scotland (swoon, sigh, and nostalgic music). I loved every second in Edinburgh and my husband and I would go to St. Giles cathedral and order from their great selection of tarts. I would walk by everyday and see these big pieces of fudge staring at me. I mean, they would look at me walk by, like the Mona Lisa, I tell you! There was a specific light brown piece which would practically beg to be bought but I never did thinking I’d come back for it.
I never did. (Heartbreaking, tears flowing down my face)
Do you understand, I never did. I never got that piece of fudge and since 2009 and I regret it everyday! I never knew what it tasted like, never knew how it would or wouldn’t crumble on my tongue, and I would never know its flavor.
And why’s that? Because I postponed buying it until the day I would travel and to my surprise St. Giles was closed.
Fast forward to 2017. My husband and I were pushing our children in their strollers in the airport and my three year old passes by a big lollipop and says he wants it.
We were running late and my husband refused so we went on. The light brown fudge popped into my mind and gave me a knowing look, I knew what I had to do.
I held my ground and told my husband that we must buy it or else (OK, not really, I just offered to pay for the overpriced candy) and he lovingly obliged.
We were very late, my husband was very angry, but I got my little boy his candy so it doesn’t haunt him (and me) for the next ten years.
When on vacation, buy your lollipop.
He was known to bury his feelings. A great actor with a greater teacher. A teacher who taught him that when you were born and cried, your mother wasn’t there to hold and comfort you, for she abandoned you. A teacher who taught him that being bounced from foster home to another only meant friends changing and never settling in. A teacher who taught him that he is not wanted, a dog when families required puppies.
So it went on… a child living everyday wishing it was his last and not feeling anything because, come to think of it, why would he want to feel anything?
So he buried a piece of himself.
When He turned 18, he was given the opportunity to leave the home and find his way in the world so his teacher encouraged him to do so, just to slam every door in his face. It was difficult to find a job, any job, so he looked some more. Persisted and chose to bury all feelings of disappointment when he was turned down at interviews. Until he found a job that required him to work night shifts moving truckloads of trash away from civilization.
So he drove all the way out every night, and buried a piece of him.
His life got better: the orphan boy who could. Many people invited him to their homes, it was a way his teacher showed him what he never had growing up but he still looked with curiosity. He buried all feelings of longing and envy.
His teacher taught him that there is a person out there for you when he met his girlfriend, then he found out that things can only get better… just to get worse. So all he did was bury a relationship before it ever became anything.
He buried his hopes and dreams of a family when he buried his heart.
The more he learned, the more he grew.
The more he grew, the more he buried.
Bedoor Bluemoon 