Tag: kindness

Posted on

Happy Birthday, Dad.

Happy Birthday, Dad.

Today would have been his 99th birthday.

The older I get, the more I miss him.

Merle H. Burton was the only constant in my life for most of my life. When I was younger, I was too busy doing what I thought was so important–creating that person I thought was me. Well…that self-improvement project turned out to be very costly and really not very successful.

I think he saw that–probably because he had walked the same path in his younger years. He tried to warn me. I was and am such a stubborn first-born.  I think he understood I had to learn my own lessons and pay my own piper. I am grateful for those times shortly before he died when we both laid down our shields and began to really talk WITH each other.

I love you, Dad. Thank you for never giving up on me.

Texas is still struggling and will be for a very long time. As someone said yesterday, this recovery will not be complete in a few weeks or a few months. This will take years. Thank you for your prayers. Now, because of the refineries in the Houston area being shut down, there is a gas panic in the rest of the state. The debate rages. Is it a real shortage or something politically motivated? Regardless of where you point your finger, many gas stations near us are out of gas. In the big picture—all very minor.

I wish you all a very safe Labor Day holiday. There are many struggling in our great country–flooding continues here and major wildfires in Montana, Wyoming, and the northwest.

As you relax and enjoy these last days of summer, take a moment to pray for each other. We are all fighting battles–some do so very quietly. Be extra patiently kind.

I am…

B…simply being…

I love Y’all.

Peace

 

 

 

Posted on

Triumph

One of the things I like best about living in Texas is the people. Maybe it’s because I have more time to observe them. That’s probably part of it. I think a bigger part of it is that people here practice their faith–they don’t just go to church on Sundays. They support and show their love for each other in their daily lives. They take the time to talk with you when they meet you–something I am still getting used to–they are simply kind.

Yesterday, Michael went to one of the local big box stores to get some supplies for our garden. He was wearing one of his old motorcycle t-shirts. When he went up to pay for his purchase, the woman at the register looked at his shirt and said, “I just LOVE your shirt! I bet you really can triumph over ANYTHING!”

Michael chuckled as he me told the story. He shook his head and said, “She’s obviously not a motorcycle person.”

No, she’s probably not a motorcycle person–but she’s certainly a very sweet and kind one.

I am…

B…simply being…

Love and peace, y’all

 

Posted on

Sharing

I have been sitting at my desk for sometime trying to corral my whirling thoughts. There is so much running through my mind it is hard to pull it all together into something I can share today.

A couple of things keep repeating themselves. I am discovering that writing is a very positive, healing experience for me. What I need to stress is that I am not writing to elicit sympathy. I am writing to share my experiences with those who may be dealing with some of the same issues–either in their lives now or in their past. I believe we are here to share the lessons we’ve learned. By sharing, two things will happen: I will be able to move on and readers will learn from me, hopefully saving them some time and heartache.

While researching quotes about grief, I came across a paragraph written by Miriam Toews. Finding this was like having that chance encounter at the grocery store when you run into an old friend–that friend who knows exactly what you need to hear as she greets and hugs you warmly.

Writing helps me create order out of chaos and make sense of things. It helps me to understand what I’ve experienced, what I’ve felt and seen, so it becomes easier to handle. On the other hand, I don’t want it to be just a cathartic experience, an outpouring of grief or whatever it is. 

My mind had turned to grief because of the newest terror attacks in Great Britain. Even the words of that sentence strike me as wrong. How could I be talking about an attack that killed many people with the descriptive word, ‘newest?’  We live in a world where tragedy seems to be a daily breaking news event. This morning I realized that terror attacks are becoming so common I am no longer shocked. For me, that thought stirred up a whole new level of grief. The memorial concert for the victims of the Manchester bombings had not yet happened when this new series–yes series–of attacks took place.

How can we find a way to understand any of this when these attacks, involving our brothers and sisters simply out living their lives, happen so quickly?

This quote attributed to Cheryl Strayed, gave me some comfort as it reinforced my belief that we are all in this together.

The healing power of even the most microscopic exchange with someone who knows in a flash precisely what you’re talking about because she has experienced that thing too cannot be over estimated.

If there was ever a time for us to take that extra second for patience and kindness, it is now.

I am…

B…simply being…

I love you.

Peace