"Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me"

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God. 
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.     
                                (The Book of Matthew)


Happy Holidays to all religions and denominations!
                              

First frost

Don't hate the cold. In fact, don't ever get angry about the weather. Weather is indifferent, it would never hurt you on purpose. 
It doesn't spend months planning how to ruin your wedding day. 

It's just there - evolving, moving and changing just like you.

Anticipation of fall

 Whether you like it or not, it's almost here. And if you live in the area where fall starts on September 1st, you are already knee-deep. 
 The air is crisp. The nights are cooler. The windows are wide open.

I've been waiting for this!

Oh captain, my captain

 My entire adult worldview was largely shaped by the "Dead poets society" movie. And today, as my tribute to the amazing actor that we lost, I just want to quote the words of his character, John Keating.

***

No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.

***

...You must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Don't be resigned to that. Break out!

***

We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.

***

Now we all have a great need for acceptance, but you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think they're odd or unpopular.

***

To quote from Henry David Thoreau: "...And not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived".

     

        RIP, my Captain, you DID live and that's all that matters.

Someday, both you and I will become a memory

We will stay around 
In our children's eyes,
In the cracks of the walls
Of the houses we lived in,
In the grass we walked on,
In the air we held in when something took our  breath away...

Nothing heals better than solitude and nature.

"Moon River, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style some day..." (A.H.)

Don't put your life on hold for anything or anyone.

Wet Afternoon

 Rain is a magical thing. It might ruin your shoes or give you pneumonia, but it also brings life to the Earth.
 And after the storm, the sun always comes out. 

And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven"

No matter how old you get, how much pain and suffering you go through, don't ever let yourself forget about your inner child.  Let go of the illusion of being an adult. Do we really ever grow up?.. The fights that we used to have in a sandbox just turned into office drama. So don't be so serious.
 Have an ice cream cone.

The Presence of God

At the top of the mountain
we are closer to heaven. 
We are finally able to look at this world from above. And accept it the way it is. 

 The perfection of nature is unbearable. Just as unbearable as the imperfection of a human. Yet equally beautiful.

"Dare to get lost and you'll find yourself"

                                  Routine is there to make our lives easier.

 It has a hypnotizing power that helps us do what we do. When we get out of bed, wait at a red light, go through a check-out at a grocery store or simply brush our teeth, it's always there, soothing us with its lullaby. 
Everybody pretends to hate it, but when something suddenly throws them off the beaten path, they fall apart. Because the only thing that we fear more than routine is change. And we'd rather plan our change.
It's also a part of the routine.

 If only we could always clearly see the line between a necessary stability and a dead end path that simply leads us nowhere.

 Where do you draw the line?

*** 


Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.
***
Can miles truly separate you from friends... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?
***
Don't be dismayed by good-byes.
 A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.
 And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes,
          is certain for those who are friends.

(Richard Bach)

Breathing in the summer air...

Summer is full of life and love. It's a burst of flavors and colors. Breathe it in while you can. 

Touch the ground with your feet. Someday you'll become a part of it. 

Let the wind play with your hair. It won't stop blowing when we're gone. 

 Accept the beauty of this world, as we're only here for a moment.