Only The Essentials, Part I

If you had to make a choice in your life for only the essentials, what would you choose?  Could you do without all the frills and extras?  What do you really need?  Would less of everything you now have satisfy you?

Let's take food.  How much is enough?  I noticed when you eat more than you need you always want more, even though you may have stuffed yourself.  What are you trying to feed?  Certainly its not more food to satisfy your hunger?  This is a food craving, a desire for more. Apparently, our desires can become so overwhelming that it is on our mind's constantly. How can we turn off the desire for more? The body and mind are suffering because of our desire. It has overruled us, and becomes an attachment.  We are clinging to an attachment.

Thinking Beyond The Physical Box

Since I am interested in lifetime learning, I wondering, is there more to life than just our physical bodies?  Is it possible to go beyond our everyday thinking.  Can our imaginations create a world of higher imaginations?
Is it time to look into what lies beyond our physical realm?

Another Season - Winter

If you live in the east you can count on the four seasons; winter, spring, summer and fall.

I thought I would elaborate on the emotionality of each selected season, and how it affects me.

Winter...A time of expectation for the Christmas Holiday. There is always an air of excitement over the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Time to renew and join in the wonder of this glorious event. Family time is important.  Everyone wants "to go home for Christmas".  When you are a senior citizen, "going home: is reliving memories of Christmas.

It was not so much the gifts you received from family but the preparation for that great day. To me it was the church music. We began practicing our anthems right after Thanksgiving Day to get ready for Christmas Eve.
Service started at 11:00 P.M. and ended at 12 midnight. Choir members wished each other a Merry Christmas. The best treat was a small four piece box of chocolate candy given to all who attended sunday school.  I indulged immediately upon receiving the candy, headed to the cheerful church crowd outside and then on to our Aunt's Christmas Eve party.

Another pleasure was the christmas lights. Blue lights in particular fascinated me. 

Finally, exhilarated, trying to keep my eyes open, I went to bed, sleeping peacefully to the sounds of Christmas carols playing on the radio.


Now the season will be here soon. It is such a busy time.  I have to remind myself each year that I will stop and try to savor more moments of enjoyment.

May the Lord Defend and Protect You

May the Lord Defend and Protect You

Let me tell you of my dream last night…

I was in a desert land. It appeared to be Jerusalem.
My eyes looked past a stone wall to an open building.
Stepping inside I saw a curtain in front of an altar.
I could faintly see through the curtain a group of bearded men.
They were praying and singing. The words of the song were
May the Lord Defend and Protect You.

I kept asking to hear the song over and over again.

When I awoke, I took comfort in hearing the words of
May the Lord Defend and Protect You

Coffee Shop

Squeezed in between the theater and the clothing store was the Mayflower Coffee Shop. I decided to stop in for old time’s sake. Painted on the door was the familiar amusing slogan:

As you ramble on through life brother,
No matter what your goal
Keep your eye upon the donut
And not upon the hole

Always a people watcher, I took a booth by the window. This was an opportunity to watch both outside pedestrians and the coffee shop customers. It was fun to imagine who they really were and create a scenario about them.

Entering the shop was a tall young man with black curly hair and a short blonde haired girl walking close behind him. They took the only table left. It was right in front of me. Ordering coffee the young man was tapping his fingers to a song. The girl with an adoring look kept her eyes focused completely on him. Feeling the emotion of their gazes, I sighed. Daydreaming I was transported to that same booth years ago. Time stood still…I heard the tapping of a song. Looking up into the face of my beloved, I smiled adoringly.

Family Gathering

This was my stop! I began to depart the bus. Holding the railing and opening my paisley umbrella I stepped onto the curb in front of me... Almost losing my balance as my feet sloshed in my soaked high heels. Dreading the two blocks I had to cover before I reached my apartment. As long as it doesn’t thunder or lightening! In fact, I started humming “Singing in the Rain”…I always liked when it rained. For me it created a refreshing, cleansing feeling.

Crossing the street, I lapsed into my day dreaming. I always let my imagination roam to pass time. I guess the world was not too exciting for me, so I had to create imaginations.

I don’t know what made me look up to the left. A house I passed everyday made me take notice. In the front window, a few feet back was a lighted chandelier. A family was seated around the table with their head bowed, saying grace. This made me nostalgic. My tears began to flow. The pouring rain trickled on my forehead. The rain water ran over my eyes causing my tears to be washed away. Ahead was the apartment building…I climbed the wooden stairs. Opened the door to the dark kitchen and entered.

Cherished Memories

I opened the envelope addressed to me and took out the photograph of the gaunt looking elderly man taken at the hospital. This is not my father! They must have sent the wrong picture? I cried as I thought of how strong, handsome and alive he was the last time I saw him. This man’s face was ashen. His cheek bones were sunken in. Those eyes that were always brown and vibrant were now sad, with a far away look. His trademark smile, now replaced with false teeth looked wooden.

He was seated in a green chair, with a cane at his side, and an IV in his right arm. He was wearing the brown-striped robe I bought him for his birthday last year. The robe looked at least two sizes larger on him. He had lost nearly thirty five pounds! I could see the varicose veins on his ankles that appeared more prominent with the weight loss.

Family communications were not always easy. The only pleasant times were when we all attended church on Sundays. My sisters and I seated in the choir could see dad and mom in the church pew smiling proudly at us as we sang the anthem. All cares seemed to vanish from their faces. I will always cherish those memories.

Coughing and crying at the same time, I put the photograph back in the envelope. On my way to the kitchen sink I passed the hall mirror. Wiping a tear from my eyes I looked at my reflection and whispered, “I love you dad.” .