Haiku: Happy Mother's Day Wishes...

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." Abraham Lincoln 

 

Happy Mother's Day!
May you delight in old age
Lifted in Prayer

Mother's Day Wishes
May your family love grow
Hugged in gratitude


I hope you are enjoying this day even if it includes sad memories... Our parents did the best they could and  we are the richer for it. While some parents crossed the line and hurt us, we can break the cycle by becoming better parents. That is, above all, my main wish for all Moms. Be a blessing to someone today.

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Haiku: A Merry Christmas Story

“This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone.” Taylor Caldwell 

Haiku: The magnificent, colorful Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center

Trudging down the street
Cold wind tugging at my coat
Not a soul in sight

Hunger calls my name
No bed to rest my weary head
Sadness builds within

Without an address
Homelessness is my present
No gifts sent my way

 A Merry Christmas
Surrounded by misery
Glimmer of hope, gone

 During the holiday season, I am often reminded that each of us carries our version of a Merry Christmas story. At Rockefeller Center, many gathered to see the tree shown above. It was a mix of people with many, varied stories. Some stories might be rich with gifts and love, while other stories rife with pain and suffering.   Through all this, the homeless, the poor, the abandoned struggle to make it through each day. It is my prayer that during the holiday season, we pause to help others; we will be the richer for it.

I've added a stanza above as my contribution to this week's Haiku Heights prompt: Gifts. I hope this post adds some food for thought to your holiday giving plans. Want to write Haiku? Join in at Haiku Heights or Carpe Diem.
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In Search of Serenity: Love. Pray. Blog.

"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without." — Siddhārtha Gautama

“God grant us … the Ability to feel your love for us and our love for each other…” Reinhold Neirbuhr

The Serenity Prayer has always held a special place in my heart because I was introduced to it when I came to the USA in the early 1980s to attend college. I was a young, adventurous woman eager to explore new places even though it meant leaving friends and family behind in London. My dad was not keen on the idea of my coming here alone because, even though I had a brother in college in New Jersey, I was not going to the same school and I’d be far away. The Serenity Prayer also offers comfort and eleven qualities or keywords that we can live by; reminding us that the creative work we love and do as bloggers extends beyond the words into our every day lives. Does this resonate with You? 

God, grant us the...
Serenity to accept things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference
Patience for the things that take time
Appreciation for all that we have, and
Tolerance for those with different struggles
Freedom to live beyond the limitations of our past ways, the
Ability to feel your Love for us and our love for each other and the
Strength to get up and try again even when we feel it is hopeless.

How did I find the prayer? I joined a prayer group in college, discovered yoga and meditation, and made new friends who were great guides, helping me adjust to the acculturation process. Perhaps it was Thea or another classmate/friend who shared this famous prayer, attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr, it doesn’t matter. What I do remember is that for years, I had a laminated copy that I kept on my desk or on my refrigerator door. The prayer has become embedded in my memory bank and I find myself going back to it when the hustle and bustle of life gets incredibly hectic... especially the first line; God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change.