Just when you think you can handle most of the little problems that come your way each day, along comes another surprise to prove you wrong.
How grateful I am that there are still Good Samaritans around my neighbourhood. Driving home in my car from an appointment, my emergency flashers suddenly began activating. I had accidentally knocked the button on the front of the dashboard. I pulled over so as to safely disengage it.
I admit I am not very savvy when it comes to car knowledge. I am always pleased when the engine responds to the turn of my ignition switch. Since I can't remember when I last used the emergency roadside flashers (or, if I ever have), I was searching the dashboard, pushing every visible button. Then, along came my Good Samaritan.
A friendly young man brought his pickup truck to a halt beside me, asking if I was alright and did I need help. Slightly embarrassed, I simply said I was fine, but couldn't find how to turn off my emergency lights. Being a typical man, familiar with such things, it didn't take him long to right my situation.
Thanking him, I said, "Isn't that just like a woman, and an old one at that?"
He graciously nodded and smiled, as he drove away.
This, "some mother's son" so reminded me of my own sons — who, in their own caring ways — would willingly carry out a similar random act of kindness to a damsel in distress, especially when the damsel is a little, old, white-haired lady, reminiscent of their mother.
— beulah
P.S. Here's a link to a music video of a collaboration where Walt Disney teamed up with the '60s singer Donovan, presenting the classic children's poem, Wynken, Blynken and Nod (often misquoted as Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod).
One CAN make a difference.
Catching the CANstruction spirit, I took part volunteering this week, at our local Orchard Park Mall.
This year's theme, "All things CANadian" came through loud and clear in their displays, at the CANstruction Kelowna, 2014. The design/build competition using canned food (donated by Save-On-Foods) as building blocks, amazing structures emerged, focusing on the issue of hunger in our community.
As Construction Kelowna partners with businesses, organizations, and schools in the city, over 18,000 cans of healthy food will be donated to the local Food Banks.
Student teams from Glenrosa Middle School, UBC-O Engineers and St. Joseph's Elementary were among those learning about design and stability, using their math skills, as they created their structures, meanwhile learning the importance of giving back to their community.
Among the displays the public will vote on, was a five-foot nine inch, Tim Horton's "A Giant Cup of Goodness" created by Glenrosa Middle School students. What could be more Canadian than that? Other amazing structures include a Terry Fox mural, a giant Canadian flag, and the Olympic theme.
It's another reminder that a little effort can make a big difference.
I am always pleased to find opportunities to participate in helping to make my great community — even better.
— beulah
"When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure we carry in our hearts."
When you enter into a romantic relationship, it's an experience like none other.
Strolling together under a beautiful harvest moon along Parlee Beach at Shediac Cape, New Brunswick, it was then, I'm convinced, that Nels — my first and forever love — actually stole my heart in that moment of tender, loving embrace.
It was probably the fifth consecutive date of a 10 day whirlwind romance.
Time was of the essence, as Nels' departure date for returning West, was looming large before us. Waiting for each day to end so that we could be together once more, seemed agonizing.
We both were already realizing something special was taking place in our heart of hearts. The close of our romantic week came all too soon. A few days later, I received a bouquet of flowers with a note signed... "all my love."
Nels couldn't wait to confess what he was now feeling in his heart, so wired en route. The surety of my love became more certain during the next year as we exchanged correspondence. No direct emails, texting or reasonably priced phone calls.
Our relationship and desire deepened during our two-year long distanced courtship. We repeated our marriage vows to each other with confidence and disbelief, that at last, we were finally husband and wife.
Looking back on those early years as we began creating our world together — thousands of miles separating me from my family and friends — I still have a heart of gratitude for my gentle, sensitive and caring partner, who patiently dried those many tears of loneliness.
As time passes, romantic love takes on a different look. Wanting to be faithful to our solid, uncompromising commitment to each other, allowed us to be confident and comfortable in each other's love. We relied on each other, yet felt a freedom to be our independent selves, encouraging each other along our spiritual journey as well.
Nels' Valentine's gifts to me, besides a romantic card, were usually flowers or chocolates. He learned early on that I didn't crave expensive jewellery, but, like Emma Goldman says, "I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."
However, during a vacation to Florence, Italy, in later years, Nels surprised me with the purchase of a beautiful leather coat from the Peruzzi Leather Shop, saying, "This will help make up for all those special occasions when I couldn't afford a worthy gift." Just another example of Nels' selfless love.
To love and be loved is a wonderful thing, but the greatest love there is, comes from our Heavenly Father. Recently, while attending a ladies' Valentine brunch, the soloist reminded us of the great Lover of our Soul. She sang the song entitled, Written in Red, composed by Gordon Jensen, 1984 Word Music.
Here are a few of those words:
In letters of crimson, God wrote His love,
On the hillside so long, long ago;
For you and for me Jesus died,
And love's greatest story was told.
I love you, I love you,
That's what Calvary said;
I love you, I love you, I love you, written in Red.
Choosing to embrace that LOVE is our choice.
— beulah
"The family — We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together."
— Erma Bombeck
Believing strong families are essential to society is perhaps why our Premier Christy Clark proclaimed the second Monday in February as our B.C. Family Day Holiday.
In our busy lives, we too often, take our families for granted. You've heard the cliche... "Families that 'play' or 'pray' together, stay together."
Having been born into a large family and marrying a spouse with an even larger one, I have been engrossed in a world of kinfolk.
A study was done regarding families, by Marshall Duke, a psychologist at Emory University, in the mid 1990s. He found that children who have the most self-confidence, have a strong intergenerational self. They know that they belong to something bigger than themselves.
Passing on family traditions conveys a sense of history as new chapters are added to their life stories. Outward appearance of families is changing in the 21st century, and so are the morals being taught. Whether a part of a biological family or otherwise, sharing unconditional love is what's important.
Families can be complicated. Unfortunately deep hurts can spoil relationships. I was blessed to be born into a traditional family open to life, and was taught God-given truths about the importance of faith, love and family. Values such as: respect for others, forgiveness, respect for the property of others, a strong work ethic, telling the truth and, showing love, empathy and kindness towards others.
Many of these values are laid down in the Bible's Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), which I believe, are somehow written upon the human heart. Those who have not grown up in a traditional family have had to learn values, often the hard way. I am confident, though, there are many parents teaching their children traditional values, just like my parents taught me.
As these values become an integral part of our character, and as we pass them on to others, we are helping future generations with God-given tools, necessary for a better tomorrow.
Barbara Bush has been quoted as saying, "To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there."
This was the picture of our family recently, as 11 of us (five absent for various reasons), gathered for the second Family Day weekend at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Vancouver. As the matriarch of our family, I was showered with love and attention, as together, we celebrated my birthday.
Our weekend, beautifully summed up with these words, appearing on a card from Marian, a special member of our extended family: "Life is a beautiful tapestry — a patchwork of stories filled with laughter, smiles, and the wonderful memories we keep in our hearts forever."
"Family is not an important thing. It's everything."
— Michael J. Fox
"There's only one day the whole long year, that I hope and pray the sun won't appear.
"The second of February, you all know, the groundhog goes searching for his shadow. If he should find it, the story is told, we'll have six more weeks of winter's cold.
But if it's cloudy, his shadow's not there. There'll soon be warm weather and dry days fair. So please, sun, for just this one day, find a big dark cloud and stay away."
As folklore suggests, the groundhog is suppose to determine whether or not we are blessed with an early spring. However, the National Climatic Data Centre has confirmed the groundhog has shown very little talent in recent years, in giving a "prophetic" word regarding spring's arrival.
Of course, it's all in fun, as God is the only one who knows the future. Groundhog Day has held a special significance for me ever since our second daughter, Deborah Lynne, became a part of our family on another Groundhog Day, those many years ago (just how many, I dare not reveal).
Joining her awaiting sister, Karen Joy, Nels and I soon realized we had been given a "double dose of JOY."
Together, recently sharing another birthday, I found myself wondering again, "where have the years gone?"
Now, they both are beautiful, accomplished women, but it matters not how old my daughters become — they will always be "my little girls."
Mother's Covers
When you were small and just a touch away,
I covered you with blankets against the cool night air,
But now that you are tall, and out of reach,
I fold my hands and cover you with prayer.
— Source Unknown
"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."
— Mark Twain
— beulah
In every generation we hear mothers admonishing their kids to "clean up their messy rooms."
Very early in life I heard, "A place for everything, and everything in its place." There may be more to that request than we might think.
A study done by the American Demographic Society found that Americans spend 9 million hours looking for important items they have misplaced, mainly because they are not tidy and organized in their daily lives.
As Canadians we probably would not rate any better. I'm all for being tidy and organized, and over the years I've worked hard to be just that.
I was fortunate to have a spouse that shared similar habits. I have often wondered if relationships would be greatly enhanced if this was considered a necessary criteria.
Sometimes, though, we may find ourselves in a hectic lifestyle, living daily in a helter-skelter fashion. It makes sense then, that the busier we are, the greater the need to be organized, thus, making everyday tasks less stressful. That is simply being skillful in handling life.
Also, it is wise to pause occasionally to consider who, or what, is in control of my life — dictating how I live. Do I have clutter in my life, keeping me from being free to be me?
Our prosperous lifestyle has enabled many in this, our now generation, to accumulate things, often, perhaps, with the mind-set, "he who has the most toys wins."
When changing residences, I've heard it is an excellent time to downsize. I have never heard anyone say, "I wish I had kept more stuff."
Much of what we accumulate in life isn't all that important anyway. I am reminded that "I brought nothing into this world and I can take nothing out of it." (1 Timothy 6:7)
Why do we hold on to possessions? Jesus said, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12: 15)
With spring just around the corner, I'm hoping for an extra, large dose of inspiration — to begin my downsizing, passing along a few of those treasures I've accumulated and thought I needed (wanted). It could feel very "freeing" and may bless someone who is less fortunate, in the process.
— beulah
