Essay's and Short Stories

• LISTENING...  But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
• AFFECTION...  Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
• LAUGHTER...  Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
• A WRITTEN NOTE...  It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
• A COMPLIMENT...  A simple and sincere, "You look great in red" "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
• A FAVOR...  Whenever there is the chance, share a small random act of kindness.
• SOLITUDE...  There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times, and give the gift of solitude to others.
• A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION...  The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone. It's as easy as saying hello or thank you.

Author Unknown

"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what
peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without
surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to
others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their
story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations
to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may

The River of Life
By Starhawk

Once a people lived along the banks of the river of life.

The river of life is a river of sweet water, that awakens the seeds of spring and nourishes all growing things. The river of life is a storm wind, blowing fresh across the earth. The river of life is the deep molten fire that shakes the continents.

And the people should have had all they needed for happiness and joy, But they were plagued by a terrible monster, the triple-headed monster of Greed, Hate, and War.

I haven't made any secret of bountifully filled nature of my calendar during the last week. Chaotic doesn't sound very enlightening or fulfilling - yet that is a bit what these days have felt like when I look underneath the camouflage cover of "Don't Say That!"

Yet when I let my eyes go a bit deeper under the veil and breathe in, deeply - I find peace.

Peace in creating my Possibility List for tomorrow - so I can have it printed out and ready before I go to rehearsal this afternoon.