Things will change:
you won’t feel this way forever.
And anyway, sometimes the hardest lessons
to learn are the ones your soul needs most.
I believe you can’t feel real joy
unless you’ve felt heartache.
You can’t have a sense of victory
unless you know what it means to fail.
Kelly Cutrone
We passed upon the stair,
we spoke of was and when
Although I wasn’t there,
he said I was his friend,
which came as some surprise
I spoke into his eyes
I thought you died alone
a long long time ago…
The Man Who Sold the World
I’m not a prophet or a stone aged man,
just a mortal with potential of a superman.
I’m living on.
Quicksand
I’m stepping through the door,
And I’m floating in a most peculiar way.
And the stars look very different today.
Space Oddity
I don’t know where I’m going from here,
but I know it won’t be boring.
comment on stage 1998 Madison Sq. Garden
I didn’t know the man, but I knew his art well. I was not a fan of everything he did, but have great respect for the spirit he did it with. Bowie’s work was innovative, creative, unusual and imaginative. He never stopped pushing the envelope. So rare…
Rest in peace David… thank you for all you gave us of yourself.
True happiness is to enjoy the present,
without anxious dependence upon the future,
not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears
but to rest satisfied with what we have,
which is sufficient,
for he that is so wants nothing.
The greatest blessings of mankind are within us
and within our reach.
A wise man is content with his lot,
whatever it may be,
without wishing for what he has not.
Seneca
I have learned over a period of time to be almost unconsciously grateful–as a child is–for a sunny day, blue water, flowers in a vase, a tree turning red. I have learned to be glad at dawn and when the sky is dark. Only children and a few spiritually evolved people are born to feel gratitude as naturally as they breathe, without even thinking. Most of us come to it step by painful step, to discover that gratitude is a form of acceptance. Faith Baldwin
1. Choose to love each other, even in those moments when you struggle to like each other. Love is a commitment, not a feeling.
2. Always answer the phone when your husband/wife is calling. When possible, try to keep your phone off when you’re together with your spouse.
3. Make time together a priority. Budget for a consistent date night. Time is the “currency of relationships,” so consistently invest time into your marriage.
4. Surround yourself with friends who will strengthen your marriage. Remove yourself from people who may tempt you to compromise your character.
5. Make laughter the soundtrack of your marriage. Share moments of joy. And even in the hard times, find reasons to laugh.
6. In every argument, remember that there won’t be a “winner” and a “loser.” You’re partners in everything so you’ll either win together or lose together. Work together to find a solution.
7. Realize that a strong marriage rarely has two strong people at the same time. It’s usually a husband and wife taking turns being strong for each other in the moments when the other feels weak.
8. Prioritize what happens in the bedroom. It takes more than sex to build a strong marriage, but it’s nearly impossible to build a strong marriage without it.
9. Remember that marriage isn’t 50/50 — divorce is 50/50. Marriage has to be 100/100. It’s not splitting everything in half, but both partners giving everything they’ve got.
10. Give your best to each other, not your leftovers after you’ve given your best to everyone else.
11. Learn from other people, but don’t feel the need to compare your life or your marriage to anyone else’s. God’s plan for your life is masterfully unique.
12. Don’t put your marriage on hold while you’re raising your kids or else you’ll end up with an empty nest and an empty marriage.
13. Never keep secrets from each other. Secrecy is the enemy of intimacy.
14. Never lie to each other. Lies break trust and trust is the foundation of a strong marriage.
15. When you’ve made a mistake, admit it and humbly seek forgiveness. You should be quick to say, “I was wrong. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
16. When your husband/wife breaks your trust, give them your forgiveness instantly. This will promote healing and create the opportunity for trust to be rebuilt. You should be quick to say, “I love you. I forgive you. Let’s move forward.”
17. Be patient with each other. Your spouse is always more important than your schedule.
18. Model the kind of marriage that will make your sons want to grow up to be good husbands, and your daughters want to grow up to be good wives.
19. Be your spouse’s biggest encourager, not his/her biggest critic. Be the one who wipes away their tears, not the one who causes them.
20. Never talk badly about your spouse to other people or vent about them online. Protect your spouse at all times and in all places.
21. Always wear your wedding ring. It will remind you that you’re always connected to your spouse and will remind the rest of the world that you’re off limits.
22. Connect into a community of faith. A good church can make a world of difference in your marriage and family.
23. Pray together. Every marriage is stronger with God in the middle of it.
24. When you have to choose between saying nothing or saying something mean to your spouse, say nothing every time.
25. Never consider divorce as an option. Remember that a “perfect marriage” is just two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yourtango/25-pieces-of-spot-on-marriage-advice_b_8917732.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063
This article originally appeared on YourTango.
To be fully seen by somebody,
then, and be loved anyhow –
this is a human offering
that can border on miraculous.
Elizabeth Gilbert
My wishes for us all in this New Year were found right in front of my nose on my fireplace hearth:
“Peace Stone” – A gift from a friend who had many times heard my answer to the question, “What do you wish for most?”.
“Hope Stone” – Given to me when I was going through a very difficult time by a loved one. The present helped a lot.
“God Is Love” – From a recovery friend who inscribed the stone and gifted it to me on one of my anniversaries in Codependents Anonymous. He remembered me sharing how this phrase got me through an extraordinarily tough time.
Heart votive candle holder – Found at an estate sale and a reminder to keep my heart stronger that my thoughts.
Dark round rock – Memento from an inspiring and life altering sabbatical.
White rock – From the mountains of Alabama where I grew up. A reminder of my humble roots and to not “get too big for my britches” as was often said to me growing up.
I wish you peace and hope with the memory that God is love. May you hold memories strong in your heart of the joy and happiness you have felt and the pain and grief that taught you. And may you never forget where you came from.
It’s being here now that’s important.
There’s no past and there’s no future.
Time is a very misleading thing.
All there is ever, is the now.
We can gain experience from the past,
but we can’t relive it;
and we can hope for the future,
but we don’t know if there is one.
George Harrison
Good Morning Gratitude 