I have seen the bluest skies, rainbow's that would make you cry.I have seen miracles that moved my soul. I have seen the brightest starts shine like diamonds in the dark....
But I have never seen a smile as beautiful as yours
"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."
Happiness is a form of courage. ~Holbrook Jackson
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~Robert Brault
It isn't the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it. ~Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994
All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. ~Oscar Wilde
"Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild." ~Welsh Proverb
“Most look up and admire the stars. A champion climbs a mountain and grabs one.â€
Some pursue happiness, others create it. ~Author Unknown
Each moment is a place you've never been. ~Mark Strand
"Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you're up to."
"Never be afraid to sit awhile and think." ~Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun
Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon. ~Dag Hammarskjold
A grandmother is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend. ~Author Unknown
“Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the braveâ€
The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else.
"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." -- Sigmund Freud
I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship. ~Louisa May Alcott
"I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." Christopher Reeve
"Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life."
If the pumpkin fits, wear it.
Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.-- Albert Camus
"Love is a condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own." - Robert Heinlein
"In what terms should we think of these beings, nonhuman yet possessing so very many human-like characteristics? How should we treat them? Surely we should treat them with the same consideration and kindness as we show to other humans; and as we recognize human rights, so too should we recognize the rights of the great apes? Yes." - Jane Goodall
“My mission is to create a world where we can live in harmony with nature,†-Jane Goodall
Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad. ~ Anonymous
A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart. -Author Unknown
Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. ~Marion C. Garretty
“When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be thereâ€
It is essential to our well-being, and to our lives, that we play and enjoy life. Every single day do something that makes your heart sing. -Marcia Wieder
Half A Heart
It’s a beautiful day up in heaven. Jesus is rounding up his tiniest angels, to go live on earth, and be born.
One of the sweetest angel says to Jesus "I don’t want to leave, I like it here, and I will miss you". He reassures the scared little angel that everything will be okay, and that she is just going for a visit.
She is still not swayed on this idea. So Jesus kneels down, and says, "How about if you leave half of your heart here with me and take the other half with you, will that be okay?"
The angel smiles and says, "I guess that will work".
But the little angel is still a little scared. She asks, "Will I be okay with only half of my heart?" Jesus replies, "Of course you will, I have other angels there that will help out, and you will be fine."
Then Jesus gives the angel more details about his plan. He says "When you are born, your mommy will be scared, so you have to be strong, and when you feel weak just remember that I have the other half of your heart". "Enjoy your time with your family, play and laugh everyday."
"And when its time to come back to heaven, I will make your heart whole again. Always remember that you are not broken, just torn between two loves."
Dylan's First Year
What a year its been.....
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. -- Buddha
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. -- Anonymous
Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever...-- Isak Dinesen
Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.
--Helen Keller
Celebrating Holland (Follow up to Welcome to Holland) - Emily Perl Kingsley
I have been in Holland for over a decade now. It has become home. I have had time to catch my breath, to settle and adjust, to accept something different than I'd planned.I reflect back on those years of past when I had first landed in Holland. I remember clearly my shock, my fear, my anger, the pain and uncertainty. Inthose first few years, I tried to get back to Italy as planned, but Holland was where I was to stay. Today, I can say how far I have come on this unexpected journey. I have learned so much more. But, this too has been a journey of time.
I worked hard. I bought new guidebooks. I learned a new language and I slowly found my way around this new land. I have met others whose plans had changed like mine, and who could share my experience. We supported one another and some have become very special friends.
Some of these fellow travelers had been in Holland longer than I and were seasoned guides, assisting me along the way. Many have encouraged me. Many have taught me to open my eyes to the wonder and gifts to behold in this new land. I have discovered a community of caring. Holland wasn't so bad.
I think that Holland is used to wayward travelers like me and grew to become a land of hospitality, reaching out to welcome, to assist and to support newcomers like me in this new land. Over the years, I've wondered what life would have been like if I'd landed in Italy as planned. Would life have been easier? Would it have been as rewarding? Would I have learned some of the important lessons I hold today?
Sure, this journey has been more challenging and at times I would (and still do) stomp my feet and cry out in frustration and protest. And, yes, Holland is slower paced than Italy and less flashy than Italy, but this too has been an unexpected gift. I have learned to slow down in ways too and look closer at things, with a new appreciation for the remarkable beauty of Holland with its tulips, windmills and Rembrandts.
I have come to love Holland and call it Home.
I have become a world traveler and discovered that it doesn't matter where you land. What's more important is what you make of your journey and how you see and enjoy the very special, the very lovely, things that Holland, or any land, has to offer.
Yes, over a decade ago I landed in a place I hadn't planned. Yet I am thankful, for this destination has been richer than I could have imagined!