More than she knows....

If only for a moment our children could see how we see them, how others see them....they would feel, see and accomplish miraculous things, their fears would become non-existant!

Staring through the rain,

Annabelle Becker sees sunshine,

where others can only imagine darkness.

She dreams of powerful music

to ease her through life's open doors,

As she rides a carousel elephant,

among the star showers in her head.

She dreams of bigger places

than her hometown,

She knows not what takes her there,

just that she doesn't stay here.

There's something out there,

in the shadows of her path,

She's destined to discover.

Annabelle can fly beyond

the worlds vision

Painting or playing...

   -the unseen

   -the unheard

   -the unimaginable

She's the girl in the mirror,

The confident reflection,

of her own perfection.

The one every girl secretly

wants to be like.

Her wings have broken the cocoon.

She's the girl that doesn't know

her own value,

The one that will inspire and amaze this world

with her talent,

If she'll just stop, close her eyes

and see! 

Sandra Murdoch-Becker

Copyright October 8, 2015 

Summer's Gone

Summer vacation here & gone

   not enough time...

      for layin' in the sun,

         watching clouds breeze by,

             or chasin' fire flies.

Another school year crept up too fast.

My kids,
growing and moving at the speed of light.
My eyes & brain unable to fathom
their yearly transformations.

They're excited, nervous, anxious

moving up a grade, new school, college bound.

Yet, if they only knew

that I feel the same...

for them, not me, as they face the new year.

Tears well up in my eyes as they start this yearly journey

   new friends, old friends, maybe an enemy

      teachers and classes, some they love, some not so much.

Homework, quizzes & tests, papers & projects.

Hopeful they'll cope, scared they'll choke.

Pacing and waiting for their day to end...

"How did it go?"

"Did you ace your test?"

My worry usually proven unnecessary

    but occasionally perfectly warranted.

I will stress away the year,

     things will end exactly as they should.

Everyone will have grown,

       I will have aged, too much.

Next thing you know another summer break,

    around the corner.

The process inevitable!

Farewell to Bri

fare·well

ˌferˈwel/

exclamation

exclamation: farewell

1.

used to express good wishes on parting.

(NOT Goodbye)

"Some people live more in twenty years than others do in Eighty. It's not the time that matters but the PERSON."
                         ~ The Doctor


     I scribbled a thousand thoughts on paper, rearranged them, crossed them out and wrote more...none of them were adequate. There are not enough adjectives in the languages of the world, not enough musical notes, song lyrics, church hymns, or Dr. Who Quotes to appropriately describe Brianna Lynn.

     Brianna IS a daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, girlfriend, friend, a child of God....even in death this remains. Her love, our love does not waiver.  She exists for all of us, forever....that bright beautiful soul is here, always.  The truest form of Brianna never dies.  Let her bring you peace.  She will blow your tears dry.  She will listen when you call. She will touch you gently when you need it.  She will be your protector.  She will give you courage. Feel it?  BELIEVE, have FAITH! She is forever the light in our darkness.  Our souls are pure energy. Energy has no beginning and no end. It can never be destroyed. It just changes form. She is all the stars in the sky, the lightening in the storm, the moon peaking through the clouds, the beauty of a rainbow, the dancing of a butterfly in flight, and the sunshine when you need it most.

     Brianna was excellent at keeping us on our toes - high alert status!  She carried that stubbornness with grace! Always ready for the fight, always getting her way. However, she would turn in a heartbeat and give anything you needed...the shirt from her back, the shoes from her feet, a much needed hug and OH, that smile or the one raised brow smirk! She was fun, artsy, goofy and loved to laugh. She was kindness; she was beauty in every sense of the word - but especially from the heart! She loved fiercely...her friends, her animals, her man, her family!

     But...God had a plan - it wasn't ours. No preparation...we deny, we get angry, we mourn, we regret, we question with the "What if's?". We wonder with the "I should have's?". We know though...none of it would have changed anything. Now we have moments of her life to keep us company, to keep her close. Pictures on paper, memories in the mind...we can hear her laughter, her tears, her joy, her anger, her voice; we can feel her love. That will never fade.  I am comforted by the last memory I have of Bri. I can stand at my kitchen window, whenever I want, I can look into my backyard and I can see her sitting with Jason, holding hands, smiling.  I will have that forever. She may have left this world, but know that she left us happy! These moments in her life, that are a part of our lives, is what we will cherish, hold dearest in our hearts, in the depths of our Souls. Then, when our time is here, we will have that reunion, a new moment with Brianna in heavenly eternity (where she is more than likely running the show)!

"Realize deeply, that the present moment is all you ever have!" ~ Eckhart Tolle 

 

Thirteen

I wrote this 4 years ago when Annabelle was graduating from 8th grade. Never typed it out.  I found it today folded up, scribbled on wide rule lined paper shoved in a box. As she finishes her last day of High School today, it couldn't have been a stronger sign telling me to put it out there....

She's thirteen going on twenty,

Doesn't have a need for her Mother.

She thinks she's in control.

Got it all covered now,

Boys, friends, school...

She knows it all.

My Baby isn't a baby any more,

She's heading for the stars,

Zooming beyond the moon,

Breaking her Mother's heart,

But making her so proud.

She's dancing through life

on a silver lined cloud.

Social butterfly, wings spread wide,

Artist, musician, athlete.

Running every direction...

Totally cool (unlike me)! 

Moving at the speed of light.

No time to look back.

Dominating this game called life.

In a camera's flash...

Leaving behind stories and memories

in her dust.

Searching....

         


          As a parent with a house full of kids, I often wonder what the heck I am doing!  Really.  I do. I have to literally stop in my tracks and realize that my frustration is adding to the kids frustration, that is in turn just totally ticking me off and making everything worse. So, I'm searching...for joy and happiness and love and laughter, now, in all the simple moments.  I am trying to make every effort possible to remove the negative, the frustration, the anger and just find the happy.  See, if I'm happy, the kids are happy.  There is way too much worry and intensity is this little, overcrowded, chaotic house of ours.  We need more laughter! Search for, find and remember the fun! Hysterical laughter helps too!

Charity

Sometimes we are the receiver.  Sometimes we are the giver.  Either way, it brings happiness, joy and love!

           The definition of charitable or charity do not really need explanation.  The thing that needs explaining is how the needs of others should NEVER be questioned or judged.  What one is in need of may seem unnecessary to you or I, but it isn't our need.  If you don't feel a giving heart for that cause, then don't give.  It is not ours to say if someone else should give. It is that simple. We all have our own causes and our own need.  Be passionate about yours, don't bring judgement to another.  The power of social media has given us all an opportunity to spread good will in our community and across the globe.  Take advantage of it! Giving a dollar or even a benevolent smile can change the world, don't think for a second that it doesn't make a difference. It does! It gives opportunity and encouragement where there was none. 

           Don't be ashamed of charity offered to you or having to ask for it.  That is what we are all here for. To give and to receive. It's a fairly simple, commonsensical concept. Get it out of your head that you're too good to receive it, just be grateful for the blessing. Get it out of your head that you don't need to give, it hardens the heart. Being stubborn or greedy will get you nowhere in life.

"When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is BLESSED." 

~ Maya Angelou ~

The Optimist's Creed

The Optimist's Creed, originally published as Promise Yourself, was written in 1912 by Christian D. Larson, appearing in his book Your Forces and How to Use Them. Larson was an influential New Thought Leader. His Creed has been inspirational for many.

Read it.

Memorize it.

Live it.

Transform.