Annette Camp's Blog, page 17

21 Days of Gratitude: Day 2

Today I'm celebrating all kinds of love - the hugs from a family member, an "I love you" from your best friend, a smile from your roommate in the morning, the laughter of your co-workers, doctors with just the right bedside manners, and nice customers at the end of the phone such as the one I spoke to today from www.annetteonline.com (who would've known) all that oozing love lol....May your life be filled with the love of family, friends, roommates, co-workers, doctors, customers and/or romance. Long live love!


Silent EmbraceBy: Annette Thomas

The silence
Extinguishing words
Yet communicating
The enjoyment of the moment
The stillness of time
The melting of heart
The release of love
The embrace - ah!

21 Days of Gratitude: Day 1

I made the decision when I woke up this morning that I was going to spend the next 21 days celebrating and remembering all the love I've seen in my life and not focus on the love I've lost. And boy has the day been amazing! I have seen so much fun, love, life and laughter today since I made the decision to start looking for it. Today I celebrate a time filled with love. Each day I will post a poem and remember a time filled with the wonderful bliss of love! May your life be filled with the love of family, friends, and/or romance. Long live love!
 
The Love I Giveby: Annette Thomas Reach out to melike the sunrisedisperses beauty. Wrap around andsurround me likethe land does themajestic lake. Hold on to me like the leaf does to its branch.

It Hurts As Much As I Loved

It Hurts As Much As I Loved
By Annette Thomas


I continue to hear
move on there'll be...
another, but they
do not realize that
I loved her with
every fiber of my
being. And that now
I cry myself to sleep
at night because I hurt
as much as I loved.


Yes I will survive
but right now I hurt,
just as I loved, with
every breath I take.
As the stars fill the
sky, so do these
tears fill my eyes.
The pain is great
because I hurt as
much as I loved.


I shared with her
more than a bed.
I shared with her
my soul, my inner
thoughts and feelings,
things I've never
shared with another.
Intimacy at its core.
So Yes it hurts. I
hurt, as much as
I loved. It hurts.

Scared and speechless

I've found that euphoric feeling again, but will it develop into something more than friendship? I so want a lifetime of this...
SpeechlessBy: Annette Thomas
My head out there but My heart on the loose Whispering the things She had the courage to say.
How do I start to process this?Discovery of common interests, Belief, values, as well as spiritual Perceptions and academic concepts.
Intellectual compatibility.Stimulating conversations.Uncontrollable laughter.Emotional depth.
Inescapable connection.Euphoric feelings.Picture perfect vulnerability.Speechless.

The heart is going to feel what the heart is going to feel...and "A mind that is stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

The Elephant in the Room

I have not written an inspired poem since Feb of 2013, but now I write again:



The Elephant in the Room
by: Annette Thomas

Afraid to admit seeing her 
before, I can deny her no
more. She is big and strong.

Yet, at the same time, 
she is beautiful, gentle,
mesmerizing and peaceful.

She appears radiantly
huggable as she purrs,
whistles and rumbles.

The fact remains also that
she is of an endangered
and vulnerable species.

She must be protected,
cared her and nurtured,
not just admired.

Complete Happiness

As I look around now, I see a beautiful lake to the right with the sun shimmering off it. I see beautiful blue skies with white clouds. I see boats on the water, skiers and fishermen. I see people sitting on the grass and talking, with babies babbling, and people in lawn chairs laughing. They all, every single one of them, are smiling. Why? It could be because of the beautiful surroundings, nice breeze or the company they are keeping. I would imagine though that somewhere within each of them lies the central key: joy! The smiles are a sign of their complete happiness.

Henry Miller once said, "The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself."

Today, when reading "Life is a Verb," by Patti Digh, I was encouraged to go into a nearby park and find a leaf or rock. I found the most amazing rock. This rock was extremely special. After looking at it, I found a perfectly unique "I" indented in it with a great spot below it to add additional lettering. It also sits at an almost perfect right angle. Like if was meant to be displayed (photo coming soon).

I am thinking that it would be great to add the words "love nature" below the "I." However, then my mind wanders to "I love Spirit," and then "I love you." There are so many possibilities, like simply "I am..." and leave it up to my imagination. Today, today, I am happy!

I am changed

The Sky Fairy Flew Over
By: Annette Thomas

The Sky Fairy flew over today
and uttered not a word.
The distraction, however,
was very welcoming.

Focused on seeing the problem
and searching unsuccessfully
for a possible resolution
had me paralyzed.

I was failing to see the beauty
of everything around me -
the "green grass" on the other
side per se.

But was it a distraction?
Or was it a much needed
direction changer, forcing
me to "turn the other cheek?"

Whatever the answer;
I am very grateful to the
Sky Fairy. Once again
I am changed.

Tonight Spirit and I Connected

As soon as I stepped out of the car and headed to the park behind the church for the evening's spiritual book discussion/exchange, I spotted the most beautiful deer peacefully drinking from a puddle in the parking lot. He lifted his head briefly, as I snapped one photo after another of him. I felt somehow at peace with him and didn't want to forget this moment. (Those photos can be found here.) The deer eventually trotted off. So, I got out my book to discuss and waited for others to show up, but no one came.

Today, I was told by an old friend that he was diagnosed with bladder cancer and the book I had planned to share couldn't have been more appropriate. In the Prologue of the book, "Life is a verb," by Patti Digh, she asks the question "What would I do if I only had thirty-seven days to live?" It is an interesting question to ponder. How will I live my life between the gap of life and death?

There is a quote in the opening chapter that sums up the spiritual principle that I learned tonight. It is by Joyce Carol Oates and it reads in part, "...here, now, this very moment is sacred." The author states on page 8, "To live fully, you must be present in the biggest way possible." Buddha said, "If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly; our whole life would change."

So I decided to read  more from this book, "Life is a verb." When I reached page 18, there were some activities listed to complete. I'd like to share with you the insights I gained during these activities.  I was given the following instructions:

Put on some music and dance like a five-year-old for two minutes.Then get out your journal and write for three minutes (without pause, without raising your pen from the page or checking for spelling or grammar and all those other things that inhibit the flow of ideas) in response to the question: What brings me joy? After three minutes, read what you have written.  Now for three minutes, write a description of the dance that would best demonstrate that joy. Be as detailed as you can in describing the physicality of that dance. How would you move in the world to express that joy?Then write for two minutes on this question: What keeps me from dancing that dance?
After dancing to the song, "Keep Your Head Up," by Andy Grammer (the only song I have downloaded on my phone), I wrote the following responses:

What brings me joy? This place brings me joy - the crickets chirping, the squirrel jumping around, the deer smiling at me from afar. The lady asking me where the Labyrinth is that she had heard there was one. Apparently, she had not been here before because she asked if I were the pastor...oh me side note that's not what I really wanted to say oh yes it is. It brought me joy as no one else was here to share my thoughts with. No one to really see... (Time was up.)During my three minutes before I was supposed to read what I had written, I sat in silence and heard things I had not previously: the motorcycle roaring down the street, the honking horn, the children playing despite the mother saying, "Shut up," the birds in the sky singing, the rose bushes, the beautiful trees and gazebo, the moths and mosquitoes, the busy street in front, the barking dog, the car hood slamming down, and the fireworks. This all went through my mind. The only things I had mentioned were the things that brought me joy in that 3 minutes. How wonderful! (Times was up again.)How to move in a joyful dance? I would definitely glide along the ground beneath my feet knowing that I was on holy ground. I would sway my hands like the breeze travels through the trees. I would sing it in my head as not to disturb that moment of pure joy - of peace - of clarity about what is important - of what I want - of what I give & receive when living in that moment and know that if I... (Again the timer goes off)What keeps me from dancing that dance is an interesting question. I really don't know maybe not giving it the time it deserves like the air I breathe; though I would be so much happier today...today I will dance the dance of joy and remember this moment.
Shortly after this, I began putting away the chairs that I had scattered on the patio. However, before I left I wanted to take a few photos of the gardens at the church. Guess who reappeared when I came around the corner? Yes, the deer had made its way back to the field where the Labyrinth was behind the church. I was so happy to see him as he looked back at me.  Again, we shared a silent moment. I took a video this time.  (That video can be found here.)
Tonight, I drove home with my windows rolled down - taking in all the sights, the sounds and the smells as the wind rustled through my hair. I was living in the moment and mindful of the present opportunity to experience joy.  I continued to reflect on my time in Unity Park and the peace that I had experienced. I can't wait until Spirit and I connect again.

Playfulness?

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Do you take life too seriously or get caught up in day-to-day demands? I've have myself, even to the point of abandoning the very thing that soothes my soul - writing.  Not anymore. Not when there's bubble wrap to enjoy. LOL! So, I write...

The Water’s Playful DanceBy: Annette Thomas          The water playfullydances to nature’ssong as if no oneis watching.
Joyfully jumpingwhen the sun reachesfor her and thenbashfully turning awayas the breeze tries tokiss her.
Unaware of eyesgazing on, she swirlswith the excitementof an innocent child’sdress and continuesto playfully dance. 

Gentle?

What is it mean to be gentle? The dictionary states that being gentle is having a mild, controlled, calm nature or character; "not severe, rough, or violent." Common synonyms are: peaceful, soothing, mellow, pleasant, relaxed, patient, etc. You can probably think of someone with these charateristics. I know that I have in my life several people that fit that description. Gentleness is something that I look around for and admire. Who really wants grumpy, hostile, hateful, unkind, angry, and/or violent people in their lives? Yet, I have known people to treat themselves in such a manner. If you are such a person, STOP! You are worth more than that.  Be gentle with yourself. Love yourself. Know that people enjoy being around people that are kind, compassionate, tender and gentle. You can be that person.