Tag: life

Wish You Were Here

Reeds

So long you’ve been gone

It seems like just yesterday

When will my heart heal?

Oh how I wish you were here

To be together again

I wrote this eight years ago, eight months after my wife of forty two years passed away. I still think about her, and miss her, every day.

Grief isn’t something that goes away. It’s something you learn to live with. It’s a constant companion. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

I used to worry that I was still grieving. But the gap created in your life with the passing of a dear loved one cannot be filled. It’s always there. You just learn to negotiate it.

And when the grief suddenly flares up, as it will, now and then, that’s okay too. The sudden memory, finding an old photo, a useless trinket obtained together when love made you silly, the wish that they were here. They all evoke memories that can bring tears. Let them flow. There’s nothing wrong with that.

It’s just proof that love is forever.

Love Never Fails

I know what you know.
I’m lacking perfection.
But I can still love.

Love conquers all things.
Love can keep us together.
Love never will fail.

Though seasons may pass,
And hair recedes or whitens.
Hearts grow more entwined.

Along life’s valleys,
Over mountains of worry,
Companionship thrives.

Till death us do part,
Or longer, if possible,
To share all our dreams.

That was the original poem I wrote in 2013. But just a few years later, I had to rewrite the last verse.

Till death did us part
But the dream still remains
To be lived all alone.

Respect

What’s the most underrated life skill?

Lions Spending Time Together

Treating others with respect is so basic it’s hardly even recognised as a life skill, by many.

Respect includes the way we speak, the way we act, the way we react, and the way we listen.

Too many people, today, feel that respect only goes one way – towards them. They feel that everyone should respect them while they have no such responsibility towards others. It’s seen in examples such as road rage, queue jumping, and aggressive behaviour. And yet, with mutual respect, all these attitudes become extinct.

So, what’s the most underrated life skill? Mutual respect. And we do well to practice it at every opportunity.

If only everyone . . .

What’s a personal mantra or philosophy you live by?

Do to others what you want them to do to you.

Take a Deep Breath – It Will Improve Your Vision

Trecco Bay Sunset

A colleague once offered a very interesting observation on life. There are at least three sides to every story: There is your view, there is my view, and there is the truth, usually found somewhere in between.

I like the idea. Too many complications come from misunderstandings. People have been killed because of seeing things from different perspectives. So how can we simplify our lives in our interactions with other people?

Continue reading “Take a Deep Breath – It Will Improve Your Vision”