A Continuation of Reflections

The Guest House This being human is a guest house Every Morning a new arrival A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes As an unexpected visitor Welcome and entertain them all Even if they are a crowd of sorrows Who violently sweep your house Of its furniture, Still, treat each guest honourably He may be clearing you out For some new delight The dark thought, the shame, the malice, Meet them at the door laughing, And invite them in. Be grateful for whatever comes, Because each has been sent As a guide from beyond Rumi  Brian's facebook. 30/6/2013

Answer the questions,respond to the statements. How good am I at ... Accepting self and others Attention to process not goals Believing in self and others Better relationships Confidence courage Decreasing attention to the unsuccessful events in life ,full attention on achievements. Departing from old habits, beliefs,behaviour. Encouraging self and others to focus on the profits rather than the losses. F I am adaptable and able to be true to myself..I can dance to the music. Give up..this is me ! Growing with family,work,friends,community.

1 a wagtail,black and white in a green apple tree. Two pairs of blackbirds out in the rain. A thrush on a tree branch in the drive. A wild duck coming out of the big puddle by the road where the tree blew down A sandpiper calling up high Pheasants A partridge A blue tit at the new nesting box A bullfinch among the snowdrops A robin who does not live here Gulls on the field Peewit ditto Two snipe flying with long darning needle bills A woodpecker drilling in the wood above the road Two field fares with blue heads I think Wood pigeons observed by the ruined doo'cote Crows flying. all singing and making a great to do,for its spring whatever the calender says. Perth 1993 A poem for Helen John.

We must always cherish the past..the dead! people can survive catastrophe ,we now have to re-discover in ourselves and in our children those civilised qualities,feelings ,ideas and convictions that have been too long subdued repressed and distorted, this will only happen if every individual takes it upon him/herself to think what it means to try to be free, it is difficult  and necessary. I think we can do it.

1. To Know -  this is the voice of your inner wisdom, it is a knowledge that cannot be learned ,like school,it has to be lived or experienced. 2. To Dare - Audacity is a good thing, combined with the other powers. Think, or make a list of reasons why you want to do a particular spell. Have you tried every mundane way of getting the particular goal you have? Do you really need to do the spell? If you answered "Yes" to all of that, then it's time to craft your spell. If you have any doubts or apprehension, it will wreck the spell, so don't bother until you know exactly why you're going to do your spell. Be crystal clear in your own mind why you know a spell will achieve the result you require. Using your visualization skills, picture exactly what you want the outcome to be. 3. To Will - this is what keeps you on the path fending off the thousands and one distractions that can take you away from it.   4. To Keep Silent -remain silent until the magic is done? To revea...

Imagination is more important that knowledge---Albert Einstein. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this life-Lucille ball! It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare,it is because we do not dare, things are difficult. MONEY IS God in action-Raymond Charles Barker. The more we learn to operate in the world based on trust in our intuition the stronger our channel will be and the more money we will have.  Shakti Gawain Money will come when you are doing the right things. Mike Philips. Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied,and even joyous. That has more effect on economic well being than any other single factor. Paul Hawker. I value myself enough to realise that my personal morality is a bench that demands to be followed. anon expectations are like girdles, we probably should have discarded them years ago. anon God made time and he made plenty of it! When feeling afraid...

"It is impossible for us to break the law, we can only break ourselves against the law" Cecil B De Mille. Be one of the best of your race. Be useful. be proud.Scott Fitzgerald. Integrity The quality of being unimpaired. Soundness. Dignity- the state or quality of being worthy. Highest leadership principals win-win    and interdependency High on individual- high on team. constitutional principals fairness kindness dignity charity integrity honesty service patience.

" I think you will find there is room for us all" "if you are in a minority of one- the truth is still the truth" "I am prepared to die for this cause" there is no cause I am prepared to kill for" "They may torture my body , even kill me,what have they got? My dead body. NOT my obedience. Mrs Gandhi " my didnity comes from following my husband" " do you fight to change things or do you fight to punish" " no goodbyes for us Charlie,you are always in my heart" "SEVEN THINGS THAT WILL DESTROY US" Wealth without work Pleasure without conscience Knowledge without character Commerce without morality Science without humanity Religion without sacrifice Politics without principal. amen to this H C. "To gain Independence  ,we must prove we are worthy of it" "when I despair I try to remember that all through history .The way of truth and love have always won" ...

I am a survivor of a concentration camp.My eyes have seen what no person should witness. Gas chambers made by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Woman and babies shot and killed by high school and college graduates. So I am suspicious of education, my request is-help your students to be human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths,or educated Eichmanns. Reading and writing and spelling and history and arithmetic are only important if they serve to make our students human. We teach everything in the world to people except the most essential thing " that is..life" Counsellors can teach people about life,love , self respect,relaxation, having fun,patience kindness,standing up for themselves,challenging others and being ALIVE. Counsellors can value the humanness of each student. H C

"Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars" "More heart then energy More courage than strength" Richard Pryor "Do not fear the mistakes, there are none" Miles Davis "Life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage" Anais Nin Bless and benefit! "Someone started to listen to me,and they seemed to savour my words.they didn't agree or disagree,they were just listening.and I felt as if they were seeing how I saw the world,and in that process I found myself listening to myself." "Quality begins with me" Memory- imagination. Past-future. If you cease expecting,you have all things! "People are not here to meet my expectations" You are unlimited! Namaste - true meaning  = I honour the place in you ,where the entire universe resides ,if we are there together,we are one!

Stedman 5005- 3 hours 40 minutes. On 25 th September the ring was dedicated to me as it was my birthday and I was guardian of the bell tower at that time. you can hear a bit of the ring on utube.( not my birthday one sadly)

A giant is someone who remember that we are all sitting on the shoulders of others.Often invisible people. Cultivate the habit of saying "thank you" Viktor Frankl. In my mind I took bus rides,unlocked the front door of my apartment, answered the telephone,switched on the electric lights, our thought often centred on such detail and these moments could move us to tears. concentration camp survivor. Be thankful -go back and think people you did not thank at the time. Think of all the things that your parents did for you. who else? Albert Einstein "Find way to give in return" A hundred time a day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depends on the labours of other folk, living and dead,and that I must exert myself in order to give back the full measure I have received and am still receiving. As your awareness of the riches available to you in your every day life grows, you are on your way to be the laughing buddha, Life is joyous Life...

In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful,but gratefulness that makes us happy. Brother David Steindl=Rasi. Poor people are sometimes more grateful that the people who have material wealth. When we focus on abundance our life feels abundant. When we focus on lack,our live feel lacking. It is simply a matter of focus. We cannot be in denial about he abundance in our life. We must acknowledge and deal with our pain. We must acknowledge and embrace our abundance. Remember we are not victims. it is not that beauty does not exist in the world,it's that we seldom seem to notice it. Start celebrating the riches of your life. Bring back rituals  ,for example,give thanks! In India the twice daily acts of Puja is a reminder to live gladly. Have gratitude friends, ( people who talk about the joy of their lives) and gratitude groups too.(Inside Edge) 150 people met for breakfast and shared the beauty and goodness and gratitude in t...

Enthusiasm ( enthus) the god within ,the spark lights the candle which illuminates the path The Power of our children! 15th December 2000 Ennis. I was walking down O'Connell Street in Ennis enjoying the Christmas buzz  and I was surprised to hear my mobile phone ringing. The mobile phone was a new thing and it did not often ring.  I answered it expecting it to be John ,checking in, wondering where I was. I heard Andrew's voice " hello mum" What a wonderful surprise,it was one of those moments when everything slows down, you become aware of everything going on around you , even what you are wearing. In my case a long green woollen coat bought at the Blarney Woollen Mill in Dublin, and a red and while scarf that I  had knitted for the Christmas season. Several people stopped me and said how festive it looked. The sky was blue and the winter sun was shining, people were chattering all around me, three woman passed me laid - en with parcels ,and one women pa...

The Rock your name fits you well you were the safe foundation for my growth you radiated warmth love and acceptance how could I fail to blossom and grow? you allowed me to cling and get close you let me run away and didn't count the cost. From you there is encouragement I can rest in your love I can bring out my dreams and start to believe because you believe there is nothing I can't achieve. I trust you completely I feel safe since I met you I have a deeper faith. H C

Cats are not dogs or hogs they are cats purring cats furry cats black cats snowy cats cats start as kittens cats have paws for their mittens they have whiskers and sometimes,sisters they have tails, but not snails, they don't have tails. if from the Isle of Man they come, they tails they have none. H C

You sit there a happy shrew with generations of experience taming creative talent, freedon=joy your persistant cry telling me my only worth is work,and work well done. i disobeyed and got away with it once and smiling at the memory I know you've lost your power time for me to be me and smily again as you fall off your perch Emir Kelly

 Helen  Encourages  Loves  Enables  Nurtures Random words to make a poem from. Flamingos-sunshine-hope-eloquent-harmony-lullaby! Walking in the sunshine I see Flamingos take flight It gives me hope. I feel eloquent, I expand Sing a lullaby To the harmony of nature. HC

A poem we wrote together .... Ruth Helen Nuala Brid Sheilagh...guided by Ruth .Earth is mother to me rich brown fertile feeds the masses what keeps me grounded everyday my home,my family,my blue green planet, my love. my heart, my nourishing benefactor my life. Fire is so, so dangerous. beware. it will lick your face with flame it will dance with you overwhelming a turf fire is beautiful in wintertime enjoy the flame. Water is azure blue kills my thirst beautiful to bathe in, I feel great whenever it touches me, cascading over my body.. it invigorates me! water is life. Air is pure and life giving we die when we stop breathing air, but the air never dies cannot be confines,goes on,and on.. air is energy and refreshes us air is libra balance fairness scales, air,essential to life without it we die. Ruth's woman's  group...Thursday 17th June 2004 Spancilhill Co clare.

a poem for Susan and Helen by Clo Track the tacking of a wedding dress from a grey winter Glasgow to a red venture to the outback along a Rockie mountain rail road Keeping in touch ,keeping track Across datelines and time zones The Songlines get sung down Long distance phone lines Sun up,sun down, Speaking in twilight Dreaming journeys Taking flight... Can I lay my head on your shoulder..? Will your plait my hair..? let me take the coloured strands And sew you wings to wear Can an island in the pacific jig saw fit a mountain lake in Canada? As hand fits into hand No distance between us Tacking, tracking over water, over land Clodagh Kelly Ennis 2004 ( written to go along with a picture she painted for Susan and Gavind 40th wedding anniversary)

It was the happiest day of my life The day I discovered that you were there. I danced up Byres Road wanting to tell everybody about you  And I wanted to hug and kiss people. I talked to you a lot,I wanted you to know that you were wanted And that you were a great source of joy to me and to many others too. I was confident about your birth,I was curious and excited. I was immensely shocked when we had such a tough time bringing you into the world. You were distressed and I was ill, you had to be in a little incubator. We had to be apart right away, and I was afraid and anxious. You were the most beautiful person I had ever seen and I was too weak to hold you or to communicate with you , all the love and joy that I felt for you but it was there in abundance inside me. You seemed to recover much quicker that I did You first year or so was spent with a mum who was very young and very frightened and in awe of you. You were so resourceful you were funny and c...

Some say that ever .gainst that season comes Wherein our Saviours birth is celebrated, The birds of dawning singeth all night long. And then, they say ,no spirit dare stir abroad. The nights are wholesome,then no planets strike, No fairies takes not witch hath power to charm, So hallow'd and so gracious is this time. W S 1601

From this fine place Bereft of all but beauty On the edge of gracious woods Where fairies kick puffballs And squeal like children with mixed fear and delight And ancient Quaker peace Has left it's mark Where mushrooms are transported To clay and tiles One fairy's symbol at least We woodland folk Bring griefs and joys here Dance to the rhythms of the earth Treasure the low mists shrouding the fields The light dull=and florescent And sap the warmth from the later sun At the meeting place of two becks In sight of they drystone church I find the words Rediscover my sapphire Through the huge sea coloured stone Split deep, deep down Exploding upwards into myriad parts Small precious jewels That scatter in dessert sands through rainforests In lakeland woods Beneath the sailors' sea Waiting for woman To hold I rediscover my sapphire Tears fall into the beck. Anne Kernighan     Rookhow.

I was wary of you at first, until I realised that God breathed life into your little black body. You do not see yourself ,you just turn up in the sink and in the bath you do not know the fear that you instil in others you sit there so trusting,then smash>,your little body writhes in pain some of your legs are missing. How could you know your sin? eight black legs are enough to condemn you to the bin! HC 1970s

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE PEACE   HC

At first, a sense of dread, the thought of it the memories of the last time, and the time before. So selfish ME ME ME His needs and wants dominate. Then I remember "He is MY Father" I remember how much he sacrificed for me ( and never ever mentioned it) so that I could have my good life. I look forward to his visit now, I see him at the airport, older looking now ,from his illness this year. Does he notice how I look,does he know I was ill, still am ill? he comes he demands,he looks old sometimes he gets so angry at life people ,politicians, actors, TV DVDs No music , no theatre, no poetry, not even cinema! "the pictures" Life has to be his way,it is what he needs to do . My needs disappear when he is around. I feel angry, hurt, sad I want to tell him how it is for me,but I don't he is just trying to survive. And when he leaves. My heart is broken.

"Helen Collins" I say as I pick up the phone. "Mum it's  me ...he says through choked sobs, I feel startled "what has happened?" "nothing really" "Thank god" " will you call me back in 15 minutes?" He says he believes that shouting means divorce. My heart aches. He is starting to grieve for the 9 year old boy who's parents  divorced. he is suffering now because of "our" choices then. And that is the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Sometimes I hate myself,I certainly used to. Now I understand and love and forgive myself I was in pain,severe pain, Kramer v Kramer comes to mind. He brought so much happiness with him when he arrives on the planet. He was and is a much loved child He has the resources, he has the courage He will travel through this moment, and  grow too! H C 1990s

People travel to wonder at the height if mountains, at the huge waves of the sea. At the long courses of rivers,at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars--- and they pass by themselves without wondering. Encourage your children! HC Remember to - embrace,breathe,trust.open heal,lighten,enjoy,                         delight,appreciate,care,share,enough, savour,                         receive,let go, flow. I am at peace. I trust. I am blessed. I am loved. I love. HC

" But also trust your own judgement for it is your most reliable counsellor. A man's own mind has sometimes a way of telling him more than seven watchmen posted high on a tower"

The worst is not, so long as we can say, "This is the worst" ( noted at a time of great distress)

The Earth sees herself through our eyes dances our senses to each new days surprise, The rainbow of existence says stay stay you stay delicately conscious, mindfully awake, for life is Life is like she is. never empty never full but never too much never too much beauty never too much love never too much life                 to discover..... ( possibly by William)

Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore, That gently o'er a perfumed sea, The weary,way worn wanderer bore To  his own native shore. On desperate seas long want to roam, Thy hyacinth hair,thy classic face, Thy Naiad airs have brought me home To the glory that was Greece, And thy grandeur that was Rome Lo!in yon brilliant window=niche How statue like I see you stand, The agate lamp within thy hand! Ah! Psyche,from the regions which Are Holy Land! A poem presented to me by Peter Robinson at a valentine's dinner in the 1970's (he gave all the woman a poem)

if a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn I a child lives with hostility,he learns to fight. If a child lives with ridicule he learns to be shy. If a child lives with shame he learns to feel guilty. If a child lives with tolerance he learns to be patient. If a child lives with encouragement he learns confidence. If a child lives with praise he learns to appreciate. If a child lives with forgiveness, he learns justice. If a child lives with security he learns to have faith. If a child lives with approval he learns to like himself. If a child lives with friendship and acceptance he learns to find love in the world. anon

Hi pa, missing you today , second Father's day without you! I think you took a little bit of my sparkle my zest for life when you left us pa. Or maybe it is getting older that is doing this to me. John is less mobile now,maybe arthritis in his hip, maybe something else.We won't know till we get home. But I am pretty sure whatever is happening, it means less mobility for John. We have stopped going out for a coffee, or a glass of wine now.I do all this shopping which John always loved doing. Frank takes John to the doctor's nowadays too, no more meeting for a coffee once John has been to the clinic. Frank is invaluable and his car,I do not think we could be here without  him ,or someone who does what he can do for us. I could of course, but would I want to be? my life is getting smaller as John 's is. Yesterday as part of the madness of grief, which is worse at the run up to special occasions like Father's day. I was trying to figure out how to get back t...