Small things can lift your spirit

Today after a period of sadness and loss and staying indoors, I went for a walk on my regular path along the nature trail. I saw so many birds, it was as if they all showed up just to welcome me.

A dull red female cardinal, a blue heron in the swamp hunting fish, a rose-breasted Grosbeak, a cedar waxwing on a tree full of bright red berries, a few swallows perched on the fence along the pond and two red-headed woodpeckers pecking the same tree looking for worms. I could feel my spirit lifting. I am happy again!

Poem: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Maya Angelou

A poem on what freedom really means. This is cry from every animal captured in zoos, from every lab animal, from every pet. All enslaved and deprived of their freedom in their natural environment.

The free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wings in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with fearful trill
of the things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

Maya Angelou

Strawberry ..jammin

Yummm! ..a large pail of hand picked ripe strawberriers getting transformed into little cans of strawberry jam for our loving family and friends to enjoy!

Dealing with adversity

Many a times in our lives, we are faced with uncertainty and adversity. To deal with them involves dealing with the physical and the emotional aspect of the adversity.

The physical aspect is usually not under our control. We will have to bear with it as it comes. Often times it is the emotional aspect that torments us way more than the physical aspect. We will suffer less when we ride the wave as smoothly as we can and we come out with fewer scars.

We have a lot of control on how to deal with our emotions. Our first tendency is to withdraw into a shell and dwell on the problem. Our thoughts control our emotions. It is easy to let the mind takeover. The mind will let your thoughts sway from the past to the present and to the future. The mind will ponder on all the possible ifs and buts. The mind will bring up past circumstances aggravating the present situations. The mind will worry about how other people will react, what other people will say and think.

The best way to deal with the situation is to keep the mind empty of thoughts and be more present and aware of our day to day activities. This lets us face the problem directly without wallowing in our thoughts, hopes and dreams. All of which is pointless anyway.

July ..the season of Wild raspberries!

As I walked towards the end of the trail close to my house, I spotted light green prickly bushes with an abundance of what looked like orange buds. I went closer to get a better look. They were not buds of flowers but tiny wild raspberries slowly ripening. My kids and Colleen's kids had a great time last year picking and eating the ripe raspberries from these bushes. In a week's time, the fruit will be ripe .. almost black in color with a burst of sweetness. Can't wait to take the kids there again..

Look at all the ripe wide raspberries I picked on my morning walk today. My three year old son ate them all in one sitting.