The Gift of a New Year

We are peering through the window, the new year is upon us. Hopefully this next year will be a chance to learn and grow. 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

Edith Lovejoy Pierce 

The new year is upon us. 

The last year has passed us by.

Some of this year has been wonderful.

Some of this year has been a will to stay alive. 

We toiled and troubled and experienced this thing called life. 

We prayed, we cried, we had times where we couldn’t believe our eyes. 

There were times when we couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

There were times when we just smiled. 

Life continued to soldier on, even when our will was tried. 

Take the opportunity of this next year, make a purpose and a plan. 

Try to pick a goal that you can obtain. 

Pick that goal, try to make it, and if you don’t that is okay. 

The point is you tried to make it, to make your life a better place. 

Give yourself grace as this year ends. 

Find your place of thankfulness, make that your purpose at this year’s end. 

Most of all dear readers, give yourself some grace. 

You survived this year! 

That is something that is truly great!

To all of you dear readers, I just want to thank you for taking the time to read my little musings. It has been absolutely wonderful. My mind is always running, creating, singing, talking, wanting to do more… so I thank you. Some folks make resolutions, others do not. Personally, a new year should be a time to focus on being a better person and seeing those around us. In the last few days I have been at the hospital with a loved one. As we sat in that room for over 30 hours, I couldn’t help but see the suffering that was all around. We never know what our fellow humans are going through. We usually see through our lens. While self care is important. It is also a great service to others to try and see their struggle, their thorn in the flesh to bear. In that room full of folks, each person had a story. That story could be of loss and pain. That story could be of joy and a little pain. Each story was theirs. It doesn’t take much to say a little prayer for them. As I watched a woman come into the emergency room frantically trying to find her husband who had been taken to the hospital by ambulance… I could see the absolute fear in her eyes. She kept telling the staff to please take her to her husband. He was confused without her due to his illness. It was absolutely heartbreaking to watch. The staff was very kind and compassionate with her. That was refreshing to see. Oftentimes we get caught up in our situations and do not see the situations of others. Let us all this next year try to look through the lens of empathy. My son recently came to me and asked me to define empathy for him. I said it was the ability to share the feelings of another. I admit, there are times I struggle with this concept. It is simple to define yet hard to do, is it not? There are countless writings on the “loss of humanity” that seems to permeate our culture. A little empathy in our culture would probably go a long, long way. Look through someone else’s lens. In looking through that lens perhaps we can find our common humanity together. Happy New Year dear cherished readers. May this next year give you grace. May this next year shine with goodness and faith. May the prayers be bountiful and the joy be abounding. May the love ooze from all that is around you. May you find joy in the midst of sorrow. May you look forward to the dawn of tomorrow. May you look and see the face of God. In the trees, in the mountains, in the face of a child. May your words be full of goodness and measured truthfulness. May your life be blessed. Pass that blessing to others. Give and receive. Accept those gifts graciously. Give to those in need. Find your peace in the smallest of things. Find your cornerstone of faith. Walk forward into this new year with confidence and finesse. Again, thank you for reading, so very much. 

 

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Moo-Cow Bell

The Case of the Missing Bumbly Wumbly Bee

The Case of the Missing Wellies

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Clean it Up! Wash it Up!

Coming soon!

Appalachian Allegory: A Southern Novel

Buy me a coffee… pretty please… actually it would be a proper cuppa in my case. Thank you for reading! 

Patreon:

Positive Pensées

The Gift of Good, not perfect

I took this in a church in Bregenz, Austria. The church made me think of good and not perfect. Perfection only exists in God, what a relief that we don't have to be perfect. 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Good, not perfect

“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.”

John Steinback

It’s that time of year. 

Where you are not really sure what day or time it is. 

Christmas has come and gone. 

Hopefully with some holiday cheer.

The week before the new year begins.

New beginnings, new aspirations, and perhaps some new friends.

You might make some resolutions. 

You might just hope for the best. 

But dear readers, if 2023 was a bust. 

Don’t ever forget that you did your best. 

You made it through some quite hard times. 

You soldiered on, you didn’t give up.

You chose to carry on.

Remember your strength, trust your faith, and take a moment to pray.

Perhaps make your prayer and hope that the next year will open your eyes and mind to new and better ways.

Ways to be kinder, ways to be alert, ways to be more empathetic to others. 

Ways to know your worth. 

Be kind to yourself, look in the mirror and give yourself just a little pat.

You made it through this year, that is a feat of strength and a testament to yourself. 

Glean the good bits, learn from the bad. 

Once you have done all of those little tasks.

Stand for a moment and pray. 

Cheers to a new year dear readers. 

Hopefully it will be truly blessed.

This year a lot of folks have gone through it. It has been a “Annus horribilis” in other words. But, even though we have gone through it, here we sit on the verge of another year. What will you do with it? Each day does not have to be monumental by any means. But if you could choose one thing to do better, differently, more efficiently, more compassionately… what would it be? We often see posts on social media along the lines of, “New year, new me.” Yes, that can induce an eye roll but in some cases, maybe not. We don’t have to be completely new but we can be a little better. As life goes on, are we not supposed to evolve and change? That is up to you dear reader. But I encourage all of you to take a moment to pray, to meditate, to ponder how we can be better humans. We live in a world that is inundated with some pretty interesting material.. Am I right? The quote that I mentioned above is from a book that was authored by John Steinback, it is called, “East of Eden.” The story is loosely based on the Biblical story of Cain and Abel in the Bible. If you are not familiar with the story check out the book of Genesis. To be perfect is to be ideal, faultless, flawless, no visible flaws, to be consummate. Life is a messy business that is in no way perfect. What does it mean to be good? Good means to be okay, to be just enough, to be truthful, to strive for excellence. That seems more attainable, does it not? We see so much perfect with filters and various and sundry flaw reducing apps. No wonder we run around wanting perfection. When I indulge in reels I tend to flock towards the, “My house is real and not perfect” reels. Their house is just like most of our houses, sometimes neat, sometimes it looks like a tornado ran through. It is never quite perfect but it is lived in. The food is good, the laughs are big, and the love flows through the home. Over the holiday my boys came home from school. When it is just my husband and myself are home (and our son that is getting a Master’s degree) it stays pretty clean. But when my twin boys come home the feral eating commences, the cooking is just about 24 hours a day, the crumbs are everywhere. It is anything but perfect. That is okay, why? Because love is there, imperfections are endearing, and our spirits are full. Next year embrace those imperfect good things. Strive for better, strive to love more, strive to be kinder and better. We don’t have to be perfect. Thank goodness for that. Happy New Year friends! 

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Moo-Cow Bell

The Case of the Missing Bumbly Wumbly Bee

The Case of the Missing Wellies

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Clean it Up! Wash it Up!

Coming soon!

Appalachian Allegory: A Southern Novel

Buy me a coffee… pretty please… actually it would be a proper cuppa in my case. Thank you for reading! 

Patreon:

Positive Pensées

Paypal:  familyking8@gmail.com

The Gift of a Gift

My husband takes several pictures a week on his walks. He then shares what he thinks is the most meaningful. It is his gift to others. 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

A Gift.

A Package.

Wrapped with a pretty bow.

What could be in it?

You have to know!

You open the present, and take a peek.

You give a little gasp and tell the present giver, “Thanks.”

Sometimes that thanks is because well, you appreciate the thought. 

The present however, was not exactly something that you needed or on your list of wants.

What could be a better present than a small or large material thing?

That present could be a “You are in my thoughts” or “Do you need anything?”

We put so much emphasis on the physical gift. 

What if dear readers we do something else?

Make a meal, give it to a friend.

Give a hug, shake a hand.

Material things break and deteriorate from wear and tear. 

Why not give a gift that will stay in the spirit and minds of others. 

Show people that you care. 

Take the focus away from physical things.

Rather put the focus on the spirit, the heart, the mind, and acts that make the soul sing. 

Give a gift of humanity.

Be a blessing and a true friend.

Those gifts are the most valuable in the end.

When your time comes to leave the earth, those physical trappings have to stay here.

In that sense, did they have much worth?

In those last fleeting moments of your life, you can remember the humanity of others, and the gift of simply being kind. 

I am sure when you read this title that you are thinking, “What?” I was sitting and meditating a few days ago about Christmas. What does it mean? What have we made it into? When I was a child we were very blessed to have very large Christmas celebrations with lots of toys and gifts. My parents grew up with very little. In their mind, it was their job to shower the kids with gifts, and they did. Fast forward to our children. We have six of them. We were a struggling young couple with not a lot of money to spare. One Christmas when the kids were very small, some kind folks provided Christmas for the kids. I wrote on a piece of paper everything I wanted to give my husband for Christmas. There was a computer and other sundry things. After that, I wrote I wished I could give him those things but I did love him very much. He still has that piece of paper all of these years later. That is quite endearing. As time has soldiered on, gifts have taken on a completely different meaning. Why do we need so many material things? The answer is, we really don’t. Several years ago we decided to stop the endless cycle of spending copious amounts of money on things that the kids would eventually outgrow. We decided to give (used) books, to cook a meal, to spend time together playing games. To do things together as a family rather than shower kids with things they may or may not like or want. We spend an inordinate amount of time staring at a little computer to interact with others. We can buy things at the click of a button. We have access to just about every form of information that we can think of. A lot (not all) of us enjoy this little computer in the comfort of our homes with a comfortable blanket. What if you take a moment and think of the gift of service. The gift of love. The gift of, “I made you some cookies, God Bless you.” That act makes much more of an impression than a gift that will wear out. This Christmas I hope that you all will take time to say I love you to those who are important to you. To say that you care for those who are struggling. To say a prayer for someone. That is better than any physical gift. Happy Christmas Friends.

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Moo-Cow Bell

The Case of the Missing Bumbly Wumbly Bee

The Case of the Missing Wellies

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Clean it Up! Wash it Up!

Coming soon!

Appalachian Allegory: A Southern Novel

Buy me a coffee… pretty please… actually it would be a proper cuppa in my case. Thank you for reading! 

Patreon:

Positive Pensées

Paypal:  familyking8@gmail.com 

The Gift of Rejoicing

Seeing the sunset out of the plane window was a small source of rejoicing.. 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Rejoicing

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things he has not, but rejoices for which he has.”

Epictitus

Joy, Jubilation, elation, and mirth.

Glee, ebullience, gladness, and great pleasure.

These words convey joy that is both small and beyond measure.

What brings you joy in a world full of gloom?

What little bits cause your spirits to bloom?

Find joy, spread joy, and peace.

Practice finding the joy in the littlest of things.

The wind on your face, or a sunny day.

The smile of the loved one.

The gift of grace. 

Joy is needed dear readers and friends.

Our world needs to find it, to embrace it, and spread much joy.

That way, when the gloom does come. 

You have a wellspring of joy.

Today is the third Sunday of Advent. My son and I are spending time in NY with our family. As we made our way to the airport, it was absolutely packed. It really has turned to pre world wide bug travel levels. I find that the airport is a study in human behavior. Some people are rushing like mad, others look lost, then there are those travelers who like to be places but not the means to get there. Sitting on a metal tube packed with people for a few hours is not the most fun thing to do. It is necessary to make it to those you love near or far. I wanted to complain and harrumph but then a thought came to mind. We have loved ones to visit. We have those in our lives who are so very happy to see us. That alone is a source of joy. The dictionary defines joy as a feeling of great pleasure or happiness. What brings you joy? It doesn’t have to be monumental. There are times that I believe that social media gives us the idea that everything is huge and monumental. I have written before about this very subject. Our lives are filtered, perfect, and without any struggle. When that little screen is not recording what really and truly causes you to have joy? I often wonder if we have lost this feeling as a society. To see someone else well and truly not having any struggles can be at times well, daunting. You wish to have the same calmness and verisimilitude in your life. Even if there is the filter of social media I would encourage each of us, (myself included) should develop rejoicing in the good fortunes of others. I am not talking about those who flaunt their wealth, etc.. but rather those in everyday life who are also quite honestly… to make it through the day.  What brought this to mind? A quote that I read by Pema Chadron: “Rejoicing in the good fortune of others is a practice that can help us when we feel emotionally shut down and unable to connect with others. Rejoicing generates goodwill.” If you can’t find joy for yourself, perhaps find it for others. Goodwill will produce something quite great, it will cause you to see what can bring you joy in your life. Our society has (not everyone) developed a, “Me! Me! Me!” attitude. It can be hard to find a reason to rejoice for others but in that willingness to change your attitude it might just produce joy in you. In this time of Christmas that is rapidly approaching, Joy is tantamount for the season. Why? The promise, the story, the scripture that tells of the coming of the Messiah brings joy. Why would He bring joy? Because as stated in the first week of Advent, He provides hope. Hope that things can and will get better. After that hope is stirred into the soul teapot, next comes peace. A sense of tranquility. It is possible to have peace in the midst of life’s struggles. If you have hope, peace and finally joy to mix into your soul you soul tea is steeping and almost ready to receive the Love that is the next product of faith. Keep stirring, keep adding those ingredients to your life and move towards a more joyful existence. 

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Moo-Cow Bell

The Case of the Missing Bumbly Wumbly Bee

The Case of the Missing Wellies

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Clean it Up! Wash it Up!

Coming soon!

Appalachian Allegory: A Southern Novel

Buy me a coffee… pretty please… actually it would be a proper cuppa in my case. Thank you for reading! 

Patreon:

Positive Pensées

Paypal:  A.  Daniel King

The Gift of Ships

One of the many ships we have visited. This is the USS Norfolk in Virginia. 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Ships

“Ships don’t sink because of the water around them. Ships sink because of the water that gets in them.  Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you and weigh you down.”

The sea, the ships, they can be vast and wide. 

Rocking the ship from side to side. 

The waves can be big, overwhelming, and quite strong.

But the ship never sinks, it just sails along.

Why do you think that boat never sinks?

It is built to withstand the biggest waves, the biggest crests, and be tossed about.

The boat continues to sail, even when the weather is fraught.

Build yourself a ship where none of those waves come in, you can be tossed and even get some sprays of water, but you won’t give in or sink.

Even when you are sailing on calm seas, you have no worries, your soul is at ease.

Build yourself a ship that shores up your spirit, soul, and mind.

Show others how to make a ship that can withstand even the toughest waves.

Be their example so that when those huge waves come in, the water stays in the sea and you never give in.

Have you ever watched some of the reels of boats and military vessels on social media?  I am not one to be on the open sea but those fishing boats, those frigates, aircraft carriers, etc… they take on some HUGE waves.  It is kind of scary to watch.  I do subscribe to a maritime page where they show these waves just pummeling the ships.  The water does indeed come over the bow and stern but it abates quickly and the ship stays afloat.  Why do you think that is?  It is all in the construction of the ship.  The construction is precise.  How much dead weight, how much equipment is needed to function, how much machinery is needed to operate.  These are just a few of the undertakings of the construction of a ship.  After that, there must be decisions made with both latitude and longitude so that the ship can maintain balance. To add to that tonnage is taken into consideration, (how much weight will be on there) and then there are considerations for the bulkhead (partitions that separate compartments) this ensures stability while the ship is at sea.  This is a very elementary explanation of ships.  It is really quite intricate and fascinating.  Having had family in the Navy, I have been on an aircraft carrier, destroyer, and even a submarine.  Each ship was fascinating.  To say that they are huge floating cities would be an understatement.  I marveled at the levels of the ship.  There are multiple kitchens, there are so many places to sleep, it is like a maze of a big city contained on a ship.  Then the deck of the aircraft carrier.  WOW! That is huge.  All of these ships stay afloat.  Sure, there are rules.  When the seas are particularly rough the exterior watertight doors are kept shut so that the ship can stay afloat.  Again, it is all in the design.  How is your ship designed? Do you have too much ballast? Too much on your bow and not enough in your stern?  Are there sufficient bulkheads to give those strong partitions when rough seas do come?  How do you relate this to life?  Well, it is all in the balance of making sure you can stay afloat.  Will you be tossed about with big waves?  Absolutely.  But if your construction is strong you will crest those waves with ease. One fascinating yet terrible story is that of the Titanic. It was deemed “Unsinkable” by its designers. The wanton hubris of the designers to think that they knew enough about the construction to deem it as such was interesting, even during 1912. To those who are not familiar with the story, basically on its maiden voyage the ship sank. Thousands of lives were lost to the icy Atlantic Ocean all because of many small miscalculations. First, they were warned repeatedly that there were icebergs ahead, those warnings were not headed. When the danger came they were unable to turn the ship in time. When they hit, six of the sixteen compartments were flooded. The ship was only designed to stay afloat with four. There were not enough lifeboats, and to top it off the ship sank quite quickly for such a monstrous vessel. What does this story teach us? To listen to the warnings ahead. To be open to the advice of others who have wisdom to impart. To shore up that your compartments won’t be overwhelmed when the iceberg of life is dead ahead. 

This also teaches us humility. To always be open to learning from our mistakes and others. We do not hold the cornerstone of truth in our hands. In fact, sometimes those truths will be hard to take but necessary to repair our ship. So much of our society has been wrapped up in tribalism. It is time to re-enforce the ship of truth so that we may sail on to peace and unity. 

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Moo-Cow Bell

The Case of the Missing Bumbly Wumbly Bee

The Case of the Missing Wellies

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Clean it Up! Wash it Up!

Coming soon!

Appalachian Allegory: A Southern Novel

Buy me a coffee… pretty please… actually it would be a proper cuppa in my case. Thank you for reading! 

Patreon:

Positive Pensées

Paypal:  A.  Daniel King