The Gift of a Quandary

Life and its Quandaries... we must keep going. 
Photo credit: My husband

 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of a Quandary

Life is a quandary.

Life can be a mess. 

There are days when you feel that all you could do is just catch a smidgen of rest. 

The day feels like you are trudging up a hill.

The mud and muck make it so difficult to even make it a few steps up that hill.

You see the mountain of debt that life has accumulated. 

Funds are low, you are not sure that you can make it. 

You just want to quit. 

You just can’t take it. 

When life hits you with those merciless blows. 

Remember dear readers, to stop, pray, and come to know.

That there are times when life hits us with all that it has. 

Keep going, keep trudging. 

Even when peace seems slow, keep looking up.

Success and failure, those words encompass quite a lot. 

One little twist, or an attitude that turns.

Could make all the difference between those two words

When you fall, sometimes you have to get up. 

Dust off those knees and learn to never give up.

That success may be closer than it seems. 

Keep walking on, dare to dream. 

It was once said by the poet, John Whittier:

“Success is failure turned inside out-

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

Ad you never can tell just how close you are, 

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit-

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

For all the sad words of tongue or pen. 

The saddest are these: “It might have been!”

Listen, keep going dear readers and friends.  

We’ve often been told that things are darkest before the dawn.

If that is true dear readers, we must carry on.

What is a quandary? It is a state of perplexity. It is uncertainty in a given situation. How often do we walk through life in a quandary? I know I do a good bit. When I read the entire poem by John Whittier I had to take a moment and pause. He wrote about how life is strange with its twists and turns. But the words that really caught my attention were: “Life is strange with its twists and turns. As every one of us sometimes learns. And many a failure comes about. When he might  have had he stuck it out; Don’t give up though the pace seems slow- You may succeed with another blow.” That sums up life in so many words. The hard work, the meaningful work, the work that causes change. That work, that journey is what we are aiming for. Life seems so easy when we have a little computer in our hands. We have instant access to all the information that we could ever want. We can order things with a click of a button. We don’t even have to leave the house. While those conveniences are wonderful. Are they meaningful? When I started to read the life of John Whittier I was truly in awe. He was a Quaker, a poet, a politician and an abolitionist. He suffered not one, but two mental breakdowns. Yet he did not give up. He supported women writers when that was not an encouraged vocation. He was committed to being a good human to all. It is worth pondering if we as a society need to return to these ideas. These ideas and actions do not have to be momentous or full of pomp and splendor. But rather they can be small. Mostly, this particular poem shows that this soul despite his physical ailments he did not give up. He did not stop writing. He did not stop trying to be a good human. Life is a quandary for sure. But that quandary is very much a decision to keep going when we can hardly walk. I am reminded of the words of Epictetus: “No great thing is created suddenly.” Keep going through the quandary dear readers.   

Source: Poetry Foundation

John Greenleaf Whittier

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The Gift of Your Six

I took this picture in a beautiful church in Austria. 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Your Six

“It takes 6-8 pallbearers to lift you up when you’re deceased. Imagine what you can accomplish if you had 6-8 people lifting you up while you are living.”

Unknown

To go through life, blissfully unaware. 

To go through life, without a single care. 

No bills to pay, no problems of which to toil.

Would that not be absolutely wonderful?

To not have a care in the world. 

Unfortunately, this grand journey of life is filled with much.

Much good, much toil, and at times dismay.

There are times when smiles abound. 

There are even times when we can clown around. 

As the quote above states, do you have a six or eight?

People you can tell, “You are in my prayers.”

People you can say, “I hope you have a wonderful day.”

Is there anything that I can do, just for you?

Can I listen if you need to get things off your chest?
Can I make you a meal to ease your stress?

When we are gone, we will only need those six or eight for a few fleeting moments, to take us to our graves. 

In life find those people with kindred souls and spirits. 

Help them, pray for them, pass on the goodness of the human spirit. 

Let this create a domino effect. 

Tell someone about the six or eight. 

Make it a habit, love, create. 

Create a new mindset of helping others. 

Take the focus outward. 

Bless each other. 

I have been going through and reading past posts. I had to stay home from our usual church trip today. I had an ear infection and a sinus infection. When my husband came home from church he said that many people asked where I was. That was comforting indeed. A church is a wonderful place to find your six.. 

It’s the day after Thanksgiving. Our family does not partake in the shopping frenzy that ensues. We have decided to focus less on physical possessions and more on doing something nice for someone else. I did have an occasion to go out for a few minutes this morning to grab a few things at the store. The mall parking lots were full, the stereo was saying that most places were at capacity. While I am not opposed to gift giving, I thought about the crowds that used to trample over each other to get a simple toy with no thought of those they were hurting in front of them. In the journey of Pensées (thoughts), I have really pondered the influence of social media. It really is “self” focused in many ways. When you go to share a story on certain platforms it immediately goes to “selfie” mode. Most folks are not opposed to selfies, I am not so much. My point is, how can we find our six or eight and get out of selfie mode? Being in a military family our boys say, “I got your six” or “Watch your six.” What does that mean? During World War I the phrase was coined by pilots. It meant that the pilot was watching the back of the other plane so that the enemy would not come behind them and shoot them down. I have heard, “check your six.” There are variations of the term. Basically, just as a soldier helps watch those around him from harm, we too can do just that. Find folks that are in need of lifting up. It does not have to be anything grand. Sometimes a kind word is all it takes. A prayer, a meal, a sweet, a coffee, even a smile. As we come into the holiday season do you have a six or eight? Just think of the possibilities. If you show them the blessing of being a blessing.. What could happen? Perhaps they may do so as well. I was watching a political show with my husband recently. The host was talking about how divided this nation is at the moment. He said that some want to establish two different countries. Others want a civil war! Can you believe that? The host said, “We cannot do that, we have got to walk across the playground and focus on what we do have in common and it has to start with us normal folks.” He is not wrong. Find your six or eight and be a blessing that this world so dearly needs. Tell them, “I got your six.” 

Source:operationmilitarykids.org

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

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The Gift of Apples

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Apples

“Every thought is a seed, if you plant crab apples don’t count on harvesting Golden Delicious.”

Bill Meyer

Apples are a fruit that sometimes is overlooked. 

But what a multitude of snacks and dishes this small little fruit can produce. 

Apples can be savory or sweet dishes. 

There is a cornucopia of apple dishes that are quite delicious. 

There are at least 2500 varieties of apples today. 

Some tangy, some a little sweet, some sweet like molasses and honey.

Some apples are a little bitter but that is okay.  

They can be made into a delicious pie for all to appreciate.

You and I are like apples, we come in many varieties.

Each of us has a place and purpose in the grand scheme of humanity.

Find out what kind of apple you are and cultivate a beautiful tree that is full of love, compassion and humility.

Today is Halloween. As a child we never celebrated it. Growing up in the belly of the Bible Belt meant that you were not doing that.  At all. We had Hallelujah Parties at the Baptist Church. I really don’t have any terrible memories of that time. I remember it was Bible themed and a lot of fun. Also, I have never, ever, ever o a scary movie in my life. Some folks love them, good on ya mate. Not me. Life is scary enough in my opinion. I do however relate to the fall season, the harvest moon, the crisp cool air. Yesterday the leaves were raining down in our backyard. It was like a picturesque postcard. After watching the nature show I got to thinking about apples and fall. My favorite variety of apple would probably be a gala apple. It is not too sweet but not too tart. What kind of apple are you? An Apple a day keeps the doctor away! Does anyone remember that saying?  While it is not actually true, one little tidbit came from the study about folks who ate an apple a day.  They were on less medications.  Apples.  There are so many varieties of them.  Twenty five hundred to be exact. Each has a distinct flavor and intended purpose.  There are traditional apples that we have heard of like a honey crisp.  But then there is a lesser known apple called the Esopus Spitzenburg, it was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.  Inside the apple there are five to eight seeds all of which can be planted and made into apple trees.  You need only to plant two trees to yield an abundance of fruit.  Historically speaking apples have a very long history.  One of my favorite stories of lore is that of Johnny Appleseed. I used to love the little tales about him.  He went from place to place planting a variety of apple trees and spreading Christianity to the villages all around him. I often thought that this story was made up but… he was a real man. He wore a pot on his head for a hat and a cooking utensil. He mainly went around barefoot going from village to village planting apple trees and spreading what was close to his heart. I read that he was not a particularly poor man, he just chose to live humbly. Back to apples… What kind of apple are you? The apple does not have to be one exclusive to type. Some days you may need to be like a Granny Smith, you know a little tart to take away the abundance of sweet. You could be a buttery golden delicious apple with just a mild touch of sweet. Pick your apple because those trees can teach us a lesson. A lesson in patience. Why? Because the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Apples take up to four to ten years to produce fruit. You may be praying for answers in your life, you may not see the fruit of the seeds you have planted. With some time, prayer, patience and a lot of good sunlight you will produce a tree of fruit. I leave you with some advice from an apple: Be well rounded. Savor variety. Let your plans ripen. Eat healthy. Take a bit out of life! 

Source: usapple.com

The Gift of a Squeal of Joy!

Big churches with tall ceilings make me want to squeal with Joy! 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of a Squeal of Joy!

“Joy does not simply happen to us.  We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”

Henry JM Nouwen

If something gives you joy, take a moment and proclaim it.

In a world where real jubilation is absent. 

Take that moment of joy and grab it!

A little squeal, a little smile of delight.

This small action might just make you feel just right.

Focus on the ebullience, the exhilaration, the glee. 

Be a source of joy so that others can see.

Find joy even when life seems bleak.  

If you try you will be able to glean that small sliver of happiness that will give you an inner twinkle and gleam. 

Make that shout, that scream, the one simple sound.

In a world where folks are shouting madness, make your joy resound!

Joy. What does it mean? It means a feeling of great pleasure or happiness.  Let’s face it, there are so little sources of joy in a time when money is tight, the geopolitical situation is tenuous at best. Top that off with social media and the general division that is fed to us by social media it is no wonder that folks are just not feeling joyful at all.  Recently my husband and I had the pleasure to visit our sweet little one-year-old granddaughter.  Her little squeals of joy were absolutely medicine for the soul and spirit.  She has a little dog named Yoda and they are thick as thieves.  Each time Yoda leaves his crate she starts screaming at the top of her lungs, “Yoda!” Little Yoda comes to her and greets her with just as much excitement as our little grandchild.  This scenario gave way to an interesting thought.  Perhaps we should try a little squeal of delight when a small good thing comes our way?  Another little simply adorable activity that our little grandchild engages in is ducks. She loves them so very much.  So much so that she has them all over her little play area. We played with ducks, she kept saying, “Quack Quack!” in her screaming happy voice.  After putting her to sleep for the night my husband decided to put ducks all over the room in varying places on the top of picture frames.  The next morning our little gal came down and started to notice the ducks that were scattered here and there.  Once again she squealed with joy and started pointing at the ducks that were dispersed all over the room.  So simple an act but so impactful. What can we learn from this?  Find those little sources of joy each day.  Is it coffee?  Give a little soul and tastebud squeal.  Is it just reading a book?  Talking to your significant other?  Your children?  The possibilities are endless.  Stop waiting for that joy to find you.  How many times have you heard the phrase, “One day I will find joy.”  If we operate in the “one day” mindset we will most certainly never get there.  Laugh more, breathe more, surround yourself with positive people.  If you can’t find anything that makes you squeal, start focusing on the little things.  Those little deposits will fill up your well and one day you will find that joy like our little granddaughter.  Children can really teach us a lot if we let them.  I leave you all with this little antidote.  Life is sometimes a bed of thorns, a puddle of mudd, a pothole on the highway and it might deny you joy but life is going to respond to your attitude and happiness is a choice.  Squeal for joy!

Source: Success.com

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk is live!

Coming soon:

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Appalachian Allegory

What is a Mother of a Soldier?

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

I struggled as to whether or not I would share this bit of thoughts. I mean no disrespect to those who have kids who do not serve… at all.  There are days my heart feels like it cannot take it. I do cry. I do pray. I get on my knees and ask God to protect my loves. But… to this comes from my heart sincerely.

To each and every military mom. God has called us to be the strength for our family. We are given much, and much is required. I urge you all particularly at this time in history, to pray, to hold each soldier in your thoughts.  They are going to need it. 

What is it like to be the mother of a soldier you ask?

Try wanting to take their place, even if they do not ask.

Try wanting to run into the frey in their name. 

You would do it in a heartbeat to save their life any day. 

To know that you have your flesh and blood

That could be called to service at a moment’s notice, that concept is very hard. 

There are no words in any language that could describe the size of your heart. 

Also, there are no words to describe the fear that can grip you when you hear the drums of war. 

That is your baby that you held, you loved, and raised. 

Now your baby could be called to the battlefield without delay. 

To be a mother is such a great gift. 

When your child chooses a life of service, that takes a mama with true grit. 

We really cannot tell you just how much we pray. 

How much we hope, how much we want our babies not to be harmed in any way. 

There are those who say, “They took that oath willingly.”

To those we would respond, “Yes, they did.”

They took that oath knowing they were part of something bigger than self. 

They knew that if needed they would give of themselves. 

It doesn’t make it easy for a mama’s heart. 

Our hearts beat, think, and breathe about them each and every day. 

A soldier’s mama is a warrior. 

A soldier’s mama is a friend.

A mama will be there at a moment’s notice, of which our soldiers can depend. 

What is it like to have skin in the game?

It is daunting, terrifying, to name a few words. 

So please, pray for us mamas we need each and every one of those prayers. 

Pray for our babies. 

They defend you and others in freedom’s name.

Never forget those who defend the red, white and blue. 

Their blood, sweat, and tears make your life possible where freedom still blooms. 

There may come a time when freedom depends on our soldiers. 

Please don’t forget them, embrace them. 

Hold them.

Hold them in the light, in prayer in esteem, they chose to defend freedom without any reserve. 

We mamas, we warriors at home. 

We need those prayers like cornerstones. 

We need them for our babies, we have skin in the game. 

So when you take that walk, that drive or that fabulous freedom ride. 

Please, Please remember our babies may one day come in the way of harm. 

We may never see them again because of their oath that they gave to defend. 

So what is it like to be a military mom?

A prayer warrior, a heart that beats hard and wide not just for her own, but those other brave souls who have chosen to walk to freedom’s drums.

The Gift of Making a Note to Yourself

I took this on a snowy walk in Locust Valley, New York. 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Making a Note to Yourself

“Note to self: When things feel overwhelming, remember: One thought at a time, one task at a time and one day at a time.”

Unknown

Do you ever write a note to yourself on a particular day?

So that when you look back a little later you can say..

I really did follow through, even though I doubted myself in each and every way.

Leave a note for yourself to remind you of growth. 

Leave a note for yourself to show you your patience has expanded ten fold.

Write down a feeling you were feeling that particular day.

Leave a note of a task you thought you would never finish, give yourself a pat on the back that day.

Write your feelings, your joys, and your aches. 

Write your frustrations, your aspirations, and just shoot the breeze.

Let that note show you that you indeed did take things one day at a time.

When the day is long, tedious, and quite boring. 

Take out that note, read it, receive it and remember. 

That note could be the spark of graciousness that you needed for the day. 

It is easy to find all the bad circumstances in a situation, you don’t have to look that far. 

But that note could be the flicker of light that changes your attitude and heart. 

So write yourself a note. 

It doesn’t have to be long.

But that little note may just be what you needed to stay strong. 

Do you remember the notion of a diary that certain folks kept under lock and key?  Sometimes I believe that Social Media has become a diary of sorts.  If you ever had a diary did you write down how you were feeling that day or some hopes and dreams of what is to come in the future?  As life keeps whirling along, how rewarding would it be to look back in a month or six months at what we were feeling on a particular day.  Or even better, perhaps we could see if we actually accomplished something no matter how big or small. On an even deeper level I would say that writing a note to yourself is an act of learning.  You have heard folks say, “Let me look at my notes.” If you are at a particularly low point you can look at your notes and this can spur you on to more meaningful deeds.  Notes help you focus on the task at hand.  And if we are truly going through life trying to be a better version of ourselves then that note is of great importance.  Think of it as improving your personal and spiritual Grade Point Average.  It is a proven fact that folks who take notes know more. I ran across a meme recently that had, “Notes you can leave yourself” Some of the suggestions were: You are doing the best you can. You are worthy and lovable. It’s okay to ask for help. You are capable of amazing things. Your boundaries are important. Your feelings are valid. It is okay to try again. You are allowed to say no. Those are some completely viable notes or suggestions. When I started writing these Pensées, I prayed at length for a name. I knew I needed to start writing notes to deal with my kids growing up and leaving the nest. I have written about him before, but Blaise Pasacal the author of Pensées was indeed a note taker. That was the gist of his work. Thoughts. He wrote down his thoughts about life, he made notes to himself. Do you write down your thoughts? Do you write down your prayers? Do you write down your dreams? I would encourage you to do so. When I started writing about this particular topic I decided to do a little research. Did you know that those who take notes via longhand (ie, the old paper and pen) absorb more information than those who take digital notes? When the test came, those who took notes by hand performed a lot better than those who took those notes on a computer. There is a paper that is dedicated to this subject, it is called: The Pen is Mightier than the Keyboard. Now, why do I mention this? Did you see? Those who take the time and write it down absorb more into their minds than those that don’t. If that is the case.. then by all means. Leave yourself a note! It will make a difference. When that test comes that tries your patience or will, you have a better chance of passing the test. I leave you with this wonderful quote: “If you can’t fly then run, If you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Martin Luther King Jr. 

My books are on Amazon:

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk is live!

Coming soon:

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Appalachian Allegory