Grand gestures are not required.
For when we meet each other
with an open heart, a kind smile,
a warm embrace, greeting a stranger,
reaching our hand out to someone else,
we are making the world a better place.
We may never see the outcome, but know,
you have made a difference by choosing kindness.
Tag: writing
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Choose Kindness: Random Acts of Kindness Day
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Night Tears
In the darkness of the night,
when my body wants nothing more than to sleep,
I awake to the quiet of my room,
Alone, lonely, tears forming in my eyes.
Unprovoked by dreams,
the sadness shows up,
an unwelcome friend that
doesn’t get the hint they weren’t invited
and it’s time to leave.
“Sweetheart, it’s okay to cry,” they say.
“Not at 4 in the morning!” I shout,
as I try to lull myself back to sleep.
“Okay,” they answer, “I’ll see you later.”
And they evaporate just like the
tears that had escaped.
And I managed to drift off until
the morning light filters through the window.
As promised, they meet me as I open my eyes,
gently stroking my face, reminding me
that the tears will always come,
but so will the joy and laughter.
“It’s because you love, my darling,
that you must feel it all.” -
Befriending Tears
Inspired by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer’s poem, “Gold Medal”
“Don’t cry,” they said. “They wouldn’t want you to be sad.”
So, I hid my tears in the solitude of my room,
away from prying eyes.
Not wanting to upset someone else.
Wanting to appear strong for those who counted on me.
For I remember seeing the infrequent tears of my parents,
and how distressing it was for me.
But hiding my sorrow was a disservice
to those I love and myself.
For crying and strength are compatriots,
part of being human.
And though I’ve been a sensitive soul
who has wept easily most of my life,
I no longer feel the need to be in the closet.
For there are so many things that bring tears to my eyes.
Acts of kindness are always at the top of the list.
The songs that touch my heart,
sometimes for their mere beauty
or because they bring back a bittersweet memory.
The beauty that exists in nature.
Or tears that come unbidden when I ache
for my loved ones who are no longer here.
Being my authentic self means
that not only am I free to express my tears,
but I also laugh from the depth of my being,
and love with the intensity of a million suns. -
Because Everything Falls Away
In a finite world where I’m here but for a moment,
I savor the first bite of toast with homemade blueberry jam
and the spicy warmth of my morning chai
as I break the fast of sleep.
I savor my family, those who are still with me,
and those who I carry in my heart and memories.
I savor my friends, who walk with me through all
of the seasons of life.
Their friendship is the balm for my soul,
A place where I can be my genuine self, sharing laughter,
tears and deep conversations.
I savor the warmth of arms that envelope me in a hug,
reminding me that I am loved.
I savor nature’s beauty: the hummingbird, the bee,
and the butterfly as they alight from flower to flower,
refreshed by its nectar.
I savor breathing in the air as I amble along
the garden path or among the tall pines,
a place where deep serenity abides.
I savor the beauty of the sky as it shakes off the blue of the day,
and dresses in its pastel finery
before slipping away below the horizon.
I savor the quiet moments tucked up with a book,
as I’m spirited away to another time and place,
freed from the worries of the world.
At the end of the day, when my body and mind are weary,
I savor slipping into the comfort of my bed,
pulling the covers tightly around me,
slipping away to the nighttime cinema. -
This Fragile Life
I thought the earth was solid,
That even the craziness of life had meaning
Until the day I sat next to your lifeless body,
My heart shattered, tears streaming down my face.No longer could I take a step without
The ground shaking under my feet,
Wondering if I would be able to navigate
this foreign landscape that made no sense.Time, as I knew it, no longer existed
As I watched people rush by like
They hadn’t felt the tectonic plates shift
Knowing that they could drop into the abyss at any moment.The fog washed over me as I tended to death’s chores.
The worst were the calls to say that you were dead.
No one wants to hear those sorrowful words
That were screaming in my soul.I wasn’t prepared to pick out funeral homes,
Or how many people I would have to speak with
To arrange my life without you.
The never-ending paperwork that said you no longer existed.Your death changed me,
Splitting my world into before and after.
Thirteen years ago, can seem like yesterday
When I’m hit by a trigger that reminds me
that you’re never coming back.
Beautiful Bittersweet Life Poems 