FROM THE PARENTS HEART

Again I have been pondering what to do for my next blog.  I came across another gift that was given to me at the Partners In Policymaking Course.  If you remember from a few blogs ago, I told you that at the end of the course we gave each other gifts so that we would remember each other. So I decided continue down the road of poetry.  The next one was written by a parent of a child with special needs.  I will not tell you the story, if you read between the lines and take your time as you read, you will see it for yourself.  Enjoy…………

 

 

 

Seeing a little more of Josie

 

A child is born, the doctor frowns

A multitutde in sterile gowns.

Electric bells to keep her well.

It’s silent, timeless, living hell.

Eventually, as man and wife,

they take her home to start her life.

The standard baby diary torn,

the book they write will be their own.

The body’s fine, the brain is weak, 

there is no cure for them to seek.

Just take her home and keep her warm,

and keep their special child from harm.

The baby sags and throws her head.

When others smile, she cries instead.

Won’t eat, won’t laugh, won’t look around,

won’t calm to song nor make a sound.

The work is hard, the day is long,

they bend they stretch  to make her strong.

The years go by, they claim their prize,

a child with laughter in her eyes.

But people look and people stare.

Everybody! Everywhere!

In flashing lights above her face –

"lesser member of the humane race"

They offer sympathy, reasure,

they recommend another "cure".

They want to change, to make it right,

to mend God’s little oversight.

But knowing her is more than seeing

a broken little human being.

For she has more than me or you,

she sees beyond the narrow view.

You can’t see beyond the face,

immediately ranking the human race –

by colour, or by age and size,

how long will it take to realise?

The body has a lesser role – 

a vessel for the inner soul.

It may be black, it may be white,

It may be dull, it may be bright,

It may be broken, but you cannot hide,

the inner you  that lies inside,

and inside her is something good,

her smiles, her laughter , her gentle mood.

If you can’t see a little further, 

If it’s her or you …. then I’m with her.

If Josie’s fate seems a shame to you, think

again……………

The shame is yours.

 

   

POETRY WRITTEN BY PARTNERS IN POLICYMAKING COLLEAGUES

FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT

 

 

 

My land is bounded on all sides by darkness,

 

Born blind, I know not what lies beyond; 

 

And yet, I see things in my land which have no visual beauty, yet  they are beautiful.

 

 

 

No-one but I have seen the varying shades of the windupon their face, or the crystal notes of a violin drift in the breeze.

 

The perfume of a rose presents a greater image  than the finest mural.

 

 My land has many beautiful sights even though I am blind

And they are all mine, for my own personal pleasure.

 

 I may not be able to see where I am going;

 

But I can see how far man has come!

 

This was written by Alex Wilson (originally published in 1973 under the title "The world as seen through the eyes of a blind man"). Thank you Alex for giving it to me as your gift af the partners course.

 

 

 

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

I have been yet again pondering as to what to write about.  Whenever that happens someone always seems to send me an email that I feel I ought to share with you.  Well, it’s happened again!  However, I am warning you, you had better get your kleenex out and keep your mind and heart open.

 

I had two choices : either I forwarded the email or deleted it.  I decided to share it for all the world to see.  Hope you pass the link on from this blog. No pictures I’m afraid, just use your imagination. 

 

I was reminded too, why I wrote the song that plays on my space.

 

Enjoy!!

 

 

Subject: Two Choices

  

 

What would you do? You make the choice! Don’t look for a punch line; There isn’t one! Read it anyway. My question to all of you is: Would you have made the same choice?

 

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

 

"When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?

The audience was stilled by the query.

 

The father continued.

 

"I believe, that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes, in the way other people treat that child."  Then he told the following story: 

 

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball.  Shay asked, "Do you think they’ll let me play?"  Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

 

Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much.  The boy looked around for guidance and said, "We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning.  I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."

 

Shay struggled over to the team’s bench, put on a team shirt with a broad smile, while his Father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart.  The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted.  In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.  In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field.  Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands.  In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again.  Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

 

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?  Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat.  Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible ’cause Shay didn’t eve know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

 

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing the other team putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact.  The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.  The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.  As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

 

The game would now be over, but the pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.  Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. 

 

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, out of reach of all team mates.  Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to First!"  Never in his life had Shay ever ran that far but made it to first base.  He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

 

Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!"  Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to second base.  By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time.  He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head.  Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

 

 

All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, All The Way Shay."

 

Shay reached third base, the opposing shortstop ran to help him and turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay, run to third!"  As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams and those watching were on their feet and were screaming, "Shay, run home! Shay run home!"  Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the "grand slam" and won the game for his team.

 

 

That day, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.

 

 

Shay didn’t make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his Father so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

 

 

AND, NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: 

 

We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people think twice about sharing.  The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

 

The rest of the email I thought I would let you read aswell, as I feel it is just as important as the whole of this story.

 

 If you’re thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you’re probably sorting out the people on your address list that aren’t the "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message.  Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.  We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the "natural order of things."  So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:  Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up that opportunity to brighten the day of those with us the lease able, and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

 

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it’s least fortunate amongst them.  You now have two choices:

 

1. Delete

2. Forward

 

May your day, be a Shay Day, sunny today tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT IS LOVE?

WHAT IS LOVE?

 

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8
year-olds.  The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love."
Rebecca- age 8

 

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy – age 4

 

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl – age 5

 

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy – age 6

 

"Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired."
Terri – age 4

 

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny – age 7

 

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily – age 8

 

"Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby – age 7 (Wow!)

 

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
Nikka – age 6 (We need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet)

 

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle – age 7

 

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy – age 6

 

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore."
Cindy – age 8

 

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare – age 6

 

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5

 

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris – age 7

 

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
Mary Ann – age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren – age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."
Karen – age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross."
Mark – age 6

"You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica – age 8

 

And the final one — author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

 
"Nothing, I just helped him cry"

 

I just had a thought, why don’t you ask your little angels the same question and see what they say.  Would love to know their answer…..

 

SHOW AND TELL

Hope All those trying to stop smoking for World No Smoking Day, are still hanging in there!! 

 

 

Meanwhile I felt I just had  to share a story with you all, which I read on a message board of a group I belong to.  It certainly had me in hysterics as I was reading it, and what better way to start the summer month than with humour, just incase that Sun don’t shine.  So Here Goes:

 

 

By an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher

 

I’ve been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second-grade classroom a few years back.

 

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show- and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they’re welcome.

 

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater. She holds up a snapshot of an infant.

"This is Luke, my baby brother, and I’m going to tell you about his birthday. First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom’s stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord."

[She’s standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I’m trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.]

"Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, ‘Oh, oh, oh, oh!’

"[Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans.] "She walked around the house for, like an hour, ‘Oh, oh, oh!’

[Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.]

 

"My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn’t have a sign on the car like the Domino’s man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this."

[Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.]

"And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!"

[This kid has her legs spread and with her little hands are miming water flowing away. It was too much!]

 

Then the middle wife starts saying ‘push, push,’ and ‘breathe, breathe.’ They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother.

He was covered in yucky stuff, they all said it was from Mom’s play-center!, so there must be a lot of stuff inside there."

[Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.]

 

 

I’m sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, if it’s show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another Erica comes along.

Now you have two choices…laugh and close this page or pass this along to someone else to spread the laughs. I know what I did!!

 

ANOTHER REASON FOR STOPPING SMOKING ON 31ST MAY 2006

http://spaces.msn.com/IndiaeJones/

 

 (Join India on the 31st May 2006 and help stub out that killer habit)

 

 

CAUSES OF COPD

copd results from damage to the lungs over many years.

copd affects both men and women. the average canadian with copd is 65 years old and has a long history of smoking. however, copd can be diagnosed in patients as young as 40.

copd almost always results from smoking. not all smokers will develop copd. only 10-15% of heavy smokers will develop copd. it is still unknown why.

copd can also result from occupational exposure. exposure to chemical fumes and organic dusts such as grain, cotton, or wood or mining dusts can contribute to copd.

copd does not appear to be caused by air pollution for non-smokers. for smokers, air pollution can contribute to the development of copd. it can lead to more severe copd for smokers.

copd may be more likely to occur in children who develop respiratory symptoms due to viral or bacterial infections.

copd is referred to as the silent disease because symptoms generally progress slowly and almost imperceptibly. at first, you may notice that you experience shortness of breath only with exercise. you might find you have an annoying "morning cough" related to smoking. these symptoms may not seem serious at first, but they may progress to the point where activities of daily living, such as walking, dressing, and even eating, cause extreme shortness of breath.

copd cannot be cured, but it can be controlled. the progression of copd and the severity of symptoms can be controlled through:

• appropriate activity (management)
• medication (management)
• prevention of infection (management)
• smoking cessation (smoking cessation)

Introduction to COPD

chronic (continual, permanent, incurable) obstructive (blocks) pulmonary (pertaining to the lungs) disease (condition with signs and symptoms) copd is a disease of the lungs. it is caused by blocking of the airways in the lungs, and it has no cure. the most common form of copd is a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

chronic bronchitis occurs when the airways in your lungs have become narrow and partly clogged with mucus.

chronic bronchitis is the presence of cough and sputum for more than three months for two consecutive years. if there is airways obstruction in addition to chronic bronchitis, copd is indicated.
 

emphysema occurs when some of the air sacs deep in your lungs have been damaged.

emphysema is an enlargement and destruction of the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs. this causes the surrounding airways to collapse.

the main symptom of copd is shortness of breath accompanied by a cough or wheezing.

do i have copd?

---

• i have been smoking for many years.
• i have had bouts of "asthma" or "bronchitis".
• i have a chronic cough or heavy sputum (phlegm).
• i have morning "smoker’s cough".
• my colds last for weeks, not days, and i have at least one prolonged episode of "bronchitis" every winter.
• i frequently feel breathless during an ordinary activity–i often put this down to just being "out of shape".
• my cough has changed–it feels more shallow, as though something is stuck inside my chest.
• i feel that there’s been a change in my breathing.

if you answered "yes" to two or more of the above statements, and if you are over 40 years old, it is advisable to see your physician.

table of symptoms

severity of copd	chronic bronchitis dominating	emphysema dominating
mild	coughing and sputum for more than three months for two consecutive years	possibly no early signs
moderate	shortness of breath from moderate exertion coughing and increased sputum recurrent chest infections or bronchitis	shortness of breath from moderate exertion
severe	severe shortness of breath coughing and excessive amounts of sputum wheezing recurrent infections fluid build-up (swelling at the ankles) and blue appearance to the skin	severe shortness of breath barrel-shaped chest

PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE FOR A REASON

I received an email from a friend and the words rang so true.  See what you make of it yourself.  Your comments would be appreciated.

 

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has

been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

 

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an

unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.!

 

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

 

Thank you to those who have been a part of my life, whether you were a REASON, a SEASON or a LIFETIME.

 

 

 

 

WILL BULLYING EVER STOP?

 

I received an email from a friend of mine in Oklahoma, USA and it got me thinking about how bullies can affect their victims psycologically, so much so, they feel they have no choice but to end their lives.  

 

I was bullied at school, verbally mainly, but it still messed my life up at an early age.  I decided it best to leave school instead of staying on to suffer yet another year of torment.  I loved school apart from the bullying side.  I am sure I would have done ok with GCE’s as it was in those days, but decided to give that up for a more peaceful life. 

 

I thought I would share the email I received,  with you:

 

 

 

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books.

I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?  He must really be a nerd." I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them  land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks.They really should get lives." He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.  I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now.

(I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.)

We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

 

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.  I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books.

 

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.

 

When we were seniors, we began to think
about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I
was going to Duke.  I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.  Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation.  I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak  

 

GRADUATION DAY

 

Kyle Looked great.  He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.  He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.  Boy, sometimes I was jealous.  Today was one of those days. 

 

I could see that he was nervous about his speech.  So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!" 

 

He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.

" Thanks," he said.   AAs he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began:

 

"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.

Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends…

I am here to tell all of you that being a
friend to someone is the best gift  you can give them.

I am going to tell you a story."

 

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. 

 

He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.  He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his mum wouldn’t have to do it later, and was carrying his books home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. 

 

"Thankfully, I was saved.  My friend saved me from doing the unthinkable."

 

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.  I saw his mum and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.  Not until that moment did I realize it’s depth.

 

 

Never underestimate the power of your actions.

 

With one small gesture you can change a person’s life. For bettter or for worse. 

 

God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.

 

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

---

The Cheyenne Prophet

 

 

From …..The Cheyenne Prophet.

 

…."My brothers, my children, I have lived on earth as long as the Great Medicine wishes me to live.  My body is bent and crooked, but I have seen beyond many moons far into the future.  Listen!  Listen to me and remember my words.  They are sharp as the points of the four holy arrows.  The Great Medicine put us on earth.  He made us, but he also made others.  Some are red as we are, some are black, some are light skinned with hair on the faces of their men.  One day soon you will meet the light skinned hairy people by the Great muddy River.  They will be clad in strange clothing and will carry sicknesses of all kinds."

 

"They will offer you strange presents – a white sand that melts in the mouth and tastes sweet – things that flash in the sunlight and reflect your faces as water in a quiet stream does when you look into it.  They will give you something to drink, something that is like water but contains an invisible fire.  If you drink, it will make you crazy like the men who give it to you.  Do not take the things they offer you.  You will begin to act foolishly and forget all the people who lived before you.  If you take these things, they will bring a sickness upon you."

 

"These light skinned strangers will speak no indian tongue.  They will be restless and cruel, never tiring, always going, going toward the setting sun. ….."

 

"From the South they will bring a strange animal with flashing eyes, long hair on its neck, and a tail that reaches to the ground.  It’s hooves will be round not split like the buffalo’s.  Fear not this animal.  It will carry you on its back and take you to places farther than the rim of the earth…."

 

"They will come to us on the  rivers floating upon strange objects that go up and down blowing smoke.  They will not listen to what you say to them, but will make you listen to what they say to you.  If you listen to them, you will start quarrelling among yourselves as in the old days before the warrior societies and the forty four chiefs."

 

"My brothers, my children, keep your own ways, do not follow the ways of the strangers.  Even if you are strong against them they will ask for your children to teach them their way of living, to rub out all our past deeds, our beliefs, our way of speaking.  Our children will then know nothing, and the strangers will take everything from us.  They will kill all the animals, destroy the trees and foul the waters of the streams.  They will rip the earth apart and make you do it with them.  And they and you and the earth will turn to stone forever."

 

"Remember the holy arrows.  Renew them.  Keep my prophecies in your hearts, and the Cheyennes will endure as long as the blue heavens endure."….

 

 

From a Cheyenne folk tale.

 

(Brown, D., (1979), Folk Tales of the Native American, Henry Holt and Company, New You)

 

 

This was another gift given on the last day of the course, everyone got a copy.

 

 

DESIDERATA

WE GAVE EACH OTHER GIFTS

 

 

 

 

At the end of the Partners In Policymaking course, one of the saddest, yet at the same time, greatest moments was when we gave each other a gift so we could remember each other.  There was laughter and plenty of tears.  I thought I would start off the new blogs today, sharing some of those gifts given to me.  I have read it before, but never really took heed and now wish I had.  Still, it is never too late so they say…………..

 

 

DESIDERATA

 

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste and

remember what peace there may be in silence.  As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.  Speak your truth quietly, and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant, they too have their story.  Avoid loud and agressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit.  If you compare yourself to others you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

 

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.  Keep interested in your career, however humble;  it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.  Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.  But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;  many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.  Be yourself, especially do not feign affection.  Neither be  cynical about love;  for in the face of all aridity and  disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.  Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

 

Nurture the strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.  But do not distress yourself with imaginings.  Many fears are born of fatigue and also loneliness.  Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.  You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars :  you have a right to be here.  And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

 

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be; and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.  With all the shams, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.  Be cheerful.  Strive to be happy.

 

(Max Ehrmann – he was the calligrapher who has put it to paper in an artistic way. The author of Desiderata is, as far as I am aware, unknown. Charlemagne had a wife named Desiderata and it may have been her who wrote it since it is purported to have come from close to that time frame.)