She learned to smile again

Clouds hung over the bay

Rain falling all day

Incessant soaking rain

She was determined to walk as usual

Donning a waterproof jacket

Stepping out into the cool afternoon air

Her face was soon dripping wet

It was the perfect cover for her silent tears

She walked the empty trail along the water’s edge

Reminiscing of her lost love

He had passed away a year ago

Each step brought more pain

She paused to take a breath

Looking out over the bay

Searching for answers that will never be found

Loneliness was eating her away from the inside

Sadness clung to her like weighted overcoat

Her silent tears washed away in the rain

A stray dog walked towards her

Stopping by her feet and looking up at her

She bent down to pat him

He had no collar or name tag

Are you lost? she asked him

His eyes fixed upon hers

Lets go home she told him

He walked by her side attentively

Once home she dried his soaked fur and fed him

She was tempted to adopt him

He had already decided to adopt her

She looked at him and asked did he send you?

The dog barked a yes

She named him after her husband

No more lonely walks

He stayed by her side at all times

Her tears stopped flowing

She learned to smile again

A mid Atlantic encounter

There is not much to see in the middle of the Atlantic

Moderate seas with a stiff breeze and clear skies

No whales jumping

No passing ships

Just the gentle waves bumping into the ship’s wake

I sat on my balcony reflecting on life

Being on a cruise relieves you from the daily chores of the real world

Gifting you with an abundance of free time to do as you wish

I had been to the gym

Devoured a hearty breakfast

Attended a very interesting history lecture

It was my time to do nothing

Staring over the ocean from my private balcony

Suddenly a bird appeared flying parallel to the ship

He was maybe a few hundred feet away

A large bird battling the headwind

Darting and swooping to stay on course

I suspected he saw me on my balcony

He veered closer to get a better look

Flying maybe 50 feet from the ship

He stayed level with me for a minute or so

I tried to imagine what he was thinking

I have been flying for ages since leaving the east coast of America

There is still a long way to go before I can land in Africa

Its hard work battling this headwind but I will keep going

Its lonely out here on my own

Nobody is carrying me along like you

Nobody is feeding me or entertaining me all day

I don’t sleep in a comfortable bed

I just keep battling these headwinds for days on end

While you sit on a balcony doing nothing at all

Be grateful for what you have and for what others do for you

Use your time wisely and never forget that there are others who struggle daily just to survive

Be humble and remember this encounter

I gave him a wave to acknowledge receipt of his message

He immediately veered away and picked up the pace to pass the ship

I tried to imagine how hard it must be to fly solo for 3,000 miles over the ocean

I would not swap places with him

I doubt if he would we want my life either

I hoped he reached land safely

I decided to skip lunch

I spent the afternoon watching the waves and thinking about my life

Then I felt hungry and hit the buffet hard

Food coma induced dreams soon followed

I was a bird flying solo over the Atlantic ocean

I spotted a cruise ship and flew closer to take a look

Just a bunch of dumb humans being ferried to Africa

They mostly looked overfed and lazy

One of them was looking at me from his balcony

I flew closer to get a look at him

I wondered what he was thinking

A drop in the Ocean

I woke up early

The ship was rocking gently

Light was peeking through the curtains

We had left Miami two days earlier and made a half day stop in the Bahamas

I checked our current position

Bermuda was our next destination but still around 500 miles away

I drank a small glass of water

Conscious of this precious commodity

Hydration promoted a call of nature

The toilet flush consumed maybe 2 gallons if water

I cleaned my teeth but brazenly left the water running

I probably wasted 4 gallons of water

I tried to wash off my water wasting guilt with a quick shower

My thoughts wandered as the hot stream flowed over me

My lingering shower probably wasted another 20 gallons of water

I still felt guilty about the 26 gallons I had used before breakfast

The bathrobe felt good but I wondered how many gallons had gone into it’s making and all the regularly laundering

I stepped out onto the balcony

Clear blue skies and calm seas on the Atlantic Ocean

Nothing to be seen but sky and water

Its going to be a long way to Lisbon

Crossing an ocean that covers 20% of the earth’s surface

That is more than 30 million square miles

Suddenly the world seems less crowded

I am floating in an ocean that contains 100 Million Billion Gallons of water

Lets assume that all this water was divided equally among everybody living in the United States

Each person would have more than 100,000 Million gallons of their own

My pre breakfast ablutions were just a drop in the ocean

I looked at the map again

We were bang in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle

I wondered if I was to be swallowed up by the water conservation gods and never seen again?

It’s all about understanding the process

Obtain a detailed understanding of how the system works

Observe the symptoms when things are not running at optimum levels

Take measurements and analyze the data

Develop solutions and test them with documented measurements

If they don’t work well, regroup and take a different path

Keep adjusting until the system is back to working at optimum performance levels

Identify the best methods to maintain the system and implement them

Check in regularly even when the system is working well

Now take the quiz

Who does this process apply to?

a) An engineer

B) A medical doctor

C) A person trying to live a full and meaningfull life

D) All the above

What is your answer?

Embrace your situation

We are all on a journey in life

Sometimes things take an unexpected turn 

If you view every situation as an opportunity for growth and learning

If you embrace your situation

If you seek guidance from your soul

Then, even during the most scary events that you encounter

You can find surprises and miracles

You can emerge from the darkest of times

With hope and confidence to face the next challenge

Embrace your situation

Always clean and protect your windows

windows are wonderful

always letting you see through

providing they are clean

protecting you from the rain and cold

waiting patiently at night

allowing the early morning sun to greet you

providing a viewing platform for sunsets

opening for fresh air 

obediently sleeping when you close the blinds

always there when you want them

brutally honest giving you the view as it is

no filters or distortions

never changing with age

windows never lie

totally non-discriminatory

allowing anybody to look through

regardless of age, gender, race or political persuasion

windows are better than many people

much better than most politicians

somebody votes windows into office

windows begin to govern

an entire administration of windows is formed

nothing could be more transparent

never anything hidden, always in view

impossible to corrupt or subvert

windows rule

windows are cool

windows are kings

until somebody revolts

throws a stone

windows shatter

windows progressively collapse

an entire government is broken

society becomes windowless

invaders climb through broken windows

prisoners escape through broken windows

anarchy ensues

windows have failed us

an anti-window movement is formed

windows are hunted down and smashed

windows are boarded up

illegal transactions go unseen

everything is hidden from view

fear and uncertainty abound

news media stops broadcasting truth

nobody knows what is really happening

honest people are persecuted and abused

justice is nowhere to be seen

there is no more hope

until somebody installs a single window

a crowd gathers to admire the window

a bully is sent in to smash it

the crowd refuses to move

the bully does not like resistance

he runs away crying

more windows appear

spreading like wildfire

the bad guys move on

peace and love return

windows rule

always clean and protect your windows

the junk word diet

You find it hard to think for yourself

Much easier to let others tell you what to think

You no longer read books or newspapers

Preferring to turn on the TV or the radio

You only trust one news media

Everything else must be treated with the utmost suspicion

Passively consuming the trivia 

Religiously believing the unbelievable untruths

Eating the social media junk word diet

Like the addict who knowingly returns to his dirty needle

Never daring to make up your own mind

Lest your conclusions contradict the mantra of the angry mob

Long gone are the days when you listened to opposing views

You can no longer remember respecting others outside your clique

Today you feel safe being part of a gang who regard all outsiders it as mortal enemies

Your life is now simple without having to debate or defend your views

You are the willing Stockholm syndrome victim of your political hijackers

I thought about trying to save you with an intervention

Having you deprogrammed so you can see the real world again

Sending you off to a thinkers rehab clinic

But sadly its too late

You are beyond my reach

I miss the old you

Good health but short memory

good health

most of us take it for granted

until you get sick or injured

then you realize how truly precious it is

you start praying for a speedy recovery

making promises that you will change your lifestyle 

if you get well its a real blessing

suddenly you feel reborn again

fleetingly toying with goals to exercise more and eat a healthier diet

you slowly creep back into your old routine

you get busy and forget about your good health

bad lifestyle habits creep back in

until the next time your health deteriorates

break this cycle

before it breaks you

your poor lifestyle is not the problem

its your memory that needs fixing

Waterfall and Life

Whooshing waterfall dripping and splashing with abandon

You played and screamed with innocent joy as a child

Those drops were once wandering in a big lake

You were lost in a teenage crowd with no ambition

Escaping to meander down a slow river

You started to dream in adult life and chased it

Speeding up over rocks and rapids

You became addicted in middle age and could not turn back

Now they tumble down on a one way ticket

You took more risks as a senior despite the obvious danger

Hurtling down the waterfall to smash on the rocks below

Your old age death was inevitable 

The water survives the fall and regroups to travel down a new river

You were reborn into a new and exciting life

Sometimes its good to be lost

Sometimes its good to be lost

In an unfamiliar place

Without a clear path back

Nobody there to guide you

Before you can find your way back

You have to first find yourself

Find your fears and worries

Find your hopes and dreams

Have some time alone with them

Challenge them to convince you to keep them

Listen carefully to their words

Identify the ones you can really trust

Decide which ones you want to carry back

Leave the others behind

Knowing they will forever be lost

Lighten your load for the return journey

The path back will be easy to find

You will enjoy every step of the way

Come back a much better person

With clearer vision and purpose

Sometimes its good to be lost