Ebb and Flo

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Ebb was a nice guy

he just could not get his act together

things seemed to slip out of his grasp

he chased them one away

then they went the other way

his life was turbulent

Flo was a lady in control

she practiced yoga every day

meditation kept her stress levels down 

she was always happy and contented

nothing ever fazed her

her every day went smoothly

Ebb met Flo and they fell in love instantly

they complimented each other

Flo taught Ebb how to relax

his days became more controlled

Ebb taught Flo how to let go sometimes

and occasionally be wild and spontaneous

They settled down and got married

soon the babies started to arrive

they were caring and loving parents

their kids grew and went to college

they became proud grandparents

they were very happy and contented

their life together had ebbed and flowed so well

what could make you happy?

if you are asking yourself that question

there is a good chance that you are unhappy right now

you feel you need to be in a better place

but how exactly do you get there

Is it the accumulation of wealth and material objects

do you yearn for a bigger house or a new flashy car

they probably won’t make you that happy

just bring you more worries

have you ever watched a child at play

building sandcastles on a beach next to his family

that child has a zero net financial worth

its not the sandcastles that make him happy

its the love and devotion from his family that makes him feel safe and content

fulfilling relationships are the key to happiness

so go out and send some loving messages to your family and friends

show them you care about them enough to invest time in your relationships

be ready to listen and be their confidante

stop worrying about your net financial worth

focus on growing your fulfilling relationship net worth

spread a little love multiple times throughout your day

your happiness portfolio will grow over time

and you will happily build sandcastles with your grandchildren when you are over 65

A taste of her own medicine

he arrived early at the restaurant

an on-line dating encounter

it was just lunch for their first face to face meeting

messaging chats at first

then a video call

this was their first real date

they had both been married before

the dating scene was intimidating

it was much easier when they were younger

a large pool of unmarried friends and coworkers back then

twenty years later that pool was dried up

forcing them both to reach out further

he checked the time every few minutes

she was late but he waited

after fifteen minutes he sent her a message

sorry I am running late was the quick reply

still no show fifteen minutes later

he sent another short message

asking her arrival time

sorry I will have to cancel she said

something cropped up at work

he left the restaurant disappointed

taking a walk to relieve his frustration

then he spotted her in the restaurant across the street

having lunch at an outside table

with a very attentive man

she was laughing and having fun

a lucky escape he thought

she is dishonest and untrustworthy

he sent her another message

how about same time and place tomorrow

he watched her pick up her phone

ok was the quick reply

he made the reservation with no intention to go

the next day she showed up late

he ignored her messages asking where he was

The walking ghost

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he thought about it for a very long time

carefully composing the words in his head

deciding what to say

and what not to say

eventually he sat down in a quiet space

with a blank sheet of paper

and his favorite pen

he wrote these words

I never imagined you were capable

of breaking my heart

but you did

and its still broken

I never imagined you were capable

of being so cruel to me

but you were

and it still hurts

I never imagined you were capable 

of telling all those lies

but you did

and you never said sorry

I never imagined you were capable

of refusing to work things out

but you did

and you ended our relationship

its time for me to let you go

I have stopped searching for the answers

you have become the walking ghost

of a person I used to love

He put the letter in an envelope

addressed it and fixed a stamp

placed it in a drawer

and decided to never send it

Another morning

Another morning

Daytime dawning

Stopped raining

No complaining

Body stretching 

Muscles flexing

Guzzle tea

Rapid pee

Dressing quick

Driving slick

Running fast

Yoga class

Stretching more

Aching core

Mind focus

Flowering crocus

Meditate deep

Count sheep

Visualize lover

Snuggling hover

Return home

Body groan

Repetitive chores

Cleaning floors

Thoughts drift

Spirits lift

Greet lover

Wrinkled cover

Bodies straining

Bedsheets staining

Ritual cuddles

Emotions muddled 

Tawdry affair

Deep despair

Daily breakup

Daily makeup 

Sinful event

No repent 

Lover departs

Laundry starts

Weary yawning

Another morning

The one night stand

about thirty years ago

I answered the phone at home

a woman introduced herself

she asked me to confirm my name

I did so without hesitation

then she dropped a bombshell

I am your daughter

there was a long silence

I asked her if this was a joke

I am deadly serious she replied

my mother told me your name 

and the nightclub where you met her

I have been searching for you for months

I would like to meet you in person

get to know you as my father

I had no recollection of meeting her mother

but I had been to that nightclub in my younger days

I asked for more details 

my mother said it was a one night stand

she never saw you again

she made no attempt to find you

decided to bring me up by herself

keeping your name a secret

until her deathbed a few months ago

my mind was racing

could I possibly be her father

did I have a one night stand long ago

with her now departed mother

that I have since forgotten about

I broke out into a cold sweat

How could I ever explain this to my family

how will my wife react to this news

will this woman look like my kids all

will they bond with their half sister

when can we meet she asked excitedly

I was hesitant and tried to buy some more time

tell me more about yourself I asked

she said she lived alone

worked as a nurse in ICU and liked to go hiking

I asked her age

then with some quick mental arithmetic

I broke the news to her

I am sorry I could not possibly be your father

because I am only eleven years older than you

there was a long silence

she said sorry and hung up crying

I wonder if she ever found her real father

his tea went cold

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the sun came up on a beautiful summer morning

he watched the spectacle from his bedroom

his wife slept soundly

she wore an eye pillow to prevent light waking her

he got up, moving slowly to not disturb her

hot tea was his priority

taking his tea out to the deck so he could look over the water

ospreys were flying in the bay

watching the ospreys nest building

laying twigs on a platform in the bay

the couple worked in relays

relentlessly adding more to the nest

some of the twigs fell into the water

they were undeterred

they kept building in relays

flying back to a tree on the waterline

landing on a fixed branch

then taking off and ripping it off the tree

sometimes the branches were really big

the bird could hardly fly with it

but they kept on going

the instinct to reproduce is intense

they wanted to make a nest

they wanted to raise babies

his thoughts wandered

he went back inside the bedroom

gently arousing his wife with a kiss

“it’s too early in the morning” she screamed

she rolled over and buried her face in the covers

he went back outside to watch the nest building

his tea was cold

the ospreys continued to nest-build

he threw away the cold tea

made another hot cup

went inside to watch sports on TV

he put the TV on max volume

soon after she started to text

“turn it down”

he turned off the TV

went for a walk

He met a beautiful lady walking

they got talking about ospreys

he never returned home

the ospreys raised a family

His tea never went cold again

another wave crashed in

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she watched the wave crash onto the beach

the rolling surf pounded the wet sand

exploding in a spray of white foam

energized water from the wave surged forward

running up the sloping beach

defying gravity until it ran out of steam

reluctantly sliding back down

swallowed up by the angry sea

the beach barely had time to take a breath

before the next wave crashed in

she let her thoughts wander between waves

thinking back to all the bad things she had done

another wave crashed in

regrets for all the poor decisions she had made

another wave crashed in

remorse for all the heartbreaking she had caused

another wave crashed in

wishing she had never rejected the one who really loved her

another wave crashed in

realizing that the affair was the biggest mistake of her life

another wave crashed in

her illicit lover had dumped her

another wave crashed in

she was totally alone now

another wave crashed in

she accepted her punishment

another wave crashed in

sentenced to eternal waves of sorrow

another wave crashed in

Marriage is like a flowering garden

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Marriage is like a flowering garden

It needs thoughtful planning

A sprinkling of love and attention

A few minutes of daily care

Occasionally it demands some hard work

When treated correctly it can last a lifetime

Giving you and your partner immense pleasure

Something that will be admired by others

Here are some tips to keep your marriage garden blooming

……………………………………………………………………..

Remind your partner (and yourself) that you appreciate them

Practice honesty, even when you’re ashamed

Take care of your appearance

Foster healthy relationships outside your marriage

Watch your words

Put away the jumper cables yourself

Relish the silence

Recognize the ebb-and-flow

Be kind

Share housework tasks

Maintain intimacy and passion

Buy surprise gifts

Have regular date nights

Hold hands when walking

Be tolerant

Listen

Make memories and revisit them together

Do your own laundry 

Say thank you for the little things

soul whispers

Everybody needs a mirror

not the shiny reflective kind we all look into occasionally

although useful for checking out your appearance

but oh so unforgiving

highlighting every blemish and wrinkle

showing your fat bulges

yelling straight back in your face

you look terrible today

but I digress so lets get back to the point here

everybody needs a mirror into their soul

for those moments when you must step back and reflect

when you are contemplating a big decision

it might be a major financial transaction

a huge change in your career

or a relationship crossroads

ask yourself why you want to go a certain way

what is really driving it

is it the right thing to do

are the risks worth taking

are you being totally honest with yourself

its hard to put your emotions to one side

they keep jumping back in and pleading with you

making you have doubts and second thoughts

it helps to have a human mirror to consult

perhaps a good friend or a partner can be your mirror

somebody you can trust completely

to guide you into the right path to follow

it does not always work out that way

one of the worst things that can happen to anybody

is losing the trust of a long term partner

suddenly your mirror is broken and shattered 

leaving you desperately alone and seeking another mirror 

if you are lucky a friend will step in to help

but fear not if you are totally alone in such a crisis

dig deep back into your soul and find that unused mirror

polish it well and take a deep breath

it will not judge you or despise you

for all those years of neglect

it will tell you exactly how things are

help you to make the right decision

once things get better you can revisit your mirror

just to say thank you for all that help

it will glow in appreciation

you will feel the self love inside you

and your soul will whisper

keep looking into my mirror