Wealth of Will

Kris Szlauko

Begin each break of a new morning with the desire to invigorate all that is good and peaceful. Count your blessings and act upon their ever-exciting influence on those around you.

Hold close in your mind and spirit that which inspires what you can do, and look to all that is good, kind, and just, to inspire your actions.

Hold on to your moral compass tightly, and it will guide you through the throws of unjust wickedness, that push to derail your clarity of thought and deed.

Sow only seeds of importance of purpose that they may grow in the minds of all who take up the toil of change for the good of humankind.

Harvest only the best of energy and wisdom, and let all else wither with time and lack of empathy. To carry the banner of evil even for a moment, is to allow it to reseed in the minds of others.

Breathe deeply the airs of friendship, companionship, and grace, as they are the essence of human understanding and love.

Sigh only when appreciating accomplishments of good, and not at your own discontent. For giving into self-discrimination allows it to become a force of evil and detriment.

Praise all that delivers a positive force, and march holding its banner high. Every single step of support adds to the imprint of the parade of good it can create.

Only you can carry your legacy. Only your responsibility of thought and purpose can deliver the message you wish to leave behind.

Your deliverance is as important as your message, for if sent with too much force it will bounce off of ears that might well be receptive, and if too quiet may be lost in the thunder of all under-expressed messages for an eternity.

When at rest, reflect on your positive influence, and reaffirm your convictions for the day ahead.

Word Puzzles

Joan Berger

There is a puzzle game I have seen advertised on my computer called Wordle. People I know have been posting how they were able to solve these puzzles and get responses from others who make it fun to share their experiences. This has piqued my interest, so I logged into the program to find out what it was all about. At first I thought it was some kind of crossword puzzle.

It wasn’t like any other crossword puzzle, and I couldn’t understand how to come up with the right words. There weren’t any clues to fill in the boxes. I decided it wasn’t worth driving me crazy, so I gave up and devoted my brain activity to other things.

The other night, we were having dinner with friends and just finished our dessert, when my friend pulled out her phone. “Have you ever played Wordle,” she asked? I told her I didn’t know how. “Would you like to learn?” Since trying to understand on my own I was anxious to learn and took her up on her offer.

It didn’t take long and with a few directions it began to make sense. It is definitely not an easy game, and if you have someone helping you, it can make a big difference. If and when you solve it, you feel very proud of yourself.

I wouldn’t recommend starting a game too close to bedtime. If you find yourself not wanting to give up until you solve the puzzle, you may not get to bed until much later than usual. It has been said to increase your brain power. I’ll let you know when it happens.

The Gift of Time

Kris Szlauko

The most precious gift of life is time.

Without time we have no aspirations, no future, no love, and no forgiveness.

No one person’s time is more valuable than the others.

There are those, chosen by stature and wealth, that have the opportunity to do greater things with their time than others. And those who choose to do nothing with their time. Either way their time is still precious and spent once used.

Using our time is a blessing beyond recognition. To use time is to breathe the mercy of life.

Each of us has a limited amount of time to use, to love, to share and to give to others.

Like the ripples in a pond, there is no end to the goodness that can be done when we extend the use of our time in service to humanity.

To commit to sacrifice one moment of our precious, limited time in our lives, to the service of our fellow beings is not only unselfish but an act of divine devotion to life itself.

In finality, all humanity will be defined by the way they used their precious gift of time.

Spiders

Ruby Regina Witcraft

I really have no aversions to spiders except for the black spots they leave on everything which reminds me that they are still there. Apparently, my squashing and spraying are making very little or no impression on them, anyway.

You may think that I am talking about the large, long-legged, hairy things called Daddy Long Legs but these guys are no bigger than a very small pea. You don’t usually see them around their webs, but if you catch one out and try to stomp on it he will jump a couple of feet.

This morning, while blowing off the patio, I noticed hundreds of the most beautifully engineered webs stretched across every angle, corner and space available for their talented artwork. They probably consider this as a meal trap, but I can’t help admiring the ingenuity, labor and planning it took to erect such complex structures. I was impressed but, more than a little bit shocked, trying to picture how many of these little engineers are, at this very moment, lurking around every hidey-hole, watching me tear up their designs.

Probably, shaking their ugly, little heads. Muttering, “Does she know how much spit I had to dredge up to make one, little string, of this stuff? However, it doesn’t compare to being squashed!” I wonder if spiders get migraines. This would give me one.

Being task oriented, I am trying to produce some use for these webs and the little critters making them. Possibly, boiled as a cure for monkeypox.

As you can tell, I have a special relationship with these little pests and feel that they must be necessary to something in nature, but does it have to be with me and my patio. Ah, for a bug’s life!

Happy Birthday to Me

Lani Matsu

“When you were born, you cried, and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries, and you rejoice.” Tibetan Proverb

It was her birthday, which naturally for her, was a quiet time of reflection. It was on this very day 76 years ago the heavens parted and a wee baby girl passed through the veil into her earthly existence. However, for the first six days of her little life she was left in a small Hilo town hospital available for adoption. She imagined those caring for her there held her close, sensing the uncertainty of her future. Also present, perhaps, was a legion of angels who came with her rejoicing on that magical day of her birth. For isn’t one’s birthday usually a time when entire families gather in joyous celebration shouting, “A new life has arrived bringing her gifts to us and to this entire earth!” “Yes,” she thought, “Surely the angels danced and sang their songs of welcome love!”

Thankfully, it was shortly after, that a forever home found her, and each birthday brought parties filled with candles, laughter and light. She remembered fondly the birth of each of her babies, and then their babies, and how she held each one close whispering, “I loved you even before you came.” She smiled remembering how each of their birthday celebrations was filled with amazing love from her entire growing family.

“For the child must know she is a miracle. Because since the beginning of time, until the end of time, there will never be another child like her.” —Author unknown