Life without Limits

As I was walking down the road one evening  I felt the crunch of something crushing beneath my shoes.  I look down and see shards of broken glass, tiny, colourful pieces.  Fascinated, I pick one up and it seemed to me it was a piece of a broken bangle, red and translucent, gleaming in the light of the setting sun.  A flash of memory sped across my mind,  Like a deer darting through the forest, turning back once to face its fears.  My mind too turned back once, to a distant memory where I was a little girl at a fair,  with a kaleidoscope in my hands.  As I lifted it to my eye, a fascinating world unfolded before me.  Every turn created a new world of colour, no two patterns the same.  Yes, the broken pieces reminded me of a kaleidoscope, where each twist and turn magically created wonders that gladdened my heart.  Isn't life the same? A kaleidoscope?  Where each turn represents happiness, sadness, laughter, tears, fe...

If only we would take the time to slow down and savour each moment, with deliberation... If only we would pause in our daily life and watch the sunsets... The beautiful show that Nature puts on for us each day... If only we would learn accept the reality of life, that time is passing us by... and so we must not miss out, on the small joyous moments offered to us. Our lives would be calmer and happier. Let us not have time for regrets Let us make this happen.... it is all in our hands. 🔆

Dreamcatcher..... The very word evokes images of Native Americans, charms and spells. A dreamcatcher is supposed to catch dreams while we sleep. But why don't we look at it from another perspective. I like to imagine myself as a dreamcatcher. My childhood dreams caught in the delicate, spidery strands, each one a strong memory of carefree days.  And my teenage dreams of a bright future, of first love and break ups, of new friendships and old.. all coming together like pieces of colourful glass in a kaleidoscope.  I have wrapped up all those dreams carefully, to be preserved for posterity. When I grow older, I will carefully unwrap each dream, and re-live each memory in my mind's eye. My way of connecting with the past. I am not done yet.. I continue to catch dreams, new dreams, to hold them close and keep them safe. For a time in the future, when I am old and gray. Once again, I will unwrap them and be transported back in time. There is a dreamcatcher in all of us....

It is morning once more. And you lay in bed, wondering How you will get through another day A day filled with confusion and pain If only you could hide under the covers And pretend that today never happened. You feel hurt and sad And you want to just disappear But it doesn't work that way That would be just too easy For a fighter like you. You are brave, you are resilient And you will bounce back. All you need is a mirror To show you how strong you are Stronger than your fears Braver than you would ever imagine. So pull yourself up, girl The world awaits you Show them your smile And the strength behind that smile  Move forward and forge your path. You are a woman who is worth  A lot more than you would ever imagine.  A woman who lives life by her rules alone. 

The open album on my lap Lay staring up at me Waiting for me to sift through the memories Laid bare before my eyes One glance and I am lost in a world Not so recent, not so old The tiny paws, at rest in sleep Pulled at my heart strings Stirring emotions down deep Which took me back in time A time when I was carefree And not responsible for one more life A tiny living breathing creature Who, against my wishes came home And into my lap he was placed This trembling wraith like entity Who, in an instant became mine All mine, forever mine The ensuing years fled by Like deer chased by beasts And then one day I cast my eye On his face, white with advancing age No more a puppy, not as young  The advancing years have not yet taken it's toll He's still active, he's still childlike But my heart skips a beat every time  I see the white deepen,  the changes fill me with terror A terror so intense, it scares me To the depths of my very existence. Do not grow old, my child ...

I am lost. Within myself Hidden behind the walls of my own making. Walls so high that I am unable to escape The walls close in sometimes Crowding and suffocating me. I used to be alive, smiling and cheerful My smile has buried its head in the chaos But now I realise that this is not the real me I'm just playing a game of peekaboo The spark is there but it flickers like a firefly Trying to escape the bottle it's trapped in.  I look in the mirror and see a glimmer Of my old self And I tell myself enough is enough No more sacrificing my happiness for others And letting others walk over me I've had it with the people pleasing And with trying to be perfect. I need my smile back,  My identity is crying to be let out Of the mire it has slid into. I am going to be kind to myself And do what my heart bids me to. I am convinced I can do better At loving myself My spirit is pushing against the grain I'm going to smile once more Yes, there will be criticism, and censur...