To laugh is to risk appearing a fool, to weep is to risk appearing sentimental, to reach out for another is to risk involvement, To expose feelings is to risk exposing yourself, To love is to risk not being loved in return, To live is to risk dying, to hope is to risk failure...and people who rish nothing, do nothing have nothing..YOu may avoid suffering and sorrow, but you simply cannot learn, feel change, grow or love...

A MILLION TIMES

A million times I needed you .. A million times I cried
If love alone could have saved you , you never would have died.
In life I loved you dearly, In death I love you still
In my heart you hold a place that nobody could ever fill
It broke my heart to lose you , but you didn't go alone
For part of me went with you the day God took you home...

THE DASH POEM by LINDA ELLIS

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
...From the beginning to the end
He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years
For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

TWO WOLVES

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people...He said "My son the battle is between two wolves inside us all...One is evil...it is anger, envy, jealousy , sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-p...i...ty, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego...
one is good....it is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benovolance, empathy, generosity,truth, compassion and faith..The grandson thought for a minute and then asked his grandfather "Which wolf wins?"...The old cherokee simply replied, "the one you feed!"