It’s time again for sharing my Poem of the Month (August 2026), and rather than writing a brand new one, I chose LISTENING, which was written a few years ago. 

The message continues to be timely, and appropriate for people of all ages and walks of life… as fresh and new as it was when my pencil left the page originally.

In the spring of this year, another one of my terrific great-grands, Tommy, graduated from high school, and is off to college in another few weeks.

And, I have made it my project this summer to review the poems that have made it into the 18 books, selecting the essences to share with the younger generation. That is how I re-discovered LISTENING.

The complete poem LISTENING (all six verses) made the cut, and though I didn’t enclose it in the graduation envelope, along with the card and gift, I thought the message was perfect for an 18-year-old, as well as for those of us many years away from high school graduation.

I hope you like it. It is such a pleasure to share it with you.

Remember, whatever the question, love is always the answer.

LISTENING

The key to the art of listening, my loves,
Is selectivity, it has been said.
You alone stand guard and decide
What you’ll allow into your head.

Listen to the good, tune your ears to love —
To hope, to courage, to self-esteem.
Tune out gossip and fear and resentment.
You decide for yourself your own theme.

Listen to the beautiful! Relax with the music
Which inspires mankind to do good.
And listen to nature’s cacophony of sounds,
Including your own, if you would.

Listen with your eyes. Let your imagination soar,
As you read poetry and novels by the pound.
As you stroll through a gallery of paintings
Let your own soaring mind provide sound.

Be discerning, seek truth with an open mind,
And listen patiently, not in a hurry.
Listen for essence and learn as you go;
Listen with your heart, not your “jury.”

Listen to yourself, to your noblest impulses,
To the deepest and highest you can reach.
Be still and meditate; listen with intuition
For the inspiring wisdom there to teach.

Have you ever attended a one-hundredth birthday celebration? My experience is that it is pretty awesome!  I have now attended two. The first one was on August 27, 2000, the party for my father in Eastern Washington; and most recently on June 27th, 2026, the wonderful party for my step-children’s Aunt Marcia in San Antonio, Texas.

Looking beyond the grey hair and wrinkles, and imagining their experiences and their thoughts about the changes that occurred during their life spans, in both cases (my Dad and “Aunt Marcia”) their faces were young and glowing and, yes, ageless!

So, a question here is one Satchel Paige, the oldest Major League Baseball Player in history is actually quoted as asking, “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?” Muhammad Ali answered the question with “Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.”

An anonymous quote regarding aging: “Don’t just count your years. Make your years count!” Will Rogers said: “Eventually you reach a point where you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.” (Pablo Picasso suggested that “it takes a long time to become young.” Is that simply acceptance?)

What then follows as a way to live one’s life? What advice can one glean from all the words and quotes, observations and suggestions?

I vote for “Live vicariously, beautifully, and excitedly. Discover, love, dare, and act as if there is nothing to lose.”

Life, after all is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it. Aging is natural. Your reaction to it is on you! It is never too late to have a happy childhood, or to be what you might have been. As the Dalia Lama shared: “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” And D. H. Lawrence shared that “Life is ours to be spent, not to be saved." So, live large!

And… as Steven Wright said, (and I take a page from his book) ”I intend to live forever. So far, so good.”

The poem I wish to share with you is one that was written several years ago, and is published in my book “Beginnings.” Each day holds a new promised beginning.

GIVE BIRTH TO YOURSELF EVERY DAY

Old habits are for old people, so its said.
So reinvent yourself while you still can.
Each night, as you sleep, you leave it all behind.
Every day is your chance to begin again.

Like the butterfly, you’ll go through stages of change, 
Be reborn and transform into your new self.
You will create a new clarity of purpose,
And put your outdated ideas back on the shelf.

You’ll break out of your comfort zone, to be sure,
And shed old layers of obsolete behavior.
You’ll stretch in your potential to be your best self.
Stay on your path. Don’t even waver.

Your goal is to be free of outdated limitations.
You’ll experience rebirth, and take flight.
Follow your dream and pursue your bliss.
Each day is a new life. Relish and delight!

The Poem of The Month for June, 2026, What’s The Best Thing That Could Happen?came about after reading a number of articles about positive thinking, realizing that we really do have power over our thoughts; that we don’t have to stay stuck in the mode of trying to function happily when we are temporarily feeling lousy.

An interesting way to practice changing the direction of our thinking might be to make a list of ”arguments for improving one’s attitude.” List ways that you can take responsibility for what you’re feeling, then change that feeling to one of gratitude for all the blessings that come your way.

I have found that when I am counting my blessings with gratitude I don’t feel angry, I don’t feel lack, I don’t feel “less than.”  No, I don’t have room. The blessings get in the way.

Try it. You’ll like it!

And remember, whatever the question, love is always the answer!

WHAT’S THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?

Ask yourself, upon waking, this very important question:
“What’s the best thing that could happen today?”
You will find that by looking for the good in life
The negatives will mostly slip away.

We usually find what we are looking for,
And if that’s a negative, guess what you’ll get?
You are in control of the way you look at life.
Choose positive views, and don’t forget
That you can change how your day is going,
And turn it around by changing your mindset.

Those times when you’re not feeling positive
Are the times when fears and doubts can sneak in.
Take charge of your thoughts; look to the bright side.
To get started you need a little discipline.

Every morning is a fresh beginning,
And every day is a world made new.
To start the day with a positive thought
The responsibility is left up to you.