January the first came and went… and no new poem amongst your emails for January, 2025? 

Really???

Though I have, this year, quit making New Year’s Resolutions, I can only say I will work toward being more timely.

A lot happened last year over which we seemed not to have much control… the wars all over the world, the U. S. Elections, extreme weather, to name a few… not to mention the misinformation that slips into one’s consciousness when we’re not paying attention… 

I spoke with my dear friend Ann Barclay about it. She’s a Counselor in Maine, and one of the most practical minded people I know. (We speak on the phone from time to time, but haven’t seen one another for nearly 15 years; yet, when we do speak, it’s as if we just sat at the same table and had a cup of coffee together this morning… you know… that kind of friend.)

“TRUST THE PROCESS” is one of her favorite sayings… While writing a poem about trusting the process doesn’t change anything about the world around me, it gives me some insight into how to look at my life, and helped me relax the reins a little bit. Hope you enjoy it.

And by the way, whatever the question, LOVE is always the answer… a good thing to remember.

TRUSTING THE PROCESS

People you lean upon to assist you through the “hard times”
(And you’ll have them now and then — they come to us all)
Will listen and ask questions that only you can answer…
You’ll get a bigger picture to make a better call.

The key to success is to trust the process.
Stay focused, and never lose sight of your goal.
With unwavering belief in your abilities
Your path to victory is within your control.

Sometimes, it’s the journey… the path you take…
That teaches you a lot about your destination.
As Winnie-the-Pooh says, “Life is a journey
That’s to be experienced, not a problem that brings agitation.”

Trust there is a purpose and meaning to your challenges.
It really is all rigged in your favor, you know.
Things can go wrong for all the right reasons.
Good things are always on time. Mind the flow!

December 2024’s poem, TRUST, took longer to write, so it’s late, and I apologize. Christmas “stuff” kept pushing the writing to a back burner, it seems. But as I was writing it I couldn’t help but notice that the words, TRUST and TRUTH looked alike (five letters long, and the first three the same), and I wondered if they were connected by the same root word.

Sure enough:

“The words trust and truth originate from the same linguistic
 root: proto-Indo-European — DERU — meaning something
firm, solid and steadfast.”

It seems that TRUST and TRUTH have been two sides of the same coin since the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age. (I should have taken that linguistics course in college!)

By the way, there’s a wonderful restaurant in my town (Kirkland, WA) named DERU. Their food is honest and straightforward, and absolutely DELICIOUS! Next time I go in, I will ask them where and how they decided on the name.

Have a lovely holiday season… and remember, whatever the question, love is always the answer.

TRUST

It’s said that trust is the “glue of life.”
It’s the most essential ingredient for effective communication.
“Trust” and “truth” come from the same root word.
Without truth, then trust is no longer a consideration.

Trusting is hard, but knowing who to trust is harder.
Use your intuition to determine the way.
You can usually trust your gut, better than your mind.
If it feels right, it probably is right. Pay to play.

Trust is like a mirror. You can fix it if its broken,
But the cracks will always be there in full view.
Nietzsche says, “I’m not upset that you lied to me;
I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.”

Trust starts with truth and ends with truth.
It’s built with consistency and, with time, will grow.
Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters
Cannot be trusted with the big ones. Oh, no!

Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.
As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.
That trust that we place into ourselves
Can make us feel trust with others… and more positive.

“To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.”
One George MacDonald is credited with these words.
Trust is the foundation upon which more can be built
It requires a track record. Truth is the catchword!

When I chose the subject (Perfection) to write the November 2024 Poem of the Month, I thought I had a clear picture in my mind about what perfection is/was. But no, the more I studied other people’s definition of the word, the muddier my image became.

So many of the philosophical comments on the subject boiled down to this: Perfection is not attainable, but striving for it can bring the seeker to excellence. And others suggested that if perfection could be reached, it would be a boring and dull existence.

What would one do in his or her life if perfection was already reached? There would be nothing new to learn and be amazed by or excited about…

Yet, many of us grew up in a time when we were encouraged to reach perfection in all of our activities — academic, athletic, social, emotional — you get the drift. If I had followed all the advice received on how to live a perfect life, I’d probably be locked up somewhere!

So, in striving for perfection, I am happy to be aiming for excellence… or very good… or acceptable. It makes my life much more exciting and interesting. I will never reach perfection!

Thank God!

PERFECTION

So, what is perfection? Is it attainable?
Are we to go through life pursuing an impossible goal?
The journey never ends because we are always “on the way,”
Seeking our own perfection… that’s how we roll!

“Do it this way!” “No, do it like this!”
From birth we are subjected to others’ paths to perfection.
Well-meaning “teachers” share their knowledge (show the way);
Until we find our own path, our own direction.

Since each person’s ideas around what’s perfect differ greatly,
We’d say the concept of perfection is subjective.
If you’re always seeking perfection, you’ll never be content.
Truthfully, is that how you want to live?

Salvador Dali said, “Have no fear of perfection —
You’ll never (ever) reach it (by the way).”
Aiming for “perfect” will bring failure every time.
Progress is much more important anyway.

Don’t let your want for perfection turn into
Procrastination out of fear of failure.
The pursuit of perfection often impedes improvement,
So strive for improvement, which I’m sure you’ll prefer.

Rather than grasping what you believe to be perfection,
Stay loose and enjoy the things you learn along the way.
It’s thought that there are two kinds of perfect:
The one you can never achieve and the one you live every day.

And when you stop expecting others to be perfect (in your eyes)
You will be able to like them for who they really are.
Beauty and ingenuity beat perfection every time.
Love yourself as you are — you are spectacular!