Sorry to be so late this year with cards and poems, but this year has been one heck of a year, especially the fall.

Summer and fall were busier than usual and we threw in a lovely river cruise in Europe in October. And that is where I “get in touch with my mortality,” as it were. In short, I caught a really bad cold, coughed deeply and broke a vertebrae in my back (compression fracture). Of course, we completed the trip with the help of ibuprofen for what I thought was just a sore back.

Presently, I am under the best possible care and am improving each day exponentially. In another couple weeks or so, the pain should be gone and I’ll be back to my life! 

In the meantime, Christmas is happening and my usual schedule of shipping, wrapping, addressing and delivering, etc., has been disrupted. Bear with me and you should receive this card by Easter!

Taking stock of “Where I was” with a broken vertebrae, and the accompanying pain with that, plus anxiety about “getting it all done in time” brought me to the choice of what I would write about. It’s especially fitting for this December.

WORRY ONLY ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT

“Worry” is to feel anxious or troubled
About actual or potential problems.
Anxiety, apprehension, concern and fear
Are sometimes the feelings you have, pro tem.

“Worry pretends to be necessary,
But serves no useful purpose.”
Eckhart Tolle shared these wise words.
It does not provide any impetus.

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow
It empties today of its strength.”
Our fatigue is often caused not by work,
But by worry, and in your years, shorten its length.

Julius Caesar noticed and commented, in his wisdom,
That “men worry more about what’s not seen
Than what is” — the fear of the unknown, I guess.
Or the fear of encountering the unseen.

It makes no sense to worry about things
Over which you have no control.
There’s nothing you can do about them anyway.
So keep your mind clear and play your best role.

You ask yourself, “Didn’t I read some poem or something on ‘accountability’ before, by this author?”

And the answer is Yes, you did. By me, in October of 2020. It was an election year, and the topic I chose for my Poem of the Month that year was Accountability, realizing that accountability to follow through on the political promises and make good on them was what we, the people, were hoping for.

Guess how that turned out!

So, here we are in November of 2025, and the air is once again full of political promises, and… not only that… there appears to be a spreading sense of lawlessness, or a “me first” attitude, permeating our society. People in the news are not being as nice to each other as they used to be.

But it CAN change for the better, and it CAN change on every level. One way you can change it is to put down your phone and talk to each other. If distance is an issue, stop texting and call that person. Let him or her know why they are important to you, and that you care!

Because, remember this simple truth: 

Whatever the question, Love is always the answer.

ACCOUNTABILITY: A Reprise

Accountability is the measure of a leader’s height.
A leader who is accountable will do things right:
Calling leaders to be responsible before placing blame,
And to realize leading others is not just a game.

Conscience binds and accountability liberates…
Failure to follow through will negatively translate.
Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge…
Fact-finding and truth-telling will give you an edge.

Unless you’re dead, you can keep your promises;
It’s easier if you can examine your old prejudices.
Never promise more than you can perform.
Always strive higher — much higher than the norm.

The price of greatness is responsibility;
Your following actions must hold credibility.
A leader must be accountable to his nation’s laws.
Decisions cannot be made by “drawing straws.”

Being reliable is the basis of accountability.
“Walking your talk” illustrates your dependability.
It’s always the right time to do things right.
Your actions can be trusted, meant to be forthright.

Life is better when people keep their word.
When they don’t, the meaning of their words become blurred.
I strive to be accountable for my thoughts, words and actions.
Being less than honest will spoil all interactions.

The only thing in your way is you,
So check your motives, and see your way through.
You are the reason for your success or failure.
Accountability is what good citizens prefer.

October, 2025, and time again for a new Poem of the Month. Seems like I turned September’s poem over to my artist friend to post just a few days ago, but no, it was longer. It is said that “Time passes more rapidly when you’re having fun,” so I guess I’ve been having a lot of fun!

JUST AS YOU ARE started out as YOU ARE ENOUGH… a concept I was introduced to in the 70s, and I’ve spent a lot of time since then figuring out what that means, and actually owning it. I am enough, and so are you, and you, and you, and all of us. There’s nobody else on this earth who is exactly like us.

They may have some of the same characteristics, or thoughts about things that we have… having them is necessary for getting along with others… but there is never a complete match. (And wouldn’t it be boring if we could find it!)

So, Happy Fall, my friends. Enjoy the season, and the one after that, and the one after that, an so on, and so on, etc.

I will leave you with this parting thought: Whatever the question, LOVE is always the answer!

JUST AS YOU ARE (You Are Enough)

Never think, or let anyone make you think,
That they are better than you! Why?
Because they can never be the person you are!
It’s impossible, no matter how hard they try.

And trying to be good enough for other people
Is a waste of time as well.
You were born good enough… no… perfect, for you!
Don’t put yourself through a living hell.
Remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde:
“Be yourself. Everybody else is taken.” (In a nutshell)

You are strong and brave and capable enough.
You have what it takes, so believe in you!
No one else holds the same magic inside;
No one else sees the world as you do.
So, believe in the power of your dreams.
You are enough! To yourself, be true.

The most important day is the day you decide
That you are good enough for you.
It’s the day that you set yourself free to be.
To yourself, you say “How-do-you-do!”

You are enough, just the way you are.
Your worth isn’t tied to the opinion of another.
Nor is it tied to any of your achievements.
You don’t have to earn it. You were born enough. You were.

What other people think of you is none of your business.
You have no control over what other people think.
That said, your thoughts about you matter the most.
You have nothing to prove to others. (Don’t blink!)

Oscar Wilde said: “To love oneself is the [start]
Of a lifelong romance.” (Self-worth is the goal…)
And self-worth comes from only one thing:
Wayne Dyer said “it’s thinking that you’re worthy.” (It’s your role.)

As Louise Hay so wisely put it (and I quote her):
“You’ve been criticizing yourself for years. It hasn’t worked!
Try approving of yourself, and see what happens.”
The change of perspective is your best framework.

You are the only person on earth who can use
Your own abilities. They’re unique.
Wanting to be someone else only wastes
The person you are. You have your own technique.

You were born an original. Don’t be a copy.
You’re one-of-a-kind, unlike the others around you.
And, the most powerful voice you will hear is your own.
Make sure it is positive. To yourself, be true.

Remember, you are enough. You always were.
You were born that way, so be your wonderful you.
The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself.
Love yourself and you won’t hurt others. It’s true.