I’ve worked for the last three weekends distributing a survey at some summertime festivals. At one there were 50,000 people and the others had about 1,000. It was fun to be a crowd watcher. Every shape, size, color, and attitude passed in front of me. I wondered about their lives as they meandered through the booths, attended events and listened to the concerts. As I observed the body language and interacted with this sea of humanity it occurred to me that we are all more alike than different. I played the “wonder” game as the crowd passed by. The wonder game goes like this: wonder how happy that person is, wonder if they feel good about themselves, wonder if they have friends and family to support them, etc. etc. Read the rest of this entry »

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, however, if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” Maya Angelou

This quote by Maya Angelou has many meanings and applications. For I.M. Heart, the application is personal. All of us have a unique and individual history filled with both pain and pleasure. We cannot unlive it because those experiences are in the past. We cannot change them now. However, we can face the residual bumps and bruises with courage, so that we do not relive them over and over again in the future. Read the rest of this entry »

Trust is a big deal. It has two parts —- having faith or believing in you and in the abundance of the universe. These are different, yet one. Read the rest of this entry »

Molly, the cat, needed some lovin’ tonight. She hopped up on the table, walked in front of the computer screen and stopped. As she turned to look at me she meowed, a different sound as if to say, “I really need you to hold me.” I’ve heard that sound before and knew what she wanted. We’ve been busy lately and she hasn’t got her usual amount of lovin’. Read the rest of this entry »

This has been a busy few weeks with a good friend in the hospital. She had surgery and has had a difficult time with the recovery. It seems that the surgery triggered several other conditions - which have been more uncomfortable than the surgery. Read the rest of this entry »

I want you to wake up tomorrow morning and say to yourself, “I am grateful that I woke up this morning, can see the sunshine coming in the window, can hear the music on the radio alarm, can smell the coffee brewing in the automatic coffee pot, and can stretch, roll over and get out of bed.” Read the rest of this entry »

A friend of mine has a front porch. It has two rockers and a comfortable chair. It overlooks the yard with three big trees and lots of vegetation. Right now, with the iris blooming, and the lilies and other plants ready to burst into bloom, it is a vibrant, and rich environment. Beyond the yard, one can see the activity of the neighborhood. Today I observed two dogs leading their owner up the street. A neighbor child took her bike out for a ride. It is not unusual to see people walking, exercising their pets, or working in their yards. There is a sense of family, and community on this quiet, ordinary street. Read the rest of this entry »

My “horsing around” buddy and I went on a Saturday morning romp today. We had two errands and lunch on the agenda. After our first errand was completed, we went to a local department store cosmetic counter to buy some under eye cover up. What we thought would be a 30-minute stop turned into a 1½ hour adventure.The women at the counter made an extra effort to wait on both of us. My buddy was the primary customer intending to buy one item and the clerk was immediately helping her. As I was standing around watching, another young woman came up and said, “Can I show you our new make-up, there’s no need for you to just stand there.” So I said sure. Read the rest of this entry »

As I started to write this blog, Molly hopped up on the table and gave me one of her plaintive, please hold me meows. I picked her up and cuddled her to my chest as she started to purr and snuggled in for a short nap. As I held her and watched her sleep in my arms, it occurred to me that this was an everyday miracle. It is a pleasure and joy to hold this sleeping ball of black fur for a few minutes. She didn’t stay long, but just needed a little loving before she went on about her morning business of watching the birds and squirrels out the windows. Read the rest of this entry »

As I was looking for a Mother’s Day card, I noticed that Hallmark has provided us with a variety of cards appropriate to send for Mother’s Day. There are the traditional cards from daughter to mother and mother to daughter. However, the shelves also include cards for grandmothers, granddaughters, special people, and friends. In fact, I purchased four cards to send on Mother’s Day - one for my own mother and three others for friends I wanted to remember. Read the rest of this entry »