August Recap

This month we have discussed the fact that everyone will die. It is something we should keep close to our hearts and not forget about…for if we forget or ignore then we may never life to our full potential and we should seize the time we have been given instead of assuming there will always be another chance. In some ways, death can be a beautiful thing- say for instance that you wish for death or death can be displayed in forms of necromancy, but sometimes the love of death can go to extreme measures as is the case with necrophilia. As it is, we all dance with death and the beat of the music and the steps of the dance change as we age. As we age, we also watch those we love die and coping with the loss of loved ones can be a difficult process, as well as losing a beloved pet. No matter who died, or what died, we all must let it go and move on with our lives so as not to waste it. Each day is a new day and we should make the best of it when possible. 

A New Day

Every day is a new day. A new day to live, love, enjoy, partake, strive, cry, learn, and grow. We all must make the most of each day we have because we never know when we will have another. Tell someone you love them, never be afraid to seek your heart’s desire. Do not let the fear of rejection stop you from being happy or asking or telling someone something. Life is short, time is fleeting and we must all make the most of everyday that we have.

When we wake with each new day, it is a new chance at life, a chance to start over and live. Though your sorrows may follow you and your dreams may elude you, for every breath you take, every day you awake, just live and grow and be free. That is all I have for this month and this topic. Had I time I would speak volumes of experience and examples, but if we look hard enough I think each life has our own examples enough.  As life has been hectic for me lately, I can honestly say I am making the most of each new day. Are you?

 Oh! The Places You'll go by Dr. Seuss (Copyright 1990)

 Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself  any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go. You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care. About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there." With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,  you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street. And you may not find any you'll want to go down. In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town. It's opener there in the wide open air. Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you. And then things start to happen, don't worry. Don't stew. Just go right along. You'll start happening too. OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

 

You'll be on y our way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights. You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed. You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. Except when you don't. Because, sometimes, you won't. I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You'll be left in a Lurch. You'll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you'll be in a Slump. And when you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done. You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win? And IF you go in, should you turn left or right... or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
 

 

 You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. The Waiting Place......for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or the waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting. Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for the wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting. NO! That's not for you! Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying You'll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you'll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you're that kind of a guy! Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You'll be as famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV. Except when they don't Because, sometimes they won't. I'm afraid that some times you'll play lonely games too. Games you can't win 'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone! Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you'll be quite a lot. And when you're alone, there's a very good chance you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won't want to go on. But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike, And I know you'll hike farand face up to your problems whatever they are. You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's  a Great Balancing Act. Just never foget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS! So... be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, You're off the Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way!

Letting Go

       

All things change, and we must change with them. Humanity is adaptable, resilient, capable of leaving the past behind and creating a new normal. Time and time again we have picked ourselves up after tragedy and continued on, whether we really wanted to our not.

         It is often said that time heals all wounds. I am not sure how true this is. It may numb it, it may scab over, but I am of the opinion the scar will always be there and every once in a while the scab will come off and the scar will open afresh. But yet, we continue on.

         
    The adaptability of the human brain and will power is almost beyond comprehension. We are said to be one of the most adaptable creatures on Earth, and I can well understand why. When tragedy strikes, we grief, but we move on in a rather quick way and create for ourselves news methods of existence.

           A great example of this is the Bubonic Plague. When the plague hit, life as they new it had ended. People were dying by the dozens. Can you imagine the smell, the horror, the bodies, the fear, the sorrow that abounded in that time? But soon enough, it almost became common and normal. Oh, someone else died of plague today? What else is new? When it was over, the people recovered quickly enough as life continued on for those who survived.

          We are all survivors until we die. But to live, you must let the past go. Mourn if you must, grief as I suits you, but continue on. Never live in the past because you can never go back to it. It will never bring your loved one back to you. You can honor the memory, the joy of what you had, by continue to live and finding happiness once more.

           I am of the opinion that those who truly loved you, would not want you to waste your life in sadness because they are no longer alive. There can be joy in life when those we love are no longer here. It can be hard. I cannot even begin to imagine the loss a parent suffers who losses a child nor would I want to know. Some pains are almost unbearable- almost. Yet we live. But let’s do more than live. Let’s try the best we can to take each day as it is given. Let’s let go o the past and look forward to a bright future.

 

I Am Here

I may be gone, but I never left you

I may not be here, but I still remain

I am with you every moment in spirit

Be happy for me, I feel no more pain.

It hurts to hear your weeping

Please cast your fears aside

I am with you, now and always

In your hearts will I ever reside

I know it is hard, but you must be strong

I know you miss me, but please do not cry

I know your sorrow, but life still goes on

Though I am dead, I never did die

I am with you every moment

Every second of everyday

Though you cannot see or touch me

I never truly went away

I am everywhere, yet nowhere at once

I am the laughter, the joys, the tears

I will always watch over you

Throughout the rest of your years

I love you more than can be imagined

More than all the things we could ever dream

I may no longer have my flesh

But watch for me- things are never as they seem

I am in the air that you are breathing

I am in every beat of your broken heart

I am in every echo of every memory

That we ever shared and played a part

I will forever remain a part of you

And you remain a part of me

To my body I am no longer chained

My soul has finally been set free

. We shall see each other again, my friend

But until then, you must stand tall.

I love you now and always

And I still hear you when you call.

Angelea Beatrice Sakai

February 2, 2010

A Pet's Passing

             Pets are, by some people, considered family. For many, pets are all the family some have and we love them as dearly as any person. When a pet passes away, it can be anything from a mild irritation to a loss so keenly felt that it can be hard to comprehend living without the pet.

             I, myself, have undergone such a lose. So far in my life, I have yet to feel any death (including the death of my mother when I was seventeen) as keenly as I have when my first pet died. He was a min pin named Thor and even to this day, almost 10 years later, I still have the urge to cry when I think to long on my beloved dog.

            I have had many pets since my Thor passed away. A fish, cats, and one dog, whom I still have. Though I love them all very much, my first pet was always my first love and his passing affected me greatly, as I imagine the death of a pet can effect great many people.

            As with people we love, we often times show our pain at a pet’s death in different ways. Some people respond by never wanting another pet. Others want a pet as soon as possible to either ‘replace’ the loss they now feel or in an attempt to love anew and move on. Some people want to bury their pets in cemeteries, with gravestones, etc…and others do no more than digging a whole and forgetting about it. Some want their deceased pet cremated, others want them to be remembered forever through the use of taxidermy.

            My own first pet was buried under my favorite tree, has his own gravestone and still have flowers placed on his resting place. When my current pets pass away, I will likely do the same for them. When it comes to our pets it can be either easier or more difficult to move on, but move on we must, as all things must change.

 

Weeping Willow

Oh Weeping Willow, why do you weep?

Is it for he who is now in God’s keep?

For that little boy who, in your branches would sway,

And around your large truck, would laugh and play?

Weeping Willow, don’t you cry,

I know somehow you will manage to get by,

Without his happiness, smiles, and fears,

Without his kindness, love, and tears.

Oh Weeping Willow, just remember,

All of those years he sat in splendor.

And under your shelter he would read you a book,

So that through him, your sightless eyes could look.

Weeping willow, think of his song,

And how, with your waving leaves, bid him to sing it all night long.

Rejoice when thinking of how he loved you,

And how you loved and cared for him too.

Oh Weeping Willow, you must go on!

There is always a storm before the dawn.

I know in your roots, lies a great sorrow,

But he wasn’t promised another tomorrow.

Weeping Willow, you must understand,

Sometimes God will cast a great demand.

But you will make it through,

For I have such faith in you.

Oh Weeping Willow, won’t you please stand tall?

For I wouldn’t make it, if you were to fall.

Just keep holding steady, come what may,

For he wouldn’t want you to act this way.

Weeping Willow, wipe your eyes.

And don’t give excuses and tell me lies.

For he is gone now, that will not change,

All that is left is your life to arrange.

Oh Weeping Willow, do not forget,

That I still love you, and beneath you will I always sit.

Come, let us go through this turmoil together,

Maybe then we can overcome this turbulent weather.

Weeping Willow, where is that smile that I so need,

For only then will I feel it right to plant a small seed.

That will represent life’s circle from beginning to end,

Because now, only in our hearts, live this friend.

Oh Weeping Willow, his soul is now as free as the wind!

So in this thought, let your troubled heart mend.

And have no more regrets or blame,

As you remember deceased with no regret or shame.

_Angelea Beatrice Sakai Woodham

2004