Just feeling really settled and thankful for all I have in my life.  I wish I could always feel this way. Here's to 2009.  May it be a great year, full of success and realized dreams.  

Well...as of today I'm off for two weeks for the Christmas holidays.  This year, because of the tight finances, my family isn't "doing" Christmas.  Instead, we've decided to do family activities such as a kids' game day and a movie marathon day, give care baskets, etc.  And, instead of buying presents, we're going to donate to a charitable cause.  I'm quite happy about that because I think a lot of kids these days do not appreciate "old fashioned" values of simple living, giving without receiving back, and sacrificing for the good of the whole family.  After all, at the foundation of any holiday, you'll find that particular holiday came from people/a person who sacrificed something of themselves to better mankind.  So, as I enter this holiday season, I'm happy to remind myself of the dream of peace on earth and good will towards all men.  AND that, this dream will only be accomplished when me, one person, and EVERY person of the 7+ billion people on the earth today, take on this individual responsibility to place these enduring values into their daily scope of action.  And if enough people do this through living each day with these values, this dream can come to fruition.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Peace in the coming Year.

The toughest lessons in life seem to bring with them a lot of pain.  It's through the things we suffer that we learn.  It might sound stupid, but then, humanity is often stupid.  Think of all the twisting and turnings people go through to avoid facing the reality of life and the truth about themselves.  A lot of people never arrive at self truth.  I believe that the avoidance of the truth about oneself is a main cause of the pain we suffer.  In my experience, this pain is more painful than just facing the truth, acknowledging the need for change, and then.. simply ... changing.  Hmm... food for thought, huh?

Music..sad music...it so often communicates exactly what I feel when I don't have the words...and it's a way to play out ones emotions in a healthier way than just falling apart..

I Will Remember You

~Sarah McLachlan

I will remember you

Will you remember me?

Don't let your life pass you by

Weep not for the memories

Remember the good times that we had

I let them slip away from us when things got bad

How clearly I first saw you smilin' in the sun

Wanna feel your warmth upon me, I wanna be the one

I will remember you

Will you remember me?

Don't let your life pass you by

Weep not for the memories

I'm so tired but I can't sleep

Standin' on the edge of something much too deep

It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word

We are screaming inside, but we can't be heard

But I will remember you

Will you remember me?

Don't let your life pass you by

Weep not for the memories

I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to lose

Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose

Once there was a darkness, deep and endless night

You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light

And I will remember you

Will you remember me?

Don't let your life pass you by

Weep not for the memories

And I will remember you

Will you remember me?

Don't let your life pass you by

Weep not for the memories

Weep not for the memories

Smokesong

~Ofrin

Every now and then

Cry is all you can do to go through all this pain

Every now and then

Die is all you can do to go through loneliness

Every now and then

Die is all you can

Every now and then

Cry is all you can

Every now and then

Cry is all you can do through all this pain

Every now and then

Die is all you can do to go through loneliness

Every now and then

Die is all you can

Every now and then

Cry is all you can

Every now and then

In times of low

You wait for the tide

To pull you far

It blocks the noise

Surrounds around

Protect your heart

Every now and then