About teaching children to give and to receive love

We need to surround our children with the armour of love - and that is love given but also love returned, not just love taken and especially not love 'taken for granted'.

Children need to be taught how to give love, to care about and for family, friends and others. We must let them learn the pleasure of giving cards and presents and little acts of kindness. We mustn't let them feel that giving is a one-way street.

The more we teach them to love and care for others, the more love and care they will be able to receive and appreciate. By allowing them to be selfish, we do them one of the greatest possible disservices.

If we bring them up to be the centre of their own universes, we deprive them of the greatest gift in life. That is the knowledge that other people exist, that they matter, that being aware of other people's needs and concerns and responding to them, can be the greatest source of true happiness in this world. If we help them to connect with the world, the world will connect with them.

About keeping our faces as 'young' as possible

My basic skincare plan, such as it is, consists of applying whatever body lotion or hand cream I happen to have at hand, generally gifts, Mother's Day, birthday, Christmas etc, to my face, hands, arms and the other few parts of my body which are likely to be in contact with the outer world!

Over recent years, I've found myself, as I apply the cream to my face, almost massaging it in, whilst, at the same time, pulling the strangest grimaces. The idea came to me from a yoga booklet I read many years ago showing various movements, one of which was called 'the lion' and was a way of exercising our facial muscles.

I just feel it must be important to try to keep our faces as supple as we can because they are the most exposed parts of our bodies by a long way, especially in my case, as I am a very 'nesh' character, noted for wearing scarves, polo necks, hats and gloves etc.

Just a thought.

About rivers and nations

A river travels along its bed, 

constantly changing, 

being changed by its environment.

So also, is a nation - constantly reborn; 

birth and death constantly renewing its life.

About driving at night and dealing with the 'glare'

The older I become,  the more the glare of oncoming headlights whilst driving at night causes me problems. 

As if it isn't enough just to keep remembering to dip the headlights oneself so as not to dazzle others!!

I have discovered that, instead of looking ahead at the cars, 

if I look down at the road and concentrate on the road markings, 

I'm much better able to deal with the glare safely. 

Thought I'd share the tip.

Could this be an allegory for the glare of life?

About time

About Time

For one thing, time is not linear!

A moment can seem a lifetime                                                                                                                      and a lifetime can seem a moment.

Time is a curve.                                                                                                                                                  Curves are beautiful, natural.                                                                                                                    Straight lines are man-made. 

They have their uses, of course,                                                                                                                        but give me a curve every time.          

About the capacity for empathy

Some people seem to have a diminished capacity for empathy.

There will be causes for that 

but it doesn't diminish the effect.

 

About wanting and getting

The less you want, the more you get.

Whereas, the more you want, the less you get. 

About the sound of gentle rain and stormy winds

I find the sound of gentle, falling rain comforting

and that of heavy rain and stormy winds exciting - but sometimes scary.

Will it flood over my doorstep? Will it knock the rough tiles off?

  

About seed and soil

For life to flourish,

we need good seed and good soil,

Nature and Nurture in fact.

 

About circumstances and choices

We are all a product of our circumstances and choices,

from before our conception until the present moment,

many of which we neither know nor understand.

No wonder life's a mystery and struggle so often.

About living with Lady Nicotine

Ah yes, Lady Nicotine, what might we say about her.

Well, she enters lives as a visitor and Seductress

and ends as a resident and Dominatrix.

About becoming a widow

26.11.22

I've discovered, since becoming a widow (15.8.22),

that what you want to do do

is tell your sorrow.

You don't want people's explanations or consolations,

although you know they're well-meant.

I'm filled with regret

having done the same thing many times myself.

Please may I tell you my sorrows

and learn to listen to the sorrow of others.

About new year's resolutions re health

I'm not much of a one for these but have decided that there are some sensible changes I could make to improve my health.

The first one is so simple and obvious and probably corny, but it is simply, to GO TO BED EARLIER!!
If I start to get ready at about 10 o'clock, I might be in bed for 1015. When it's my usual 1030 (ish) it seems to creep round to 11 so easily!! Then, if I don't nod off straight away, I can be awake till 3am!! Terrible; shattered all next day. I'm trying anyway.

The second one concerns my spine!! I am over 60 myself and have a much loved and very close friend who has severe osteoporosis. With other health issues I've had myself and trying in a very basic but very regular effort to stay fit, I've come to realise that I spend most of my life slouching, not keeping my back/spine straight.

Some months later, (see date above) I realise I'd forgotten every word. Good to have a wake-up call (or should I say, ''Back straight all day'' and ''get to bad at night!'')

About the dangers of pornography - a personal view

Pornography is to the soul as pollution is to the body, as nicotine is to the lungs.

It penetrates into the crevices and recesses of the spirit.

It slithers and slides its way around the hearts and minds of its followers.

It corrodes and corrupts its adherents.

It is very hard to erase such images from the memory.

It seems to stamp an indelible stain on the soul.

Let us pray for all those trapped within its portals that they may be set free

and that all who peddle their salacious wares will see the errors of their ways 

and turn away from them. 

About time

Time is inexorable.

This statement was triggered by becoming the person 

who draws the curtains every morning!

To update this, in the summer months, the sun rises before I do

and the light fades after I go to bed

so I forget about time's inexorable march.

But now, as we enter August,

I am having to draw the curtains at night

and open them in the morning!

Time is knocking on my door again.

About struggling with the problem of ego

If, like me, you are someone who struggles with this problem,

then maybe this mantra,

which came floating into my mind a couple of mornings ago,

might be of help,

as it has been for me.

                   ''Remember you are one of many.'' 

About struggles

Everyone, I reckon, is struggling with something or other.

About learning to think before we speak

Wouldn't it be a great idea if we could all do just that,

not doing or saying anything if we're not calm, collected and composed.

When Dr Jacob Bronowski was being interviewed on television

or taking part in a discussion programme many years ago now,

he would pause for quite a long time before answering a question or saying anything.

It was quite embarrassing because you wondered if he'd heard

but when he answered, his thoughts were always measured, cogent and spot on.

Would that I could remember and follow that practice but sadly, I can't!!

About people walking away from us

If people choose to walk away from us,

we should wait until they choose to return.

About judging people

We may judge what people do but we cannot judge why they do it.

It is hard enough to know what is in our own hearts let alone know or understand what is in the hearts of others.