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Food for the Soul

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In this section you will find poems, short stories and inspirational thoughts.
Some of the articles are from our readers and some are from published authors as well as the great thinkers. We hope you will stop, look around, enjoy and gain strength to live with your hepatitis C. If you wish to submit an article please send it to us. Remember you're not alone in your journey. There are over 5 million of us in the United States.
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Articles


 

The Day My Life Changed

There comes a time

Everything happens for a reason

WHEN YOU JUDGE YOURSELF

Stress Reducers

The Ten Commandments for Hepatitis Survival

Victim or Survivor

Spirit of Healing

Poems

 

August 1,2000 The Day My Life Changed

This lovely story is written by our friend Sando. She has shared her last moments with her beloved John.

Today is August 1, 2000-last year on this date was when I took John to the Gardner House (Hospice). I never thought it was going to be the last time he was ever in our home we had shared for the last 13 years. But it was.

August 1, 2000-Myself and Carrie (daughter) waited till around 9:00 pm to take John because of the heat. The nurse had come earlier because John was having a really bad day. She told me that when people are dying they sometimes become scared of the ones they love most. And John had become afraid of everything around him, even me.

The night before was the night I had let me realize that John was dying. I knew it but I was the Queen of Denial, if I didn't want something to happen I didn't let it happen. And I didn't want John to die so he wasn't dying. But I was lying in bed that night and John was sleeping so deep beside me-and so different a sleep. John could never go to sleep till I was in bed and if I got out of bed in the night he was awake in a flash-asking what was wrong!

But as I was listening to him sleep I think I just had no more fight left. I started crying and I didn't want to wake him so I got up and went to the living room. I cried so hard and loud. It all hit me - everything! I begged God to let him come out here and ask me what was wrong. Then I would know he was ok. But I sat there all night crying, knowing it was true. I never felt more alone in my whole life. It was true - John was dying - he was leaving me and I could do nothing to stop it!

So that evening we took him to this house that looked like all the other houses in the area. But when we arrived a very nice women came out with a wheelchair and from that point on John was treated like a KING! And he loved every minute of it. Haaa

I on the other hand was asked to follow the doctor and do the paperwork. I had done so much paper work since this all started. I think I just did it out of habit. First thing the doctor said when we sat down was "Are you ready for this?" I honestly didn't know what he meant. I said ready for what? His reply was like a bolt of lighting hitting me! Are you ready to let go of John and let him die?

I was a mess when Carrie came in the room. I only said nooooooooo I am not ready! She just held me and we cried till the tears were gone.

Hospice believes in being up front and telling you like it is. At times this was very hard but I am also glad they were this way. We finished the paperwork and I went back to where John would spent his final days. I was a very beautiful room with everything like home except the bed. I got him settled. He was looking at me with the look I hated. The please don't leave me look...

Carrie laid in bed with him for a bit and then I told him I had to get home. Carrie was expecting a baby and she was so tired. I was past being tired, I think I was going through the motions of the day. He said what time will you be here tomorrow? I told him as soon as I could. I hated leaving him more than anything. So I got him tucked in and after the 10th thing he remembered I told him I loved him and Goodnight.

 


August 2 & 3, 1999-when John was in the hospital before the phone was my nightmare. He would call me all hours. He was so lonely, and he hated not sleeping in the same bed more than anything. I still have messages on my phone from nights he called and I didn't hear the phone. They are so cute too. I listen to them sometimes. One special one is him saying "Sando I love youuuu!!!". He was pretty sick when he left it and no one would think it was him if they heard it. But I know. I am so lucky to have them.
But when I woke up the next morning (August 2nd) the first thing I realized was he had not called me! I freaked! I called Hospice and he was fine. No doubt flirting with the nurses!

On one hand I was relieved on the other I was so hurt. I don't know how to explain what I felt-it was like the night I cried all night and he didn't know anymore when I needed him. It was like our connection had been broken! Because he was dying!

The next 2 days were nothing but running for me. I had appointments with Social Security to try and get John disability. I knew inside he was feeling less a man because he had not brought any income into the house for a while. And he had been in a Short Term Nursing Home for 6 days a few weeks before and my insurance would only pay 3 days, so I was trying to get the $4500.00 bill paid for that. Let me tell you one thing that I do know is the SYSTEM sucks!

And I needed to get to Hospice cause I knew John would be walking the halls until I did. He always made me feel so special, anytime we were apart I knew he needed me. Many times I would pull up to the hospital and there he was just walkin up and down looking for me. It broke my heart to think how lonely he must have felt inside.

When I got to Hospice I will never forget how his eyes light up (like never before) when he saw me walk in. John was any nurses dream. John was always the type that respected others, he never came to dinner without a shirt on, said yes ma'am-you know the type. And he never lost that even now. So the staff just loved him. He was always afraid he was bothering them so he would wait till I got there to get anything. Then I had to bother them....... haaaa

When I got there he had already won their hearts. I was able to tell him he could get the disability and I know that eased his worries a lot! I never told him that 3 days later they called and told me they made a mistake and he wouldn't be getting it. Bastards!!!

That day and the next were pretty easy. He was settling in, I thought he was even doing better. He could still shower, go to the bathroom and things like that. I saw he was trying to hold on to every bit of dignity he could. But I could also see some things getting harder.

We went outside a lot, the back was so beautiful. We sat out there a lot. John would go into these trances, I called it zoning. He would be talking to you like normal and then for no reason he would just stop and stare off into space. I knew and would just wait.

We would sit and talk about things like we had a tomorrow. He talked about Carrie having the baby (our first grandchild) and how Josh was. He asked how Apollo (dog) was. Told me things he needed to do when he got home. I just agreed and even went into that dream world a time or two. **smilin**

Sometimes he would say some pretty strange stuff. At first I would get really frustrated cuz I couldn't make him understand something, but then I figured what does it really matter? So we played the game of pretending everything was fine! But when ours eyes met they told the truth. John and I had a connection so deep-we didn't need words anymore. Even before this. We could sit in a room and not say a word and have a conversation! I GUESS THAT WHAT THEY CALL LOVE!!!

August 4, 1999-Last night would be the last night
I left Gardner House or John. When I got here today I could feel
something was wrong! John had gotten worse. He was having trouble
understanding where he was and why. In the night he would try and get
out of bed and he fell 2-3 times in the night. He had awful bruises on
his thigh and side (he always bruised very easy).

My heart broke for him, he told me I just wanted to go to the
bathroom... They had tried everything to make sure he was safe. They
were not staffed to have someone in every room. They had put the sides
up and he tried to climb over them. That was the worse fall. They even
had a alarm hooked to his shirt-if he got up and the connection was
broke a alarm went off. **smilin**

I made a joke of it with John so he wouldn’t feel like a baby needing
watched. He just looked at me with those eyes that could melt my heart
in seconds. It was then that I decided I would not leave him again.

My mom was coming in town today, she did every August and she was better at denial than me-matter of fact she taught me the ropes! I knew she
was not ready for what she saw. John loved my mom and she loved him.
And the look on her face when she saw him stopped time! But she grabbed
hold and put that mask on we have all worn in times like this. John was
happy to see her.

I had told her about not wanting to leave John alone anymore and she
agreed and took over at my home. I called Carrie and we talked. We
decided that when she was here I would go home, shower and whatever else
I needed. John was never without me or Carrie from then on.

Later that day the social worker came and asked if we could talk outside, so I knew something was up! John was put out cuz she wouldn’t talk
there. I waited till he forgot (which was 1 of the good things about
this-he forgot things fast! haaa) so my mom and I went to talk to Sue.

She said a lot of stuff I didn’t understand, but what it came down to
was that they thought John could be released!!! OK-after I picked my
chin off the floor, my mom who understood what had just been said made
me understand.

Hospice is a place where people go to die-plan and simple! John was
dying but not fast enough! She explained that anyone in a facility like
John was in had to be going down hill, it didn’t matter he wasn’t
getting better. He was staying the same except for his mind was getting
fuzzy. But physically he was staying the same.

My mind is racing trying to think-ok I live in a upstairs apartment that
I almost didn’t get John down when I brought him here. Now they want me
to get him up them! And a lot of other things like work-caring for John
on & on. Sue did suggest a nursing home maybe. And I calmly told her
over my dead body-he had been in one for 6 days and never ever would I
ever do that again! I think I was in shock!

Carrie and I had already been doing shifts at home with John before this
and I was just gonna do it again-for the rest of Johns life if need be.
But later after things quieted down and I was alone with my thoughts
(John was over there zoning. haa) I tried to vision it all. How was I
ever gonna do it!!! And Carrie she was gonna have a baby, this was
already getting to her, I could see it. I just said ok-do what you have to do..

Sue said it would be a few days before anything was done either way.
She was just getting me prepared.

 

August ??, 1999-For 2 days I was overwhelmed with trying to decide what was gonna happen. But the 3rd day it was decided for me-John was still dying and they were gonna keep him. Pretty sad that I was relieved to hear this huh? But there was no way in Hell john was gonna go to a nursing home as long as I was alive and walking this earth.

Anyway the days were just all one day now-John was pretty out of it. John needed a shower and I knew he couldn't do it alone and I was the only one he would allow to help him. I have to tell you I never laughed as hard as we did that day in that shower. I came out wetter than he did. John wasn't finding it as funny! He thought I was gonna let him fall, and I bet it wasn't funny at all. I just had to laugh-or I would have cried my eyes out. I knew that was our last shower we would ever take together.

I told John at one point - Baby, I can remember our shower together be a lot more fun-can't you? Oh, he gave me a look-a good look! **smilin**

Everyday we lost a little more of John. He was being very difficult! He was still trying to get out of bed on his own and still falling. My poor baby was black and blue from head to toe. And he just couldn't understand. He even told me once - I think they are beating me! I assured him they weren't. He smiles and said I know.

I was sleeping in a recliner next to John and at night I would wake up to see John trying to get his leg over the rail or stuck or he had already fallin. Sometimes out of pure frustration I would tell him FINE YOU WANNA FALL - FALL! I AM GOING TO SLEEP! I would close my eyes for a second and then peek. He would be tryin to get back under the cover. **smilin** I always thought he was so cute.. :)

John would wake me in the night and tell me he had to go to the bathroom, which was right across the hall. But getting him there wasn't easy cuz he was very unsteady. He didn't think so-but he was. We would get all the way there and he would say Man, I don't gotta go now! What could I do-just love him.

I slept close enough so we could hold hands, sometimes I would try to get in bed with him. But he was to confused to remember what cuddling was, and I was just crowding him. Except the night before he died-I slept with him the last time. God did it feel good too!

I just reread what I wrote and I am making no sense-I am trying to remember but I can't! I think I will just share things I know from here on. I do thank God for giving me the time he did for John and I to had together. Many times I remember thinking I wished John was just hit by a car or something quick. But I am so glad it happened the way it did. There was time to love him, hold him, tell him so many things I would have never told him.

I was so lucky to have John in my life. We had 23 years-I would have liked 23 more but I can't! John always told me when we got old and it was just us two, he wanted to sit and comb my hair. How funny I remember that.

We put so many things off, saying we have time-Our 20th anniversary he wanted to do something really special, and I said no let's wait till our 25th. Hmmmmmmmm

Never wait!
Never say tomorrow!

 

I have been thinking so much lately about where I was and where I am now. And all the wonderful friends I have found here who have been so kind to me, and supported me through some very bad times. So I have decided I would share something very special with you all.

John’s final days at a beautiful Hospice House were so great. And they were there for me too. Helping me with each step, picking me up when I fell. At the times I didn’t know what to do they were there to take my hand and guide me. They are truly Angels on Earth. And I can never thank them enough.

The one thing through this all I am glad to have is the memories... And I want to share one with you. It is the time starting when they came in and told me John had a few (2-4) hour left to live: It was like a bell ringing in my head-I knew he was dying but when they put a time on it I freaked! I remember thinking, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

This was about 9:00 am on August 12th and I was alone with John, I shut the door and sat in the chair that for the last 10 days had been my bed. John had stopped talking to me with his voice, but we still knew what was on each others minds by looking into each others eyes. I still knew if he needed a drink, or was uncomfortable in his bed.

We had always knew what the other was thinking, me more than John. John used to say I could read his mind. We could be in the same room and I would answer a question, before he asked. It was scary sometimes.

I sat there not really able to do anything. Then I sat on the sit of the bed with John and looked at him waiting for something, anything. We were both so scared, I remember putting my finger through his hair and he smiled at me. His smile was more like a grin, but I noticed his lips were so chapped, so I called the nurse to do something. And then I saw that he needed to have his teeth brushed. So I tried to brush his teeth but he keep biting the toothbrush and wouldn’t let me have it. God I was laughing so hard. And in his eyes he was too.
I didn’t want that to end, and I really don’t know how long it went on.
I just remember the nurse saying to me I you need to go outside a have a moment I will sit with John. Apparently she walked in and I was sitting at the end of the bed crying. So I did, I went outside and sat down next to the fountain and I guess it was then I took hold and did what I had to do.

My mom had been there from Kansas City, but had left that morning for home and was going to fly back in 2 days. So I called her first and she was only about 12 hours outside Phoenix, so she turned and started back.

Then I called my sweet daughter Carrie, she was pregnant at the time with out first grandchild and wanted so much to be able to tell John what she was having. Her doctor had done 3 ultra- sounds and each one it could not be seen. She had another one scheduled for the next day. But I told her she needed to come to Hospice and even though she knew why she asked. I just told her to come and nothing else needed to be said.

I think by now my very dear friend Donna who had been there for me through much of this had shown up and I told her what was going on. She was scheduled to leave the next day for a trip to some far off Country, and I know she was going through hell not wanting to leave me, but it was something that she had planned and paid for over a year before. I had a talk with John some days before telling him about Donna leaving and told him that she was my strength and I needed her here for one or the other (meaning his death or funeral). And I think he knew that cause he died about 3 hours before she was due at the airport.

I will never be sure what she would have done had it not happened the way it did. Some say she would not have gone. I am glad she didn’t have to make that choice.

Now I had to call my son, who through all of this closed his eyes and everything was ok. He had not dealt with this in any form since it started. The many times John was in the hospital he refused to go see him. A few times I made him go, but he would just roam the hospital floors or go outside with us. He said he didn’t like seeing his dad that way. And when John would come home, Josh who always stayed inside because of the heat, was never to be seen. He just thought maybe if he
didn’t see it everything was fine. I called my friend he was staying with and told her she needed to bring him to Hospice.

I even had another friend bring Apollo, our dog up. And that was a treat in itself. He is a very high strung dog anyway and he hadn’t seen John in almost 2 weeks. They were best buds. Everywhere John went he went, so he was very excited. When he came in the room and saw John, who was in bed he ran to him and licked his face. John scrunched his face up and man was he mad. I felt sorry for Apollo but John hated it when he did that even now. Then they took Apollo home. And to this day he still sit outside at the edge of the grass waiting for his daddy to
come home.

Well, John also has another daughter from a previous marriage and she had already planned flying in the next day. So I called and told her what was going on. I told her I didn’t think she was going to make it. She talk to her husband and said she was going to come anyway. Which was fine.

Well Carrie and Her boyfriend showed up and I told her what was told home. She had grown up very much in the last few months. A month before she chose to quit her job and stay home with her dad through the day so I could still work. And she would go home after I came home. She had been pretty wild until then, but seem to change overnight.

Many times she was the only one that could get John to eat. She always had a way with him and could get him to do just about anything she wanted. One day when I got home she looked really tired and with her being pregnant I was worried. I asked her if everything was ok and she said she I was laying with daddy and he looked at me, I said daddy are you leaving us? She said he took my head and laid it on the pillow and said shhhhh watch the movie. She said before he always said no, I will never leave you guys.

Carrie seemed never to be here long together. I now know we could not stand to watch each other hurt. But this time we were here together and had to stay. But we kinda did the same thing when I was in the room she would go outside or
just walk around and I would do the same. It is very hard to watch someone you love watch someone they love died.

Then Josh showed up. I remember looking at him and thinking how much he had grown and I had not even notice. I had been so busy with John the last 2-3 months that I missed it. Then I took him to Johns room and outside the door I told him he had to tell his dad goodbye... He said I can’t mom! What do I say? He was gonna lose it any minute and I had to stop him. I took his shoulders and said Josh please baby, just tell him you love him and everything is ok. Just make sure you tell him you love him. He calmed down a little. My poor baby, my heart broke for him.

They had put John in his chair when we went in the room. When John saw Josh his eyes lite up and he sat up a little and the glow in his face made Josh able to go into the room. It was what he needed. But when Josh got over to him it was all he could do to say dad, I love you. Before the words were out Josh was about to lose it. He was crying, and telling me I have to get out of here! He pushed past me and to my friend who brought him there. I looked at her and she knew it was ok to take him home. But at least he would not have the regret that he didn’t say goodbye.
By now it must have been 1:00 or 2:00. Past the time they had said, John seemed to be the same to me. He was back in bed and they had cleaned him up like everyday and changed the sheet. I combed his hair and tried to give him a drink. But he couldn’t do it. His eyes were locked on mine and I knew he was scared. I sat with him. I had bought a card for him the last time I was out. It was a goodbye card. I had it sitting on the night stand, I wanted him to read it, but he was never able to. So I told him what it was and took his hand and read it to him. It took a long time to get through it and I think I even read it again. I am not sure.

I remember I told him how much I loved him and I know he loved me. I told him I knew how much he hated this world and that I hope where ever he went he found the happiness he had longed for. I remember telling him I wouldn’t change any part of our life together. I laughed and said well maybe a few things. But I told him I had the time of my life. That was when I decided the song I would play at his funeral.

I read some other cards to him and told him everything would be ok. I caught myself telling him-How do I make it without you? And Please don’t leave me! I can’t do it without you! But I stopped cause the one thing I didn’t want was him to see me falling apart and him not being able to help me. I knew I had to be strong, and I hated it.

Carrie had called his best friend Larry, and they got there. John had lost track of Larry about 6 months before he got sick, and about 3 weeks before this John started asking me for Larry’s number. Well I had no idea where it was. But everyday he would ask and everyday we would look for it, but never found. Then about 1 week before John went to Hospice, Carrie called me at work and said guess who just showed up? It was Larry. He had no idea that John was sick. He told me later that he doesn’t even know why he came by that day. Carrie tried to stop him and tell him how sick John was but he went right past her and was shocked at
what he saw. The Hospice nurse was there and john lite up when he saw Larry.

Larry said John told him where ya been bro? And he sat down next to him and John told him and John said Bro, I’m dying! Larry said I’ll be right back. He went into the bathroom and fell into a million pieces. That’s when Carrie called me. And he was there from then until the end.
There were a few more that came in and said goodbye. But for the most part who was there was staying till the end. My girlfriend Renee showed up and just kinda made sure everyone had what they needed. She cleaned up and just was kinda watching out for us all.

Carrie and I just took turns sitting with daddy. And then at one point the nurse came to me and said something about blood something and did I want oxygen on him? I had no idea what she meant. I asked if he was in pain? She said no. So I said no. John wanted nothing to ever prolong the end.

I was sitting over John talking to him and his breathing starting getting deeper and harder! The nurse said it was starting and asked if I got the information on the final hours on death. I had and had read it days before. She asked about oxygen again and because his breathing was so bad she said it would make it easier. So I said ok. It was so loud and his breathing was so deep and I was touching his face and kissing him, telling him it was ok, I was ok. His eyes were open, we were talking to each other without any words being said.

It was getting close and I knew it. I remember thinking it was nothing like I thought it would be. I really don’t know what I thought it would be like.

Everyone was sleeping except me and Carrie. At one point I got on the bed facing John and that is where I was till the end. It started getting bad again and the nurse gave me a look that I knew meant it was close. Johns breathing was getting bad, real bad. I started kissing him every time he took a breathe because I thought it was his last. This turned into a game, that lasted a very long time.

John was fighting it now, Carrie and I knew this so we just kept telling him it was ok, and we would be fine. He could go. I saw in his eyes he was saying I can’t leave you alone. You need me, how will you make it alone?

As hard as it was I just kept telling him I was ok and he could go with peace now. I was begging him not to fight that I was ok and he could leave knowing this. But deep down I was screaming PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME ALONE!!!! I had no idea what I was gonna do without him.

I kissed him so much my lips were numb. At one point I blacked out and next thing I knew Carrie and me were watching the end. John took a breathe--I kissed him. John took a breathe--I kissed him. John took a breathe--I kissed him.

Then after who knows how long John took a breathe--I kissed him and I looked in his eyes and John grinned, winked at me and one tear fell from his right eyes and he took his last breathe....... And I kissed John for the last time......
 

 

 

 

 

 

There Comes a Time

By Unknown

A time comes in your life when you finally get it... When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out - ENOUGH!

Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening. You realize that it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that he is not Prince Charming and you are not Cinderella and that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are... and that's OK. (They are entitled to their own views and opinions.) And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval.

You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn't do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it's not always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself and in the process a sense of safety & security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties and in the process a sense of peace & contentment is born of forgiveness. You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche. And you begin to sift through all the crap you've been fed about how you should behave, how you should look and how much you should weigh what you should wear and where you should shop and what you should drive how and where you should live and what you should do for a living, who you should sleep with, who you should marry and what you should expect of a marriage, the importance of having and raising children or what you owe your parents.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are, what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with and in the process you learn to go with your instincts. You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake. Then you learn about love. Romantic love and familial love. how to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving, and when to walk away. You learn not to project your needs or your feelings onto a relationship.

You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that just as people grow and change so it is with love.... and you learn that you don't have the right to demand love on your terms... just to make you happy. And, you learn that alone does not mean lonely...

You look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a perfect 10 and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head and agonizing over how you "stack up."

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK.... and that it is your right to want things and to ask for the things that you want...and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands.

You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won't settle for less. And, you allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you to glorify you with his touch... and in the process you internalize the meaning of self-respect. And you learn that your body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and taking more time to exercise. You learn that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear. So you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn, that for the most part, in life you get what you believe you deserve... and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different from working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it's OK to risk asking for help.

You learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time... FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom. You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions you learn not to personalize things. You learn that God isn't punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. It's just life happening.

And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state - the ego. You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls. You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart's desire. You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

 

Everything happens for a reason

"Everything happens for a reason," the doctor said. "I've learned that today's tragedy can turn into tomorrow's blessing. I know it's hard, but you've got to keep focused on thankfulness, not bitterness."

"Oh, right,' Johnny snapped. "Obviously you don't know anything about it. One minute I've got a happy normal life and the next I'm laying here waiting to have some stupid lump cut out of my brain. Now, why the 'H' would I be thankful for that?"

"I can't answer that question," the doctor sighed, "but let me share something with you. I know a man who lost a leg in an accident. He was extremely bitter because just two weeks earlier he'd signed a contract to play professional ball." "And,"

Johnny cut him off, "I'll bet you gave him the same, 'be thankful not bitter crap' you're feeding me now, right?"

"No," the doctor replied, tapping his artificial leg, "I had to hear it from someone else. But I got past it and became a doctor. I'm thankful everyday for the lives I help save, including yours."

*~Giving thanks and praise generates enormous inner strength~*

By: Nick Nicholas

WHEN YOU JUDGE YOURSELF

Charles Allen, in his book Victories in the Valleys of Life
(Fleming H. Revell, 1981), tells the story of a man who, one
wintry day, went to traffic court in Wichita, Kansas, not knowing
court had been canceled because of a blizzard. A few days later
he wrote this letter:

"I was scheduled to be in court February 23rd, at
12:15 p.m., concerning a traffic ticket. Well, I was
there as scheduled and, to my surprise, I was the
only one there. No one had called to tell me that
the court would be closed, so I decided to go ahead
with the hearing as scheduled, which meant that
I had to be the accuser, the accused and the judge.
The citation was for going 46 miles per hour in a
35-mile-per-hour zone. I had the speed alert on
in my car, set for 44 miles per hour; and as the
accuser, I felt that I was going over 35 miles per
hour, but as the accused, I know that I was not
going 46 miles per hour. As judge, and being the
understanding man that I am, I decided to throw it
out of court this time. But it had better not happen
again."

He had a rare opportunity to judge himself and took full
advantage. On the other hand, we probably judge ourselves all day
long. We may even react more harshly to our own mistakes and
errors than we would ever react to those same shortcomings in
others.

Two thousand years ago a Roman writer named Publilius Syrus
observed, "How unhappy are they who cannot forgive themselves."
Whether dealing with others or with ourselves, it usually helps
to err on the side of grace. Do you need to be gentler with
yourself?

> From Steve Goodier's TOUCHING MOMENTS
 

 

 

Stress Reducers
 Pray

Go to bed on time.

Get up early so you can start the day unrushed.

Say No, to projects that won't fit into your time
schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

Delegate tasks to capable others.

Simplify and unclutter your life.

Less is more. (Although one is often not enough,
two are often too many.)

Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and
difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard
things all together.

Take one day at a time.

Separate worries from concerns. If a situation
is a concern, find out what God would have you
to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do
anything about a situation, forget it.

Live within your budget; don't use credit cards
for ordinary purchases.

Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet,
an extra house key buried in the garden, etc.

K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut.) This single piece of
advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

Get enough exercise.

Eat right.

Get organized so everything has its place.

Listen to a tape while driving that can help
improve your quality of life.

Write thoughts and inspirations down.

Everyday, find time to be alone.

Having problems? Talk to God on the spot.
Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait
until its time to go to bed to try and pray.

Remember that the shortest bridge between
despair and hope is often a good "Thank you,
Lord!"

Laugh.

Laugh some more!

Take your work seriously, but not yourself.

Develop a forgiving attitude (just realize that most
people are doing the best they can).

Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it
the most).

Sit on your ego.

Talk less; listen more.

Slow down.

Remind yourself that you are not the general
manager of the universe.

Every night before bed, think of one thing you're
grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

** GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU**

Stress is the number one killer in the world today.
(Remember how you felt the last time you were
stressed?) Reducing stress in your life should
become a major priority. Your life depends on it.

 

 

The Ten Commandments for Hepatitis Survival

1. Thou shalt regard the word, "Hepatitis", as exactly that: a word. Nothing more, nothing less. For its original meaning has changed mightily over the years, as have such words as Smallpox, TB, and Polio, all once dreaded ailments, now non-existent as maladies. And thus shalt go thy Hepatitis. The answer shall come to those who shall be present to hear it. Be present when it comes.

2. Thou shalt love thy interferon, and thy other treatments even as thyself, for they are thy friends and champions. Although they exact a toll for their endeavors, they are oft most generous in the favors they bestow.

3. Thou shalt participate fully in thy recovery. Thou shalt learn all the details of thy ailment, its diagnosis, its prognosis, its treatments, conventional and alternate. Thou shalt discuss them openly and candidly with thy hepatologist and shalt question all thou do not comprehend. Then, thou shalt cooperate intelligently and knowledgeably with thy doctor.

4. Thou shalt regard thy ailment as a temporary detour in thy life and shalt plan thy future as though this detour had not occurred. Thou shalt never, at no time, nohow, regard thy temporary ailment as permanent. Thou shalt set long-term goals for thyself. For thou WILL verily recover and thy believing so will contribute mightily to thy recovery.

5. Thou shalt express thy feelings candidly and openly to thy loved ones for they, too, are stricken. Thou shalt comfort and reassure them for they, too, needest comforting and reassurance, even as thou doest.

6. Thou shalt be a comfort to thy fellow-Hepsters, providing knowledge, encouragement, understanding and love. You shalt give them hope where there may be none, for only in hope lies their salvation. And by doing so, thou providest comfort for thyself, as well.

7. Thou shalt never relinquish hope, no matter how thou may feelest at that moment, for thou knowest, in the deep recesses of thy heart, that your discouragement is but fleeting and that a better day awaits thee.

8. Thou shalt not regard thy ailment as the sum total of thy life but as merely a part of it. Fill your life with other diversions, be they mundane, daring, altruistic, or merely amusing. To fill your life with your ailment is to surrender to it.

9. Thou shalt maintain, at all times and in all circumstances, thy sense of humor, for laughter lightens thy heart and hastens thy recovery. This is not an easy task, sometimes seemingly impossible, but it is a goal well worth the endeavor.

10. Thou shalt have enduring and unassailable faith, whether thy faith be in a Supreme Being, in Medical Science, in Thy Future, in Thyself, or in Whatever. Steadfastly sustain thy faith for it shall sustain thee.

Swiped and edited from The Ten Commandments for Cancer Survival: by Paul H. Klein 72773,2241 (Compuserve)

 

 

Victim or Survivor

(From one of the supporters of this Web Page) Patty is on treatment, while fighting cirrhosis. She has given so much support to all those fighting this disease. She is my hero, and a friend to all.)

Although the definition of a survivor is anyone who has ever been diagnosed with a life threatening disease and is alive today.   The first time I read it, I didn't feel like a survivor. A Hep C victim seemed a much more accurate term. But then the dust settled, treatment began, and I realized the "victim" thing just didn't fit. I tossed the victim/survivor issue around and finally came to the conclusion that a victim and a survivor are the same thing - almost! The differences are subtle but at the same time enormous. The first thing I realized it that a survivor is a victim with an attitude. After I understood that, things were a little better. I had a choice about something - I could be a Hep C victim or a Hep C survivor. I like the idea of having an attitude and I like the sound of being a survivor.

Survivorship is a state of mind - despite the moments of sadness and pain we must never lose our ability to laugh - we must treasure every moment and face each new situation to the best of our ability. We must never allow this virus to reach our spirit. I think that makes us survivors in the truest sense of the word.

The difference between being a survivor or a victim become clearer as the days and week pass. I am sure every survivor can add one or two of their own thoughts and ideas.

Being a victim is a state of body - being a survivor is a state of mind.

A victim knows about feeling down - a survivor know feeling down is okay.

A victim dreads the side effects of treatments - a survivor wonders how to cancel their membership in the Side-Effect-of-the-Month Club.

A victim is amazed at all their tears - a survivor never leaves home without Kleenex.

A victim goes to "see" a doctor - a survivor "consults" with his or her physician.

A victim feels helpless - a survivor says "thanks" with dignity and grace.

A victim enjoys a good laugh - a survivor loves one.

From the moment we are diagnosed, we are victims - we must choose to be survivors.

Author: Paula (Bachleda) Koskey

 

 

Spirit of Healing

http://www.hepatitismag.com/features/default.asp?HepStoryID=18
Studies are proving what religious believers have known for years: Prayer can be a powerful drug.

By: Heather Daigle

Gary Sladek had hit rock bottom. After he and his wife had endured the pain of several miscarriages and his wife had been diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, being told he had hepatitis C left him so low he had nowhere to look but upward.

Not a spiritually active couple at the time, Gary and his wife — out of desperation for some help in their lives — accepted a neighbor’s invitation to attend church. The message he heard that Sunday morning touched him on such a personal level that he thought his neighbor had to be passing notes about his life to the pastor. “All of the sudden,” Sladek said, “it was like someone opened a door that we had never looked through before.”

Sladek said his new relationship with God began to transform his life — removing fears and replacing them with a hope he had felt was no longer attainable. Time spent in prayer, he said, gave him peace and changed his heart. “It seemed that it just split my life in two: the life before (God) and the life with (God),” Sladek said. “It seems like my life now has so much more reward and fulfillment than my life before.”

Scientific Prayer

But is prayer the reason for Sladek’s feeling better physically as well as spiritually? Does prayer — either personal or intercessory — really have the power to heal wounds inflicted on organs more corporeal than the soul?

In a study published in 1998 in the Western Journal of Medicine, intercessory prayer — or prayer given on behalf of someone else — was shown to benefit 40 advanced AIDS patients. The study, which used a double-blind randomized method showed subjects treated by distant healers of various world religions acquired significantly fewer new AIDS-defining illnesses, had lower illness severity, and required significantly fewer doctor visits, fewer hospitalizations and fewer days of hospitalization than those in the control group who received no prayer.

In addition, Dr. Randolph Byrd, in a 1982-83 study published in the Southern Medical Journal, said the resulting data of his research suggest that intercessory prayer to the Judeo-Christian God has a beneficial therapeutic effect in patients admitted to a coronary care unit. Byrd evaluated the effects of intercessory prayer by randomly assigning nearly half of the 393 patients to one of many prayer groups; patients were not informed of which group — the experiment or the control — in which they were placed. Prayer groups comprised of three to seven Christians prayed for but had no contact with the patients.

While the patients in both groups had the same levels of sickness upon entering the hospital, those prayed for fared better — they had fewer complications during their stay, and they were less likely to need antibiotics, diuretics or the insertion of tubes for feeding or breathing. Sladek said he did not need a study to tell him about the power of prayer; he just needed a moment of revelation.

During his second bout with interferon — the combination therapy — Sladek became overwhelmed by the physical and emotional toll the drugs took on his body. “I didn’t realize what a rough ride it was going to be,” he said, “and what a lonely ride it was.” One day while driving, Sladek said, he became so overwhelmed with the burden of his illness and the treatment that he had to pull over to the side of the road to allow the flood of emotions to be released into tears.

Filling A Void

Thereafter, it was through prayer that Sladek said he began to realize God was in control and had a plan for his life — and he felt God’s plan was for him to start a support group. “God clearly spoke to me through my quiet times, through my meditation times, through my painful times as I was praying,” Sladek said. “It was that feeling that this was something I had to act on.”

Knowing the needs of people who, like him, were facing not only a deadly disease but the brutal treatment that accompanies it, Sladek decided his support group needed to offer something more than speakers and moral support: he could provide prayer and spiritual encouragement. Seeing the need in the community, his home church, Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., allowed him the opportunity to form a hepatitis C support group. He needed to offer prayer.

Sladek incorporates prayer in several ways. He begins each session with a short prayer and ends it with a small but applicable Bible lesson to encourage the patients. Throughout the meetings, one of the support group’s leaders writes down what the group members share — needs, frustrations, side effects — that will be prayed for by the prayer team, who commits to pray for each attendee until the next monthly meeting. “The people who participate and believe in the power of prayer — I think what we see is a load lifted off of them that someone who actually cares is praying for them,” Sladek said. “We’ve absolutely seen miracles.”

Lesley Grainger — a member of the group’s prayer team — is one of those miracles. Diagnosed with hepatitis C in February 2001, she overcame her initial shock and decided to let God and prayer be her guidance in battling the disease.

Miracle Cure

Grainger opted to postpone interferon therapy while she tried to have another child, all the while praying for herself and others. But what happened in February — during the fifth month of her pregnancy — she considers nothing short of a gift from God. While getting some prenatal exams and blood work done for her liver, Grainger got the news every hepatitis patient wants to hear. “I went for a prenatal checkup to get the results in February, and the doctor said to me, ‘Oh yes, you’re negative on your hepatitis C.’ I said to her, ‘I’m not negative, I have hepatitis C.’ She said, ‘Oh no, you’re negative.’ And I said, ‘No you must have it wrong,’” Grainger said. “I was standing there arguing with her.”

Grainger called her gastroenterologist, and he checked her records and affirmed that she was HCV negative. The reason for her undetectable level, he said was spontaneous conversion. “I said to him, ‘Don’t you mean that that is a miracle?’ And he said, ‘No we call it spontaneous conversion,’ and I started laughing,” she said. Three months later she’s still negative. Her ALT had gone from 95 to 12 — well into the normal range — her PCR test came back negative, and all her liver function tests came back normal. “Ever since I found out, I’ve really been doing a lot of thinking,” she said. “The one thing that keeps going through my mind is when Jesus heals in the Bible, he tells them to go and tell everybody what God has done for them. That’s what I want to do. I want to go out and tell people what God has done for me, and how I want to glorify his name through the power of healing.”

A Little Faith

While healing may be the ultimate answer to prayer for those with hepatitis C, it is not the only answer or benefit. Dr. Harold G. Koenig of the Center for the Study of Religion/ Spirituality and Health at Duke University has headed up a number of studies that confirm personal prayer and religious activities have a positive impact on health. Using scientific methods, he researched the effects of prayer on issues such as emotional and mental health, the immune system and the ability to cope with illness.

“The studies indicate fairly consistently that people who pray — people who have a strong religious faith and rely on their faith to help them cope — they have more hope, more optimism,” said Koenig, associate professor of medicine and associate professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. “They have more of a sense of meaning and purpose to their lives despite their serious medical illness. It’s especially important for people who have serious and chronic medical conditions.”

Koenig said although his studies cannot prove God is behind the well being of the patients studied, they do show that through psychological, social and behavioral mechanisms people do better when they have a strong religious faith. “These behaviors and these beliefs can contribute to their healing — they (contribute to) emotional healing and sometimes even their physical bodies.”

Strength To Endure One of Koenig’s studies, published in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, found that out of 3,963 patients, blood pressure rates were considerably lower in those who pray regularly and attend weekly religious services. Additionally, in a study of religion in hospitalized patients published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 40 percent of patients spontaneously reported that their religious faith was the most important factor that enabled them to cope.

HCV patient Mack Leggett said, “Prayer is the only thing that keeps me ticking because if I didn’t have the Lord — and I can’t talk about prayer without talking about the Lord — if I did not have him in my life I couldn’t keep going on.”

Having contracted hepatitis C through a blood transfusion as a result of his hemophilia, Leggett is aware of the serious nature of his illnesses. Leggett said he has been deathly sick on several occasions — even to the point where no one thought he would survive. While these health risks might drive some into anxiety and despair, he said he has peace. “I don’t have any problem going into the operating room, even though I have hemophilia and I know I could bleed to death real easily,” Leggett said. “I trust and know that the Lord is in control … if he’s ready to take me home — to heaven — that’s fine.”

Peace At The Crossroads

Michael Davis, another member of the support group at Saddleback Church, said prayer also helps in the process of decision making. At age 46 with late-stage liver disease, which he believes he acquired 30 years ago, Davis’ hope lies in a transplant. In April, Davis’ doctor found his blood contained an alpha feta protein, which is an indicator of a cancerous tumor. Although doctors were unable to locate his tumor through magnetic resonance imaging tests and CT scans, they were confident it was there.

At this point, Davis heard many contradicting viewpoints — should he have the surgery to remove the cancer or not? With his late-stage liver disease, some doctors said the invasive surgery would be too much for his body to handle, and the process itself might kill him. Other doctors said he was more likely to die of cancer and the surgery was necessary. “So with these two different opinions we had to make a decision, and this is a point where prayer came in while looking for guidance,” Davis said. “I just prayed that God would help me make the right choice, and waited. God speaks to me through an intuitive feeling that this is the right direction for me to go.”

After giving it some thought and letting some time pass, Davis decided to let the surgeons take an aggressive approach to try to eliminate the cancer. Because he had made the decision in prayer, he was confident in his decision. “(Prayer) reduced the level of anxiety,” Davis said. “It wasn’t as though I made the decision and jumped back and forth with it — it was a very calming type of resolve.”

Now, after enduring a chemoembolization, Davis said doctors believe they have cut off the blood supply to the tumor. “Now the amazing news I received from the doctors is I can expect to receive a liver within 30 days,” Davis said. “That is the most amazing thing about all of this.”

Uplifted Spirits

Davis said prayer has been an integral part of his life with hepatitis C. “I think a lot of times what happens is people who have chronic diseases — they get depressed,” he said. “Prayer was something that helped to alleviate the depression that is a result of the chronic disease. A lot of times my praying would be asking God for help to get through the disease.”

In his time with God, Davis said he searched through the Bible for different passages that would give him a different perspective or a different attitude about his condition. He said he enjoyed reading the gospels and the promises Christ made about believing in him. “There were a lot of times he was talking to the Pharisees about being the type of food that would never spoil — he is eternally fulfilling,” he said. “I believe we have to trust in God that whatever he wishes is going to happen — that God has reasons for these things. The thing about trusting in the Lord is it gives you a comfort that regardless of whether we can understand and accept a certain thing, it’s being done according to God’s wishes, and there’s a bigger reason for bad things that happen to good people.”

_______

Heather Daigle is editorial assistant of Hepatitis.

 

Inspirational Quotes

 

Life's battles don't always go to the strongest or fastest
Sooner or later those who win, are those who think they can

 

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."

- Elisabeth Foley

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others.
And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them."  --The Dalai Lama

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."  --Mother Teresa

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."  --Helen Keller

"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials."  --Confucius

"Don't wait for a crisis to discover what is important in life."

"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late."  --Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Poems

 

These are some of our favorites - we hope some of yours are here too!
Many of these poems have been written by our readers. We are always looking for poems to share. Please submit any of your favorites or if you wish to show you own works please send them to us, you will maintain the Copyrights to your work, Jan and Friends will maintain non-exclusive rights to display your work.

From our Grizz

UNION CARESSES

Cover above stretching its eternal vastness
Clear is the blue - black night
Stars dancing with their glistening talk so bright
Orange moon as if fireside warmed glowing down
Trees leaves vibrant, supple green in early summer newness
Rustling as gentle spirit winds lift and turn branches in passing

Somewhere in the darkness owls eyes peer in hunting readiness
Bats flap and swirl sonically
Released from caves hanging perches
Into nocturnal sky ever searching
Where bears sleep away the evening hours contentedly
Bellies wild berry filled
Dreaming of tomorrows expectant summer kills

In the stillness of late night hours - Father Sky's coolness
Unions caressingly with the after warmth of past days sun
As Mother Earth releases from her smiling richness
The gift of beckoning promises of fertilities

Nelson - 6/2/02

 

From our Friend Doris

I have never been on any treatments for my HCV. I don't know what it is like to feel as if you have the flu each day. I have never had dry, itching eyes. Nor have I suffered from debilitating headaches, or constant itching skin. Through the people here at this forum, and from my husband, I have gained some insight into how treatment affects us. As a symbol of my respect to all of you who are on therapies now, or have been, I wanted to share this; something I wrote for Vic, and all of you.

 
Although we share the same rough road,
Yours veered away,
where I could not go.
The hills were many,
they were ragged and steep.
You bravely started the long, hard climb.
Then I watched you falter
and I watched you fall.
Yet, I stood in awe
when your body grew weak-
For you lifted yourself
and I saw you smile.
A serene smile that seemed to say :
"We'll all get through this,
Come what may."
The hills to come
are still steep and cruel,
but your courage prevails
It will see you through.
You will reach the valley
Where the roads are smooth--
Where I have been waiting,
and waiting for you.

 

I Woke Up
Woman


I woke up one morning to find
That I was losing my mind
The Dr told me I was sick
I thought I'd get well quick
Although since then I have found
I had to stop living with a frown
So I hold my head in my hands
and make way for different plans
Ever since then I have met
lifelong friends I won't forget
And I look around and I see
Such goodness surrounding me
So, if life hands you some pain
take shelter come in from the rain
Find strength in what you can find
Talk to us and be treated kind
Come meet all of my friends
We'll make sure the loneliness ends
leave those bad feelings behind
laugh and gain back your mind
Woman

 

Love Unexpressed
Constance Fenimore Woolson

The sweetest notes among the human heart-strings are dull with rust;
The sweetest chords, adjusted by the angels, are clogged with dust;
We pipe and pipe again our dreary music upon the self-same strains,
While sounds of crime, and fear, and desolation, come back in sad refrains.

On through the world we go, an army marching with listening ears,
Each longing, sighing, for the heavenly music he never hears;
Each longing, sighing, for a word of comfort, a word of tender praise,
A word of love, to cheer the endless journey of Earth's hard, busy days.

They love us, and we know it; this suffices for reason's share.
Why should they pause to give that love expression with gentle care?
Why should they pause? But still our hearts are aching with all the gnawing pain
Of hungry love that longs to hear the music, and longs and longs in vain.

We love them, and they know it; if we falter, with fingers numb,
Among the unused strings of love's expression, the notes are dumb.
We shrink within ourselves in voiceless sorrow, leaving the words unsaid,
And, side by side with those we love the dearest, in silence on we tread.

Thus on we tread, and thus each heart in silence its fate fulfils,
Waiting and hoping for the heavenly music beyond the distant hills.
The only difference of the love in heaven from love on earth below Is:
Here we love and know not how to tell it, and there we all shall know.


 

How do I love thee 

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old grief's, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

 

Grandpa Died


Jeff Curtis

He left me with his roses
and his black dirt garden with his tomatoes and lettuce
but he forgot to take our evenings in the kitchen together
and he forgot to take the smell of his jacket
and the sound of my name, the way he said it

He left me with his cat fishing and his care of tools
and a set of deer antlers on the wall
but he forgot to take his glass of wine and ginger ale
and his big hands around mine.

He left a grey tackle box
a handmade knife and some homemade sinkers
but he left his hat on the rack
and his glasses by the bed
but he forgot to take his name,
forgot to take his smile.

He left his crucifix on the wall,
the statue of the Virgin on his dresser
and the braid of garlic
he loved so well.

 

 

Well

K. Brooke Arnold

Well

I jumped down a well last spring.
It's been almost a year, and--nothing.
Maybe I shouldn't speak too soon.
Maybe I shouldn't speak at all, hate to hear
"I can't do it . . . can't do it . . . do it . . ."
ricochet stone wall to wall.

Used to believe water held light, but
the deeper you go the darker you know
it gets cold, and no light comes from above.
In your own tunnel you have to own your own light,
have to be your own light.
It all has to come from within.

Beginning to dig as a kid, down to China,
I thought, "Impossible to lose your way
on such a straight shot . . ."
But distance into the earth becomes heat;

heat soon breeds confusion. I am young,
disoriented en route to the Orient.

 

Motherlove

Carla Marie Maj-Pfleger
 

He cannot tell his mother he's dying.
Somehow he's embarrassed, ashamed of fifty-six years
of imperfections, of doing everything she told him
(even as a teenager) not to do.
He's ashamed for her, too--her second son to die this way,
that out of her milk-white and perfect bones
came a perfect cell that would divide and divide
her heart into a million pieces, if she only knew.

His world was every yellow tulip she breathed in April,
every strawberry whose redness she swallowed in July,
every song on her lips whose notes
slid in tenor waves through her thin skin
and lulled him off to sleep again hush little baby don't say a word.

She once felt his fingers and toes fluttering
beneath the tight skin of her belly, his straining to open his mouth
and tell her everything in the world he knew was beautiful.
Now he feels an invisible weight
pushing out on his belly and his love has no words
for all the nothing in the world
he knows is beautiful.

 

Love

Sando

Love starts with a smile, grows with a kiss
and ends with a tear.
Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave,
and impossible to forget.
You can only go as far as you push.
Actions speak louder than words.
The hardest thing to do is watch the one you
love, love somebody else.
Don't let the past hold you back, you're
missing the good stuff.
Life's short. If you don't look around once in
a while you might miss it.
A BEST FRIEND is like a four-leaf clover,
HARD TO FIND and LUCKY TO HAVE.
Some people make the world SPECIAL just by
being in it.
BEST FRIENDS are the siblings God forgot to
give us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift
us to our feet when our wings have trouble
remembering how to fly"

 

Wishes


Sando

I would wish for you all the
happiness you could endure.
I would wish for you a healthy life
with no more pain or heartaches.
I wish for you the Love of a lifetime
that would last forever.
If only wishes could come true
these things I wish for you.
You deserve such happiness in your life.
I wish I could bring you all of these
things I wish for you.

 

 

If One Day

Sando

If One Day...
If one day you
feel like crying...
Call me.
I don't promise that
I will make you laugh,
But I can cry with you.
If one day you want to run away-
Don't be afraid to call me.
I don't promise to ask you to stop...
But I can run with you.
If one day you don't want
to listen to anyone...
Call me.
I promise to be there for you.
And I promise to be very quiet.
But if one day you call...
And there is no answer...
Come fast to see me.
Maybe I need you.
 

Life Without Friendship

Sando

Life without friendship....
is like the dawn without the sun.
Life without friendship....
is like the sky without the moon
when the evening has begun.
Life without friendship....
is like a rose without rain.
Life without friendship....
just wouldn't be the same.
Life without friendship....
is like a ship without a sea.
Life without friendship....
just could not be
without a friend like you for me

 

Angels All Around You

Author Unknown

Have you ever met a person
Who fulfilled you deep inside,
someone whose never failed you
And stands right at your side.
Someone who gives all they have
And brings sunshine all around,
Always smiling and laughing,
Never seeming down.
Have you ever watched a sunset
Across the ocean shore,
And been filled with love and peace,
Never needing more.
Have you ever listened to the wind
Blowing restless through the night,
And heard angel's whispers helping you
To see when you've lost sight?
Have you heard a song that moves you
And sets your soul free,
And makes you forget your anger
And makes you feel happy?
Have you ever given to someone
When you didn't have it to spare,
And feel so worthy inside,
That you didn't have a care?
Heavenly creatures surround you,
So listen closely to what they say,
They'll bring you all of life's riches,
As they guide you along your way!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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