14 May

Girlfriends

Posted by rmbrindley in Happiness, Life's Precious Moments. Tagged: , , , , .

There she was on this very special day in a room full of women, all there to show their love and support.

First, her grandmother, lovingly sewing a piece of lace from her great grandmother’s wedding dress into her wedding dress.  Something old for sure, but a part of her history–a history of strong, caring and vibrant women.

Her aunt, or maybe her second mother.  Always willing to care for her and her brothers in my absence, be it my choice or hers.  Always there to celebrate the successes.  There to support, to love, to provide shelter, a listening ear and an open heart during the storms of her life.

The friends.  Some made as a young child, others made as a grown woman.  All were there together to love her, to dance with her, to show support and care for her.

Other women came in and out throughout the day…a hug, a kiss, “you look beautiful,” “I love you,” “I am so happy for you,”…

And finally, I was there, her mother.  A mother who had given birth to her early one snowy January morning.  A mother who fed her, photographed her smiles, watched her walk her first steps, sent her off to school, to camp, to life.  A mother who was there to celebrate the successes, and a few times to discipline the poor choices.

It was her wedding.  A day spent surrounded by other women, both young and old, who love and cherish everything about her.  Women who will stay by her side throughout the wonderful days and the challenging days.

“Friendships with your girl friends are important to nurture,” I always told her.  ”They will be a special part of your life that no one else can fill.”  This day she saw that.

Much love and many thanks to all the women who have surrounded Sarah throughout her life, who surrounded her on her wedding day and will continue to surround her for all the years to come.

Image

27 Apr

A Toast to Sarah and David

Posted by rmbrindley in Happiness, Life's Precious Moments. Tagged: , , , , .

Dear Sarah and David,

Here we are…the planning is complete and the execution of last minute details is in high pitch.  So what do I say to you seeing the love you have for each other…the look in your eyes, the gentle touch, the loving smiles you exchange, the laughter you share?

May you never forget the first time you met, the first time you looked into each other’s eyes, the first kiss, and the first time you said “I love you.”  With the blessings of God and daily commitment from each of you, you will nourish your marriage and make it strong and make it grow.

May your marriage bring you all the excitement and joys marriage should bring.  May you celebrate each other’s triumphs.  May you encourage one another. May you always believe in and be proud of each other.  May you be each other’s number one fan.

May your life together bring you patience and understanding as you weave your lives together.  May you always need one another, although not to fill your emptiness but to know your completeness.  May you want one another, but not out of lack.  May you succeed in all important ways with one another.  May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another.  May you look for things to praise.  May you say “I love you!” often.  May you find happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy. May you each feel the warm presence of the other when you are side by side, as well as when you are in separated by walls or space.  May you be friends to each other only as lovers can and may you love each other only as best friends can.

May you be forever faithful to one another in heart, body, mind and soul.

May you listen to one another.  Really listen to words that are spoken, but listen even harder for the unspoken words.

May you never forget what is worth remembering or what is best forgotten.

As you profess your love for each other next to the waters, may you be the anchor for each other when life’s winds are blowing wild.  May you be the lighthouse when you find yourself lost and in the middle of nowhere.  And may you be the shore where you find comfort after a long troubled day.

When you have quarrels that push you apart, may you both have the sense and love for one another to take the first step back and the first step forward.  May you find the strength that binds your love to carry you through the trials.  May you recognize and acknowledge your faults and seek forgiveness.  And may these storms only make your love ever stronger.

May God bless and keep you forever in his arms in your work and in your companionship; in your sleeping and in your waking; in your joy and in your sorrows.

And through the years may your love for each other deepen and grow.  And years from now as you look back on this your weekend of celebration, may it be the day you loved each other the least.

My love to you both,

22 Apr

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

Posted by rmbrindley in Life's Precious Moments, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , .

Saturday mornings…Ah, I love Saturday mornings.  Sleep late.  Coffee.  Devotions and prayers.  The newspaper read from cover to cover often while sitting outside enjoying the sounds of the birds and the morning breeze.

Yesterday my Saturday was different.  Friday evening I had written a list of those things that needed to be accomplished on Saturday.   Things to continue to gather for my daughter’s wedding which is fast approaching.

I did not take time to sit with my devotions, my prayers and or even my newspaper.  I left the house, later than I intended (my kids will tell you I am always late), with a cup of coffee in my hand ready to face my list.  About a block from my house I entered the freeway.  Why was it stopped on a Saturday morning?  Why was traffic not heading in towards downtown above the speed limit as I can count on at most times of the day?  But it was stopped.  I changed lanes…that lane was stopped also.  Should I get off at the next exit and try to go around whatever was slowing everything down.  Even Click and Clack on my NPR station seemed to know my situation.  They said we should adjust the way we live to those around us.  Slow down when others slow down.  Get it in gear when others speed-up.  NPR knew I was frustrated!

After hearing their words and believing they were meant only for me, I took a deep breath.  Slow down, my dear.  Everything will be waiting.  You WILL get everything accomplished.  You will check off today’s list.

And I did.  I finally arrived at the farmer’s market and enjoyed the people, the booths full of fresh and organic foods, the music playing.  I talked with some of the vendors.  I petted the dogs people had with them.  I stood in line at the popsicle stand for my first tasty frozen treat of the year.  Then I headed onward to the other places on my list.

Yes, I checked off all the items on my list and even had time to spend the evening outside, enjoying the sites and music of the city I call home.

Sometimes we must take that breath.  Sometimes we must adjust the way we are living.  Sometimes we must slow down, move slower, take deep breathes and get into the rhythm of the world around us.  We must stop to smell the flowers around us.  Stop to enjoy the beauty of nature.  Stop……..enjoy life.

13 Apr

Let It Be

Posted by rmbrindley in Uncategorized.

We have all had those occasions when the days and evenings were busy preparing.  Lists, notes, emails back and forth, calls to make, questions to answer.  Perhaps during a holiday, a family reunion…endless planning and executing.  Will it ever all get the check mark next to it saying it is done.  It is accomplished.  All is well.

I am in the midst of one of those occasions now, in the final days of planning for my daughter’s wedding.  Friends ask, “What can I do to help?”  ”I don’t know.  I think that everything is under control.”  Then I return to my desk and the panic sets in as I look through the to-do list for today.  What is today’s priority?  Somebody help me find something to check off the list!

This morning while talking with a friend over coffee she compared my circumstances to a quote from the New Zealand Prayer Book.  ”What is done is done, what is not done is not done.  Let it be.”

Let it be.  Will anyone know if the starfish are not hanging from guest welcome bags?  Will the people visiting care if the hummus is homemade or purchased at the grocery store?  Will anyone know if the bow is not tied to my exacting specifications?

In the next week I will continue to prepare.  I will continue to make lists.  Make check marks for the things I accomplished.  Add more items to my lists.   And at the appropriate time, no one but me will know the things left undone on my lists.  The things undone will not effect the joy of the wedding.  And as for me, I will….

whisper words of wisdom “let it be.”

6 Apr

Rolling Away the Stones

Posted by rmbrindley in Life's Journeys, Life's Precious Moments. Tagged: , , , , .

I woke this morning with words from a song in my head.  ”Were you there when they rolled away the stone?  Were you there when they rolled away the stone?”  On and on the words went.  Why these words were going along in my soul I do not know.  Yes, it is Holy Week.  Yes, today is Good Friday.  But they did not roll the stone from Christ’s tomb until Easter morning.  Why was I singing it this morning?

During my morning meditation I continued to think about the stone that was rolled away from the tomb.  And it hit me!  We all have stones in our path that block the light of our lives from shining on others.  Stones that stop us in our tracks when we are faced with difficulties, unwanted changes, unresolved pains.  They are there on each of our paths, small or large each and every day.

As I continued to reflect I saw it.  My stone of pain, of guilt, of fear, of fear has slowly been moved to make way to for me to leave the tomb I have made for myself.  Slowly the stone has been moved from my path.  At some point in the last few months I have finally felt that I can take a deep breath and know that I will be alright.  My airways were cleared.  I have begun to know that I am a wonderful person on my own with talents that I am now able to develop and use that had been lingering blocked behind the stone for so long.

We all have stones that block our path.  Stones that keep us from being the person that God intends for us to be.  Stones we place in our paths and stones that others place before us.

Today and everyday wake singing “I was there when they rolled away the stone,” and walk the straight path before you knowing that you will not stumble.

28 Feb

God’s New Angel

Posted by rmbrindley in Life's Journeys. Tagged: , , .

When someone dies those of us who are left behind grieve.  I have lost a dear and special friend.  But she did not leave this earth without leaving memories, lessons, and love.  I decided to take comments from the many things that have been written about her to memorialize her–and to perhaps make us all think about what it is we will leave behind when we leave this earth.

“You taught us about strength, commitment, faith, love, friendship and courage.”

“You invited strangers into your home without hesitation and healed our souls.”

“You cherished and held dear all of God’s creations.”

“You taught us so much!”

“You were such a lovely and unselfish person.”

“I will miss your sweet smile and laugh.”

“You had a gentle spirit, a patient kindness, and a selfless concern for others.”

“You were one of the nicest people I ever met.”

“You were a loving and supportive mother;  a devoted wife;  a proud, and caring grandmother.”

“Thanks for all the love and laughs…and for giving me my nerve back.”

“You were my inspiration for life.  You healed my soul.  You made me complete again.  You showed me what strength really means.”

“My gratitude abounds for the lessons you have taught me about strength, grace, humor and generosity along life’s way.”

“You were a second mother to me when I was growing up.  You taught me so much.”

“You were such a positive person.”

“You had such an easy, lovely, and loving way about you.  You had a wonderful voice.  You had a wonderful caring, thoughtful and generous way about you. ”

“God must have played the “Eyes of Texas” when you entered heaven on the wings of the burnt orange sunset.”

 

Dana Costilow Crisp

14 Feb

A Change in Direction

Posted by rmbrindley in Life's Journeys. Tagged: , .

I was fortunate to be a delegate to our diocesan council this past weekend.  It was a wonderful experience.  The highlight for me was not debating the issues before us but listening to Bishop Doyle’s address.  In it he talked about the church.  As I listened I thought about my life.

It has changed forever.  The things that  I used to believe have been shown to be untrue.  When and where it happened I do not know.  But it has been within the past several months that I have finally realized I was existing in a place that no longer gave me the nutrients to grow.  Somewhere the past gave way to a desire and vision for the future.  The vision is still cloudy but it is being formed. 

As I look at the studies in which I have participated and the insight I have gained in the past several months, I now realize that my way of living the life I was given was not heading toward a path that would sustain my desires for a life lived fully.  I could no longer apply for the jobs the same way I had been doing.  I could no longer depend on my resume or my networking skills to forward my talents.  I could no longer believe that all was well except the economy in our state and country. 

I was on the path of least resistance on a journey in the jungle.  It was time to look for a highway for getting out of the jungle I had made in my life.  It was time to quit accepting that life had to be the way it was and time to make it the way I wanted and needed. 

So here I am…working to develop the skills I have that I am passionate about sharing.  I am creating a new way of approaching life’s daily lessons and the long-term possibilities found in life. 

I will step on the other side of the unknown to try to clear the vision for my life.  I will not go alone but with the prayers of friends and family.  They we keep me tethered on a path to my goals and visions.  They will fortify my courage, remind me of the passion, and applaud each small step in my path.

31 Jan

Happy Birthdays

Posted by rmbrindley in Life's Precious Moments. Tagged: , , .

It is that time of year when I rejoice at my motherhood.  I do not wait until May for the official Mothers’ Day celebration.  It is right here at the end of January and beginning of February when I celebrate.  Last week I celebrated 2 of my children’s birthdays; next week another one.  How can a mother not rejoice when her children are more than she ever thought possible?  Oh no, Sarah isn’t a renowned country and western singer that she always talked about. Paul did not make the steps to pursue his early dream of being the first man on Mars.  Joe,  he very well may the one man band that he dreamed of from early in his life.

They had their dreams.  They still have dreams although altered from early childhood desires.  One of the most amazing things for me to take in as their mother is the pursuit of their dreams.  They have travelled far and wide, lived far from home, worked night and day, given up social events and other activities in the desire to achieve their dreams.  What mother would not be proud to watch this tenacity taking place with her children?

They know who they are.  They are sensitive, responsible, and caring members of society.  They do not hesitate to help a friend or colleague or even a stranger in need.    They are creative and loving.  They are helpful.  They are counselors to their friends.  They work hard at their jobs, and at play.  They are kind and generous.  They are all the great things a mother could wish for her children.

And they know me.  They know me in a way that no one else ever has.  They know how to drive me to the brink of insanity and push me to the depths of my soul.  They open me to new and amazing things that I never knew existed.  They are the driving force in my veins.  They are my hope for the future.  They are my energy of my heart.  They are my children…and I celebrate their lives, their dreams and the joy they have given me!

24 Jan

A Good Leader

Posted by rmbrindley in Leadership. Tagged: , , , .

As I continue my journey to find a way to share my passion I have been reading books about leadership-what makes a good leader, how to become a good leader, how to help others become a good leader.  This morning while turning the page in my calendar I found this statement credited to Mother Teresa.  Maybe it is the best advice for becoming a good leader–

  • People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.
  • If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish motives.  Be kind anyway.
  • If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful  friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.
  • If you are honest and sincere, people may cheat on you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.
  • What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.
  • If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.
  • The good you do today, will often be forgotten tomorrow.  Do good anyway.
  • Give the world the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.
  • In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between and you and them anyway.

17 Jan

Reach Out

Posted by rmbrindley in Life's Precious Moments. Tagged: , , .

As almost all of us do, each day I open my inbox to see what it holds.  Junk…delete.  Advertisement…delete.   Recently there was a note from a friend that I have not had contact with in quite a while.  In her note she told me that she had not read my blog in quite a while but was motivated to open the link on this occasion.  The words in the post helped her to understand that the only guarantee in this life is we will all suffer trials and tribulations, none of us is immune.  There on the screen were the words that she needed to see.  The post she read touched her heart.   The words resonated with her.  They opened her heart to possibilities.  They gave her courage and strength to share her trials with someone else.   They gave her strength to explore the possibilities.

I wonder how often I have touched others with my words or my volunteer work.  I wonder how many times I have let that opportunity to reach out go past me.  Was hurrying to the store really more important than stopping to finish the phone conversation?

This note made me realize that each of us is hurting in some way.  We all  need someone to listen to us, encourage us, and stand by us, if only with thoughts and prayers.

And so I let the job application sit for a few more minutes.  I hit reply to send my thoughts, my love and my prayers.

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