It's a New Year and I'm Back..

-

Since the Wunderkid talked me into murdering a completely defenseless but breathtakingly beautiful  frazier fir this holiday season (we've never had a live tree even when I was a kid) I will start the year with a poem I have loved for years that honors those precious lungs of the earth and gives us, mere mortals, encouragement to embrace a new year.

ADVICE FROM A TREE 
 by Ilan Shamir
 
Dear Friend
Stand tall and proud
Sink your roots deeply into the earth
Reflect the light of your true nature
Think long term
Go out on a limb
Remember your place among all living beings
Embrace with joy the changing seasons
For each yields its own abundance
The energy and birth of spring
The growth and contentment of summer
The wisdom to let go the leaves in the fall
The rest and quiet renewal of winter
Feel the wind and the sun
And delight in their presence
Look up at the moon that shines down upon you
And the mystery of the stars at night
Seek nourishment from the good things in life
Simple pleasures
Earth, fresh air, light
Be content with your natural beauty
Drink plenty of water
Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes
Be flexible
Remember your roots
Enjoy the view!


Comments

juliette said…
Just discovered your blog and I love it! I'm slowly reading all the back posts and I have to say that I admire your candor and your spirit. I'll be a regular reader!
January 3, 2013 at 11:57 AM
Voluptuous Brown Gurl said…
Happy New Year Juliette! I've often heard that God/Universe sends you what you need when you most need it and I needed that little snippet of love for my blog today. Thank you so much for reading and commenting, I'll do my best to post every Monday. Wishing you all the best - Drea!
January 3, 2013 at 4:58 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I got the power...

-
Image
This post started off 6 weeks ago as a story about my purchase of a new power drill as a gift for myself. Well after milling over that too many times, it was not to be.  But it got me thinking about power - you start out in one direction and find yourself on an unforeseen and completely different path if you go with the flow. But the theme is the same - power - Who's got it, how to get it, what the heck to do with. My first grade elementary class performed the play Cinderella.  Of course I, like any sensible girl, wanted to play the lead role.  Who doesn't love a rag to riches story?  But alas this pretty little girl named Norma who only ate white bread sandwiches with the crusts removed was chosen for the lead  Now the fact that I remember that bit of minutia from nearly 40 years ago is frightening since I can barely remember any of what went on in my life yesterday.  Actually it proves that I have been carrying that little piece of "here's one more way I didn&
Read more

Happy New Year!!

-
Image
With a New Year comes another chance to manifest in my physical life what I've carried around in my head for years. I brought 2012 in quietly with calm celebration with family and more than a few swigs of Bellini but this year there are no resolutions to find the perfect career path, become vegetarian, lose weight, get out of debt, save more, go on "X" number of dates, play hostess more or get my travel mojo back. Of course, I still want to do all of that. But this first week of  2012, one of the most auspicious times of the year for me, I have chosen to celebrate my accomplishments of the previous year. I learned all too suddenly and sadly how fleeting life can be.  And the postponement of desires, joys until ... can sadly become never if one waits too long not knowing the hour of our quietus.  Through gratitude and reflection I hope to propel myself forward in the new year while living and feeling more in the moment than ever before. So here we go.  In 2011 I:
Read more

She's back

-
Image
and right now my life hurts like brand new shoes to quote the wonderful India Arie. For the second time in as many years VBG has fallen on challenging times. And rather than this time being familiar ground, I feel I am in uncharted and far more treacherous waters.  And anyone who knows me, knows too, that one of my least proud personal factoids is that this Voluptuous Brown Gurl never learned to swim.   Six weeks ago I spent my last day at the "new" job* I'd so gleefully chirped about in a post in January 2012.  My departure was unexpected in timing (I thought I had about 2 months before the clock ran out) but more than slightly welcomed.  I'd known fairly soon after starting that it just wasn't the place for me but it was bearable. As I was just coming off half a year of unemployment, I thought my resume might look less conspicuous if I stayed put a little while -  like a year or so.   When I started the job*, I worked a 4 day/32 hr week which was a
Read more