Winter Morning by Ogden Nash

Winter is the king of showmen,

Turning tree stumps into snowmen

And houses into birthday cakes

And spreading sugar over lakes.

Smooth and clean and frosty white,

The world looks good enough to bite.

That's the season to be young,

Catching snowflakes on your tongue.

Snow is snowy when it's snowing

I'm sorry it's slushy when it's going.

A Wisp

We are all beggars at the door of God's mercy.

The Journey of a Mother Part III

Your mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the breeze as you walk down the street, she's the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick and perfume that she wore. She's the cool hand on your brow when you aren't feeling well, she's your breath in the air on a cold winter's day. She's the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of the rainbow, she is Christmas morning. Your mother lives inside your laughter, and she is crystallized in every tear drop. A mother knows every emotion - happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow. And all the while hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in life. She's the place you came from, your first home, and she is the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love, your first friend even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space...not even death!

May we never take our mothers for granted.

The Journey of a Mother Part II

Year after year, she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most of all...unconditional love. And when they reached the top, they said, "Mother, we could not have done it without you." The days went on, and the weeks and the months and years and the mother grew old and became little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than last, for my children have learned so much and are now passing these traits on to their children." And when the way became rough for her, they lifted her and gave her their strength, just as she had given them hers. One day they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And the mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey and now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk with dignity, and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their children after them." And the children said, "You will always walk with us Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said, "we cannot see her, but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than a memory, she is a living presence.
To be continued...

The Journey of a Mother, Part I

The young mother set her feet on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked, and the guide said, "Yes, and the way is hard, and you will be old before you reach the end of it, but the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy and she would not believe anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed them and taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike and reminded them to feed the dog, do their homework and brush their teeth. The sun shone on them and the young mother cried, "nothing will ever be lovelier than this."Then the nights came and the storms, and the path was sometimes dark and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close. She covered them with her arms and the children said,"Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." And the morning came and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary, but at all times she said to the children, "a Little patience and we are there". So the children climbed, and as they climbed they learned to weather the storms, and with this, she gave them strength to face the world... to be continued.

Today's Wisps

On Attitude
" I wish you would make up your mind, Mr. Dickens. Was it the best of times or was it the worst of times? It could scarcely have been both". (New Yorker)

Before Starting Anything
If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe.
Abraham Loncoln

Taking Chances
A ship in the harbor is safe-but that is not what ships are made for.