" As we Graduate "

 

As we Graduate.

The end has come. Finally the end has come. Thirteen years of work. Thirteen years of blood, sweat, and tears. A lot of blood, sweat and tears. The good times came, as did all of the bad times.

We have lived to see each other grow and yet we were blind to it, never noticing every detail that has made our lives beautiful. The beauty was there. The passion was there, but we never took the time to look, to see.

We ignored those who were different from ourselves, every clique thinking the other to be weird or stupid. We put down those we like, not because they deserved it, but because we were too stubborn to see the beauty in them. Instead, we saw our own insecurities and tried to crush those that were weaker to make ourselves feel better.

There is no more time to lie to ourselves about what we think is right. There is no more time to justify our actions, or our choices. There is no more time. Our lives as we know them are over.

Welcome to the real world, and I'm not talking about FB, Tick tock, AI etc.  I'm talking about the cruelty we create every time we open our mouths without love in our hearts. Love. Please love someone. You will never be able to truly live until you truly love.

Are we too young to love? Absolutely not. We have just been conditioned to not want to love, to not want to listen to our own hearts, or follow that gut feeling. We have allowed these days to pass, without any idea of who we really are or what we really feel. Our feelings have gone unspoken. We have lied.

Look into yourself and ask, "Have I lied?" We stand on the doorstep of destiny and Destiny has said," I will not make your choices for you any longer, I will not be your guide, you are yours and so the choices are yours. You must live with the consequences of your actions. The blame can only lie on you."

There is no more blame to be shared. We are individuals. We have chosen our paths and no matter where they lead, they are our own paths. Some paths may cross again. Some of us may never see each other again. The truth is all we can hold on to.

Some I will miss, others I will not, but this phase in our lives is deeply rooted with each other. No matter how hard we try to deny each other, we are all connected. Do not deny each other anymore. We are entering an even more hostile world than high school. We need each other. We must stand with each other. We must always look out for each other.

Men, chivalry is not dead, unless you kill it. Treat all women with respect. Look closely; every woman is beautiful. Look at her eyes, look at her hands, and look at her lips. Look at her, and really begin to see her. Every woman is beautiful.

Women, don't forget about us normal guys. The geeks, the nerds, the brains, the everyday average guy. That is where you will find the true romantic. Not all of us can be athletic or popular or rich, but we are still here, and are more than willing to treat you like queens.

And so life for us is truly beginning. Our careers will start. We will meet the love of our lives and forget those we loved before. We will have few true friends but those we keep will be more than blood, they will be a part of us, a part of our souls. They will live on in us forever.

And as the years pass, so will many of this class. And the tears will form more often then not. Our mortality, which we never feared will begin to make us worry, about what will they do if I die? Will they go on, will they mourn?

We will begin to second guess ourselves. But our friends will be there to support us and when they are not, we will know when the time has come when we will meet our Maker, and we will have to account for our lives.

And then there will be no lies; every second recorded. Will you regret what you did? Don't lie, you will.

My life is filled with many regrets, but all we can do is stand firm and do what is right. We cannot pass judgment on anyone but ourselves. That is not our job.

Our job is to live respectable, good lives, raising our children to be better than we are. Our job is to love for love is the root of all that is good. Without it, we are already dead.

Don't be afraid to cry, it is not a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength; strength from your own self-awareness; the knowledge that tears will heal without leaving as many scars.

Dream. Change your mind if you need to. Don't be miserable. Don't be afraid to walk away. Don't put yourself down; you are your own worst critic. Don't trust everyone, but know who can trust and when you do, trust him or her with your life.

Let the ones you love know. Don't be ashamed to hug your dad or your mom." I love you" comes too few and far between. Don't be ashamed to say it if you really mean it. They will be appreciated.

Be a kid again. Swing, run around, go splashing in the mud, forget about the world for a few minutes. Don't worry what people will think, even if it's for just a moment for that moment will live with you for the rest of your life.

Do not hesitate. If someone is good and there in front of you, take hold and never let go. You never know if they will ever be back in your life again, or if you will ever have the chance to love them and have the love returned if you let them go.

Fear nothing. The worst that can happen is you will die. And you will die, so the worst will happen inevitably, so why be afraid of anything?

You are never alone, there is always someone thinking of you. And most importantly, again, I say love.

Love endlessly. Put no bounds on your love. Love like there is no tomorrow. Love like you can't be hurt. And when you are, love some more. Love will heal you; love will save you. Love.

And I leave everyone with these final words. Live your lives full of love; live for the moment. Live for the moments, each detail, and each beautiful second of time.

Find your moment. Find the beauty and then live for it. Live for those days when you can just dance in the rain. Live for those beautiful moments.

 

I Hope you Dance : Lee Ann Womack

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance (dance)
I hope you dance (dance)

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'

Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance (time is a wheel in constant motion)
I hope you dance (always rolling us along)
I hope you dance (tell me who wants to look back on their years)
I hope you dance (and wonder where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance, I hope you dance (dance)
I hope you dance (time is a wheel in constant motion)
I hope you dance (always rolling us along)
I hope you dance (tell me who wants to look back on their years)
I hope you dance (and wonder where those years have gone)

Tell me who wants to look back on their years (dance)
And wonder where those years have gone (dance)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F44nrK0MxEQ

" Advice for Living "

 

ADVICE FOR LIVING

1.      The best way to get even is to forget.

2.      Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.

3.      God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

4.      Some folks wear their halos much too tight.

5.      Some marriages are made in heaven...
but they ALL have to be maintained on earth.

6.      Unless you can create the WHOLE universe in 5 days...
then perhaps giving "advice" to God, isn't such a good idea!

7.      Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up.

8.      Standing in the middle of the road is dangerous...
You will get knocked down by the traffic from both ways.

9.      Words are windows to the heart.

10.   A sceptic is a person who...
when he sees the handwriting on the wall claims it's a forgery.

11.   It isn't difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill; just add a little dirt.

12.   A successful marriage isn't finding the right person ...
It's BEING the right person.

13.   The mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground.

14.   Too many people offer God prayers, with claw marks all over them.

15.   The tongue must be heavy indeed, because so few people can hold it.

16.   To forgive is to set the prisoner free...
and then discover the prisoner was you.

17.   You have to wonder about humans...
they think God is dead and Elvis is alive!

18.   It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again...
Just be sure to flush when you are done.

19.   You'll notice that a turtle only makes progress when it sticks out it's neck.

20.   If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence...
you can bet the water bill is higher.

Author Unknown -

" Find Serenity and Tranquility "

 

May you find Serenity and Tranquility in a world you may not always understand.

May the pain you have known and conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life, facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone.

May you discover enough goodness in others, to believe in a world of peace.

May a kind word, a reassuring touch, a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.

Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending. Teach love to those who know hate, and let that love embrace you as you go into the world.

May the teaching of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them.

Remember, those whose lives you have touched and who have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished. It is the content of the encounter that is more important than it's form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart. Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world around you.

Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way. What you may feel you lack in one regard may be more than compensated for in another. What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future.

May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility. Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgment of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

" Keep your Dream "

 

Keep Your Dream

Never let anyone take your dreams from you...check out this story.

I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch in San Ysidro. He has let me use his house to put on fund-raising events to raise money for youth at risk programs.

The last time I was there he introduced me by saying, "I want to tell you why I let Jack use my horse. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy's high school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.

"That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch.

"He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, `See me after class.'

"The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, `Why did I receive an F?'

"The teacher said, `This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you'll have to pay large stud fees. There's no way you could ever do it.' Then the teacher added, `If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.'

"The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, `Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.' "Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all.

He stated, "You can keep the F and I'll keep my dream."

Monty then turned to the assembled group and said, "I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace." He added, "The best part of the story is that two summers ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week." When the teacher was leaving, he said, "Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids' dreams. Fortunately you had enough gumption not to give up on yours."

"Don't let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what."

 

"If you Love her enough"

If You Love Her Enough

 My friend John always has something to tell me. He knows so much that young men have to have older and more worldly wise men to tell them. For instance who to trust, how to care for others, and how to live life to the fullest.

Recently, John lost his wife Janet. For eight years she fought against cancer, but in the end her sickness had the last word.

One day John took out a folded piece of paper from his wallet. He had found it, so he told me, when he tidied up some drawers at home. It was a small love letter Janet had written. The note could look like a school girl's scrawls about her dream guy. All that was missing was a drawing of a heart with the names John and Janet written in it. But the small letter was written by a woman who had had seven children; a woman who fought for her life and who probably only had a few months left to live.

It was also a beautiful recipe for how to keep a marriage together.

Janet's description of her husband begins thus: "Loved me. Took care of me. Worried about me."

Even though John always had a ready answer, he never joked about cancer apparently. Sometimes he came home in the evening to find Janet in the middle of one of those depressions cancer patients so often get. In no time he got her into the car and drove her to her favourite restaurant. He showed consideration for her, and she knew it. You cannot hide something for someone who knows better.

"Helped me when I was ill," the next line reads. Perhaps Janet wrote this while the cancer was in one of the horrible and wonderful lulls. Where everything is -- almost -- as it used to be, before the sickness broke out, and where it doesn't hurt to hope that everything is over, maybe forever.  "Forgave me a lot."   "Stood by my side."

And a piece of good advice for everyone who looks on giving constructive criticism as a kind of sacred duty: "Always praising."

"Made sure I had everything I needed," she goes on to write. After that she has turned over the paper and added: "Warmth. Humour. Kindness. Thoughtfulness." And then she writes about the husband she has lived with and loved the most of her life: "Always there for me when I needed you."

The last words she wrote sum up all the others. I can see her for me when she adds thoughtfully:  "Good friend."

I stand beside John now, and cannot even pretend to know how it feels to lose someone who is as close to me as Janet was to him. I need to hear what he has to say much more than he needs to talk.  "John," I ask. "How do you stick together with someone through 38 years -- not to mention the sickness? How do I know if I can bear to stand by my wife's side if she becomes sick one day?" "You can," he says quietly. "If you love her enough, you can." 

"Just Five More Minutes"

 

 Just Five More Minutes

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.

"That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.

"He's a fine looking boy" the man said. "That's my daughter on the bike in the white dress."

Then, looking at his watch, he called to his daughter. "What do you say we go, Melissa?"

Melissa pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes."

The man nodded and Melissa continued to ride her bike to her heart's content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his daughter. '"Time to go now?"

Again Melissa pleaded, "Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes."

The man smiled and said, "OK."

"My, you certainly are a patient father," the woman responded.

The man smiled and then said, "Her older brother Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with Melissa.

She thinks she has five more minutes to ride her bike. The truth is, I get Five more minutes to watch her play."

Life is all about making priorities, what are your priorities?

Give someone you love 5 more minutes of your time today!

" Easter morning surprise "

 Easter morning surprise

On a quiet Easter morning, the village of Willowbrook woke to the soft glow of sunrise and the scent of fresh bread drifting from open windows. Children hurried down cobblestone paths with woven baskets in hand, eager for the annual egg hunt. But this year felt different—colder somehow, quieter.

At the edge of the village lived an old woman named Elara, who hadn’t joined the Easter festivities in years. People said she used to host the grandest celebrations, filling her garden with laughter, music, and bright painted eggs. But after she lost her husband, her gates stayed closed, and her garden slowly faded.

That morning, a young girl named Lila noticed something odd while searching for eggs. Near Elara’s gate lay a single golden egg—far more beautiful than any she’d seen. It shimmered softly, as if holding a secret. Instead of putting it in her basket, Lila hesitated… then gently pushed open the creaky gate.

Inside, the garden was overgrown, but beneath the wild vines were traces of what once had been—colorful stones, broken lanterns, and faded ribbons. Lila followed a narrow path to the door and knocked.

Elara opened it slowly, surprised to see anyone there. Before she could speak, Lila held out the golden egg.

“I think this belongs here,” she said.

Elara stared at the egg, her eyes filling with tears. “I used to make these,” she whispered. “Each one was meant to remind people that even after the longest winter, life finds its way back.”

Lila smiled. “Then maybe it still does.”

Something in those simple words stirred warmth in Elara’s heart. She invited Lila inside, and together they dusted off old paints, cleaned the garden, and hung new ribbons. By afternoon, curious villagers peeked in, then stepped inside, one by one.

Soon the garden was alive again—children laughing, colours blooming, and tables filled with food. Elara stood in the middle of it all, surrounded by life she thought she’d lost forever.

As the sun set, she placed the golden egg at the center of the garden.

“Easter isn’t just about what’s been,” she said softly, “but what can begin again.”

And in Willowbrook, that year, Easter became more than a celebration—it became a reminder that even the smallest act of kindness can bring a heart back to life.