Using Affirmations

"Make your affirmation of a positive statement that declares to yourself and to the universe that you have this thing or quality in your life right now, such as "I live a simple, peaceful life."

It doesn't matter if the statements you affirm are not true yet. Repetition of an affirmation, combined with belief and imagination, enhances the ability of your subconscious mind to bring about the reality you affirm."

Elaine St. James -
"Inner Simplicity - 100 Ways to Regain Peace and Nourish Your Soul"
"Use Affirmations" page 68


I love the affirmation "I live a simple, peaceful life." I know it is not true for me at this time. Can an affirmation really change my attitude to look at my life as simple and peaceful? Or does it help me focus on and take the steps to make life more simple and peaceful? "Belief" and "Imagination." I need to work on those characteristics to help my subconscious work toward this goal.

The photo of my peace angel on the window sill of our kitchen sink area is a constant reminder that I want to live a simple and peaceful life. The Sweet Peas that Al brings me from the garden surround us with beauty and the wonderful fragrance. The fun marbles that Al collects are also a reminder of a simpler life when people used to play marbles. We have hundreds of marbles in our home. The Sea Urchin shells are also a reminder of the simple and peaceful life of the sea. What a blessing we are experiencing by having the opportunity to spend time here on the Oregon Coast.

I want to live a "simple, peaceful life." To appreciate and be thankful for the beauty and peace of our surroundings is my quest.

Photo: Peace Angel and Sweet Peas @ Lighthouse Beach - 9/24/08

Peace of a Forest

This Quiet Place

I came to this quiet place
And found You waiting for me, God.
I hadn't heard You call,
I had no seeming need at all,
But I just felt guided to be still...
And here You are!

My heart is open to Your will.
Speak to me God,
For I am listening within myself.
I hear You in my mind,
A kind of moving
As in the quiet of a forest,
Pleasant sounds, soft and whispering
To my heart.
In this place apart, O God,
Thank You for the peace I feel,
The sure knowing that You are here,
And real,
And that we are one
In this quiet place.

Dorothy Pierson
"Letting Go" Unity 2000 Booklet

One of the pleasures of having the opportunity to have our grandson, Simon, spend time with us, is helping him enjoy the peace and beauty of nature: in the forests, in the sand dunes, on the rivers, and the ocean, of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. As our family grows and expands with each new grandchild, I hope we have additional opportunities to spend individual time with each new person in our family. We have had many special, enjoyable times with Simon, sharing our knowledge of nature. I want to extend that same opportunity to each new grandchild.

I am thankful for Al's energy and enjoyment of nature and that he is a great grandfather that wants to spend time with all our grandchildren.

Photo: Simon and I sitting in a forest near Bandon, Oregon - 11/24/07

People Everywhere Are Created Equal

P.E.A.C.E.
People Everywhere Are Created Equal


10 Ways to Get Along With Each Other:

1) Remember that everyone is special

2) Respect other's opinions

3) Share your ideas and interests with others

4) Include everyone in activities

5) Learn about other cultures

6) Don't think of yourselves as better than others.

7) Be a good listener

8) Make every effort to be a good friend

9) Notice people's similarities not their differences

10) Seek peaceful solutions to conflict


This is a photo of my sister Judy. One year younger than I am, she just retired from teaching at Tigard High School. She gave me this P.E.A.C.E. T-shirt recently. It was one of the projects she worked on with her classes at Tigard. I am so happy for my sister as she is just beginning her retirement life after 30+ years of teaching.

I have worn this T-Shirt many times. It is interesting how many people notice the words. The ten statements listed are on the back of the T-Shirt; messages that I feel are positive and constructive to help focus on ideas to share peace with others in our everyday lives.

Photo: Judy and Pati, with my new P.E.A.C.E. T-Shirt

The P.E.A.C.E. Plan

"P - Promote reconciliation
 E - Equip leaders
 A - Assist the poor
 C - Care for the sick
 E - Educate the next generation"

Rick Warren's P.E.A.C.E. Plan
the P.E.A.C.E. plan

In his recent television discussions with the two Presidential candidates Rick Warren, author of the "Purpose Driven Life," has been propelled into the national news. As I have been listening to his interviews on various TV channels I heard his P.E.A.C.E. Plan mentioned. The link above tells more about his plan to address the "five giant problems that affect billions of people on our planet." I recently purchased the "Purpose Driven LIfe," and have only read a few sections; one of many books that I have wanted to read, to learn more about the idea of living a life focused on a specific purpose.

As I understand Mr. Warren's P.E.A.C.E. Plan, by helping billions of people develop hope, educating their leaders, assisting the poor, caring for the sick, and educating the next generation, each one of us can take a step to promote PEACE, one person at a time, one step at a time. Mr. Warren's focus is with a faith based purpose. I am thankful that there are thousands of organizations in our world set up to help others. Each one of us can choose an organization that fits our beliefs and lifestyle, and take a step, to promote PEACE by helping others.

Photo: Internet photo my daughter, Jessica, sent me.
I do not know the link to credit the artist.

The Power of a Beautiful Scene.

"So, whenever you feel gripped by pressure and tension.....Stop for several minutes and remove yourself from the activity at hand. Then bring from memory scenes that have impressed you by their beauty. This practice never fails to have a therapeutic effect. And when restless and troubled at night, seeking sleep, review these scenes until God's quietness overcomes you and you drift into a sound and untroubled sleep. Seeking relaxation and inner peace, of course, should never be an end in itself. The idea is not to retreat from life's responsibilities, but to build a quiet center inside one's body and soul from which you emerge each morning to enter vigorously into the day."

Norman Vincent Peale
"The Power of a Beautiful Scene" - guideposts.com

Sleep eludes me many nights. I need to try this idea, of Norman Vincent Peale, to focus on a beautiful scene. This photo is one of my favorite sunset scenes with the view of the chip ship under the setting sun. I am thankful for the many beautiful sunsets we enjoy here on the Oregon coast. It is definitely one of the blessings of having a place on the ocean.

Norman's idea of building "a quiet center inside one's body and soul," a quiet center of peace, is an ideal that I continually strive to attain. It can be difficult to emerge "vigorously into the day," when you have trouble getting a good night's sleep. I have read that praying in the hours of 12:00 - 3:00 AM are called the "third watch." My pattern of sleeplessness usually results in a time of prayer for members of my family, our world family, and peace for all people. I like the idea of incorporating beautiful scenes into my "Third Watch."

Photo: Sunset over Gregory Point on the Oregon Coast and one of the few remaining ships coming into the Coos Bay Harbor - 7/18/08

Peace in Simplifying?

Today was my sixth birthday. 6-0! I am thankful for my surprise birthday party that Jessica and Jeffrey planned for me at the beach in Gearheart, Oregon last week. They rented a house at the beach, that sleeps twelve people, to work on their next book, “The Little Teal Book of Trust.” To have my family, and extended family, together for the Fourth of July celebration and to surprise me with a party and birthday gifts to celebrate 60 years of life was awesome. The thought of a birthday celebration had not crossed my mind. It gave me such a feeling of joy and happiness to have family there to celebrate with me.

Over the years of my life, I never had a birthday party just for me. As I have mentioned before, I was born on my Mother’s twenty-first birthday and we almost always celebrated our birthday together. This was the first birthday that I celebrated without my Mom. I miss her. I know she would have loved to be at that party at Gearheart, with all the family, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and new baby Lucia only three weeks old. Mom would have loved all the seafood, crab and clams, and delicious crab soup Liz made. She also would have loved Dave and John’s great Margaritas! I believe that she was with us in spirit, enjoying the camaraderie of the family celebration.

My actual birthday day was spent in another way. I spent the day gathering all my past issues of daily devotional/meditation booklets that I have been saving for 15 plus years to put in the recycle bin. Those booklets, which I receive in the mail every month, have helped me with my early morning daily scripture study and meditation. Years and years of mediation booklets that were totally underlined, and dog-eared and notes written in the margins. They have inspired me, comforted me, challenged me and guided me. It was difficult to watch as the dump truck lifted my recycle bin and dumped all those years of reading and studying into his truck. I said a prayer of thank you to God for all the people that contribute to the writing of those meditation booklets. Many of the readings are awesome stories of people’s lives and how they have learned to live through the storms of life and learned to appreciate and feel gratitude for what is good, and beautiful in life.

Why did I decide to get rid of them? I believe I had been saving them in case I decided to write “my story” someday. They would have been a reference as to what I was reading and studying on any given day. Our home is full of paper work and articles of inspiration that I have saved and filed, and piles to file of what I have wanted to save. Moving back and forth between two homes has made it extremely difficult to be able to organize and file paperwork. I had to begin the purging process someplace. Those boxes and boxes of meditation booklets were filling a corner of my bedroom. I took this day to start the purging process. Each month I will receive another booklet to read and study. It’s time to look forward to the next stage of life. The last third of my life, which I doubt will be spent reading through my old devotional booklets. There is too much activity happening at this stage of life. I always thought that life would slow down by this stage of life. It has not. As our family grows with the grandchildren, and the importance of family activities, life gets even busier.

I cannot say that I felt peace as I recycled my meditation booklets. It is very difficult for me to throw things away. Especially something that has been as meaningful in my life. Aren’t we supposed to feel peace as we simplify our lives? Maybe I will feel more peace when I get to the financial paperwork purging!

Photo by Al McDougall
Gathering Sweet Peas, at the local Flower Farm, to fill our home with the sweet fragrance and beauty of Sweet Peas. A wonderful birthday flower for those born in July.

Peace and Joy in doing the dishes

Peace and Joy

in the

Present Moment

especially when

washing the dishes.









"To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you aren't doing them. Once you are standing in front of the sink with your sleeves rolled up and your hands in the warm water, it is really quite pleasant. I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware of the dish, the water, and each movement of my hands. I know that if I hurry in order to eat dessert sooner, the time of washing dishes will be unpleasant and not worth living. That would be a pity, for each minute, each second of life is a miracle. The dishes themselves and the fact that I am here washing them are miracles!

If I am incapable of washing dishes joyfully, if I want to finish them quickly so I can go and have dessert, I will be equally incapable of enjoying my dessert. With the fork in my hand, I will be thinking about what to do next, and the texture and flavor of the dessert, together with the pleasure of eating it, will be lost. I will always be dragged into the future, never able to live in the present moment.

Each thought, each action in the sunlight of awareness becomes sacred. In this light, no boundary exists between the sacred and the profane. I must confess it takes me a bit longer to do the dishes, but I live fully in every moment, and I am happy. Washing the dishes is at the same time a means and an end--that is, not only do we do the dishes in order to have clean dishes, we also do the dishes, to live fully in each moment while washing them."

"Peace is Every Step - The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life," by Thich Nhat Hanh


Somehow I never connected the label on the Joy dishwashing soap as an idea to focus on as I washed the dishes. After I read this passage in Thich Nhat Hanh's book about Mindfulness, I have been able to think more about the peacefulness of doing the dishes. As a teenager, my brother and sister and I had to do the dishes together. It was one of those chores that was intended to teach us responsibility, cleanliness and camaraderie. I have memories of sibling arguing during those dishwashing times. As an adult, I look back on those times as a time of sharing the work of life. Now I am thankful when there is someone to help me with the dishes. Many times I am even more thankful to do the dishes myself, because Al has cooked us a delicious dinner and I am happy to do the dishes as my share in the evening responsibilities.

I wish you peace and joy, in the present moment, as you do the dishes.

Photo: Joy dishwashing liquid at Lighthouse Beach - 11/11/07

"Never, for the sake of peace and quiet
deny your own experience or convictions."

Dag Hammarskjold
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/daghammars163969.html
Second Secretary-General of the United Nations (1953-1961)
Nobel Peace Prize 1961

This is a powerful quote which I believe means we have to stand up for what we believe is right. As people of this planet earth we live on, we need to stand up for our beliefs, and for our freedom to say what we believe.

As one of my very good friends used to tell me "the storms of life they come." Will you stand up for your convictions, your beliefs, your values when your "storms" come?

Photo: Shores Acres Storm - 1/5/08

Great hope for our world.

"There is great hope for our world,
for new light is coming into our world
as babies are being born; and we welcome them.

Blessing these newborns in thought, prayer and action,
we enrich their lives with love and peace,
with nourishment for mind, body and soul.
We hold some of them tenderly in our arms;
however, we can hold all of them in our prayers."

Daily Word Meditation - 3/31/08

This is such a great meditation for me today. To remind me to continue to pray for our next grandchild, the "wee one," that is due to be born the end of May or June. Also, to pray for all the unborn and newborn children of the world.

The "wee one" will be Henry's sister. The photo above was taken at the dinner after my Mother's funeral. She would have loved to have hugged and kissed all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. My Mother knew that John and Liz were going to have a baby girl and she was excited to meet another great grandchild. Maybe she has plans be the "wee one's" guardian angel.

Henry was born seven weeks premature and weighed around four pounds. It was a scary time for all of us. The technology and advancements in medicine are truly miraculous and are helping preemies live healthy, normal lives. I am thankful for all the advances in modern medicine. I am thankful that Henry is a normal, healthy, happy, little boy. I am praying for the "love and peace," and "nourishment of mind, body and soul," for our new grandchild and all the children, born and unborn, of our world.

Photo: Henry at Hamley's - 3/21/08

Battle between peace and chaos

"There is an immutable conflict at work
in life and in business,
a constant battle between peace and chaos.
Neither can be mastered,
but both can be influenced.
How you go about that is the key to success."

Philip Knight
Founder and CEO of Niki
Oregon Blue Book: Notable Oregonians: Phil Knight - Innovator, Business Leader

My husband and I were discussing the ebb and flow of our relationship - the peace and the chaos we experience in our lives. If we could influence that part of our relationship to be more balanced we could experience more peace. Philip Knight's quote suggests that there is an unchangeable conflict in life between peace and chaos. He does acknowledge that peace and chaos can be influenced.

I believe that we can influence peace or chaos by our choices. We can create peace or chaos by our thoughts, words and actions. Yet, sometimes chaos happens no matter what our choices are or how we try to do the right thing. Sometimes doing the right thing can create chaos for others. This must be what Philip Knight's quote is about - chaos and peace cannot be mastered - only influenced.

Life is a constant living classroom of learning experiences. It is possible to learn from past experiences that can help you change your choices for the present and the future. I want to create more peace in our lives. I am thankful that we have choices in our lives and that we have the ability to learn how to experience more peace.

Photo: Snow in Seattle suburbs - March 28, 2008
Can you imagine snow in March? I love the peaceful "sound of the silence" of the snow falling and the beauty it brings to our landscape.

The Bee symbol

On Tuesday Al and I completed the task of the final clean out of my Mother's apartment. My brother and sister, and some of our family members, had completed the distribution of belongings last week. Al and I had the task of taking the last remaining material possessions to Goodwill, and then pack our Suburban with multiple boxes of pictures, (my daughter Ali and I plan to scan framed photos, so that all family members can have a CD of family history photos), as well as enough boxes to fill the back of the car. Only my husband, the master packer, could have made all the boxes fit into that space!

We also made the rounds of thank you's to many of the people in charge of the care of my Mother, and my Father, for the last ten years of their lives. We closed her checking account at the in-house bank, on and on the final chores of ending that final stage of my Mother's life.

The room was completely empty. Just as we were waiting for the final walk through of the apartment I saw something on the floor. I reached down to pick up. It was a small, 1/2" painted, metal, winged bee; some antique treasure that had been part of my Mother's belongings. I grasped it in my fingers, a final memory of my Mother's life in that room. The only thing left of her life in that room. It tugged at my heart as I thought of all the years my parents had spent living there, of all the years that I had been coming to visit and help them in any way I could. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to help them in their final stages of their life journey.

After finding that bee on the floor, I have been searching online for the symbolism of bees. I found a discussion site of bee symbolism, which progressed into the question of "are bees happy?"

"As a metaphor for "we're all in this together," you can't do much better than bees.

Does an insect feel happiness? I have no idea. They do what they do on instinct. And a bee is part of a hive, at least common honey bees are. They can't live as individuals, they need to live as a group, to pull together.

They have different jobs at different stages of their lives. And they put themselves totally into the appropriate job of the moment.

They have a society. They have family. They have meaningful work. So if there is room for happiness in their little minds and hearts, I'm thinking they are happy."

http://people.tribe.net/tentacular
http://meditationclub.tribe.net/thread/6b45a683-f787-41d5-976a-ce7171334e13

I love this symbolism of a "happy bee." It was almost like having a message from my Mom, that she is happy and at peace. I can keep these thoughts in my mind as I treasure this last item from my Mother's apartment.

Photo: Final treasure in my Mother's apartment - a Bee - 3/25/08

"There is no peace without forgiveness"

"Forgiveness is not always easy.
At times, it feels more painful
than the wound we suffered,
to forgive the one that inflicted it.
And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness."

Marianne Williamson

If you are having trouble forgiving someone who has hurt you, or forgiving yourself for hurting someone else, or just forgiving yourself - try this "Online Ritual of Forgivness" at Campaign for Love & Forgiveness - Letting Go. This ritual uses beautiful music and a "process to analyze, specify and release a hurt, thought, injury or issue in your life."

Unforgiveness can keep you stuck in the emotions of sadness, depression, hurt, sorrow and many other feelings. Letting go and forgiving can help you unlock the feelings and allow healing to happen for you. There is peace in forgiveness.

A Lewis B. Smedes quote: "Ordinary people forgive best if they go at it in bits and pieces, and for specific acts." The idea of one step at a time, one day at a time, can begin the process of forgiving. I like this idea without the expectation to forgive everything all at one time.

Photo: Springtime Pussy Willows 3/8/08 - The symbol of new life.

Inward peace and harmony

"Let tears flow of their own accord:
their flowing is not inconsistent
with inward peace and harmony."

Seneca

Grief, over the death of a loved one, is expressed in the verses of Ecclesiastes 3:4 - "a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance..." It is sometimes difficult to think of grief as a time to laugh or dance. I believe that those who depart from this life must understand when we laugh and have memories of the wonderful times we have experienced with those who have left us. Grief has many stages. One of those is stages is the tears. They are healing when we allow them to happen.

The ocean reminds me of the flow of life and the flow of tears that come when we lose someone we love. The tears come in waves, sometimes calm, slow and silent; other times raging, wild and loud. And life goes on just like the waves of the ocean, continually changing.

Photo: Seagull at Lighthouse Beach 3/9/08

Resurrection of the Soul

On this Easter morning, I am praying for my Mother's "resurrection of the soul" today. I love Picasso's "Dove with Flowers" and the symbolism of the Dove being a "messenger of God carrying the soul to heaven," as well as a symbol of peace.  Anchor/Ships -- Hope or Seafarin

My Mother loved flowers and always had a beautiful garden at every home they lived. She inspired all of us with her desire to live among beautiful flowers and plants. She even had an extensive collection of perennial grasses at her home in Gearheart, Oregon. The beauty of her gardens will live on in our memories as we continue our gardening here on earth. I am thankful for all that my Mother taught us about gardening. I can imagine her helping God organize the gardens in heaven.

Image: Pablo Picasso Prints and Posters - globalgallery.com

Vocabulary of Peace

"The family is the foundation of society for this reason too: because it enables its members in decisive ways to experience peace. It follows that the human community cannot do without the service provided by the family. Where can young people gradually learn to savour the genuine "taste" of peace better than in the original "nest" which nature prepares for them? The language of the family is a language of peace; we must always draw from it, lest we lose the "vocabulary" of peace. In the inflation of its speech, society cannot cease to refer to that 'grammar' which all children learn from the looks and the actions of their mothers and fathers, even before they learn from their words."

Pope Benedict XVI
Word Day of Peace 1/1/08

Did you notice the last sentence of this quote? Pope Benedict refers to the grammar of peace as that "which all children learn from the looks and actions of their mothers and fathers, even before they learn from their words." The "vocabulary of peace" is not just in words. I feel this is a profound statement to remember. The concept continues throughout our lives as we continue to affect all people by "our looks and actions," not just our words. Whether we smile, frown, grimace or look loving at another person, we are transmitting an emotion.

Can I always have control of my emotions? I certainly can't seem to accomplish that at all times. Maybe there are people that can. What I can do is continue to practice the idea of the "vocabulary of peace," to learn more about peace, love, forgiveness, compassion and all the positve emotions that I would like to be able to share with other people, and especially the children.


Photo: Grandson Henry - 2/21/08
Henry is looking at an Ultrasound photo of his new little sister that is to be born sometime around the end of May or June.

Experience Peace

"If you wish to
experience peace
provide peace
for another."

http://www.susunweed.com/Prayer_for_Peace.htm

My brother, sister and I are now in the process of planning the "Celebration of Life" for my Mother's 80 years of life. 80 years. Can you imagine 80 years of life?

The family photo above was taken at my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1996. They were a model of working together in a committed marriage. They didn't always agree on how to do things. They argued and disagreed, then they forgave each other and went forward in their lives together. They learned to "provide peace for one another." Not all the time. As my Mother developed Alzheimer's, it was difficult for my Father dealing with my Mother's memory loss. My Mother had difficultly dealing with my Father's hearing loss, and the impatience with having to repeat what she said all the time. Their lives, love and marriage continued, even through the frustrations of life's problems.

As my brother, sister and I go forward accomplishing the tasks of the funeral, cleaning out my Mother's apartment, settling her Estate, and working through the grieving process, I pray that we may "provide peace for one another." I keep remembering Deepak Chopra's ideas of the "emotions of peace," - compassion, understanding and love. If I can keep those words in the fore-front of my mind, I may remember that those emotions can help me "provide peace" for someone else, which will help me experience peace during this time of our lives.

Photo: Cathy and Tom Thompson's 50th Wedding Anniversay 1996

Peaceful Prayers of Simon

- Simon's nightly Prayer -

"Dear God, I thank You for Your care
You've been right with me everywhere

At school, at play, You're by my side
My special Friend, my loving Guide

And when the sun has said goodbye
And little stars shine in the sky

You're still with me, not far above
Right in my heart, for You are Love."

Amen

http://home.pcisys.net/~tbc/bedpryr.htm#prayer060326


This is the prayer that Simon says every night. I found the prayer on a plaque when our children were young. Sometimes we said this prayer, sometimes "Now I lay me down to sleep." I offered the prayer plaque to Ali when Simon was a baby and they adopted it as their nightly prayer for Simon. I have also been saying prayers with Simon since he was a baby. He always had such wide eyed awareness as we prayed, especially when we got to the part of thanking God for our family. We would list every person and all the dogs. Gramma Cathy was also prayed for and if I forgot to say her name, Simon would say, "and Gramma Caffy." He always wanted to make sure she was remembered in our prayers.

When Simon was visiting us, after the prayers were said, he almost always immediately went to sleep. He sleeps on a futon in our living room and could have wandered around or tried to turn on the light and play. He never did. The prayers created a peace that was like a signal that it was time to sleep and sleep he did.

I received this email from Simon's Father, Chris, the day after Gramma Cathy passed away. Of course I cried when I read this special email and I am very thankful that Chris shared this with our family.

"I talked with Simon a little about Grandma Cathy tonight. I brought it up during a break in our TV time, and then later when I tucked him in. We said a special prayer for Grandma Cathy and then I asked him if he loved Grandma Cathy and he nodded yes in the pure way that only he can. Then I asked him what he remembered about Grandma Cathy and he said: "Going to the city, in the tall buildings, and going in the elevator like this" (followed by upward motion with his hand) :)

I asked him if he remembered all the cats and that Grandma Cathy always called him Tiger. He shook his head and said "yes". Then I asked if he remembered the x's and o's for the tic tac toe game. He again nodded yes and then said, "and I look out the window at the city and all the tall buildings".

I am really grateful that Simon has some memories of Grandma Cathy and he seemed happy thinking about them.

Sometimes you have powerful moments that you can feel are being seared into your memory as they are happening. This was one of those. It wasn't long, but the few minutes remembering Grandma Cathy with Simon was moving and brought to mind all kinds of emotions. Good ones. For Simon, for Grandma Cathy, and for all the family.

Just thought you might like to know."

Love, chris
March 15, 2008


Photo: Simon at his 6th Birthday Party - 1/20/08

Rainbow of Peace

"The rainbow is another ancient and universal symbol, often representing the connection between human beings and their gods. In Greek mythology it was associated with Iris, the goddess who brought messages from the gods on Mount Olympus. In Scandinavian mythology the rainbow was a bridge between the gods and the earth. In the Bible a rainbow showed Noah that the Biblical flood was finally over, and that God had forgiven his people. In the Chinese tradition, the rainbow is a common symbol for marriage because the colours represent the union of yin and yang. Nowadays the rainbow is used by many popular movements for peace and the environment, representing the possibility of a better world in the future and promising sunshine after the rain."

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/magazine/magazine_home_peace.html

I have always loved the beauty and symbolism of a rainbow. Yesterday morning my husband Al saw a rainbow in the early morning. He told me it was a symbol to him that my Mother had arrived at her destination and was safe and happy. The quote today speaks to the idea of the rainbow representing "the possibility of a better world in the future and promising sunshine after the rain." I am thankful for this symbolism, the positive thought of a better future for my Mother. After many years of living with Alzheimer's and my Mother's declining health, I am thankful that she may be experiencing a better world in her afterlife.

Google Image: http://www.mhmail.com/images/rainbow.jpg

Thank You.

Thank you for all of your kind thoughts, words and prayers for my Mother and my family. My Mother passed away last night around 8:30 PM. I do believe she is celebrating with my Father. I really appreciated all the wonderful comments that each of you posted concerning the quote yesterday from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. I loved reading what each of you thought as you read that quote. Thank you for sharing.

Our family is now working on the process of preparing for her funeral and all the responsibilities that occur after the death of a parent or a loved one. It's quite a challenge to work with multiple opinions and feelings about how to proceed. I pray that everyone will remember, and be thankful for, the love and guidance of our Mother and Grandmother. I feel confident that she is probably trying to help us organize from the heavens.

Peaceful Death - Kubler-Ross

"Watching a peaceful death
of a human being
reminds us of a falling star;
one of a million lights
in a vast sky
that flares up
for a brief moment
only to disappear
into the endless night
forever."

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

It is difficult for me to relate to this quote by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross today. At this time I am a little too close to the dying process to be able to think positively about "flaring up for a brief moment only to disappear into the endless night forever." My Mother is very close to death and is unable to speak. If I can look at this quote as a metaphor for a release from her earthly body, flaring up into the sky like a star, that sounds nice. The idea of "disappearing into the endless night forever," fills me with sadness. Unless -- if I can look at the concept as disappearing from our earthly sight, into the heavenly sphere and joining my Father, and those that have gone before us, -- that thought can fill me with peace; that there will be an afterlife for my beautiful Mother, who has been one of my best friends in life.

Photo: http://fuzzbox.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/remembrance/