Category: Personal Musings

Posted in Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, poetry

Approach of Dawn

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“We went down into the silent garden. Dawn is the time when nothing breathes, the hour of silence. Everything is transfixed, only the light moves.” Leonora Carrington

One of the perks of being a morning lark or a really late owl is that we can see the marvels of nature, the break of dawn thereby giving the spark to start the day. Dawn as always been one of the points of focus for many ranging from scientists to poets, naturalists, hikers, photographers, artists and even children. The ole adage of “sleeping on our problems over the night and let everything make sense by the light of the morning”, makes sense especially when the light of the dawn chases away the bleakness of the night.

“Through the blackest night, morning gently tiptoes, feeling its way to dawn.” Robert Breault

 

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If one has witnessed the breaking of colours in the sky, it would be a treasured memory to keep in the dark times. Dawn and dusk has been always the times where we can view with wonder as well as contemplate on one’s personal quest in our pages in the journey through life and time. To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn”. Through the early days of spring to the fresh snow of winter, the break of dawn will always be a source to renew one’s purpose and strengthen the resolve to make our existence in this world quite meaningful.

“Have you ever seen the dawn? Not a dawn groggy with lack of sleep or hectic with mindless obligations and you about to rush off on an early adventure or business, but full of deep silence and absolute clarity of perception? A dawning which you truly observe, degree by degree. It is the most amazing moment of birth. And more than anything it can spur you to action. Have a burning day.” Vera Nazarian

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“Dawn comes to those who have seen darkness
In all its murderous majesty …
Who cried from someone else’s indifference,
But was not indifferent to anyone!

Dawn comes to those who were on the road,
Not knowing neither fatigue nor laziness.
Who, exhausted, fell to his knees,
But he rose, continued to walk …

And, clamping his will into fists,
Suddenly he found a chamomile field,
And, choking from aching pain,
Hid his palms in his petals!

To those who, having buried their dreams,
And, having remembered them, rushed on.
Who could among the betrayal and falsehood,
Do not lose spiritual purity!

Accidentally in the blue of the sky,
Suddenly the sunny doors will open.
Dawn comes to those who believe in the light.
Absurd, to the last. But he believed!
– Rus Svytaya

“Let every dawn be to you as the beginning of life, and every setting sun be to you as its close.” John Ruskin

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Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, Quotes, Work

The Hurry of Today

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God made time, but man made haste. ~Irish Proverb

“Take it slowly.” These are the words often heard by those of us who have used crutches or a walker at some point of time in our lives, may be after a fall, fracture, surgery or the like. One of the after-effects of walking with support either crutches or a walker is that we walk slower with every step being a necessary one. If we try to hurry we tend to fall, have sudden pain due to excessive strain or increase our duration with the supports. The hardest part is when we feel we will left behind because of the supports we use to walk. Yet when we introspect we realize that those who support and love us, would make their steps slow, small and easier so that we can keep up with them. This brings to mind what Bruce Failer quoted, “The simplest consequence of walking on crutches is that you walk slower. Every step must be a necessary one. When you hurry, you get where you’re going, but you get there alone. When you go slow, you get where you’re going, but you get there with a community you’ve built along the way.”

Being always in a hurry to get somewhere or do something, we forget how to enjoy the life that the Lord has given us. In the constant pursuit and wait for something new to happen or do, different from what we have today; the question then arises, “When will we be happy today? When will we enjoy the things of today?”

“Just be patient. Let the game come to you. Don’t rush. Be quick, but don’t hurry.” Earl Monroe

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In the haste of hunting, we neglect the fact that what’s here and now, in our hands can disappear so quickly. Time flies to its’ own tune. The present will elude us with we living in a different time frame; between the past and the future, ignoring the present. This habit stems from the fear that we mayn’t be able to achieve anything if we don’t hasten. Contrary to that thought, the beauty of life and our surroundings don’t believe in haste but using time for their own. As Lao Tzu said, ” Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

Learning to live in this hour, not constantly dwelling on tomorrow or the day after or about what will happen in a month will make us more fruitful and happy in the day. True we need to envision what the future may entail, but if we look forward with constant anxiety and foreboding, we will forget to live for today. Constantly waiting for something and thinking about the future make us sick, lifeless, worried and dull, besides losing the ability to rejoice and cherish moments of the present.

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Posted in Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Quotes

From the Heart

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much. … The life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Over the centuries as the standards of living have drastically improved and man has progressed in the spheres of science, art and literature; the only commodity that hasn’t been yet controlled is “time”. The fascination with gaining control over time is depicted in the attempts at inventing the time machine, fictional stories of time travel and the scientific conceptualization of time. Yet this is the one thing that man often squanders away, thinking it will be there again and again.

“They lose the day in expectation of the night, and the night in fear of the dawn.” Seneca

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During the time we have here, doing what we want from the heart really matters. What the world thinks about doesn’t really come into play as long as we don’t step on someone’s toes, do no harm and live by honest principles. There is no absolute grade to measure the right and the wrong, as it all eventually boils down to perspective. Taking control of our allotted to do one’s heart’s content is what matters to our existence.

Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet. Sarah Louise Delany

If you can warm someone, so warm up.
If you are able to forgive someone, so forgive.
Remember, life consists entirely of people,
Whose planet Earth is in a handful.

If you want to go home, come back.
If you have something to say, so take it and say it.
Look, even the snow just falling down,
Decorates with itself all the backyards of the soul.

If you have someone to stay with, stay forever.
And be true to yourself, as the last of days.
If there is at least one person next to you,
Give in to him everything, you will be stronger in this.

And when there is no strength from bad news,
And when it beats intermittently in the chest …
If you can warm someone, so warm,
If you can forgive someone, so forgive.

V. Yakimov

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Posted in Daily, Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Quotes

Predictions in Advance

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One of the main features on the daily newspapers are the section titled “Horoscopes”, “Zodiac” or “Star Signs” and the like. As far as archaeological evidence has shown, this practice has been there since the ancient times, from era of the Egyptians and the Greeks. This astrological chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, astrological aspects and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person’s birth has been studied in great detail in order for man to gain a foothold into the course of events yet to happen. Derived from the Greek words of hõra and scopos meaning “time” and “observer”, other commonly used names for the horoscope include natal chart, astrological chart, celestial map, sky-map, star-chart, cosmogram, vitasphere, radical chart, radix or chart wheel.

From studies of divination to horoscope traditions of astrology, celestial maps or natal charts have been in frequent use even today. Yet the thought lingers on how much can we really know in advance or whether all this really helps. Do these predictions take us away from our faith or bring us closer to the truth.

“Failure and success seem to have been allotted to men by their stars. But they retain the power of wriggling, of fighting with their star or against it, and in the whole universe the only really interesting movement is this wriggle.” E.M. Forester

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No one knows in advance
Who and with whom fate will bring:
Who will be a friend, who will be the enemy,
And who will be familiar, just like that,

Who will make happy, who will betray,
Who will take away, who will give everything,
Who will pity deeds and words,
And who will separate bread and shelter.

With whom you can do everything,
to the simplicity,
And with whom you will not risk it on “you will open your heart to someone,
and you will close the door before someone.

You believe in someone, as in yourself,
you endure someone without loving
With one in sorrow at least where,
With the other, and in the joy of trouble

No one knows in advance,
what we have in this world is waiting for:
Who brilliant success,
whom shame for a grave sin.

All my life luck – one,
pain and suffering – the other.
one – for the truth is an eternal battle,
Others – and a lie by itself.

So we live on earth
Now in virtue, now in evil.
We sin on youth, sometimes,
On circumstances and order.

We’re leading another’s mistakes
And we don’t recognize ours alone,
we’re trying to hurt our friends,
And we’re unforgivable.

We are silent, when it is time to shout,
We shout, where it is necessary to be silent,
we do not value shrines.
And before the gray shiver.

We cherish our own “I”,
Then accusing, then cursing,
We proceed in the eternal vanity,
You look … and we are not the same.

No one knows in advance
What all this will lead to.
And life goes, meanwhile,
Partially or … for good.
– Rus Svyataya

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Posted in Daily, Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Quotes

Warmth Around Us

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Everyone smiles in the same language,
Happiness knows no frontiers, no age.
No difference that makes us feel apart
if a smile can win even a broken heart.”
Ana Claudia Antunes

The beauty of living lies in the inherent sense of happiness within as well as the balance of our personal nature while interacting with others. In due course, we realize in the dark rainy days there are times when we still feel like the sun is shining. The reality is that the warmth around us is enough to drive off the sudden chill within. What we later realize is that warm people were around and they had given off a part of them to thaw the cold. It’s best to be around them for they are what make the dreary world a much better place to live in.

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When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. Henri Nouwen

To sum up, the warmth around us that drives away the chill of winter can be found in these lines of poetry which I had chanced on, in my social network pages. These words are too beautiful and need to be shared to ward off the sudden cold that engulfs us from time to time.

There are warm people, like the summer sun
Like a gentle breeze, like a sea tide.
They warm to the very bottom,
And their word heals, as a gentle motive.

There are warm people, like native hands,
Like the light from a childhood favorite window.
They will calm down in moments of dashing,
Support and say that they need you.

God bless you, good people!
In response, I send my warmth.
Let your life be filled with light
For bringing goodness into the world.
-Rus Svyataya

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Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Personal Musings, Photography Art, Quotes, Reflections

Finding the Harmony

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.” Rabindranath Tagore

In the chaotic existence of the days, as we come across many people and numerous interactions, there is one set of people that I admire the most. They are open to all ideas, listen to entire narratives with infinite patience, kind to many but rarely allow others to interfere in their lives. They look for the truth by themselves, gathering their world bit by bit and at times with gentle subtleness, not paying attention to the surprised and condemning views of those around them.

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity. From discord find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Albert Einstein

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These kind of people are so rare being many-sided and beautiful. They are open to others, but they will never knock on doors where they are not welcome. They live in harmony with themselves, as their heart tells them. Usually they are considered insane, but these people love life, and she reciprocates them, giving them their best gifts. Harmony is the word that centers around these people.

“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.” Thomas Merton

The peacefulness and concurrence with each other cannot be born in a day. For harmony to be attained it needs each one of us to be aware of the expectations and requirements that encompass us as we adapt in our own particular approach to life. To be in concordance with others will happen when we are in agreement with ourselves, living consistent with our most profound feelings of what is genuine and what matters most. The joy of life can be seen exemplified through the quiet power of harmony. When the state of harmony is balanced, one often discovers that life blossoms even through the tired, difficult, bleak and lonely days. All we need to do is find and synchronize the rhythm within to the thoughts, desires and dreams in our mind. Though this may seem difficult, it is never impossible to do so.

“The simplification of life is one of the steps to inner peace. A persistent simplification will create an inner and outer well-being that places harmony in one’s life.” Peace Pilgrim

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Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, Quotes, Reflections

Snowflakes of Own

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“Please keep calling me a snowflake. I like being different than the next person. Every snowflake is unique. They all come from the same place, but are able to establish their own identities, free and clear of any other snowflake. Snowflakes make this world beautiful.” Ed Krassenstein

From a single ice crystal of the right size, when amalgamated become a white blanket but when viewed separately has their own existence. Each flake, when frozen and accreted in their crystal form give their own individual characteristics with shapes a combination of needle, column, plate and rime of varying degrees. At the core, they all share the principle of dust nucleus of supersaturated air particles surrounded by super-cooled cloud water droplets as they vary thought the differing temperature and humidity zones. With the electrostatic and cohesive forces of varying degrees, each snowflake has their own intricate pattern, design and structure.

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In short, keeping the physics as well as scientific jargon to bare minimum, no two snow flakes of nature have been formed exactly alike. Man being always his innate curious and experimental sense, artificial snowflakes have almost been created that are identical, but this has been done in very controlled and specific settings.

“It’s so fascinating to think about how each snowflake is completely individual – there are millions and millions of them, but each one is so unique.” Kate Bush

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One can never fail to appreciate and marvel the hand behind the existence of nature. In its’ essence nature has taught us many lessons during our co-existence. From the distinguishing fingerprint for one individual to distinct snowflakes, life has thrown each one of us our own pattern of struggles, emotions, achievements and setbacks. Each person has their story to tell during their respective timelines. Like the snow that falls, each one has their own right season. Through adaptability, acceptance and mutual regard; nature shows that life in all its’ phases can be of miracles as long as we follow the principles of coexistence, love and harmony. Like distinct snowflake, reach one is special in their own aspect. Learning to appreciate these simple things, makes life more beautiful to live by.

“Nature is full of genius, full of the divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand.” Henry David Thoreau

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