Live: The Summer Day
August 5, 2008
Summer, I hardly knew ya. I can’t believe we’re already into August and I’ve barely baked summer in. Things can come and go so quickly. Before you know it, the things that seemed like they’d last forever are gone.
I recently picked up a book called “Teaching With Fire
I wanted to pass this one along to you and ask you, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
The Summer Day, By Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper, I mean –
The one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down –
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
(emphasis: mine)
Live: Appreciating Uniqueness
June 27, 2008
by Kelley Taylor, Make Every Day A Holiday
I read non-fiction. Period. The last fiction book I picked up was “The Notebook” which I consumed in an afternoon along with two boxes of tissues. I swore I’d never do that again to myself.
I know there’s something to that…like a flaw of some sort that makes me unable to get into fiction. I just don’t know what it is. (If you are reading this and can enlighten me, please do.)
But every once in a while, a piece of fiction will pique my curiosity. When it does, I pay attention.
I attended a lecture last April at my library on perfectionism (just when you thought this post couldn’t get any more boring! HA!). A professor from Yale was touching on points of perfectionism that was written into a book called “The Soloist,” a very cool fiction (yes, I said fiction) book by Mark Salzman about a gifted cellist who felt he lost his gift at only eighteen.
There’s this one part that is stunning….had to share. Let me see if I can summarize a bit…
The main character recalls one particular cello lesson when he was a young boy living in Germany. His instructor, Herr Professor von Kempen, interrupted the lesson abruptly to show the boy a new hybrid rose he was cultivating in his garden. When the boy seemed to lack interest the professor made him stick his eye “right up to the flower so that [his] whole field of vision was consumed by the brilliant orange-red petals.”
The rest goes like this (p. 46):
“…look at all that color! And the pollen dust, which attracts a certain kind of bee that carries it to the other flowers and fertilizes them. Imagine the complexity of it, the perfection of the design! Isn’t it amazing that God produces such things? …right now you are looking at something that has never existed before today, not in all the time since the beginning of the universe. When it fades, it will never exist again – it is absolutely unique in the world. Doesn’t it now seem more precious than when you first noticed it?”
“Yes, Herr Professor.”
”Yes,” von Kempen said, “and that is the way to approach music. Every piece, every time you play it, is unique and irreplaceable. You should open your ears and heart to every phrase, every note, and squeeze every drop of beauty you can from it. Take nothing for granted!”
Cool, huh?
Just think, you are “…something that has never existed before today, not in all the time since the beginning of the universe.” We’re all works in progress. Hybrids of some sort whether it’s from mother/father, nature/nurture or education of some kind. Beautiful, fading, and awesome as we live and breathe. We’ve just gotta squeeze every bit of beauty out of life we can, right?
I hope I can live my life opening my ears and heart to every phrase, every note, every moment. I think that is truly one way of marveling and appreciating everything for whatever its worth.
Live every moment.
Be the rose.
Dance to life.
Take nothing for granted.
Tim Russert Was No Head of State
June 17, 2008
by Kelley Taylor, Make Every Day A Holiday
Tim Russert was no head of state. He was never elected into office, he wasn’t a president of a large corporation, founder of an organization, leader of a nation, movie or rock star.
Yet with his passing, he has been mourned by media, politicians, business leaders, and common folk like you and me….for days now.
Shows have been dedicated to him, anchors have teared up over him as I’ve sat with my own box of tissue and bawled over a man I felt so connected to yet never known. The selfish side of me mourns that my son will not grow up learning politics through Meet The Press and more importantly how to ask the tough questions, know how to push when needed, and let it go when appropriate.
You see, I watched Meet The Press every Sunday like many watch a fight: on the edge of my chair, yelling at the TV (for him to ask the question), and when he did make his move (or called someone out using their own quote – because Tim always did his research and was prepared) I would shout and pump my fist because he just knocked. them. out.
Left now to wonder, who will EVER be able to take his place or simply take over the show, I am amazed at the tributes still continuing even today for Tim Russert.
Never before have I seen such an outpouring of love and affection, respect and admiration for someone that was so uncommonly common yet nothing like anyone I’ve known personally. He was powerful yet humble, brilliant yet down to earth, loved yet feared, unrelenting yet giving…this man, this great man, has astounded me with how authentic he really was true in his paradoxical contradictions. And it’s proven with every interview of people who knew him and loved him.
David Gregory, Sunday, on The Today Show said this:
“It is said that someone is wise not if he knows the answer but if he knows how to ask the question. As unfair as it is, this Sunday morning, Tim is silent. So we are left to do the probing, to examine why he was so loved, so loving, so sharp, so uniquely capable of walking with the kings and yet retaining the common touch.A friend of mine has written that through death we realize that our mortality is always in the background giving vividness and urgency to our days.
Tim would tell us all to ‘go get’em’ and we will do that now with even more purpose because the big guy lead the way as the moderator of all moderators, as a mentor, and as a man.”
For all that we the people say about him, it will never be enough. And so in my weak attempt to be wise, I ask: Do we live our lives the same way Tim Russert did? In the same way?
Do we remain loving, open-hearted, authentic, true, loyal, always learning, always giving, standing for something, professional, unrelenting in the pursuit of fairness and justice and truth for ourselves and for others? Do we do our homework and do it well? Do we look for both sides of the story? Do we remain humble no matter what success comes our way? Do we help others along the way?
If for no other reason, we can look at the life of this man and use it as an example of someone who really got it. He knew how to live. He extracted every bit of life in his short 58 years which will never be enough for all of us, but were mighty packed for him.
Yes, I think Tim Russert would tell us to “go get’em” as in GO GET LIFE. Live for your today’s, tomorrow’s, and honor your past. Live with an open heart, always look for what you CAN do, and love freely, honestly, and magnificently.
In the end, if we’re lucky, we might have half as many people honoring us as he did – or yet, the people who matter most to us.
Go Get’em!
Always in Honor of Tim Russert, 1950 – 2008
(Live the dash! Make Every Day A Holiday.)
Live: Don’t Forget To LIVE Life
June 10, 2008
“All men die, few men ever really live.”
- Braveheart, the movie
So, here we are six months into the year and I wonder, what have I done so far to really live?
Have I risked?
Have I given?
Have I received?
Have I loved?
Have I failed?
Have I won?
Have I lost?
Have I tried something new?
Have I laughed?
Have I cried?
Have I written a letter to someone I haven’t seen or talked to in a while?
Have I hugged?
Have I kissed?
Have I fought?
Have I given in?
Have I forgiven?
Have I shown compassion?
There are many things on our lists of things to do. Have you made yours? Do you try to do something each day to live better than you ever have before?
Live. Don’t let your life slip away without doing everything you can do to make the most out of it.
Live: Drive Time
June 3, 2008
Have you ever just gone through the motions of your day without really paying attention to what’s around you? I have! I swear I’ve even driven to work and back when, turning the key off, I wonder, “How did I get here?”
I’ve somehow managed to get lost in what I have to do, what’s going on in my life, and what’s coming up….thoughts, that is. And while I love thinking and dreaming and hoping and solving, I miss out sometimes on what is going on right in front of me.
I can’t turn my back on life anymore! I want to embrace it all: the traffic, the colors of the cars whooshing by me, the flowers blooming on the side of the road, the café I’ve never noticed before. Paying attention and being curious about the world where I live is an awesome and exciting feeling. And, in a way, it calms me….soothes me. It makes me feel as if I’m growing into the ground and not just passing by. Plus, it gives me great conversation topics at dinner or during drive time with my son.
Don’t numb out. Save thinking for moments you can really pay attention to the thought. Be curious about your world. It’s a beautiful thing out there. Notice people and things passing you by. Tip your hat to life’s dull moments; laugh out loud at the person picking his nose at the stop light. Because YOU were paying attention, thank goodness that person wasn’t YOU.
“Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
Live: Beginning Today
May 29, 2008
Beginning Today
I will no longer worry about yesterday.
It is in the past and the past will never change.
Only I can change by choosing to do so.
Beginning Today
I will no longer worry about tomorrow.
Tomorrow will always be there,
waiting for me to make the most of it.
But I cannot make the most of tomorrow
without first making the most of today.
Beginning Today
I will look in the mirror and I will see a person
worthy of my respect and admiration.
This capable person looking back at me is someone
I enjoy spending time with and someone I would like
to get to know better.
Beginning Today
I will cherish each moment of my life.
I value the gift bestowed upon me in this world
and I will unselfishly share this gift with others.
Beginning Today
I will take a moment to step off the beaten path
and to revel in the mysteries I encounter.
I will face challenges with courage and determination.
I will overcome what barriers there may be which hinder
my quest for growth and self-improvement.
Beginning Today
I will take life one day at a time, one step at a time.
Discouragement will not be allowed to taint
my positive self-image, my desire to succeed
or my capacity to love.
Beginning Today
I walk with renewed faith in human kindness.
Regardless of what has gone before.
I believe there is hope for a brighter
and better future.
Beginning Today
I will open my mind and my heart.
I will welcome new experiences.
I will meet new people.
I will not expect perfection from myself nor anyone else:
perfection does not exist in an imperfect world.
But I will applaud the attempt to overcome human foibles.
Beginning Today
I am responsible for my own happiness
and I will do things that make me happy…
admire the beautiful wonders of nature,
listen to my favorite music, pet a kitten or a puppy,
soak in a bubble bath…
Pleasure can be found in the most simple of gestures.
Beginning Today
I will learn something new;
I will try something different;
I will savor all the various flavors life has to offer.
I will change what I can and the rest I will let go.
I will strive to become the best me I can possibly be.
Beginning Today
And Every Day
Yes! Today and Every Day.
— Author Unknown
Live: Coffee Anyone?
May 19, 2008
This story is sent to me so often by many of my friends I simply had to enter it here to share it with you in case you haven’t seen it yet. A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee…You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘Tell me what you see.’
‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, ‘What does it mean, mother?’
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
‘Which are you?’ she asked her daughter. ‘When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Ask Yourself:
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the
heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May we all be coffee.
Life’s Small Unexpected Moments
May 4, 2008
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”
- Unknown
Lex had a homework assignment where he had to write an image poem. He had forgotten to do his homework the night before.
Great.
Just the way to start off our day.
We were already late for school but, over breakfast, we sat at the snack bar and looked around for what in the world he could write about. After ruling out writing about Pokemon, Super Mario, and Club Penguin, we decided on an actual object.
I had a candle burning, as always, and we decided on writing about it (probably for the simple fact we were out of time and it was right in front of us). I wrote down the five sensory words for him, taste, touch, smell, hear, see, but I also put another category: how does it feel in your heart? I figured if writing an image is important it’s best to describe it with all your senses, and better yet, describe how it makes you feel inside.
So he listed the descriptive words or text that came to mind under each category. He did so while scooping his brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal hurriedly in his mouth. I, being the lovely morning person I am (ha ha), grumpily loaded the dishwasher telling him to hurry up.
A cranky dishwasher soap squeeze later I came back to check on his work ready to hurry him out the door. He had put together this poem.
Candles
Flickering in a melted wax pond
The candle burns silently
Glowing brightly
In the shiny glass.The smooth wax
Vanilla
Like sugary
Buttery pudding
Warming up people’s hearts
Comforting
Home- Lex Taylor, age 8
In moments unexpected, life will surely take your breath away. Are you paying attention?
Don’t Stop Dancing!
April 27, 2008
“After a bomb killed two dozen young people at a Tel Aviv disco a few years ago, Israeli youth refused to be cowed. They resumed a robust nightlife. Today, outside the scene of the bombing, beneath a stone memorial listing the names of the dead, is a single inscription: LO NAFSEEK LIRKOD. It means, “We won’t stop dancing.”
- Gene Weingarten, The Washington Post Magazine
Live: Stare Fear in the Face
April 21, 2008
Right now with the economy the way it is, with uncertainty ahead, an election coming up, gas prices soaring, and many lives unsure of what exactly is going on, it’s easy to become risk-averse to everything in our lives. It’s time to batten down the hatches, tighten the proverbial belt, pinch some pennies, or wait till things clear up, right? Fear seems to be in the air these days. And when we are uncertain, we tend not to move. On anything. Even on something like saying to your mother-in-law what you really want to say.
It’s easy to cave into fear. Fear keeps us from many things: pursuing more fulfilling job, trying new foods, traveling to new cities or countries, starting a relationship, reviving an old one, calling someone we had an argument with, giving in, beginning a new chapter in our life….change.
Fear is so easy to get comfortable with and accept in our lives as an excuse for not doing the things our hearts call us to do.
But in the end when you look back, will you have regrets of the things you didn’t do? Will you wonder if you made something of this big beautiful gift of life you’ve been given? Will you know that you lived with all the courage you could muster? Will you try the goat cheese? 
Today, I want you to dig in deep, look yourself in the mirror, and ask yourself, “What am I afraid of?” List it. That’s right….write it down. Write yourself an e-mail, type a letter to yourself, or journal it. When you give voice to your fear, you can look it in the eye and say, “no. not this time,” or, you can begin to do the work to overcome it one baby step at a time.
“Somehow we all know that to play it safe is to lose the game.”
-Erwin Raphael McManus
Live. Take some chances. They don’t have to be grand, they can be small. What are you waiting for? Make a plan to overcome your fears one at a time and live the life you’ve imagined. Time waits for no one.
All my love,
Kelley
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