Everyday Beautiful

  Recently I wrote a series of poems about a tree I watched outside the window throughout the changing of seasons from summer to autumn to winter.  After reading back through these works, I decided I wanted to share them.  The tree has become a friend for me, something neutral in my life that greets me every morning and is present when I end the day.  I hope that these poems potentially help you find a friend in nature, or another source.  Yellow Hello, yellow leaves greeted me Sun peeking shyly through to see My eyes, with morn entering, blink I dance inside, orange dawn in sync Meanwhile those leaves they giggled As veiny hands a light breeze tickled Still in spotlight of warm mother sun My motionless morning dance continues on Autumn Tree Blazing flames noiselessly roar Yet branches embracing them  Burn not Fail to be engulfed Remain solidly reaching out Never raining upon the earth In hopeless shower of ash. Fiery red radiating Shades breathtaking Crack...

 I recently overheard my little sister reading a book titled "What If?".  The words she read drew me in.  They shared a message not often heard in the success-driven, appearance-oriented world we experience.  So, I decided to share the book with you!  Like my recent series about Celebrate Her, I'm coupling my own pictures with the book's words to connect with the message myself and hopefully help you tap into the theme as well! What If By Sandra Magsamen What if you hair was big and orange and really bright? What if one eye was green and the other eye was blue as night? What if you were quiet and very small?  What if you were super, super, duper tall? What if your color was unusual and unique in its own way? What if instead of standing still you liked to sway? You see, being different is special and can give your spirit a lift! Being d if ferent is beaut if ul and magn if icent.  It's what makes l if e a g if t! If all of us were exactly alike and tota...

 For several posts now, we've explored a picture of a woman who gave her life to being someone authentic.  From her central change, she did .  Now, as I write this conclusion post for "celebrate her", I feel the need to leave this chapter with some final thoughts.  Please take the time to question yourself... What did you gain most from the Celebrate Her series?  Which statement surprised you more than the others?  Which statement will you commit to practicing in your own life?  Which characteristics mentioned do you already possess?  Keep getting curious!  Explore things, like these posts, when you read them.  Challenge yourself to use them as catalysts for your growth, not simply words scanned in a minute.  Only what you allow to affect you will cause change! She not only saw a light at the end of the tunnel, she became that light for others... Celebrate her compassion She designed a life she loved... Celebrate her joy She took a ...

 A small break from the "Celebrate Her" series, although I return to that mantra after this post!  For the past week, I woke up every morning to a blanket of fog outside.  Coming from Ugandan plains where fog is non-existent, this natural phenomena excites me!  However, I also see it in a paradoxal way.  Fog excites me because I rarely experience it.  On the flip side, fog causes me to think about the unknowns of life.  I contemplated that this morning, putting down my thoughts in a poem which I share with you in this post. "Fog" Fog covers the ground Every object surrounds Magician playing his act Disappearances in no time flat Scenes so familiar and dear Now become unknown here Life as one knows, gone Confusion as fog's pawn Now covers the world Unasked for yet hurled Its endless, cloudy skirts From treetops down to dirt Making all the world one United in colorless dawn

  As I wrote this post, I realized that in reading the "she statements", we might begin to feel that we need to being doing  more... and be doing all the time... in order to be who we desire to be.  However, when one reads deeper into these words, examining the meaning beyond surface level, they find that the phrases don't necessarily talk about doing.  They speak of a life style.  A character.  The woman Kobi Yamada depicts does all of these actions because it flows naturally out from her.  She does because she is.  She loves herself, appreciates the world, take advantage of life.  From this attitude naturally flows bravery, brilliance and beauty.  So please do not stress over doing !  Instead, give yourself grace to take a breath and be still.  See who you really are.  Allow that woman (or man!) to flourish into the best version of herself (or himself)!  Then kindness, courage and care will flow naturally from your ...

 I begin this post by clarifying a certain point: I make no claim of practicing all these "celebrate her" statements in my own life.  Far from it!  I often look down on myself, striving to please the inner critic who always sees something wrong that I must fix so that others might accept me.  Thus, I continue to bring Kobi Yamada's words to you... not as one who practices them perfectly.  Rather, as a woman who gains hope from these phrases.  They become a picture of someone I want to be, a resilience I want to have in the face of a dark world.  I hope that these statements offer a similar encouragement to you! She walked in when everyone else walked out... Celebrate her friendship She added so much beauty to being human... Celebrate her presence She just had this way of brightening the day... Celebrate her radiance She went out on a limb, had it break off behind her and discovered she could fly... Celebrate her faith She made the whole world feel like...

 My mom gave me a book for my 18th birthday called She  by Kobi Yamada.  Such a blunt, short title caught me off guard when I first opened the gift.  She?  What about her?  Later, when I began to read, the words leapt off their pages, touching my heart.  I felt bravery, strength, encouragement gained from them.  So now I share some of these amazing captions with you.  I not only bring Kobi Yamada's brilliant words; I'm also pairing each statement with a photo of mine.  Connecting abstract to reality.  Giving more texture to a painting of "she".  Of an amazing woman who strives for a better future without forsaking herself in the process.   As this book gave me loads to think about, I felt it unfair to fling the entire work at you in one blog post.  So, I took five of the first captions which touched me especially deep.  Later I will post more of Yamada's words in another article.   Enjoy the words....