Here’s a little hug for you…

The other day a near-stranger gave me a hug. Well, she was not a stranger – just an ex-colleague who was working in the same organisation with me for a few months. Such hugs are pretty normal here. In my birth land however she would be considered just an acquaintance – somebody you would never address with just their first name, as that would be considered too informal. First names can be used only for friends and relatives there. Colleagues, acquaintances and older people are always addressed with their first name and patronymic. And definitely no hugs… which is a pity as a wave of studies has documented some incredible emotional and physical health benefits that come from hugs and touch. Some of these benefits are listed in my 2014 post The Power of Touch.

So let’s share a hug for a good week…

Credits:

• Image 1 from https://cherieroedirksen.com/
• Image 2 from FB/Hugsandkisses

The world is how you see it…

Photo by Sagui Andrea on Pexels.com

The world is how you see it
You’re free to choose your sight
To look for love and goodness
Or dim your inner light.

The world is how you speak it
You’re free to make your choice
To tell your braver story
Or punish with your voice.

The world is how you feel it
You’re free to sense your tribe
Tune in to your emotions
Or disconnect your vibe.

The world is how you dance it
You’re free to move your way
To let your passion guide you
Or let your fear play.

By Irina Latis

 

 

Never stop having funnnnn…

There are two types of people
You’ll find in this world;
Those that grow young,
And those that grow old.
The old growing type,
Are not very much fun,
They become quite inactive,
Avoiding hot sun.
They complain of misfortunes
Like bad backs and poor stocks,
And soon they need help
With their food and their socks.
But the young growing type
Are a different affair,
They grow ever more fun,
Despite sticks and grey hair.
No longer tied down
To their work every day,
They see their retirement
As a great time to play.
They jet off on adventures,
And plan fun-filled days,
And never become
At all set in their ways.

By PookyH

Life is too short to be normal.
Stay weird and never stop having funnnn….

THE END

Credits:

Image 1 from http://pattilousquilts.blogspot.co.nz

Will you trust me?

Will you trust me in the valley deep?
 Will you trust me as you lay down to sleep?
 Yes I will trust you despite the pain
 Yes I will trust you without any gain

Will you trust me in the depths of the sea?
 Will you trust me though we may not agree?
 Yes I will trust you in the darkest night
 Yes I will trust you when I have no sight

Will you trust me when you are lost and alone?
 Will you trust me when you are far from home?
 Yes I will trust you when I have lost my way
 Yes I will trust you to bring me back one day…

By Frank McEleny

If you want to be trusted, be honest.
If you want to be honest, be true.
If you want to be true, be yourself…

THE END

I do not see you often with my eyes…

I do not see you often with my eyes,
But often you are with me in my heart.
We rarely speak, but there are deeper ties
That keep us close while we must be apart.
Friendships don’t depend on sights and sounds,
But on the mysteries of need and grace.
You’re with me always, unrestrained by bounds,
In some sweet field more permanent than place.

(from http://www.poemsforfree.com )

THE END

Smile and pass it on :-)

Joy

Pass it on

I saw a beautiful man today
He wasn’t much to look at
But his smile revealed his soul
And once I’d caught a glimpse
I didn’t want to let it go

I glanced back, but afraid
He might misunderstand my gaze
I kept my eyes down
Disguised my curiosity with a frown
Didn’t want him to misread my desire to understand as lust
When it was anything but

Unfazed, he returned my gaze
His eyes brimming with joy
At what I don’t know
But I got caught up in this flow
As he re-entered the crowd
Shoulders back, head bowed

Stunned by the serenity
That began to infuse me
I too started to smile
And, after a while
I noticed others responded in kind
Well, those who didn’t mind…

Others were bemused by this
And shrank back almost as though I’d moved in for a kiss
Or more…
Perhaps they were reacting to me as I had to that beautiful man, before

But there was no holding my joy behind a frown
My shoulders back, I did not drop my head down
I walked tall
Wanting to share this feeling, no longer concerned I didn’t understand
Its source or its meaning
I didn’t need to

Its purpose was clear
It’s the meaning of life
It’s why we’re all here

To share our love when it overflows
So that we have something soft to land on when drowning in woe
Those days when managing a smile is nothing short of courageous

On the days you do it without thinking…
Remember your joy can be contagious.

Pass it on

By Rachael Blair

From QuickMeme

Keep smiling 😉

THE END

Take a Look in the Mirror and repeat to yourself…

I’m a very special person,
 There’s no-one else like me.
 If you searched the whole world over,
 My twin you’d never see.

My looks, my thoughts, my feelings,
 Are mine and mine alone.
 They often make me happy,
 But sometimes make me moan.

I’m a very special person,
 And I’m sure that you’d agree
 If everyone was perfect
 How boring life would be.

                                           (Author unknown)

THE END

 Photo: ‘What’s behind Malevich’s square’ by Sergey K.

Somewhere there’s someone who dreams of your smile…

Somewhere there’s someone
who dreams of your smile,
and finds in your presence
that life is worthwhile.
So, when you are lonely
remember it’s true:
somebody, somewhere
is thinking of you…

                              Atul Purohit

THE END

Photo from http://www.fotocommunity.com

What have you learnt as a child?

If a child lives with criticism
He learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility
He learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule
He learns to be shy.

If a child lives with tolerance
He learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement
He learns confidence.

If a child lives with praise
He learns to appreciate.

If a child lives with fairness
He learns justice.

If a child lives with security
He learns faith.

If a child lives with approval
He learns to like himself.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship
He learns to find love in the world.. !

What have you learnt as a child?

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• Image 1 from Children learn what they live
• Poem by Dorothy Law Nolte
• Image 2 from http://zayogablog.com/

ENDS

Hold me…

When I’m hurting,
Hold me,
And never let me go.
The longer that you hold me,
The more I come to know
That it’s true,
You really love me,
And you care if I’m okay,
There’s just one way
To teach me that
And holding me’s the way.

Your words mean far less to me,
Because anyone can say
‘I love you’
But to show it
Is a harder game to play.
So when I hurt, please hold me
Nice and tightly to your chest.
When I hurt, your cuddles
Are the balm that works the best.

Poem by PookyH.
Image 1 from Psychology Today
Image 2 from Deviant Art

ENDS