Sunday Morning Poetry

What's in My Journal
Odd things, like a button drawer. Mean
Things, fishhooks, barbs in your hand.
But marbles too. A genius for being agreeable.
Junkyard crucifixes, voluptuous
discards. Space for knickknacks, and for
Alaska. Evidence to hang me, or to beatify.
Clues that lead nowhere, that never connected
anyway. Deliberate obfuscation, the kind
that takes genius. Chasms in character.
Loud omissions. Mornings that yawn above
a new grave. Pages you know exist
but you can't find them. Someone's terribly
inevitable life story, maybe mine.

~ William Stafford

When my friend Sarah read this poem, she sent me the perfect picture to accompany it. Thank you, Sarah.

this evening...

The big day is over.
Leftovers are eaten.
Family engaged in puzzles, card games, quiet talk.
Does life get any sweeter?

Today I am thankful for contentment; for evenings like this.

Worship music on the iPod.
Jeffrey laughing with his Dad.
Sloane watching old Jetsons episodes.
Beating his Mom at cards at least as often as she beats me.

I am thankful for family.

I am reminded of the joy that comes in small moments.
Of the comfort that comes with long familiarity.
Of the real pleasure to be found in old stories and inside jokes.

And there are so many more good days to come.

Happy Thanksgiving!

In a continuation of our family tradition, everyone who joined us for Thanksgiving dinner is helping to write this post. We even got telephonic input from my brother in Savannah. Happy, happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours. Team Lawson prays that you will always count your blessings instead of your sorrows. We pray that you will laugh every day and never fail to tell the people you love how much they mean to you. Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. I am grateful for you.

a list of gratitude

* baseball cards * puzzle tables * my son is back in college * Littlest Pet Shops * my oldest son is alive * health * safety * 2 pound peppermint sticks * the Lord gave me enough health to serve Him another year * a great Thanksgiving meal * I have enjoyed the dogs so much this year. * wonderful spiritual growth comes through trials * God is faithful. * warm socks * thoughtful gifts * going back to school and enjoying it * my family * YoYo Ma * Christmas time is coming * Hunger Games * reading * we live in a country with freedom without religious persecution * beautiful sunsets * blogging * long weekends * my camera and new lenses * His indescribable gift * His love * compassion * pumpkin pie * the books that click for a student and they discover they love to read * children with good manners * momma * long walks * sleeping in on Black Friday * the way that our parents are interested in whatever Sloane cares about * JT singers (Sloane's school choir) * grandchildren * grandparents * parents who make time with their children a priority * my second grade teaching team * my 40th birthday * unlimited texting * magazine subscriptions * my daughters-in-law * a house full of books * Scoopy (Sloane's blankie) * our beautiful bed * a good night's sleep * a great pillow * the Word * summer camp * Senior pictures * Facebook connections * old friends * new friends * date nights * sleepovers * blog swaps and thoughtful partners * John Thomas Elementary * laughter * funny movies * Cars * my mother * the way my Dad always does the dishes after a family dinner * family stories * my wife * books, books, books, BOOKS! * stationary * snail mail * youtube * happy tears * veterans * sunflare * bokeh * babies * saving money * an old iron bed * contentment * laughter * joy * peace * gratitude * lists * love * hugs * kisses * snuggling * ticklish feet * new clothes * balloons * love, love, love * so much love! *

And you? What are you thankful for today?

In my desire to be grateful for the small gifts, I don't want to forget all the big blessings. We do truly have so very many blessings.

big things I am thankful for

* I've been redeemed. * America * joy * freedom * vision * a loving touch * the Bill of Rights * every, clear, beautiful breath I take * my daughter * my husband * my parents and the happy childhood they gave me * healthy hearing * my daughter's sweet voice joining mine in songs of praise * my brother * Arlen is alive and at home and healing * we were kept safe in our recent accident * I serve a risen Savior. * voedodeeohdoe * a good and loving relationship with my in-laws * music * singing with my mother * good health * great friends * a job, a calling, a passion * the right to vote * clean water * indoor plumbing * plenty to eat * enough, we have enough * a reliable car * I can read! * I get to teach other people to read. * the ability to be moved to tears * a small, comfortable house * Life. Yes, life! *

little things I'm thankful for

* a good lip gloss * thoughtful people * friendly bank tellers * familiar strangers * a new blouse you look great in * discovering a new blog * how much fun it still is to play with Play dough * Thanksgiving break * how excited kids get over stickers * discovering a new kind of writing pen * this book * and this one * the way my eyes matched my sweater today * safe travels * hot, buttered toast * freshly shaved legs * well-loved stuffies * playing with my wide angle lens * love notes from students * Flickr friends * Netflix * vintage cameras * beautiful calendars * polka dots * friends who love you * grown ups who still blow kisses * pecan pie * cowboy boots * hearts hidden among leaves * ribbons * Hobby Lobby's wonderful gift wrap * chocolate covered mint Oreos * bedtime rituals * wedding china * Febreeze * sleeping in * ponytails * a cold drink *

Good Advice

As you may know, a habit of gratitude is a way of life for me. My family makes a point every day to be grateful, to notice the good things in our lives, and to say thank you for them. I keep a family blog where we each list one of our daily gratitudes. I'd love it if you'd stop by for a visit.

Wear the old coat. Buy the new book.

~ Austin Phelps via Willow

Last year I began a tradition here on my blog to make Thanksgiving week a week of gratitude. Each day this week I'll be posting about a particular thing I am grateful for. Today, it's reading. I've written many bookish thoughts already. But, still.

I am thankful today for reading. I am thankful for the opportunity each day to delight children with books; to introduce them to old books they might not pick up on their own. I am thankful that each day after lunch I can pile up with kids and a good book and make the story come alive with only my voice. I am thankful for the wonderful escape and adventure a good book has always provided. I am thankful for the beautiful, cozy feel books give our home.

I am thankful for the ability to read. And for the opportunity to pass along such a wonderful gift. Happy reading, my friends.

Sunday Morning Poetry

This Is My Father's World

This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
his hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world,
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
he shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass I hear him pass;
he speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

~ Maltbie Babcock, 1901

Listen.

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. Happy Thanksgiving.

the poet of your own life

These are the poems I do not write, the sonnets of my daily life…as simple as a glass of water. I open the windows and whisper them to the stars each evening ~ an ode of my own sorts to a life poetically lived, ~ Maddie

What are the poems you do not write? And how do you write them? With your camera? Your soft voice in response to your children? Your graceful dancing? Your loving, thoughtful cards that always arrive on time?

Tell me. How are you the poet of your own life?

she smiles

A Child of Happiness always seems like an old soul
living in a new body, and her face is very serious until
she smiles, then the sun lights up the world.

~ Anne Cameron

my kind of boy

I took this picture at Sloane' birthday party, and I have got to tell you the story behind it.

These are the shoes that belong to a very special boy.
A boy who thinks Sloane is very special.
This, of course, shows his great judgment and discriminating taste.

These are the shoes that belong to a boy who came to her party
even though he knew he'd likely be the only boy there.
He was.

These are the shoes that belong to a boy who choose Sloane's gift himself.
When it went over budget, he paid the difference from his allowance.

These are the shoes that belong to a boy who wrote a song.
A song for Sloane, though he never said that.

"_____, wrote his first song. I think he should sing it for you", Mom said.
Of course, he would not oblige, even though we were in the middle of a sing-along hayride.
Even boys in love have their limits, after all.

The song included these lines:
I'm just a cowboy who don't wear boots. I'm just a cowboy who rocks the tennis shoes.

My kind of boy. Definitely.
My wish for Sloane is that she'll always be loved by boys like that.

Boys who are brave and don't follow the crowd.
Boys who give thoughtful gifts.
Boys who think she is worth a song.

Cowboys who rock the tennis shoes.

in the past few days

Sloane has strep throat and a raging ear infection, so we are home for the day. It's actually been a hard few days. Which, of course, means that it is time to count my blessings.

No one was hurt, though we are very sad about the deer and the $500 deductible.


Sloane had a wonderful birthday party in spite of a terrible ear infection.

The family I recently photographed loved their pictures, too.

I am also thankful for a day at home with Sloane, even if she is sick. What about you? What are you thankful for today?

feeling lazy and rushed

Each year NaBloPoMo gives me a fresh respect for bloggers who manage to create a good post every day. It's amazing. Today, for me - not gonna happen. So, I was scrolling through old unused posts and found this one. Don't ask me why I never posted it. I have no idea. It might be interesting to those of you who are new here. Plus, it counts for a post today.

Originally written on 12/31/09
I know I'm a little late with my Best Of lists. But, I didn't want to move fully into the new year until I'd completely appreciated the old. So, here, in this space, I wanted to do a sort of year in review.

In January I committed to saying yes.
In February I showed you what is at the heart of my teaching.
In March I shared my passions.
In April I shared a life-long habit.
In May I introduced you to my love.
In June I gave you another list.
In July I took you with my to San Francisco.
In August we went for a walk.
In September I had a silly celebration.
In October you met my mother-in-law.
In November I told you a love story.
In December I wrote another list.

Sunday Morning Poetry

Dawn

I love the dawn,
But that doesn’t mean anything-
Those are just words in a language
We’ve been weaned on;
And if Dawn is real,
Then she is girl,
And too beautiful to belong
In my language of dawn,
Though I am still in love with her:
Dawn, but that is meaningless, if
It means anything
Then Dawn is real, a creature of my
Language, we sing a similar song,
But she’s too busy to just belong
In my words attuned and worshipful
In the language of dawn;
And still I see her caroling on the street,
As the world quiets, she skates
Sweating beneath the cypress and palms
My imagination decorates,
Tinseled and tawn,
Young and gone goes sweet,
Sweet unobtainable
Dawn.

by Robert Rorabeck

I took this from my back deck two mornings ago. Isn't the dawn lovely?

the choice is yours

I once read on Susan Tuttle's blog that, at the end of morning announcements, her son's principal always says, "Make it a good day or not, the choice is yours." I love that. The power inherent in that idea. We have the choice to create a good day with our attitude.

May all your days be good ones.

Snickers

Do you remember that scene in You've Got Mail where Tom Hanks talks about zinging someone? The quotes below are really good zingers. I don't actually advocate zinging people. But, oh. These sure are funny.

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book. I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx

"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." - Abraham Lincoln

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play. Bring a friend . . . if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw
"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second...if there is one." - Churchill, in reply

"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb

"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr

"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." - Count Talleyrand

"You, Mr. Wilkes, will die either of the pox or on the gallows." - the Earl of Sandwich
"That depends, my lord, on whether I embrace your mistress or your principles." - John Wilkes


This adorable Christmas elf is my second Senior. We took pictures at WalMart in the Christmas aisle. Her idea since she loves Christmas. Great idea! Kendra is quirky and fun and game for anything. We had a blast together.

11:11 on 11-11

Ninety two years ago, at 11:11 am, an armistice was signed to end World War I. I imagine that everyone on both sides of the conflict breathed a huge sigh of relief. It's finally over, they must have thought. One year later President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11th as Armistice Day to remind Americans of the tragedies of war.

The tragedies of war.
I don't know, really, about the tragedies of war.
I've never served, never lost a loved one.

But, I know the cost is enormous.

My grandfather, great uncle, uncles, and my Dad
all served in wartime and peace.
All fought. All sacrificed.

And still, they protect me.
They don't share the stories of their personal hells.
They never have.

I can only imagine.
I don't know.
And, I realize, most of us don't really know.

We eat and sleep, earn and learn, laugh and cry -
all under the blanket of protection that our Veterans provide
What thanks we offer could never be enough.

But, today, thank a vet.
And thank God for them.

The image above is my Dad. I am so proud of him.

Invented Words

Do you ever invent words? Sloane and I do. Definitely. The first one below was invented by Sloane when she was just four. Don't you love it?

• snortle - the honk like sound effect that combines a snort and a chuckle.
• mouse hand - the phenomenon faced by bloggers, hackers, and gamers around the world. Symptoms include extreme coldness in the hand which operates the computer mouse.
• smittle - a unit of measurement that combines a smidge and a little
• cybercation - a vacation from your cyber life

Please do stop by and visit me here today.

Legacy

I'm excited to invite you to join me first thing Wednesday morning. I'll be a Gigi's lovely blog writing about my legacy. Won't you join me?

The photo doesn't have anything to do with my post. It's just cute. That's Eliza Bennett. Miss Maudie hasn't yet let me get a good picture of her.

what eight looks like

I just returned from a reading conference in St. Louis. It was wonderful; challenging and inspiring with lots of good times with friends. Turns out, the nicer the hotel, the more they want to charge you for WiFi. Bummer.

Tonight is the last night Sloane will be 8. Like every year, I feel sad. I'll likely go sit beside her bed tonight and cry. It seems to me that parenting is just one long, long river of letting go. Eventually, I know, that river will lead to an ocean and she'll be gone. The thought breaks my heart.

Jeffrey would say that I'm borrowing sadness and to enjoy today, right now. And I will. But, still. I am already missing my little girl. I am already missing eight.

I miss those endlessly long legs and toe nails that always seem to be only half painted. I miss the surprising mixture of excellent conversation and Arthur videos. I miss a warm little body crawling in bed with us after a bad dream, and the way she pretends to still be asleep so we can wake her up. I miss first time roller-coaster rides and the way she used to fit on my lap. I miss silly knock-knock jokes that make no sense and me always being the one to mess up on the hand clapping games. I miss A to Z Mysteries and a bed full of stuffies that all end up on the floor by morning. I miss eight.

It's not gone yet, but I can feel it slipping away, becoming a precious memory. Like the smell of her just after her bath or the delighted gurgles after blowing on her belly. That long, long river rolls on and on. And so I cry a little and take lots of pictures. And try to write a few words that will capture what it felt like, just exactly now, when my sweet girl was 8.

And tomorrow? Tomorrow I'll be simply delighted to wake up my nine year old and enjoy another year with her. A year completely different and yet so much the same. A year full of laughing and loving and silliness and play. A year of love.

It's good to be Momma.

autumn thoughts

It's funny how differently

you understand

something

when you just

change your perspective.

all that was worth knowing

I sat quietly and listened to all she said. Deep down I had the feeling that Oletta most likely knew all that was worth knowing, not in book-learning ways, but in the ways that really mattered, ways that let you hum songs during the day and sleep peacefully at night. ~ from Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

I've been thinking lately about wisdom. I've been wanting to collect more of it. We all have wisdom that has been hard-gained. And wisdom that was handed down along with our breakfast cereal and mother's milk. So tell me, what lets you hum songs all day and sleep peacefully at night? What do you know is true?

I'll start...

• Write thank you notes immediately; for every little thing.(still working on this one)
  
• Wear sunscreen.
• Own at least one pair of bluejeans that fits perfectly.
  
• It is always better to be overdressed than under-dressed.
• Owning a dog = a happier life
• People become more beautiful in direct proportion to how much you love them.
• A day without laughter is a sad, sad, waste of a day.
• You really can smile your way into a better mood.
• What we believe about ourselves most determines how others see us.
• Be the one your boss/customer/client can count on.
  
• Never, never, never, never, never, never, never give up!
  

Your turn. Please?

my kind of girl

I'm feeling proud just now. Tonight Sloane participated in Night of the Notables. Each student chose a famous person they admire to research. They wrote a biography, created a PowerPoint presentation, a life box, and a poster about the person without giving who it was away. Tonight 56 children arrived in the gym in costumes and stood beside their displays. All the parents walked around and guessed who each student was. It was hilarious to see parents using their smart phones to Google and figure each character out.



Sloane's person stumped almost everyone. I teared up when I read the first two lines of her report. Sloane wrote "___________ was the bravest little girl on Earth. By the time she was six years old, she had changed the minds of many people in New Orleans." Sloane went on to tell about how this little girl helped desegregate Louisiana's school system.

Do you know who Sloane's Notable was yet?

Tonight Sloane was Ruby Bridges, and I was so proud. The gym was full of children who admire Disney pop stars, princesses, professional athletes, and Angelina Jolie. My daughter? Sloane admires Ruby Bridges. No, I don't think there is anything wrong with admiring a football or baseball player, but I'd rather my child's hero be someone who sacrifices to do what is right. Someone of great courage. Someone who faces injustice head on. Someone who changes the world, one small, white Ked-wearing step at a time.


Someone like Ruby Bridges.

If we let them, our children teach us many lessons. They make us think about who we are and who we are becoming. They raise questions that need to be asked.

Who do I admire?
If I were to dress up, who would I be?
Who do I plan to emulate?
Are my heroes women who are beautiful, but not much else?
Are they princesses because I dream of the dresses and tiaras?

Or,

Are my heroes strong women who make a difference?
Do I want to emulate women of courage who stand up against injustice?
Do I care more about beauty or substance?
What kind of woman am I becoming?
What kind of example am I setting?
Who are my heroes?

Me?
I'll take Ruby Bridges. Every time.