Humble

Talent is God given.
Be humble.
Fame is man-given.
Be grateful.
Conceit is self-given.
Be careful.

John Wooden

β€œThe seeker after truth should be humbler than the dust.
The world crushes the dust under its feet,
but the seeker after truth should so humble himself that even the dust could crush him.
Only then, and not till then, will he have a glimpse of truth.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

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(a jackdaw / Adare, Irleand / Julie Cook / 2015)

There will be those times in life when we will be served up a hearty plate of crow or even an abundant dish of humble pie.
Often unpleasant, difficult to accepte and offensively unpalatable…
Such dishes will come unwanted, unordered, unrequested…but they will come.

The question will not be whether we asked for it, deserved it or should be served such…
the importance will rest in how we accept it.

Will we eat our share of ego crushing humility, allowing it to cleanse the palate, making room for a renewed and refreshed spirit…

Or will we simply allow the bitter taste of resentment and indignation to remain,
lingering on the tongue…

He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

Pretty in Pink

I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.”
Audrey Hepburn

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(Beautiful pink bloom, San Antonio, Texas / Julie Cook / 2014)

Vibrant pink complimenting a lapis lazuli blue sky.
Accents of brown and grey juxtapose a myriad of bursting blooms
For a brief nano moment, which is all that the eye needs in order to swill and mix a fresh blend of pigments, I smile.

Gone is the grey and dirty white of cold.
No more of the monochromatic tones of nothingness.
Clouds scatter revealing pure saturation
The color overload is welcomed and necessary
Eyes must adjust from the world which has been void of tints and shades to the current breathy palate of a spectrum overload

Are not the birds louder?
Is not the air now sweet?
Sun pulls me from the shadows
Canopies of tiny vibrant chartreuse budding leaves dance overhead

Change is in the air.
Electric energy stirs the Earth’s inhabitants
We are all now on the move.
Spring is calling
Can you come out to play?
It beckons.
And I must answer.