Tag Archives: Henry David Thoreau

What Shapes Us

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“The same law that shapes the earth-star shapes the snow-star. As surely as the petals of a flower are fixed, each of these countless snow-stars comes whirling to earth…these glorious spangles, the sweeping of heaven’s floor.”                       
                                                                                                 – Thoreau
What Shapes Us
This law I believe applies to all things live.
Can we all be glorious spangles?
Perhaps not. Perhaps yes.
I hope yes!
Are we capable of seeing the connection?
Can we try harder?
Can we open our eyes a little wider?
I hope yes.
The same law shaped our hearts.
When tragedy hits, we feel the hurt of others.
What shapes us is not a mystery;
It is divine.
It is intentional.
You, me,
all of us
shaped in the same way.
Can you dig it?

Be Happy

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There are as many nights as days,

and the one is just as long as the other

in the year’s course. Even a happy  life

cannot be without a measure of darkness,

and the word ‘happy’ would lose its meaning

if it were not balanced with sadness.

–Carl Jung

 

What makes you happy? Please post your thoughts on Twitter or right here at Poemattic.

 

After reading this quote, I thought about the things that make me happy and better still what I can do to be happier. I believe the secret is this: be unafraid of change, savor the moment when big things happen but be the happiest with the small things. Small events happen every second of the day that may bring a smile to your face.

Accept happiness unconditionally. Restore what childhood and youth provided for us which is the ability to see beauty in many things. Most of the time beauty is present in the small things. Happiness will sneak up on us and we must learn to keep it close by.

Thoreau said to “keep pace with the drummer you hear, however measured or far away.” That  drummer announces the happy and the sad and there lies the balance we need. So like the song says, “be happy, don’t worry.” Happiness is never far away.

These are a few of  the things that make me truly happy and not necessarily in the order they are in:

  • waking up to a gorgeous sun rise
  • watching the trees sway
  • a child’s chuckle
  • my grandsons’ smiles
  • my daughter’s eyes when she is happy
  • my son when he calls just to say hello
  • my family
  • my husband’s tender look
  • a field of aromatic lavender
  • sincerity
  • when I observe someone being compassionate
  • a conversation with my best friend
  • knowing I have been helpful to someone
  • cooking for family and friends
  • listening to old records or CDs
  • a crunchy apple
  • a vase full of fresh cut daisies
  • Painting
  • Writing
  • Poetry

 

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Butterflies love lavender

Busy Does As Busy Is

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“It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is what are we busy about?” – Henry D. Thoreau

What are we busy about? Are we busy counting all the leaves on that beloved tree in our backyard? What are we busy about? Are we busy stacking pennies for the proverbial rainy day? What are we busy about? I have been busy thinking about time. It bothers me that people say there’s not enough time in the day to carry out whatever it is that must be accomplished. Technology and the inventor’s ingenuity have given us so many tools for us to save time doing stuff. Think about it. Yet we never seem to have time for much. So what is it that keeps us busy?  Our work occupies much of our time. We work to fulfill our goals for the future. We are willing to work overtime to make more money so that we can accumulate wealth to spend our time in the future worry free. We have to make time for our daily chores such as laundry, cooking, cleaning, and getting ourselves organized. But when you have people who do that stuff for you, then why do we still say we are too busy. Some people are just busy in their minds. They think they are busy but they are not. They are only busy worrying about being too busy. So then, what are we busy about? Most of us are always in a rush to get somewhere because we do not have time. Some people said to me, “I am glad you have the time to write.” They make me feel guilty about it as if though I have this arsenal of time that I am not sharing with them. Is it that we lack organization or do not know how to manage our time? Again what are we so busy about?

Here is an interesting thought by  Eric Hoffer:

“The feeling of being hurried is not usually the result of living a full life and having no time. It is on the contrary born of a vague fear that we are wasting our life.When we do not do the one thing we ought to do, we have no time for anything else – we are the busiest people in the world.”

I do not know if the time I spend thinking about time and being busy is good use of my time. I dread not being busy and being bored. I feel that time is so precious to be misused and that keeping busy must be a good thing. I guess I am most fearful of when people are too busy for me. Perhaps I am selfish but I do not want my children to be so busy that they cannot take time out for old mom. I do not think that I have ever been too busy for them and if I have then I will take this opportunity to apologize.

Socrates said, “beware the barrenness of a busy life.” I want busy to mean productive. I do not want to be “busy dying” and I do not want to die not being busy enough. Do I make sense?

In the event that I have confused you. I want to leave you with some quotes from my favorite poets and authors that I collected during my free time this very busy week.

“The busy have no time for tears.” 
                                Lord Byron

“Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.”

                                                   -Jane Austen

“An artist is a creature driven by demons. He doesn’t know why they choose him and he’s usually too busy to wonder why. 

                                                              -William Faulkner

What are you busy about? Post your response. 

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