Category Archives: Only the Short

Short Posts

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Saith Me… Toxic People

We often have to mingle with people who share common interests but who may not be the most agreeable to us or to our sensibilities.

However, some people are toxic in nature and those who support them and continue to mingle with them often times become toxic by association.

Toxicity should never be something we feel obliged to ingest.

Many people seem to think that it is being immature to distance one’s self from toxic personalities and toxic behaviors.

The real immaturity is found in those who make excuses for the toxic.

We should remember that it takes very little poison to ruin the well from which we all drink. Therefore, we all need to be conscientious stewards of the well.

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Saith Me… Simply A Cloud

I do not need you understand my pain.

I need you to understand that I work every day to rise above it and to prevent it from leading me into the depths of despair.

I need you to understand that there are days when I succeed in my efforts – magnificently succeed!

I need you to understand that there are days when I stumble, falter, and succumb; when fear overshadows my focus and clouds my skies.

I need you to understand that on these days, my countenance and my behavior do not reflect on my perseverance, my hope, and my joy.

On these days, I need you to understand, there is simply a cloud or two in my otherwise light filled life.

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Saith Me… Levity

Levity at the expense of another person’s feelings is still bullying. Especially when that levity depreciates the value of those feelings. 

When levity is generated with the full understanding that someone else is hurting, then the levity is grossly inappropriate and unkind. Levity created in a vacuum of unawareness may be less inappropriate and less unkind, but it’s not less hurtful.

We may not always avoid hurting others, but should we not at least try to limit doing harm?

In our imperfect state, we all make mistakes and we all find ourselves guilty of less-than-kind behavior or speech, but we do not need to revel in our imperfection.

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Saith Me… Seek Solutions

Seek solutions before settling for excuses.

solutions

Solutions may not always be cure-alls, but they often are just enough to make a rough situation more bearable.

In my house, the common solution comes from simple advice.

  • Get up and move…
  • Drink a glass of water…
  • Drink a glass of juice…
  • Do something creative…
  • Get some fresh air…

Certainly the ills and woes of life are not eradicated by such simple suggestions, but they are often lessened.

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Saith Me… Reflections on Change

Do we really need to burn down the house in order to get out of the kitchen? 

 

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During a discussion with my children about the varied political theater which has dominated the news during the last 12 months, this rhetorical question emerged. Throughout history, a desire for change has often led to radicalization rather than the reasoned thought needed for change to be successful. Sometimes the radical voices drown out reasoned ones and disaster occurs. Other times the reasoned voices prevail.

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Saith Me: We Stand Together

I had a chance encounter with an amazing 93 year old woman in the grocery store today. Her husband fought in WWII and Korea. She told me that they are horrified by the state of world affairs and especially with all the contention in the US. She stated that she just didn’t know how we would recover. I said the following

“We use the lessons learned from WWI and WWII – we work together.”

This sweet lady was momentarily stunned by my answer and then a huge grin formed on her face as she nodded.

“Yes,” she agreed, “we work together rather than try to stand alone.”