Thoughts and Words

This picture reminded me of 'the dust bowl of the thirties' all packed up and no place to go. I used to tell my children, when we moving back and forth across the country struggling to find a new home, that home is where the heart is and I really believed that. There were many reasons for all of our movies and I did my best to make them as much fun as possible, but over the years I have often wondered if the moves were good for them or bad. Each one seems to be walking their own path and doing well, so I haven't changed my tune about doing what you have to do while keeping a heart full of love at the ready.

We lived in all kinds of houses, from very small to a medium size but never a large one. I am repeating a story I have told many times about having three small bedrooms and changing the children around so each one could have a turn of having a room of their own for six months. My husband thought I had lost my marbles and finally objected to my furniture moving when he would come in from work and stumble over a table or a chair that had not been there when he left for work. He finally requested a small night light so he could find his way. Yes, my heart was in the right place but it would be something to read their thoughts on all or moves.

Each move brought more experience in how to box and pack. I got to be an expert and down sized a lot. Today as I look around I find I have accumulated more 'stuff' and I need to think about down sizing all over again. As an octogenarian it is once again time to think about finding a home, for me, maybe a studio apartment in a nice complex in a city where there is transportation to and from the places one likes to visit. It isn't as easy as hoping in a packed car and going off and relocating because it is a costly proposition and there is only so much income. It seems to me one of the first sensible ideas would be to revamp the old peoples homes and take care of them as they make their way to the garden gate. We have famlies on the streets of America, unbelieveable but true. We have more children in our system than ever before and so many unstable people who need attention and care. I'm digressing in a way, but in another I am not, as home is where the heart is and we who have big hearts should be working at fixing the problem of the homeless. Houses are being boarded up. People are out of work. There should be a way of mixing the two and coming up with a great solution. One huge home that is empty could be filled with people who could become family and those with big hearts could and would run it right. We can bail out the big guys who are still giving themselves a huge bonus that they will never live long enough to spend, while the need to put our people back to work and solve some of our most pressing problems goes by the wayside. My children would chalk my words up as lecture twenty-eight, or maybe I've hit the hundred mark by now.

I hope you use your words well today. I hope you remember to think before you speak. I hope you will find words of love rather than abuse, as my cartoon friend, Maxine, would probably say, 'be careful of your words as you may have to eat them before the day is over.' What is that Teddy Roosevelt said years ago, "Walk softly and carry a big stick" . . . I think he should have added to 'talk softly and smile with your heart'. Make today a good one.