Laurel you should be a writer.....

I don't think I have heard the story of India told so well!
Things I’m going to miss about India

Catherine Ingram tells a story...

in her book Passionate Presence

about a young friend of hers who said, "Pretend you are surrounded by a thousand hungry tigers. What would you do? Catherine said, "Wow, I don't know what I would do. What would you do?" Her young friend said, "I'd stop pretending!"

____Passionate Presence: Excerpt_______
She was walking on a path by the river when she heard a plop. Looking in the direction of the sound, which came from the vicinity of her feet, she saw a frog just a few inches from her, hopping in her direction. They went on together for a few steps like this when she deliberately slowed her pace. The frog slowed as well. She walked faster, and the frog hopped faster, too. She began to laugh so hard that she soon had to sit down. And the frog also sat.

As delightful as the frog was, she knew that her delight came from a deeper well, an innate delight that was not bound to a particular experience. It was as if it was always there, a current of joy flowing through her, waiting for an excuse to spring out. Feelings and memories from childhood flooded her awareness like a multitude of fireflies as she basked in the amusement with the frog, her current of joy particularly strong. She felt, once again, an inexplicable excitement about being alive, and simple things were enormously interesting, pleasurable, and funny.

She reflected on the sadness of existence as well, to see if the current of joy could withstand it. But there it was, a quiet inner happiness, despite everything. She was in love with life, with the very fact of it, the incomprehensible event of existence. She felt as if she were quietly celebrating the day, her delight being the natural response to the gift of life. She knew that nothing was needed for this celebration, not even the frog. Meanwhile, he had perhaps grown impatient with her musings. As she continued to sit, the frog hopped slowly toward the river.

Hummingbirds

Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation.

Happy Mother's Day Mom

These are my FAVORITE flower: Blue Orchids


Happy Mother's Day Mom! Your the best!

Your mother is always with you . . .

Your mother is always with you.
She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street.
She's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks.
She's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well.
Your mother lives inside your laughter.
She's crystallized in every tear drop.
She's the place you came from, your first home....
She's the map you follow with every step that you take.
She's your first love and your first heart break....
And nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, Not space...
Not even death...
Will ever separate you from your mother...
You carry her inside you...