Again

A bomb explodes

and

14 seconds later

a second bomb explodes.

Again, we have breaking news,

Again, the news breaks the heart of our nation.

Again, some one or someones

have decided that their concern

is worthy of terror.

Again, people are dead,

others are wounded and maimed.

Again, I wait for the reporters to say,

"they've caught the perpetrators."

Again,

I wait for the reporters to say that it isn't as bad as

was first reported.

They don't.

Again, my heart shakes.

Again, I am searching for meaning behind

hideousness.

Again, I can only come up with one thing,

evil is real,

and

it doesn't care who it takes out,

just so long as someone is hurt

badly.

Again, as I watch the news

another reality comes to the forefront,

there are real heroes

who step forward,

who run to the danger

to help strangers.

There is good,

real, 

genuine, 

good.

People who go through their day

with no thought of being a hero,

run,

not away from peril,

but towards it.

Any thought of self-preservation

has clearly been put out of their thought process.

Their goal is clear,

they simply must help those who are hurt.

Again, I see the nation I live in

come together.

(Yes, there are a handful of 

politicos,

anti-religious, 

and

ultra-religious,

who have to

loudly,

 make this a 

cause célèbre.)

I see Americans

and

others

coming together

to give blood,

send money,

and

even try to get to Boston

to be a physical help.

My heart breaks for Boston,

for the people who witnessed this evil,

for the people who were hurt,

for the families of the people who died;

but I am proud of the response

of the people who refuse

to let evil

be the

rule of the day.

via

A Simple Apology

Apologies are wonderful things.

A simple "I'm sorry"

can begin to

heal wounds,

open doors,

and

set the world in motion again.

I'm not talking about that quick

"I'm sorry"

for the

spilled milk,

a cart-bump in the store,

or

other accidents.

I'm talking about

actions that we know

at

our

deepest point

are

hurtful.

To quote Dr. Phil:

"You cannot change

what

you do not acknowledge"

That includes when we've messed up.

Sometimes, 

"I am sorry"

is all that is needed to be said

Other times

we have to be more detailed

in our apology.

We have to be more detailed

because the apologizer

needs to show the

apology-receiver

that they (apologizer)

are very aware of the

hurt

that has been inflicted

One of the biggest

problems with an apology

is that we want the receiver to know

that we didn't mean to hurt them.

The problem with that is simple;

we say,

 "I am sorry about [fill-in-the-blank]

but . . ."

Once we say "but"

we completely undo

"I am sorry"

Every word after

"but"

is self-defense

and

annihilates

those previous three words.

We need to learn how to apologize.

We talk about
forgiveness
but seldom about the powerful apology.

Forgiveness is beautiful;
a heart-felt apology
before
forgiveness
is
magnificent.

A simple
heart-deep
"I am sorry"
can set the world in motion
again.

Visit my web-page

2012 Leaves

2012 leaves.

Leaving me with mixed feelings.

Two songs have been running

through my brain

(WARNING: these are a touch melancholy)

This one in particular is very melancholy

and

it reflects the mood I've been in lately

Although this  next song is melancholy

it reflects the mood

I want to be in

(while it's a love song of sorts,

the sentiment fits with a promising future)

Here is to 2013,

may these be the good old days!