How many prayers, cries, footsteps
How many lives, laughs, fears
Countless and many, fervent and lukewarm
Yet all were seen, heard, answered, loved
By Christ who sees, hears, answers, and loves
c2024 Lisa Lyons
Photo of Glendalough, County Wicklow, captured by Ed Lyons, September 2024
Where cloud and sky
Land and sea
Blue and White
Grey and green
All meet
Heaven touches earth
Ireland
c2024 Lisa Lyons
Photo – Slieve League, County Donegal, 2024, Ed Lyons
Like a small glimmer of light far away on the water,
It is there.
Like the knowledge that one wave will come after another ends,
It will come.
Like the next note that follows the one before,
It will sound.
Like the cleansing wind that brings fresh after the still,
It will roar.
Hope.
c 2023 Lisa Lyons
Yesterday, someone tried to take my smile. I was at the supermarket, and I greeted the person and smiled. They proceeded to glare back at me with pursed lips and no greeting. I know I shouldn’t let it bother me, but it did. It made me question the smiling, the greeting. Maybe I’m just annoying, I thought. Maybe I should stop smiling at people so much.
But that is wrong. People need smiles. Not annoying smiles that are inappropriate and placed when people are grieving or in pain, but encouraging, I’m glad to see you smiles. Smiles that make us feel good, or at least better.
“Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.” — Unknown
“There is fear when frowning. There is love when smiling.” —Maxime Lagacé
“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” – William Arthur Ward
¨Smile at strangers and you just might change a life.¨- Steve Maraboli
“If someone is too tired to give you a smile, leave one of your own, because no one needs a smile as much as those who have none to give.” — Samson Raphael Hirsch
¨A smile cures the wounding of a frown.¨- William Shakespeare
“Keep walking and keep smiling.” — Tiny Tim
I wish I could see all of you readers in person right now. We could smile at each other, and we would feel so much better. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Smiles and blessings,
Lisa
A soft, misty day in Ireland is a thing of beauty. The white blankets the green and grey with hints of what was and what could be. The imagination runs wild with imaginings. The hard lines of reality meld into the soft focus of dreams.
One of my very favorite things to say when confronted with anything I don’t understand or don’t know the outcome, is, “I don’t know…. it’s a mystery.” (loosely paraphrased from Shakespeare in Love.) And for some wonderful reason, I can relax about it and enjoy the waiting and uncertainty more. Instead of scary, things seem magical and exciting, unknown and different.
The beauty of mystery, of not knowing, of release, of not so perfect, of all too human.
Blessings,
Lisa
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