Goodbye Prince

"Sometimes it Snows in April"- Prince

 

 

 

Tracy died soon after a long fought civil war,
Just after I'd wiped away his last tear
I guess he's better off than he was before,
A whole lot better off than the fools he left here
I used to cry for Tracy because he was my only friend
Those kind of cars don't pass you every day
I used to cry for Tracy because I wanted to see him again,
But sometimes sometimes life ain't always the way

Sometimes it snows in April
Sometimes I feel so bad, so bad
Sometimes I wish life was never ending,
And all good things, they say, never last

Springtime was always my favorite time of year,
A time for lovers holding hands in the rain
Now springtime only reminds me of Tracy's tears
Always cry for love, never cry for pain
He used to say so strong unafraid to die
Unafraid of the death that left me hypnotized
No, staring at his picture I realized
No one could cry the way my Tracy cried

Sometimes it snows in April
Sometimes I feel so bad
Sometimes, sometimes I wish that life was never ending,
And all good things, they say, never last

I often dream of heaven and I know that Tracy's there
I know that he has found another friend
Maybe he's found the answer to all the April snow
Maybe one day I'll see my Tracy again

Sometimes it snows in April
Sometimes I feel so bad, so bad
Sometimes I wish that life was never ending,
But all good things, they say, never last

All good things that say, never last
And love, it isn't love until it's past

Read more: Prince - Sometimes It Snows In April Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Earth Day 2016

My 2016 List of Ways to Celebrate Earth Day:

(1) Go plant shopping with Nate- pick out seedlings and plant them together.
(2) Make an Earth Day craft.
(3) Leave bread out for the birds.
(4) Spend an evening in the backyard and breathe in the fresh air, take off shoes & socks and rest under the shade of a tree.
(5) Buy fresh local produce at the farmer's market Saturday morning.  Take a moment to appreciate the fact that we live in a place that has abundant, fresh and healthy food to enjoy.
(6) Go to the park and look for our friends the swans.
(7) Enjoy the sunset.

Seeking Happiness

As I look back on the recent posts of this blog, I quickly realize that my gratitude journal is becoming dimmed by a lot of sad events that have happened recently. There have been so many deaths in the music world this year, in rapid-fire succession, it has become a challenge to recover from one tragedy before we find the next staring in our faces. I posted each one on my page because I wanted to "pay my respects" online and remember the lost. Unfortunately, I am in danger of losing the original plan to share stories of joy and gratitude on here, so I am trying to refocus and get back to the good during these dark days.

 

Some say happiness is a choice. I think its definitely a lifestyle and a mindset, both which require work. Its hard to always "choose" to wear a smile and to be optimistic in the face of disappointment, sadness and the rest- but I am finding out that if I keep track of a few things a day to be grateful for- even the basics, I become aware of exactly how much good exists in my life and my world. And when you start looking for the good, you "exercise" the gratitude muscle and it becomes second nature.  Maybe optimism can be an acquired taste. Another important thing in the "pursuit of happiness" is to avoid like the plague the impulse to compare.  "Comparison is the thief of joy"- Shakespeare summed it up beautifully and perfectly.  Everyone has a measuring stick when it comes to the world around us, and its destined to make us miserable because as long as someone else has more (and someone always will!), our life is going to come up short.  As long as we are looking at the person next to us that seems to lead a charmed life, we are missing our perspective on our own identities and burying what makes us unique in a doomed quest for perfection, by someone else's standards. Besides, if the person next to us has an overwhelming amount of blessings in their life, what does it matter to them if they are fixated on all the bad? They might as well have nothing because for some, its never "enough". When you live with a grateful heart, you never have that issue to deal with.

 

I'm going to sign off this post with a few things I am grateful for today.  Hoping to return to a positive state of mind, along with my blog. 

 

Gratitude List 4/22/16:

 

(1) I am grateful that the sun is shining on this Earth Day.

(2) I am happy that the week is over and we survived the work and drama!

(3) The irises are in full bloom, and seeing them thriving really lifts my spirits.

(4) I am grateful for our kind next door neighbors that I wish I could adopt as family.

(5) I'm grateful my son is still young enough to give me giant bear hugs and kisses in public, without shame.

 

Wishing everyone a joyful weekend- let's make it shine!

 

007

A Saint's Goodbye

"A Saint's Goodbye"- by Jamie Patterson

You are New Orleans
You are not just a number on a black and gold jersey
You are the smell of magnolias blooming in spring
And the sound of a child shrieking with joy
You are the hot breeze trailing the streetcar barreling down Canal
And the pigeons warbling to one another as they hunt for bread crumbs from forgotten beignets

You are not just a skin color or race, nor a religion or faith
Because in truth we are all golden in God's eyes, we are all connected here and beyond
You are the footsteps checking on a child caught in the web of a nightmare
You are the muscular arms holding your wife with tenderness
You are the hand holding your child's hand with care, teaching that a strong man is also gentle
You are the fine mist spraying from a fountain freckled with pennies and filled with wishes

You are New Orleans and family,
And we do not put you to rest with anything less than hearts leaden with grief
We dance at a second line funeral, but our steps do not mask our tears
We ask, as always, "Why?" and "How many more?", and are answered by silence
You are going home, and leaving New Orleans
Without you we are less of a people, and the gold fades with the sunset