lessons

This New Day

/ Jodi / 23 Comments

January Sunrise – Invitation of Hope – Wexford, PA 1/9/2020 – Jodi McKinney

This New Day.

Write it on your heart
that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day.
who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.

Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Collected Poems and Translations

This new day is too dear!

Too dear to not be grateful.
Too dear to wallow in negative energy.
Too dear to not see the beauty.
Too dear to not be joyful and kind and loving.
Too dear to be hard on ourselves.

This new day is too dear to waste!

May you own this day…
and all your days…
as the invitation of hope it is.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

A Beautiful Ending

/ Jodi / 64 Comments
Foggy, Beautiful Ending to the Day – February, 2019 – Mars, PA

A Beautiful Ending.

We may not be able to control or change
ugly things that happened to us –
especially in our childhood.

We can’t choose our beginning.

But we can decide to not be
defined or deflated or diminished by them,
and create our own beautiful life.

We can determine the ending.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Cherish the Moments

/ Jodi / 51 Comments

Cherish the Moments.

When the day is done,
take some time to reflect on the things
that made it special.

Remember the moments
that brought you joy
or made you smile or laugh.

Close your eyes
and savor those thoughts,
knowing tomorrow will surely bring challenges,

but also realizing there will be
new moments to cherish –
even if you have to search really hard.

And tomorrow will bring another sunset
and more opportunity to reflect,
and the hope of getting to do it all again.

Cherish the moments…
for the moments
are what make up a life.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Lessons from a Squirrel

/ Jodi / 25 Comments

Early Morning Squirrel on the Back Deck Feeder, Mars, PA – January, 2019

Lessons from a Squirrel.

It pays to be nimble.

You can get what you want if you just stretch
your body and mind a little more than you think you can.

The early bird may get the worm,
but the early squirrel gets the birdseed.

Cheers & Warm Winter Hugs,
Jodi

 

Projecting Beauty

/ Jodi / 37 Comments

Projecting Beauty – 18×24 Acrylic Abstract on stretched canvas

Every baby is born beautiful.
It is what we project on them
that makes them ugly.

-Ruth in Small Great Things

Sharing this quote today from the book I’m reading that I mentioned yesterday –Small Great Things By Jodi Picoult.

The quote is spoken by a labor and delivery nurse, Ruth, talking about the most beautiful baby she has ever seen born.  The baby was born with severe birth defects that led to him not having a face.  A small mouth with one tooth was in the place of where an ear should have been and the face was just a mass of skin.  A student nurse screamed upon seeing him.  Ruth shared how she would never forget the transformation that occurred as a result of the love the mother, and eventually the father, projected onto this sweet baby for the short time they were blessed with his presence on earth.  The love in their eyes saw his beauty.  The love they projected on this baby made him beautiful.

This really spoke to me.  Of course there is the old adage that beauty is only skin deep, but isn’t it so true?  I have known people who were absolutely flawlessly attractive in physical appearance, but had such ugly hearts and souls that it blinded the beauty.  I also know people that aren’t necessarily physically attractive, but beauty just shines from them.  The beauty that is deep within their being. It just consumes the space that surrounds them.  And when you look at them, all you see is that beauty.

As parents (and grandparents), we have the power to project this beauty on our children.  We have the responsibility to teach them they are beautiful – not because of the color of their hair or skin or the shape of their bodies or the unique intricacies of their personal appearances… They are beautiful because they are loved for just exactly who they are.

Let us love our children by projecting beauty on them.  Let us teach our children to project beauty.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This painting is quite a diversion from my usual watercolor art.  I worked on it for a few days as a special housewarming gift for my oldest son and daughter-in-law, who just moved into their new home.  This abstract acrylic was inspired by the beautiful work of Osnad Tzadok.  I did it using a palette knife, paper towels, a spray bottle of water, and a brush for a few strokes.  All paint by Golden.  I may just want to stretch and try some more of this type of work.

I’m calling this painting “Projecting Beauty.”

Dealing with Change

/ Jodi / 46 Comments
Icicle - Dealing with Change - Mars PA January 2018

Icicle – Dealing with Change – Mars PA January 2018

Dealing with Change.

If you
think
you can’t

deal
with
change,

think of
the drop
of water

who froze
in
midair

when the
brutally
cold wind

met
it.

It became
an
intricate flake

that
landed
on the rooftop

and joined
the
others

to form
a
soft

white,
fluffy
blanket.

Then
the sun
came out

and
warmed
it

just
enough

to create
a crystal
clear,

hard,
solid
icicle.

The sun
grew
warmer yet,

and
the icicle
melted.

The
drop of
water

fell
to the
earth

and
watered
the ground

where
the tree
grew

that
provided
shade

when
the sun
grew

even
warmer
yet.

It went
through
all that,

and
remained
beautiful

in
every
stage.

If a
drop of
water

can manage
through
all that,

You, too,
can
deal

with
change.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Own – Embrace – Explore

/ Jodi / 30 Comments

Owning our story can be hard, but not
nearly as difficult as spending our
lives running from it.  Embracing our
vulnerabilities is risky, but not nearly
as dangerous as giving up on love
and belonging and joy – the experiences
that make us the most vulnerable.  Only
when we are brave enough to explore
the darkness will we discover
the infinite power of our light.

– Brene Brown, Braving the Wilderness

 

One of my favorite Christmas gifts (heck – every gift is my favorite), but this one really speaks to my heart and was from the heart of someone who really gets me.  It is a quote from a favorite book – Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown.

It is hanging in a place where I will read it every day, and this will be my mantra – to own my story, to embrace my vulnerabilities, and to not be afraid to explore the darkness, so I can discover my authentic light.

Will you make a New Year’s Resolution?  Do you have a mantra or a life verse?  Do you choose One Little Word each year?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi