A few weeks ago we celebrated the 36th birthday of our oldest son in Chicago. We were married when we were 12, so we are not THAT old! 🙂 We enjoyed a wonderful dinner. It was my first time trying a tuna steak that was rare in the middle. Delicious! After dinner, our son suggested we take a walk over to the Up Room at The Robey, a beautiful Art Deco building built circa 1929. We were so glad we did! It was a beautiful summer evening in Chicago.
Thanks for stopping by.
…so I have fallen behind in posting some images that have been hanging out on my hard drive. These two are from a sunrise in my home town. I have taken many images from this spot. It’s just a short walk from our home. Does anyone else see what I see in that sky? Thanks for stopping by!
if a person’s heart breaks into pieces
and gets lost is the dark abyss
of depression and grief
and no one is there
what will that heart believe
about the world
and those who say
i’m your family
your friend
if a mind is fractured
scattered shattered
and full of noise
and no one is there
to listen
to be close
to wait
as long as the storm lasts
until the light breaks the night
what will that mind understand
what will that mind believe
about people
about this world
if a person is at the edge
their heads
so heavy in their hands
their pulse impossibly accelerated
their body rigid and tense
every muscle screaming
stop
and no one is there
to hold them
hear them
believe them
what then
________________________
May is Mental Health Awareness month, at least here in the States. Do you need help? You are not alone. I don't want you to go another minute without assistance and encouragement.
Contact a local counseling professional, a pastor, or feel free to contact me on the left side of my blog.
I took a picture of the pin oak in our front yard because I felt bad that I was cross with this beautiful tree. Usually, it keeps most of its leaves through winter, but this week it quickly surrendered many of its leaves to the breezes of the day. After a considerably long, reluctant dance with my rake, I looked up and saw this. I took a moment to join this beautiful tree, as we both enjoyed the cold, leaf scented air as the sky showed us how it would close this day. Grateful.
waiting keeping watch searching scanning horizons i didn’t realize that i was looking for you all my life waiting for our once upon a time to begin
when i saw you i ran to meet you on the shore of our journey after all these years i now know i would choose to wait and let a thousands tides come and go and let the lonely time pass me by if it meant i could be near you hear you say my name yes i would search for you night and day and wait
this voyage called life a perilous quest under storms at night and bright mornings of peace living out vows that we said when we were kids you’re still choosing to stay beside me i’m still choosing to stay beside you
across all the wild wild seas that are behind us we found treasures a guiding grace that will lead us a slower pace that will ground us a grateful space that settles our minds navigating these later years we get to wait together love together
sitting here with you waiting here with you remembering here with you we wait for one day the journey will end until then we get to wait together love together be together and in the waiting practice staying come what may you’re still choosing to stay beside me i’m still choosing to stay beside you we wait
tragic insanity i can’t breathe stunned disbelief heart shattered no place to hold any of this sorrow upon sorrow please wake me up darkness wailing misery descending i’m so sorry wordless pain engulfs everything hands on my ears sill hear the cries hands on my eyes still see their eyes hands on my mouth still see the screams is this who we are is this who i am oh God of mercy please have mercy we are all falling fallen tumbling crying retching dying oh God of mercy please have mercy
My mom passed away. She was 97. My mom and dad were married for 64 years. She has left a legacy of love… a rich, tender love, freely shared with family, friends and the stranger.
husband father provider papa great papa dad caregiver for years he’s been by her side coffee in the morning every meal prepared with pride keeping track of all the meds cleaning and cooking making the bed letting go of self in untold ways after retirement dreams placed on the shelf he tries his best and without rest he serves her he loves her caregiver such a lonely place none will ever know nor can ever trace the chores and trips to the stores how patiently he listens in the bickering it’s sometimes hard to keep emotions in line still he sighs and tries to understand tries to let it go tries to show that it’s okay really i don’t think he would want it any other way just the other day he said “after all she’s done for me i serve her” real men like my dad realize that it’s not what you have it’s not what you take or what you win or what you gain it’s losing yourself to serve another denying yourself to comfort another love is not a word it’s washing her feet helping her dress cleaning the mess changing the sheets and all rest that won’t fit on this page some might say he is a hero bigger than life exemplary extraordinary and they would be right but i think in the end my dad loves his wife his precious friend it’s Freddy and Carmen with love in their hearts right from the start they meant it till death do us part he’s still serving his bride still by her side
so i think that we should sing about the sad sad shadows why do i keep remembering their darkened glance it seems that they want to dance into the story and at any moment the sad sad shadows fall on me so about those sad sad shadows inside those weathered picture frames a broken promise here something undone there framed fractures and failures each one calls my name and the struggle starts again with one word oh the shadow of shame falls on me so listen sad sad shadows i remembered today that you don’t have to stay you’re not the whole story Light and Glory can rewrite your songs mend all the wrongs and scatter the darkness not just for a moment but for eternity all these parts of me will be restored once more oh sad sad shadow the final say will not be yours the Light will end the night and all the sad sad shadows will go away and there will be only Light
One of our rest days took us on a road trip to a children’s home located on the Bay of Santiago Atitlan. Our journey took us over twisty mountain roads that had spectacular views. Unfortunately, there were few places to stop and pull over to enjoy the views, or take some pics. As we got closer to our destination we passed through a small town that afforded us a wonderful view of the lake. The four lake view images in this post were taken from that spot.
Once we arrived at the home some of our team stayed and played with the kids, while others took a steep hike to get to the top of a ridge behind the home. The two images without water were taken as we ascended the ridge. The beauty of this country is truly stunning. Stay tuned for the next post where we will see what I saw at the top of the ridge. Thanks for stopping by.
rutakintome pictures 
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