A Dream Deferred

One of my favorite poems by the Great Harlem Renaissance Writer, Langston Hughes.

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore–
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over–
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

I first heard this poem in 9th grade.  I have to always remind myself of these profound words, so that I may encourage myself.  I now encourage you. Don’t give up on your dreams…No Matter Your Age, Gender, or Race!

Featured Image from The Nation.com

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Easter, the 2nd Christmas

It’s that time again! Pastel colors are everywhere.  New nests are being made for new bird families.  The scent of freshly bloomed flowers are in the air; along with the frightening buzz of bees and wasps. (Maybe it’s just me)   The “tormentuos” sounds of sneezes from me and all of my fellow allergy sufferers as pollen and ragweed dance in the beautiful bright rays of the sun.  Ahhh, this is spring. The season that brings us Easter.   As the weather warms up I have memories of dying eggs and the invisible crayon that added designs.  Memories of being allowed to again where white and practicing my Easter speech specially written by my mother.  When entering any grocery store, one can not help but be reminded of Easter when seeing the grey aisles filled with spring colors of various shades of greens, blues, pinks, purples, and yellows on the Easter baskets.  As eye catching as these baskets may be, it’s what’s inside that truly matters.

These baskets are filled to the brim with goodies.  There’s more than just candy, plastic eggs, and colorful grass in these baskets.  They are teeming with basketballs, footballs, water guns, jump ropes, baby dolls, army men, Disney character toys, clothing items, and hair items. Growing up, I was content with real eggs and Easter bunny shaped chocolate bars that I placed inside of my Easter Basket.  It did not come already prepared for me with gifts I hadn’t received for Christmas or my birthday.  Now it seems as if Easter is Christmas #2.  I didn’t know the Easter Bunny and Santa were related, but apparently, I was incorrect.  The other day at work, a co-worker was searching online to purchase something for her daughter’s phone.  I was thinking that maybe her child’s birthday was coming, but I eventually found out that the gift was to be placed in her daughter’s Easter basket.  I then asked, “When did Easter become like a second Christmas?” There was no response.  I hope she didn’t think I was being sarcastic.  This has been a question on my mind for a while now and I thought she knew, since she was a mother.  Do kids even dye eggs anymore?  Are real eggs still being used or just the plastic eggs with the money inside?  This brings me to my point…The true focus of Easter is no longer at the forefront.

Easter has sadly become a time of the year where the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus is ignored.  The media attempts to discuss Jesus.  The Ten Commandments is shown on television, although I don’t understand what that movie has to do with Easter.  Is it the Bible thing because that’s all I can think of.   You begin to see more of the “Who was Jesus” type of documentaries on network television or certain cable channels, but many also attempt to disprove Jesus as the Savior of all Mankind.  Of course churches do what they can with reminding all about the message of Easter with plays and special services to reach those that would probably never attend.  Many people attend their church or visit a church with their family.  Hopefully, they are focused more on the message and not just on how *so fresh and so clean they look.

The things mentioned above have become a tradition.   It is imperative that we keep in mind that Easter is celebrated not because of Spring, but because Jesus died on a cross and on the third day he was resurrected.  He rose from the grave with the power over life and death.  The Power of the Cross was and is for the world, not just for the church. All because He Loves You! He died for your sins.  He forgave you before you even were born to commit the sin.  Easter is not just a day to get together with one’s family.  It’s not just a day to bestow your child with gifts and new clothes.  Easter is not just a day to show up to church with your family to show off your new Easter clothes.  I am in no means trying to say that being with family, buying toys, or buying new clothes is wrong, just don’t allow those things to replace the true reason for Easter. Even if you don’t believe this happened, doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen.

(John 3:16- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son.  That whosoever believeth in him should have everlasting life.)

*Outkast

Bunny+Egg=?

A few years ago, I asked my class if they could tell me why in the world the Easter bunny brought eggs for the children on Easter.  I was teaching 6th graders at the time and we were beginning a new Reading unit on Symbolism.  I had started the lesson with pictures that were symbolic of various things that I knew they would be familiar with.  I showed a picture of the cross, they said Jesus or church.  I showed a picture of a heart, they said Love.  A picture of the Golden Arches, they said McDonald’s.  A picture of a bunny a plus sign and an egg and they knew it meant Easter.  Everything started off great until I asked them why.  Why did these two completely different things mean Easter.  I mean, have you ever seen a bunny lay an egg?  Have you ever seen a bunny hatch from an egg?  They have nothing to do with each other, right?

There are sometimes issues in the Christian arena concerning the use of a bunny being used to correspond with Easter, but being the symbolic nerd that I am, I love it.  I like discussing it with anyone so that they can make sense of why some traditions use what they use in their traditions or why things represent whatever it is they are representing.

A QUICK BREAKDOWN of Symbolism used in Easter

For those of you unaware, rabbits have a lot of babies.  Babies represent new life.  Spring represents new life.  Eggs hatch and bring forth baby animals.  Therefore, eggs equal new life.  Flowers are blooming, trees are getting new leaves, and baby animals begin to be seen.  It’s like the world is being REBORN.  Let’s not forget about the True Life being REBORN…Someone coming back from the dead, is like being REBORN.  Thank the Lord for the Cross and your RESURRECTING Power.  You came back to life with all power over Life and Death in your hands! Amen!

(John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son.  That whosoever believeth in him should not parish, but have everlasting life.)

A Letter to my Father-in-Love

Dear Paw-Paw,

When I first met you, I didn’t know how I would come to love you.  Your jokes were less than funny and your sense of humor made no sense.  You were a different type of guy.  You aggravated my way of thinking, by challenging my way of thinking.  Ideas and beliefs that I had been taught, since before I was born, were brought into question.  I can still hear you asking me as I come into your room, just to greet you, “Kat! What is Life?”  As soon as I am about to answer you say, “Ha! One day you’ll get it!”

You forced me to form my own beliefs on what God had shown me, and not have them based on what my parents had told me.  It hurts when your brain grows, but you were always able to show and prove every new concept that you brought to my attention.  Thank you for that.  Over time I appreciated you and grew to love you!  Even your feet. LOL!!  You had wisdom like a Buddha…and his Belly!  I miss rubbing it, “for luck”.  You helped me to see that God created us all differently and that we all have different paths to take that will lead us to him.  I am so happy that I was able to know you and spend my birthday with you last year.  I think somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew….

Once again you have brought change to me; it is because of you, that I now have to face the impact of death every day.  Usually when a loved one has gone on, I’ve never lived in the area so I didn’t have to deal with not having that person there, until YOU.  Yes, it has been hard; but I tend to imagine you laughing at me, for crying over you.  That’s how you were.  Yes Lloyd, I hear you telling me that I don’t need to be sad because you are in a better place.  I know that, but it still hurts. I know that I can believe in the hope of being able to see you again, but Paw-Paw, it still hurts.

Thank you for telling me that you were happy I was your daughter-in-law and that I was your favorite daughter-in-law.  Although I was the only one, it still made me feel special!

Seeing you love your wife the way you did, helps me to understand why my husband loves me the way that he does.  Thank you for showing me that fussing with your spouse over silly things like food or TV channels is a normal thing.  Thank you for encouraging me to enjoy life and for always encouraging me to keep trusting in God and his promises.   Although I miss seeing you on your side of the bed and hearing you talk about guns, space, and God, I am happy that you are finally Whole.  I love you, I miss you, and your Boston Market dinners!

My life has forever been changed because of the wisdom you blessed me with. April 10, 2017 marked 1 year of having to live without hearing your laugh or seeing you clasp your hands to your mouth right before you said something that changed my thought process.  In my mind I continue to see you do these things….  You will never be forgotten.

With Love,

Your Favorite Daughter in Law (Katty-May)

Happy 2nd Birthday to my Panda Bear, Kody-Po

Happy 2nd Birthday to my Panda Bear Kody! Mommy loves you soooo much! You bring such joy with all your kisses and cuddles!  You are my little Ko-Ko Man! I hope you get all the treats you want!

 

Spring Break 2017: Grand Cayman Pt. 2

On the Amphibious Tour in the beautiful Grand Cayman Islands, my huz-band, myself, and others on the tour, were taken to their world renown 7 Mile Beach.  As the waves crashed against the beach, many times I was almost knocked over.  The waves were beautiful and terrible; soft and strong.  Several times my phone was almost lost at sea, whilst trying to record myself or take pictures of my beautiful surroundings.  After leaving the forceful waters to write me and my husband’s name in the sand, I again gathered my courage to be embraced by the sea.  There’s nothing like being in dazzling aquamarine water.

I just realized the irony, of being in aquamarine water, in March.  My birthday is in March and March’s birthstone is Aquamarine. I was in Aquamarine water in March for my birthday!  Anyone else excited about the literary archetypes in this? No, just me…what else is new! Anyway…

While I was attempting to control my balance against the mighty waters, I realized that it would be an okay idea, if I sat myself down before I actually fell in.  No, I didn’t want to swim because we only had a short time to be on the beach.  Now officially being 1 year older at this time, I used wisdom in making that decision to remove myself from the beaches’ treacherous shore.  A few feet away from me, an older lady with a cane, didn’t use her age given wisdom.  As the mighty waves rushed against the beach, she was knocked over onto its gentle sands.  Sadly her decision to stay within these waters, caused her knee to be knocked out of place.  My husband, the Care Bear that he is, could no longer think of enjoying his time on one of his favorite islands.  He had to watch what was now taking place.  He watched as the lady’s son failed in his attempts to assist her with getting up.  After a little while, he could no longer hold it in, so he finally went over to help in any way he could.

After some time of watching what would happen, I went to ask one of the workers at the drink/food area if they could bring a chair out so this lady could sit down.  I was a little perturbed at how the staff continuously walked around like there wasn’t a situation happening.    The nervous worker left to find a chair, but brought back a guy that was doing his best to ignore the situation.  I said to myself, “Dear Diary, I know this man is not over there trying to act like he can’t see what’s happening”.  SOOOOO I headed right for him.  He was a stocky guy, so I knew he could be of some use.  I told him the situation, and he looks down at his shoes and says, “Ahh man.  I don’t wanna mess my shoes up.”  I looked down at his shoes…they looked like the shiny gym shoes you find from Walmart.  Like Asics without the Asics, New Balance without the New, even Shaq’s without the Shaq. I could go on, but I will stop.  Okay, they were one shoe aisle away from the shoes with the velcro strap…I’m just trying to get you to see why I was confused at his response.

Once I snapped out of this shock, I politely said, “But she needs to get out of the water and she can’t walk.  You can wash your shoes.  She can’t get up.”  My husband looked at me and I looked back at him …whateva!  (My husband always givin’ me looks like that, when he thinks I’ve said too much…whateva!)

Finally the two workers carried the lady to the bar area.  Yes, he got his shoes wet because the waves were still rockin’; and yes I laughed!  I possibly could have been more empathetic if they were some Jordan’s or something more upscale…

I just found it sad that he was more concerned about his plastic gym shoes then helping someone that needed it.  He worked for the beach!  What a great way to make your tourists feel important.

People of the WORLD: Make sure to put the needs of others, before your materialistic things!  Yes they are important to you, but someone that actually needs your help is actually more important!

Clouds

Looking up at the clouds, it seems to help bring me peace.  I enjoy being on a plane and being able to be so close to them; flying above them to see that there is some purity left on this planet.  As a young girl I loved to look up at the clouds to see what shapes I could see.  Allowing my imagination to soar high with them.  To get lost in my own made up world, that seems to be just beyond the clouds.

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