memories

I Go On

/ Penny L Howe / 14 Comments

image

There are moments … when I crave so desperately to be in your arms. I know you chose security over the insecurity (that was all I had to give during my time of loss and turmoil). Well actually insecurity along with my love, a belief in you and your loving words of support, and a true need for you by my side.

But I did and do understand. And I am happy for you. You are exactly where you want to be.

As for me, well, sometimes I find myself forgetting you left me to pursue your personal dreams, leaving our shared dreams far behind. Leaving me to conquer them on my own, reshaping into a single dream. And I have, for the most part.

Yet, even so, there are still those nights when the thought of being held safely in your arms is so compelling … sigh.

I have had many people ask me where my strength of will comes from (and my happiness). My strength comes through learned experiences of facing life’s hardships on my own, often when those I cared about weren’t there as I had thought they would be. This is called surviving.

And my reason for my happiness – conquering the adversity and fears that accompanied the hand I was dealt. Alone and on my own … yes, and sometimes so lonely.

But none the less, much stronger as a survivor of both life and love’s misfortunes because I am not helpless, inferior or weak and therefore …

       “In spite of Life’s Challenges …
   I Go On!” ~ Plh, 2016

~ Penny

Forever and Always In My Heart ~

/ Penny L Howe / 13 Comments
forever
♡
Sleep now … my love,
I’m keeping you forever and always,
in dreams, and memories
the beating of my heart keeping endless time to the rhythm of your soul.
♡
Your words penned from far away,
so very lovely,
for eyes to see,
for mind to dwell on
and heart to feel …
Fitting in most perfectly
with the reoccurring memory of being in your arms.
  ♡
Sleep now, my love,
within the heart there is a place that has no knowledge of separation.
And so we will always find each other in our arms …
held safely fast,  protected from all harm,
never truly alone in our forever love.
 
~ Penny

Not Just Memories – A Poem!

/ Penny L Howe / 11 Comments

~

Not Just Memories

If all I had were memories
That would be fine with me
Or just a few mementoes
That I could go and see

But I have much more than this
How lucky I must be
For I have the day I’m living in
Created just for me

Thank you for the sunshine
Shining down so bright
Thank you for the moonbeams
That you share at night

Thank you for the heavens
Thank you for the lands
Thank you for this planet
Where you see I stand

Thank you for all of nature
The hills and valleys too
Thank you for the rainbows
And flowers filled with dew

Far too much to thank you for
My gratitude to you
Thanks for all you’ve given me
And yes my memories too

Penny

~

Haibun Thinking – Memories Lost, like tears in the rain!

/ Penny L Howe / 14 Comments

This week in the Haibun Thinking writers challenge, one of the choices for the prompt is the following phrase:

“All those moments will be lost in time… like tears in rain.”
~ Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, movie)

My entry:

rainydayblues

Memories

So precious our memories, yet often only to each of us, as we recall specific moments from our life. Although our lives are shared with family and friends our memories are individual to our perspective of the experiences we’ve had. The accumulation of memories seems lonely on the one hand, yet personal and private on the other.

I wonder … if it were possible, would I share my feelings I’ve had so far in my life … would I? Not dreary ones, or sad or bad ones, but the most glorious and wonderful ones. I’m not referring to a discussion on time and events that occurred but the ability to pass on actual emotions being felt in those moments. It might be a very grand thing.

It does seem, whether our experiences are fleeting or of some duration, each memory is categorized in our mind according to our very personal feelings or emotions of said experience. And while these memories of significant past events are rarely forgotten to us, it is a bit sad that they exist mostly within our own individual minds, to be lost in time like tears in the rain.

life’s cherished moments

fleeing endlessness of time

sadly forgotten

*

While the video/movie is distinctly dystopian in nature, there is a valuable thread running through the whole. About people, life, our feelings, our reason and need to feel needed … of a purpose and to have shared those feelings with others. My haibun this week was based on those feelings.

Haibun Thinking is an excellent (weekly) opportunity for writers to stretch their writing skills. For more information click HERE. Your talented and friendly host, Alastair, will get you started. Be sure and click on the blue link icon to read other entries, while you’re there!

Thank you for stopping by, hope you enjoyed,

~ Penny

This is my 1000th post!

/ Penny L Howe / 32 Comments

thankyou

I really had to think about what I wanted to say in this one and naturally I spent no little amount of time reliving the last few (mostly) active years here at WordPress.

I have made so many friends, a handful of you guys right here on the Northwest coast of America and then so many more across the country. Then in nearby Canada and Mexico and down into South America with special mentions for Ecuador and Argentina. Many more in various countries around the world …

… England, Scotland, Ireland, Greece, France, Ghana, Spain, Japan, China, Australia,The Philippines, South Africa, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq, Dubai, Pakistan, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Egypt, India, and on and on. There are those (you know who you are) who have touched my heart and have found a special place there, even though most of us have never met in person, I feel as if we have.

The more I sat here thinking about all of you, your individual specialness, the creative good times as well as the times of sadness we’ve shared – it all boiled down to one thing to say from my heart. Thank you.

Thank You So Very Much

Penny

 

The Mirror Of Your Dreams

/ Penny L Howe / 27 Comments

 

Memory’s rainbow rivulets,

reflecting fallen tears.

Hidden dreams lay dormant

behind the clouded years.

~

Eyes are keeping secrets

And yet as time goes by,

The colored rainbows answer,

falling from the eye.

~

Born upon the teardrops

revealing hidden gleams,

witness then, your memories –

in the mirror of your dreams.

~Penny L Howe, 2014

*

Everyone have a wonderful dream filled weekend!

~ Penny

 

All Your Todays!

/ Penny L Howe / 16 Comments

dandelions

Quotes are wonderful things. They remind us of … well … who we are; how we’d like to be and feel, or how we are feeling in the moment.

A favorite quote of mine is:

“Life is too short to start yourself with broken pieces of yesterday,
it will definitely destroy your wonderful today
and ruin your great tomorrow” ~ Unknown Author

So, having said that, this Monday morning here in the Northwestern section of America, I wish you the happiest memories from your yesterdays, the greatest successes in your todays and blessings and well wishes for all your tomorrows.

*

“We may not be able to change our yesterday, but we can be stronger, braver in our todays, beginning by feeling good about ourselves and then sharing and caring with others!” ~ Penny L Howe, 2014

*

beach

Have a most excellent week ahead,

~ Penny

Your POV – The Lens From Which You View – and why it matters!

/ Penny L Howe / 19 Comments

The Lens we view from

Did you know that the “HOW” you think about a thing can make a huge difference in your life and to those around you. No, seriously this is true.

I’m referring, not so much, about WHAT you’re actually thinking or doing, but the process behind the WHY you’re thinking or acting in a certain way. How you’re “seeing“ things happen to and around you.

And, It affects your health, big time. It affects your ability to make wise choices for yourself and those you care about too. Let’s see how this happens.

It all has to do with the nature of your focus, the actually starting point! Depending on your education and personal experience, you have a certain way of focusing/viewing  a variety of things (assimilating new information) . That’s where your POV begins, for even as you take in new information, your preformed ideas and thoughts (achieved from already existing memories of experiences and life’s learning lessons) will be the true lens from which you will view new and different things.

With me so far? So even before you really understand some new change occurring, your mind is calling up what you think you already know and deciding how you are going to feel about it. The true beginning of your focus and personal Point of View.

If there is a negative experience associated with what you are viewing or experiencing, then your current POV is going to incorporate this negative feeling, coloring your perception of current events, (the happening in the now of things) based on your very emotional memory from the past. Likewise the reverse is true with positive learning lessons. In other words you’ve already decided, to a degree, how you may feel about something new before you have a complete understanding of what it’s all about. So in effect you will not be truly viewing things as they actually are.

The key to having a healthy point of view is by expanding your focus slightly to see through known experiences (your personal lens), making this only a place to begin – for moving beyond. A “lens” that can be adjusted. Innovation occurs at this level of view. Increased comfort level begins here too.

What all this means is that the more comfortable you are within yourself and how (the manner in which) you view a thing ultimately gives your POV a healthier balance, a better sense of being in control of yourself and events unfolding around you, and of course this affects your overall health along with those you connect with.

Think about it!  As always the view from your eyes stays unique to you, how healthy it will be therefore also rests with you.

View wisely my friend, and have an excellent week ahead!

~

With sincere affection to all my world wide friends, those I know and those I’ve yet to meet,

~ Penny

On the 7th day of Happiness – The Quality of Cherishing!

/ Penny L Howe / 21 Comments

dreamstime_xs_8967731

“Life comes and goes, in starts and stops,
with ups and downs and all arounds.”~ Penny L Howe

*

And yet still it’s life – as we know and understand it to be. So what can we take from this?

We can remember to Cherish! Those special people, experiences and moments – the oh-so-happy times. Within the prisms of our heart there is a quintessential quality of memories that nourish us when we’re sad, sustain us when we’re troubled and gentle our thoughts and actions when we’re stressed.

Cherishing is an artistic absolute, lifting up a mundane or indifferent day into the realm of something much more.

Hold dear and close those cherishing thoughts. They are yours to keep and value forever. Use them well. Not only do they sustain, they also become an essence of your being, a filter to enhance and strengthen your life’s experiences!

*

A warm affectionate hello to my world-wide friends,

~ Penny

The Fourth Day of Happiness – The Brightest Star in the Sky!

/ Penny L Howe / 34 Comments

dreamstime_xs_35330370

On the fourth day of Happiness a young girl and a little older boy (brother and sister) were looking up at the evening sky staring at the glorious blanket of seemingly endless sparking stars spread out across the heavens.

(The following is a true and recent conversation that I heard and witnessed. These children lost their loving dad to an unfortunate and sudden accident several years previously, As a result even the happiest holiday season is poignant with memories of times past for these young ones.)

“Look,” She said pointing to the brightest star in the sky. “It’s daddy, I know it is.” Her brother looked and was quick to agree with her.

“Yes it is Daddy. He is the brightest star in the sky,” her brother said smiling proudly.

The little girl was just as quick to answer her brother. “Of course he’s the brightest star. He’s shining down and smiling at us from heaven because he loves us and is happy we are doing okay.”

The two young ones watched for awhile, content to stare silently up into the starry sky. Their thoughts a combination of longing for their father interwoven with the enriching feeling that they and their dad were still a part of each other and the Universe (both the seen and unseen).

We are all blessed. And whatever our beliefs, all of us derive a happiness when looking up into the majestic night sky to view eternal stars shining in the sky, and yes some stars definitely shine brighter than others!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe children of this story!

We are so lucky when we consider, and remember the stars in our lives! Happy New Year everyone. Take care of you as you begin your new year most definitely with lots of hope and love (and dreams)!

With much love and affection to all of you,

Penny