Stare into my eyes And what do you see Beyond mere physical The redness and fatigue Past a tiredness and regret The HAUNTING of Whatever this way may come In uncertainty and chaos For in times of trouble Steady on my friends Hope is still alive
Sometimes we just don’t know, and sometimes we have to move and get off the X.
You have the power to help, power to make the world a little better one ripple at a time. The future is uncertain and our souls need rest. Our hearts are haunted, it is a time of troubles and yet, we must believe that hope is still alive.
Challenge: During this time of uncertainty in which we find ourselves what one thing can you do?
Sometimes we need to get away
To disappear and disconnect
Into the wild and unfettered
Away from the responsibility
The chains of obligation
That bind us day to day
In the midst of the times in which we currently find ourselves, I find this quote from Thomas Wolfe all the more appropriate. As we isolate, self-quarantine and social distance from one another the sense of loneliness can inevitably grow. Leading to heightened anxiety and stress levels, lowering our immune systems even more.
So how do we combat this while maintaining our boundaries to curtail the spread of infection? How do we maintain connection with others? A few tips:
Use technology wisely – text messaging, video chats and even the age old phone call. However, be cautious as to what you consume through social media as this can be overwhelming and add to the anxiety.
Eat healthy and stay hydrated – cut out as much junk food as you can and avoid large amounts of alcohol.
Get moving – even with all the requests and directives to not venture out or shelter in place you can still exercise. Either at home or by going for a walk, jog or bike ride. The fresh air and sunshine can have a good effect on your mood.
Take up a hobby virtually – something you have always wanted to learn. There are a plethora of options for on-line learning available to us. Note: see first bullet.
Keep your pets close – the unconditional love they give is the best.
Keep the faith!
This affects us all and we are all in this together.
Often it is in the simple things and tonight I am taking my daughter on a date.
We are doubling with friends on a daddy/daughter date. It is the time we spend together with those we love, the experiences and the memories that linger, not the things we accumulate.
“Hello” it was that simple little word that started it all in the fall of 1984. I remember the girl with long brown hair, tanned skin wearing a summer dress and espadrille sandals approaching the art table where I sat as the lyrics to the Al Stewart song The Year of the Cat rang through my mind.
She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running Like a watercolor in the rain Don’t bother asking for explanations She’ll just tell you that she came In the year of the cat
She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running – Like a watercolor in the rainhttps://youtu.be/tqW4xIr7nj0 Al Stewart “The Year of the Cat”
My voice trembled and I heard myself say with great effort, “I only want her to not be in pain.”
“That is all I am focused on.” He stated his voice low and measured. He gazed at me with a look of both sadness and resignation before turning and walking away.
Memory flooded back as I stood in the hospital corridor, the lyrics to “Peaceful Easy Feeling” by the Eagles chorusing through my mind.
I like the way your sparkling earrings lay Against your skin so brown And I want to sleep with you in the desert night With a billion stars all around…
I get this feelin’ I may know you As a lover and a friend This voice keeps whisperin’ in my other ear Tells me I may never see you again
I like the way your sparkling earrings lay – Against your skin so brown – And I want to sleep with you in the desert night – With a billion stars all around… https://youtu.be/NjofshOBV5s Eagles “Peaceful Easy Feeling”
This post is excerpted from my upcoming memoir, tentatively titled – There is Always Hope.
My first wife died of breast cancer at the age of 26 after battling over the last three years of our short five year marriage and yes, cancer sucks.
Over twenty-five years have come and gone and still there is not a day that something does not remind me of her. The twinges of memory flit across my mind as a butterfly haunts a flower.
Be sure to click the follow button and subscribe and be one of the first to receive email updates about the forthcoming book and other happenings. I would also love to hear your thoughts so leave me a comment. You can connect with me on Twitter @mwschutter, Instagram @mwschutter or Facebook @mwschutter
And so I will forge ahead and I encourage you to do the same. Whether the new year has started out well for you with clarity and intention or like me you are somewhat in a fog. I will continue to pursue my dreams, love my family and friends, believing that hope lives.
Watch for my memoir tentatively titled ‘There is Always Hope‘ which I hope to self-publish later this year. I will continue to edit my trilogy novel series ‘The Chronicles of Faith‘ as well as write poetry for my own anthology collection. I also plan to enjoy the moments, each and every one!
Welcome to my newly redesigned and updated author website. Thanks for visiting as I continue to actively write poetry, novels, short stories and my upcoming memoir for release and I would love to share it all with you.
I recently had several poems published in the anthology Broken Hearts — Healing Words by A.B. Baird Publishing. I am blessed to be a part of this great work that is dedicated to those who have loved and lost, and those who are hiding and healing.
My memoir chronicles my experiences as a young man whose young wife battled cancer and eventually died after less than five years of marriage. I was totally unprepared for that and did what the world told me do, get on with life. Well grief is not so easily put off as I have discovered over twenty-five years later. My hope is the book will help others, especially men, young men who have experienced loss when the world tells us to be a man and that boys don’t cry.
My novel trilogy is a three book series set in the present day that combines the battle between supernatural forces of good and evil with highly advanced drone technology. The ensuing circumstances force the characters to question their faith in both a higher cause and in each other as they battle for their very lives and the fate of humanity.
“Judgement finds us all, the question is only where and when.” ~Mark Wayne (From the upcoming novel trilogy The Chronicles of Faith)
