The old man was so tired; he closed his eyes and dozed off. He began to dream, a vivid dream... "NO" he thought, this is no dream, and yet, what else could it be? He looked down at his arms, they were the arms of a young man… he was no longer old? He was standing beside a dirt road out in the country, it was a beautiful day, the hills were covered with emerald green grass and knurled oak trees, it was so beautiful here! Then, seemingly, from out of nowhere, his dog was by his side, Shep, but Shep had been the dog of his youth? Then it dawned on him, he must have "crossed over" he must have died in his sleep. If so all his fears of death had been silly, he felt better than he has ever felt in life; this was the most beautiful place, the most beautiful day... Shep dropped a stick at his feet and backed up excitedly, looking down at the stick then up at him, obviously anxious for him to throw it, anxious to play. He knelt down and took Shep's head between his hands and kissed him on the top of his head, his heart filled with joy, thrilled at what seemed to have occurred, thrilled with this new "reality." He felt better than he had ever felt during his time on earth...
He threw the stick for SHEP and watched him bound excitedly after it, bringing it back over and over. After a short time he realized SHEP was getting thirsty. Looking around he could not see any creek or stream or other place for Shep to get a drink so he decided they should start walking down the road. They hadn't gone very far when they came to a great marble arch with a gold gate and a gold road leading over a small hill. He could see and feel a warm glow coming from over the hill, next to the gate was a large pulpit upon which stood a saintly looking man wearing a white robe and having a long flowing white beard, very distinguished looking.
"What is this place?" he asked "Why don't you know? You've reached the gates of heaven." replied the man "May I enter?" he asked "Hmmm let me look in my book Why Yes! Your name is written here, you’re welcome to enter." "And my dog, he can come in too? He's very thirsty." "Sorry, but NO! Absolutely not! I'm sorry, dogs aren't allowed in heaven." He thought about this for a few seconds "If my dog isn't welcome then I guess I really don't belong here either." "Suit yourself, but know this: If you turn your back on this gate you will never get a second chance to enter."
He turned his back on heaven and continued down the road with Shep by his side. It was odd, all his life he had hoped to enter heaven, now he had turned his back on his only chance to enter, and yet, he felt strangely good about it. In fact, somehow, he could not manage to muster even a slight twinge of regret? In his heart he felt he had done the right "thing." As he walked down the road the countryside seemed to continue to get more and more beautiful and his sense of well being grew stronger and stronger. He crested another hill and walked down into the most beautiful valley, this was the most beautiful place he had ever been. Wildflowers bloomed everywhere, insects buzzed and gorgeous butterflies the likes of which he had never seen before flitted from flower to flower.
Interesting...and all things happen for a reason, Sweet.
Bagpipes would be a very interesting thing to hear on any day. I love them, and for a funeral dirge there aren't too many more haunting and evocative instruments. The Native American cedar flute is another that lends itself well for them.
Good...then you tell him the short cuts, 'cuz I don't know. And please don't talk to me about Obama...my jury is still out with him. The conservative part of me and the eco/hippie part of me are at war...and will be for a few years. Still a sore spot.
Bubba had long heard the stories of an amazing 21st Birthday family tradition.
His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all been able to walk on water on their 21st birthday. On that special day, they'd each walked across the lake to the bar on the far side for their first legal drink.
So when Bubba's 21st birthday came around, he and his pal Jim Bob took a boat out to the middle of the lake, Bubba stepped out of the boat ... and nearly drowned Jim Bob just barely managed to pull him to safety.
Furious and confused, Bubba went to see his grandmother. "Grandma," he said, "it's my 21st birthday, so why can't I walk cross the lake like my pappy, his father, and his father before him?"
Granny looked deeply into Bubba's troubled eyes and answered, "because your father,your grandfather,and your great-grandfather were all born in January, when the lake is frozen, and you were born in July, you dumba**."
Over here it starts with getting involved in local politics and getting known locally. Then running on the state level as Governor, Senator, or House Representative. It takes many years to work up to a point that you might get to be one of the candidates for your party, then that goes to a vote and after many months of campaigning the candidate for each party is chosen. Then it goes to many more months of campaigning by those two main candidates, plus the debates and ads. After that, the elections decide...both the popular and the electoral.
A very wise thought for today, HJ. I almost passed on a suggestion for where to take my sons one weekend when we needed something to do. Following that suggestion led me to the place that helped so much with giving me the strength to get through the coming months and to heal afterward. I've never regretted it. I only regret that now I don't get to go there as often as I want to anymore. But, when I needed it the most I had the blessing of having both the time and the money to go.
I agree. I was thinking that it would be my husband, just to feel his arms around me one more time...but, as you said, I realized the loss would be just as hard to go through again. It would never be enough, and it would re-open the wound that has finally healed.
A woodchuck is an animal found in the US and probably other similar climates/habitats, like England, that is similar to a beaver but living on land. Groundhog is another name for it.
A peck is the equivalent of 8 dry quarts. (I googled that one for you.)
Sorry...I'll check back later with suggestions. Right now I'm focused on job hunting, and I'm not in a very creative mood.
For me, I dated each of my husbands for at least a year before marrying them. You have to find someone you feel compatible with first, then date them for a while, try to get to know the real them. It doesn't always work, but life and love are a gamble anyway.
Good luck, Kunal. They say there's someone for everyone, so don't give up hope.
Good luck. I was just getting to know you a little, so I hate to see you leave so soon,if you do leave, but I understand and wish you the best...regardless.
In the meantime, I hope to get to know you better before you do go.
I hope that made sense. It's getting late, and I'm off to bed. Blessings.
That's ok...I've locked my keys in my car so many times that not only do I have my key and my remote on different fobs so that they're separate, but I carry a spare key in my wallet just in case!
One way to find your vehicle if you have a remote for it is to pop the trunk (if it has that button...not all do) or tailgate. That was advise from a friend who has had to do it. Oh...or set of your alarm with the alarm button.
Science is beginning to catch up to the mystics. As we develop nano technology, and even smaller than that occurs, science can finally prove what the Kaballah and other wise writings have taught for years about matter, time, space, dimensions, and parallel universes. For example, that all time is now.
The Gates of Heaven
The old man was so tired; he closed his eyes and dozed off. He began to dream, a vivid dream... "NO" he thought, this is no dream, and yet, what else could it be? He looked down at his arms, they were the arms of a young man… he was no longer old? He was standing beside a dirt road out in the country, it was a beautiful day, the hills were covered with emerald green grass and knurled oak trees, it was so beautiful here! Then, seemingly, from out of nowhere, his dog was by his side, Shep, but Shep had been the dog of his youth? Then it dawned on him, he must have "crossed over" he must have died in his sleep. If so all his fears of death had been silly, he felt better than he has ever felt in life; this was the most beautiful place, the most beautiful day... Shep dropped a stick at his feet and backed up excitedly, looking down at the stick then up at him, obviously anxious for him to throw it, anxious to play. He knelt down and took Shep's head between his hands and kissed him on the top of his head, his heart filled with joy, thrilled at what seemed to have occurred, thrilled with this new "reality." He felt better than he had ever felt during his time on earth...He threw the stick for SHEP and watched him bound excitedly after it, bringing it back over and over. After a short time he realized SHEP was getting thirsty. Looking around he could not see any creek or stream or other place for Shep to get a drink so he decided they should start walking down the road. They hadn't gone very far when they came to a great marble arch with a gold gate and a gold road leading over a small hill. He could see and feel a warm glow coming from over the hill, next to the gate was a large pulpit upon which stood a saintly looking man wearing a white robe and having a long flowing white beard, very distinguished looking.
"What is this place?" he asked
"Why don't you know? You've reached the gates of heaven." replied the man
"May I enter?" he asked
"Hmmm let me look in my book
Why Yes! Your name is written here, you’re welcome to enter."
"And my dog, he can come in too? He's very thirsty."
"Sorry, but NO! Absolutely not! I'm sorry, dogs aren't allowed in heaven."
He thought about this for a few seconds
"If my dog isn't welcome then I guess I really don't belong here either."
"Suit yourself, but know this: If you turn your back on this gate you will never get a second chance to enter."
He turned his back on heaven and continued down the road with Shep by his side. It was odd, all his life he had hoped to enter heaven, now he had turned his back on his only chance to enter, and yet, he felt strangely good about it. In fact, somehow, he could not manage to muster even a slight twinge of regret? In his heart he felt he had done the right "thing." As he walked down the road the countryside seemed to continue to get more and more beautiful and his sense of well being grew stronger and stronger. He crested another hill and walked down into the most beautiful valley, this was the most beautiful place he had ever been. Wildflowers bloomed everywhere, insects buzzed and gorgeous butterflies the likes of which he had never seen before flitted from flower to flower.