anyway and everything….
It’s groaning with gratitude, my anyway jar,
filling up with goodness glinting like unpolished gold
in these hardscrabble times
and my heart grins brighter with each plunk of plenty
and I remember laughing how I thought I’d fill one quicker
with “stuff that sucks”
and I think that maybe, in time, I’d have had to dump
the “holy crap, this bites” pile into the
“thanks for this brilliance” jar and see it all true
and call it all good, the whole lump of it,
because it’s all being worked together that way,
crafted into something I wouldn’t have wanted to miss
or control
or sleep through dull
and now I’m thinking thanks for it all,
the bits that are beautiful and blistering and balmy and broken;
I’ll take it all grateful
because loving genius is weaving the parts
into story large and strong
and I can trust this resourceful heart
with my everything.
Just doing a little heartcheck as the year unfolds
and the one little word I chose
*anyway*
still challenging me.
Do you have a word that’s speaking to you?
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Be successful anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them,
anyway.”
– attributed to Mother Teresa
In my cluttered head, mind, heart no single word has claimed me. Gratitude, trust and persistence are repeated often though.
Another gorgeous post to make my heart sing. Thank you.
those are good repeats:)
we don’t have to get married to a word, do we.
just see where the wild winds take us:)
peace,
Jennifer
So many things to love about this post, Jennifer. That last quote is so encouraging – something to remember when life stings a bit. And your photography is just beautiful, especially that red flower glowing against a backdrop of buildings. And, as always, your inspiring words, and the concept of ‘loving genius’ that is making sense of the difficult elements of life and ‘weaving’ them together with the good to create a life tapestry. Do I have that right? My word lately? Tolerance.
Thanks Judy:)
So glad you came by….you listen so well
with your heart:)
That’s a word I haven’t heard anyone else use
. Peace to you in the walking it out,
Jennifer
Your anyway jar is a great idea, and I love the quote that inspired it!
There’s a phrase that’s speaking to me lately, something Jesus said of a woman– “she did what she could”. I find that incredibly encouraging.
she did what she could.
I like that, too.
so glad you came by
with your sunflower way:)
-Jennifer
Your jar of abundance in different forms. Your words always sing.
abundance takes on so many voices, doesn’t it.
I think it takes all of them to fill out a choir:)
-Jennifer
Gratitude makes everything better! We have a gratitude jar too… And I adore your sunlit flower shots.
I so appreciate your visits and encouragement, friend:)
-Jennifer
So so beautiful and filled with gratitude. I love your jar! You are a blessing in this world, Jennifer. Love, kath
THANK you, Kath!
Holding your kind words close:)
-Jennifer
At Onement chose me
late in the year
as snow covered the ground
and my heart yearned for spring
Be at peace with everything
anyway
my heart spoke
And I am learning
to accept
to know
to be within and of
everything and anything
anyway.
Thank you Jennifer for your inspiration.
Your heart is never dull
always full
and beautiful and loving.
Blessings to you my friend.
Your comments are music……thank you:)
-Jennifer
Dear Jennifer, truly a wise post today. How brilliant to fill your jar with gratitude from your heart, and trusting the heart of Love with everything. The spiritual laws are at work in the garden of your heart and you ‘re having a beautiful harvest.
Thanks for always reminding us to be grateful.
Have a bountiful week.
Hugs,
JB
trusting the heart of love with everything…gosh I love those strong words.
like good strong tea:)
THANK you,
Jennifer
Jennifer, I love the “it was never between you and them anyway.” That is brilliant. It reminds me of a quote: What others think of me is none of my business. Isn’t it an immense freedom just to put out love into the world and simply not worry one bit about how or where it will be received?
sort of sets my heart free, too, Susan;
thanks for your balmy words,
Jennifer
Susie recently published “Summer Pleasures” at http://www.life-change-compost.com (Not sure why it didn’t add it, so I hope you won’t mind my adding it myself….. S.
I love your anyway….I have been thinking much the same way as I work through my word ‘thrive’…challenge, change I embrace it all.
thrive is a strong, challenging word.
big thriving grace to you,
Jennifer
Gratitude makes everything beautiful, doesn’t it? And, you, my friend, are so very good at seeing the beauty.
thanks Relyn….that’s what I love about you, too:)
-Jennifer
Oh I have one of those!!! Love – great post!
thanks for coming by, my traveling, wide-seeing friend:)
-Jennifer
Those sunny flowers are working their wonderful magic on me 😉
Thank you 🙂
flowers and magic….they always do that, don’t they.
-Jennifer
your words always uplift me
I’m so glad, kamana….big thanks for coming by!
-Jennifer
Love this, Jen! It REALLY is just between God and me, isn’t it! Anyway!!
Love you and the gifts that you share!!
Gosh thanks, Mom:) It really is and how grand is that:)
I love you,
Jen
In Metaphysics this is the year of Gratitude, so I just always go with their word…and I work at it each and every day, opening my heart to it…some days it works better than others!!! As they say, gratitude is a generating energy, the more you feel it the more that comes into your life! I have found that to be very true!
Anyway…love that quote and last sentence…between God and me…wow…very powerful!!
so glad when you share snippets of your journey, Kathryn;
thank you:)
-Jennifer
You are a caretaker of wonder. (And that’s from a book my son had as a child.) And I’m so very glad that you are.
I always love your flower photos, you somehow capture their beauty perfectly.
these are words to treasure, Kelly…..holding them
close to hear
with glad thanks:)
-Jennifer
Oh yes to the balmy goodness, glorious beauty within! Love it!
thanks for raising your yes with mine:)
-Jennifer
I love your gratitude jar, but it doesn’t surprise me at all that it is getting so full! no one I know seems to live gratitude more gracefully and thoroughly every single day, sharing its light with the world.