April 16, 2010

Mother, Mentor, Friend - Mother's Day Tribute

This is about my Mom, and it is for my Mom. A very special woman, a real lady, and a true friend. Happy Mother's Day...

She was always very busy. Whether she was hanging freshly washed sheets out on the sun-drenched clothesline, feeding table scraps to the hungry neighborhood strays, mending our well-worn school clothes or baking her famous drippy-gooey cinnamon rolls, she was never idle. With four young children to raise, she had no time for boredom and no opportunities for loneliness. She had a deliberate way of filling every minute and every day with meaning, rich experience and warm memory.

As the eldest of her four children, I can see that we each had a special, equal yet individual, part of this very young, beautiful wife and mother. We felt secure and knew beyond doubt that we would never be neglected or forgotten. She was always within a safe distance, and never hovered possessively. One of her gifts was knowing where that fine line was between support and suffocation, and she was careful not to cross it.

There were times she would almost magically appear when we needed her. Ready and available with her calming presence, unspoken support and formidable strength. Her "sixth sense" guided her to us every time we needed her most.

She was born to be a mother. At eighteen years of age she began fulfilling her destiny, giving her a clear and unwavering purpose in life. Motherhood was her special "calling" and her obvious gift. She realized this at the moment of my birth.

We were blessed to have her in our lives. We were her focus, her world. Our survival, health, happiness and maturity were her daily concerns. She wanted her children to grow to be well-adjusted, honorable, happy adults. To grow up feeling a sense of responsibility, pride and self-respect, respecting God and country.

She deeply believed that responsibility, a realistic viewpoint toward life, compassion, flexibility and a deep, optimistic sense of humor were the best defenses against all that life would throw in our way. She lived her principles with a charming, self-effacing sense of humor. She gave us a firm and stable foundation on which to build our adult future selves. And I am grateful.

Depending on her was a very easy, natural thing to do. Her melting smile and nurturing hugs contained the magic to make the whole world better instantly. Compassion and tender mercy radiated from her much like the warming rays that flow from a summer sun.

She was an alert student of human nature, and she learned at an early age how cruel life could be. Instead of mourning her lost childhood she turned the bitter memories into cautionary lessons for her own children. She remained a realist with a romantic's soul and looked at life directly, honestly. She taught us these precious things through example and gentle, yet firm, direction.

Her capacity for empathy was uncommon. She was so filled with inherent kindness and sweetness that she warmed anyone who spent time with her. And whenever we were separated, there remained a lingering, comforting fragrance of memory.

She had the tenacity of a pit bull with the grace and manners of a show-quality purebred collie... but anyone who threatened her children saw the fierce lioness always prepared to protect her young. She would smile at this description, flattered because of her deep love and admiration of animals and nature.

There always seemed to be a sparkle in her eyes, as if she glowed from somewhere very deep inside. Even during painful or harsh times her sparkle would bubble just below the surface, ready to burst into a warm, iridescent glow. Her soul cracked with the spark of those who know how to survive life with a smile in their hearts.

She had a marvelous way of instilling these values in us, providing us with a sense of pride and loyalty that we still use and treasure. Learning from her was an exciting, entertaining, interesting and fulfilling time of my life--it was my childhood.

Reflecting back all those years ago, I remember the painful times, financial hardships, losses, tragedies and struggles. However, even with the bad times--maybe because of them--her presence, her lessons taught so much. I am able to savor every memory knowing that everything she taught me will benefit and sustain me all through my life...and in honor of her, I pass these lessons on to those who touch my life.

I treasure every day we spent together. Even now, though we live many miles apart, we are still making memories. Not as parent to child, but woman to woman. Friend to friend. I have been blessed knowing that my mother, my mentor, will always be my friend.

April 11, 2010

Barnaby Creek


Barnaby Creek
Originally uploaded by Cherie Davidson
While sitting in this place, I remembered something a dear friend sent me the other day that really touched me...this is exactly how I felt looking at this beautiful place, smelling the dampness, the scents of early spring, listening to the peacefulness of nature and the sound of the gentle creek...

Although I had to work...
Some have no job…....

I never got my waffles………
Some have no food….

I got to watch it rain…..
Some have no window…....

I heard a great song……
Some hear no music…......

I talked with a great friend…
Some know not the meaning….....

I got to dream…. about someplace I have never been….
Some never dream…..

So for me, I can say,
I had a good day……. in fact, make it a great day.....

I, too, had a great day...

March 29, 2010

W. E. - Two Letters That Mean So Much (A Poem)

Two letters, quiet and unassuming.
Each one, on its own, becomes a piece of the bigger puzzle,
Of bigger, very important words,
Of words that can change opinions, actions, even history itself.

W
E

The first opens up our World.
The second begins Everything.

As with life, one thing, one element, one person
Can open up our World.


As with the heart, one feeling, one emotion, one action
Can begin Everything...

But the magic, the wonder, the blessing comes
When those two letters become a word all their own...

We

Two worlds, two hearts, two lives
Share, blend, combine,
Join in the soul to become one...

Two quiet, unassuming, meaningful souls
Important in their own worlds.

Together, "We" becomes one heart, one mind
In a World where Everything is possible...


 © 2010 Cherie' Davidson All rights reserved

March 2, 2010

Life... It Is What It Is

It is what it is...
a fact of life I knew,
but have recently stared in the eye.

Friendships we choose,
The way we look,
The things we pursue,
The decisions we make,
The life we’ve lived,
The life we are living...

It is what it is.

The pain from our bad decisions,
The sorrow of lost opportunities,
The hurt of a devastating loss,
The discomfort of being alone...

It is what it is.

The joy of hearing a child’s innocent laugh,
The peace felt while sitting by a river or at the ocean’s shore,
The love of being with someone you respect and adore,
The thrill of living life at high speed,
The pride over a child that has grown into a truly good person,
The warmth felt when you know you’ve made a difference in a friend’s life,
The contentment of a life fully lived...

Realizing that all in life, at this moment,
simply is what it is...

A logical, intelligent, true statement of fact...
Life is what it is.

Accepting life in this way,
Is it facing reality, or embracing complacency?

Life is robust and glorious,
Painful and trying,
Filled with tremendous potential...
So by accepting simply that it is what it is,
Are we doing ourselves an injustice?
Are we sabotaging growth, improvement,
Preventing opportunities for learning to do and be better?

Maybe what has been, is what it is,
But the future, and today... right now...
It is what we decide it to be...
It can be what God wants it to be if we choose that path...
Or it can pass into another day of being simply what it is...

Life is what it is...yesterday.
Life is what you make it...tomorrow.


© 2010 Cherie' Davidson

(This is dedicated to a dear friend with whom I have greatly enjoyed deep, intriguing and fun conversations on life and all its ups, downs and mysteries. Thank you, Dave.) 

January 25, 2010

Past and Present Meet After 30+ Years

Very recently I received a surprise e-mail. Someone sent me a Facebook friend request, which isn’t unusual in itself. But the name...now, that was more than unusual. It was a name I never thought I’d ever see again.

As I looked at that name, over 30 years rewinded for me in a millisecond. After the cloud of memory cleared from my eyes, I saw his photo in the e-mail message. Yes, those are his eyes, and that is his smile...I knew that face, even though he was 17 the last time I saw it.

With that Facebook request, an amazing journey began. One that few people are fortunate enough to take, and one I never expected in a million years.

We had spent several years riding a school bus together. We lived on the end of the route, so we talked a lot, every day. He sat on the high school side, and I sat on the grade school side, always under the constant vigilance of Clyde, our gruff, eagle-eyed bus driver. We talked about pretty much the same things most teens talked about in the 1970s...everything except that we liked each other. But my little pink diary was filled with thoughts on how much I liked him. He treated me like I was special, and important, and he imprinted a very positive, lifelong impression on my heart.

As happens, life moved on. Two innocent country kids began to grow up, and life parted us. He went off to college, and my family moved out of the area. Years flew by, lives lived, loves found and lost, good times, sad times and some confusing times, but not once in those years did our paths cross. Sure, I asked about him over the years, and when I started working on the Internet, I did a few searches. Nothing. I didn’t expect to find him...besides, he wouldn’t remember me. He was a senior and I was in junior high. I laughed at the thought that he’d ever remember my name.

Until Facebook. “How have you been, you may not remember me...rode that big old yellow school bus with you everyday... How is life??? Would be fun to catch up...”

He remembered me. Amazing. Staring at his strong, mature face, I still saw that boy. Those vibrant eyes and that charming smile. Seeing that name in my e-mail inbox seemed surreal. He just digitally dropped in, through time and space.

Honestly, I was a little nervous. Very happy to find that he remembered my name, but what was he like now? I’d had so many years of this wonderful set of memories entrenched in the fabric of who I am...would knowing who he grew up to be shatter those treasured memories? Would it just be better to keep the memories protected, keep that young girl’s crush safe from reality? That seriously crossed my mind...

However, I need life to be real. I’m a “face it head on and deal with it” person and I need to know truths, not live with pretty illusions...besides, I have an extremely curious nature. So, I clicked to accept this old friend from the past into my current life.

My reply e-mail was probably a lot of babble. I felt a little sorry for him having to read it; must have been pretty silly. The little girl from the past wanted to write all sorts of things, but I kept telling myself, don’t sound like an idiot, don’t say too much, let him tell you some things first...

He wrote back right away. I read his e-mail with a feeling that this isn’t real. This can’t be...but it is. It’s HIM.

For several days we exchanged e-mails, each more fun. They were filled with memories of a hometown, a valley, that we both adore. Catching up on family and friends, where we are in our lives. E-mails filled with humor and cherished, shared memories went on to become chats with more up to date information. We revealed some of our lives, and remarkably, there was no discomfort or uneasiness. We were not two strangers; after all this time, in God's plan, we were never meant to be strangers.

From chats, we crossed over to real life... and one evening the phone rang. I’m telling you, seeing his name on my caller ID, the complete surreal quality hit me again. HIS name and number on my phone. I nervously and excitedly picked up the phone, and I heard his voice. Even though he had a cold, there was a familiarity that settled right in...or was it already established from the chats and e-mails...or from time itself? I don’t know, but we had a laugh-filled call that seemed to mix time and reality in an amazing way. To speak to a childhood sweetheart after all those years...to find out your affection had been returned, and to not feel awkward about it...it was just amazing. (I think I’ve worn out that word!)

We’ve only just been reintroduced, and we are learning about each other’s lives and loves, past and present...and I realized that the relationship we formed in childhood had been one of friendship. A friendship that started in one decade and patiently waited through many decades, to arrive rich and full.

This reunion is a treasured time of my life. Whether we stay in contact, or life separates us yet again, the little girl now knows that boy felt the same way about her...and the woman knows the man is a good friend.

Life is remarkable...simply amazing.