Karin Bartsch's Journals

We live that our souls may grow. The development of the soul is the purpose of existence. - John G. Lake

Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans. - John Lennon

Growth of the soul is our goal, and there are many ways to encourage that growth, such as through love, nature, healing our wounds, forgiveness and service. The soul growths well when giving and receiving love. I nourish my soul daily by loving others and being vulnerable to their love.. Love is , after all, a verb, an action word, not a noun. - Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.

Do what you can, with what you have, right where you are. - Theodore Roosevelt

The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer somebody else up! - Mark Twain

When one door of happines closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us. - Helen Keller

It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it! - Lena Horn, singer

Make it a rule of life never to regret and never look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy, you can't build on it, it is good only for wallowing in.  - Katherine Mansfield

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.  - Anonymous

If you are not afraid to face the music, you may someday lead the band. - Anonymous

Contentment comes not from getting what you want but from enjoying what you have.

Never be ashamed to admit you were wrong. You are only saying that you are smarter today than you were yesterday. - Dave Gilpin, author

The beaten path is the safest, but the traffic is terrible. - Jeff Taylor, founder of monster.com

The giant oak is just an acorn that held its ground. - Mark Gilroy, author

A true friend is someone who is there for you when he would rather be anywhere else. Len Wein, comic book writer

Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath. Michael Caine, actor

A real friend never gets in your way - -Unless you happen to be on the way down.

A dead-end street is a good place to turn around. - Naomi Judd, singer

Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects. - Arnhold H. Glasow

Every life has its dark hours and its cheerful hours. Happiness comes from choosing which to remember. - Author unknown

May I never miss a rainbow or a sunset because I am looking down.....

Security is an illusion. Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing at all. -Helen Keller

Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.                      Albert Einstein

What you think of yourself is much more important than what others think of you.-Seneca

Where the river is deepest, it makes the least noise. - Italian Proverb

Half of the world is on the wrong scent in the pursuit of happiness. They think it consists of having and getting and in being served by others. It consists in giving and in serving others. - Henry Drummond

He who would have nothing to do with thorns must never attempt to gather roses......

The poorest human being has something to give that the richest could not buy.               George M. Adams

People who cannot bear to be alone are the worst company. - Albert Guinon

It is said that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that leave us breathless.  A comment underneath one of my questions in Answerbag.com

The wise person questions himself, the fool questions others. - Henry Arnold

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Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the courage to change the things I can, the serenity to accept the things I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.  - Reinhold Niebuhr

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Today I received an email from a friend of mine here in Arizona, which contained a true story. It touched my heart - and I know, it will touch yours....

The Sandpiper

by Robert Peterson

She was 6 years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live. I drive to this beach, a distance of 3 or 4 miles, whenever the world begins to close in on me. She was building a sand castle or something and she looked up, her eyes as blue as the sea.

"Hello", she said.

I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child.

"I'm building", she said.

"I see that. What is it?", I asked, not really caring.

"Oh, I don't know, I just like the feel of sand."

That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes.

A sandpiper glided by.

"That's a joy", the child said.

"It's a what?"

"It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come bring us joy".

The bird went gliding down the beach. Good-bye joy, I muttered to myself, hello pain, and turned to walk on. I was depressed, my life seemed completely out of balance.

"What's your name?"  She wouldn't give up.

"Robert", I answered. "I'm Robert Peterson"

"Mine is Wendy. I am six."

"Hi, Wendy."

She giggled. "You are funny", she said.

In spite of my gloom, I laughed too and walked on. Her musical giggle followed me.

"Come again, Mr.P" she called. "We will have another happy day."

The next few days consisted of a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, and an ailing mother. The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwasher. I needed a sandpiper, I said to myself, gathering up my coat.

The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me. The breeze was chilly but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed.

"Hello, Mr.P", she called. " Do you want to play?"

"What did you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance.

"I don't know. You say."

"How about charades?" I asked sarcastically.

The tinkling laughter burst forth again. "I don't know what that is."

"Then let's just walk."

Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness of her face. "Where do you live?" I asked.

"Over there." She pointed toward a row of summer cottages.

Strange, I thought, in winter.

"Where do you go to school?"

"I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation."

She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other things. When I left for home, Wendy said it had been a happy day. Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed.

Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic. I was in no mood to even greet Wendy. I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.

"Look, if you don't mind", I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me. "I would rather be alone today." She seemed unusually pale and out of breath.

"Why?" she asked.

I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" and thought, MY God, why was I saying this to a little child?

"Oh", she said quietly, "then it is a bad day."

"Yes", I said, "and yesterday and the day before and - -oh, go away!"

"Did it hurt?" she inquired.

"Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.

"When she died?"

"Of course it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself.      I  strode off.

A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't there. Feeling guilty, ashamed and admitting to myself I missed her, I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.

"Hello", I said, "I'm Robert Peterson. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was".

"Oh, yes, Mr.Peterson, please, come in. Wendy spoke of you so much. I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please, accept my apologies."

"Not at all, she is a delightful child", I said, suddenly realizing that I meant what I just said.

"Wendy died last week, Mr.Peterson. She had leukemia. Maybe she didn't tell you".

Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. I had to catch my breath.

"She loved this beach. So when she asked to come, we couldn't say no. She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days. But the last few weeks she declined rapidly..."  Her voice faltered. "She left something for you, if only I can find it. Could you wait a moment while I look?"

I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something to say to this lovely young woman. She handed me a smeared envelope with "Mr.P" printed in bold childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues - - a yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird.. Underneath was carefully printed:

A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY

Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten to love opened wide. I took Wendy's mother in my arms. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry", I uttered over and over, and we wept together.

The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study. Six words, one for each year of her life, that speak to me of harmony, courage and undemanding love.

A gift of a child with sea blue eyes and hair the color of sand - -   who taught me the gift of love.

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NOTE: this is a tue story sent out by Robert Peterson. It happened over 20 years ago and the incident changed his life forever. It serves as a reminder to all of us that we need to take time to enjoy living and life and each other.

Life is so complicated, the hustle and bustle of everyday traumas can make us loose focus about what is truly important or what is only a momentary setback or crisis.

Be sure to give your loved ones an extra hug, and by all means, take a moment, even if it is only ten seconds, to stop and  "smell the roses".

Everything that happens to us happens for a reason. Never brush aside anyone as insignificant. Who knows what they can teach us?

When things go wrong as they sometimes will, when the road you're trudging seems all uphill, when the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile , but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns, as everyone of us sometimes learns, and many a failure turns about, when he might have won had he stuck it out: Don't give up though the pace seems slow - you may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out - the silver tints of the clouds of doubt, and you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems so far.

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - it's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

                   MARIAN APOSTOLATE  - MARIAN FATHERS   in Stockbridge, Mass. 01262

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The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue.        Anonymous

Don't accept your dogs admiration as conclusive evidence that yo are wonderful.             Ann Landers

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.                  Will Rogers

There is no better psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.                        Ben Williams

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.                       Josh Billings

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.                                           Andy Rooney

Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate.                                                           Sigmund Freud 

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference in between a dog and a man.                                                          Mark Twain

You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says: Wow, you are right, I never would have thought of that!                                                           Dave Barry

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them.                                                                                                  Phil Pastoret

Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.                           Franklin P. Jones                                                                                                         

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