This is about us... the Baby Boomers...

WE ARE A GENERATION THAT WILL NEVER RETURN.

A generation that walked to and from school on foot.

A generation that completed their homework alone to quickly get outside and play in the streets.

A generation that spent all their free time with friends in the neighborhood.

A generation that played hide and seek after dark.

A generation that crafted mud pies.

A generation that collected sports cards.

A generation that gathered, cleaned, and returned empty coke bottles to the local grocery store for five cents each, then bought a Mountain Dew and a candy bar with the money.

A generation that made paper toys with their hands.

A generation who purchased vinyl albums to play on record players.

A generation that collected photos and albums of clippings from their childhood experiences.

A generation that played board games and cards on rainy days.

A generation whose TV would turn off at midnight after broadcasting the National Anthem.

A generation that had present parents.

A generation that laughed under the covers in bed so parents wouldn't know we were still awake.

A generation that is fading away and, unfortunately, will never come back no matter how hard we try.

I cherished growing up the way I did.

It was the best of times.

i need to buy this book...

Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud is a transformative guide to embracing the power of endings as a vital part of personal and professional growth. With practical wisdom and compassionate advice, Cloud shows how letting go of the things that no longer serve us—whether relationships, jobs, or habits—can create space for new opportunities and healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Here are 8 Lessons from the book:

1. Endings Are a Natural Part of Life
Just like seasons change, relationships, jobs, and situations also have their time. Recognizing that endings are necessary for growth allows us to let go without guilt or fear. It’s a normal and essential process for progress.

2. Pruning Is Key to Growth
Cloud uses the metaphor of pruning a plant to illustrate how removing dead or unproductive branches creates room for healthy growth. Whether it’s cutting toxic relationships or letting go of outdated goals, pruning helps focus energy on what truly matters.

3. Not Everything Is Meant to Be Fixed
We often waste time and energy trying to repair things that are beyond repair. Cloud emphasizes identifying situations that aren’t improving and having the courage to end them instead of staying stuck.

4. Hope Can Be Dangerous
Holding on to false hope can keep you trapped in a cycle of disappointment. Sometimes, the best way to move forward is to release hope for change in situations where the evidence shows otherwise.

5. Boundaries Protect Your Future
Ending something often involves setting boundaries. Whether it’s saying no to a toxic relationship or stepping away from a draining job, boundaries ensure you protect your mental, emotional, and professional well-being.

6. Clarity Comes Through Honest Assessment
It’s crucial to assess whether something is worth continuing. Asking questions like “Is this bearing fruit?” or “Is there potential for change?” helps you make informed decisions about when to end something.

7. The Pain of Endings Is Temporary
Letting go can feel hard, but it’s often a short-term pain that leads to long-term benefits. Trusting that endings pave the way for new opportunities can make the process more bearable and purposeful.

8. Courage Is Necessary for Change
Endings require bravery. Whether it’s initiating a tough conversation or walking away from something familiar, facing the discomfort of change is necessary to create space for new beginnings and grow.

Romans 8:28

 

Helen Mirren once said...

 

so true...

 

 

God will always bring beauty out of ashes...

 

a gentle reminder to myself...

~ This year, dear friends, may we all lose weight! The weight of expectations. The weight of self-criticism. The weight of disconnect that fills us with a deeper hunger. The weight of not always loving. The weight of a worn and weary world. Of not always accepting, seeing and inhabiting this precious and sacred body, that we're in.

~ This year, dear friends, may we all exercise! ...our holy will! Our sacred sense of purpose. Our vision and hard-earned wisdom. Our discernment and our shining hearts. In ways that enrich connections, with our bodies, our souls and those we love. And even to the world. ❤

~ This year, ah yes... may we all start the work of quitting... ...that collective Kool-Aid. The negative self-talk. The small-a**ed living. That cacophony of cockatoo-voices that drown out our souls. And old habits: Those used to stop us hearing our pain, our disappointments, and all things much better loved, seen and accepted right down to the very bottom ~ and to find true freedom, through a connection with our deepest souls.

And...

~ This fine new year, (well, here's the best...) May we all be rich! Yes, utterly and completely rich. Wildly and unapologetically. Rich in love. Life. Connection with one another and all that really matters. Filled to the brim and bubbling over; more again and spilling over that. Full of laughter, acceptance, joy, and less of worry. Less of sorrow ~ Rich in renewed experience, of a whole new year! ❤

Happy 2025, dear friends!

~Rachel Alana (R.A Falconer) Midwives of the Soul

January by Donna Ashworth...

For many, January is a hard, cold month… When everyone is setting new goals, laying down righteous ground rules and striving to become a better version of themselves, some of us are fighting to find our feet each day... You see, December is a month of giving, and some of us, come January, are completely and utterly spent. A month of remembering everyone, and remembering absolutely everything. A month of including everyone and of reaching out to each and every person we have ever known. A month of reaching breaking point every day trying to have fun, to be the ultimate hostess, to be the perfect guest. A month of stretching ourselves financially, emotionally and of letting our boundaries be breached by many... in the spirit of the season. And then January hits and bam... before we can even begin the arduous task of clearing away the festivities, we are expected to jump on the ‘new year, new you’ bandwagon and transform ourselves entirely. For some of us this is just too much. January is the darkest and most depressing month of the year and for many sensitive souls, the barrage of ‘advice’ on how we ‘should’ be living, is just too much. So perhaps this is a safe place to say that maybe it’s okay to take a week or two to recover and to just be kind to ourselves before demanding better.
And for those of us who really do fall low in the darkest month of the year. For those of us who have given too much and to whom the future looks bleak - perhaps this is the right place to say - you are absolutely fine the way you are. Just stay. Take some time to breathe. Take some time to not think about anything much at all except breathing in and breathing out. Take some time to build back up, not tear your yourself down. For many, this month is a mountain that looks unclimbable. Be kind, my friends. Always.

Donna Ashworth

This year...

Mend a quarrel.

Seek out a forgotten friend.

Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.

Write a letter.

Give a soft answer.

Encourage youth.

Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.

Keep a promise.

Forgo a grudge.

Forgive an enemy.

Apologize.

Try to understand.

Examine your demands on others.

Think first of someone else.

Be kind.

Be gentle.

Laugh a little more.

Express your gratitude.

Welcome a stranger.

Gladden the heart of a child.

Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.

Speak your love and then speak it again.

~ Howard W. Hunter

As The Chapter Closes...

As we stand at the threshold of another year's end, our hearts hold both shadows and light.

2024 brought us moments that tested our strength, taught us resilience, and showed us who truly stands beside us when storms gather.

To those we lost - your absence echoes in the quiet moments, but your love continues to guide us forward.

To the challenges that brought us to our knees - thank you for showing us we are stronger than we knew.

Some of us carry scars that the world cannot see, fought battles in silence, and found courage in the darkest hours. Yet here we stand, breathing, hoping, dreaming still.

Tonight, we release the weight of what was, honoring both our tears and triumphs. They have shaped us, but they do not define our tomorrow.

As the sun sets on this chapter, we gather our hopes like stars, ready to paint them across a fresh canvas. Tomorrow brings not just a new year, but a chance to begin again - wiser, braver, and more grateful for each breath we share.

To 2024 - thank you for your lessons. To 2025 - we step toward you with open hearts, ready to write new stories of love, healing, and possibility.

May we all find peace in letting go and courage in beginning anew.

~ Etheric Echoes

for 2025...

 

 

my toast...

 My New Years toast will be especially dedicated to me.

To the person I am, to my dreams, to my ideas, to my sacrifices...

To everything I've had and lost, to what I've found on the way.

I'll raise a toast to me, to the good that I've given, and to the good I've received.

A toast to life that's worth living anyway, to everything I don't have or want, to everything that was unexpectedly given.

That's what I'll do, just one toast...

A toast to Life!

Goodbye, 2024...

As the year winds down, I find myself looking back—not at the calendar or the milestones I thought I’d hit, but at the quiet battles I fought and the lessons I never asked for.

This year wasn’t always kind. There were sleepless nights when my thoughts wouldn’t let me rest and days where the weight of responsibilities felt like too much. Disappointments came in waves, expectations fell short, and people I thought would stay became memories. Some nights, hope felt so far away I wasn’t sure I’d find it again. But somehow, I did. I kept going. And in the mess of it all, I found strength I didn’t even know I had.

This year taught me how to Survive—the kind you only discover when life gives you no other choice. It showed me that growth isn’t always pretty or gentle, —sometimes, it’s raw and exhausting. I learned to let go of what wasn’t meant for me, even when it hurt, and to hold on tighter to the small joys that made the hard days bearable. There were moments that broke me, but there were also moments that pieced me back together. And if nothing else, I’ve made it here—to the end of the year—still standing, still learning, still finding ways to be grateful for the journey.

As we step into a new year, I hope it feels different—lighter, softer, and a little more forgiving. I hope we find peace in places we never thought to look, and joy in ways that feel effortless. I hope we can leave behind the heaviness of what didn’t work out and carry forward the growth we’ve earned.

No matter what lies ahead, may we remember how far we’ve come—and face the next chapter with open hearts, knowing we’ve already survived so much. — You’re a sweet goodbye after all, 2024!

— Lj Blossoms

Sad news to end 2024

the last 3 months of 2024 have turned out to be sad ones with Dan and I hearing of friends and family members going home to heaven...

the first one was our daughter-in-law's mom, Melina Cornejo, who died in her sleep in late October. She was only 67 and had had heart issues. She leaves behind her 2 daughters and 6 grandkids who will miss her dearly...

that was followed by Pastor Rusty Vigonte here in Brooke's Point, a co-laborer in TEMI's Bible School ministry, who died unexpectedly on November 29 from a massive cardiac arrest. He was only 50 and left behind his wife Marites and 4 children--Joy, Faith, Love, and Christian.

Ben Naguit, someone from Dan's childhood, passed away in early December. He is pictured here with his sister Gloria Naguit Aquino.

a few days later, i received word from my cousin Liza Caronongan that her Mom, my Dad's sister, Rhoda Isidro Pepito, had also passed away. She had just turned 90 but had been on dialysis for 10+ years. According to my cousin Vera Acosta, she had already prepared her family for the inevitable. An opera singer, i smile when i think of her singing with the heavenly choir along with her Mom, my Grandma Tecson, who also had a wonderful voice, and my Dad who could have also pursued a career in music but chose instead to be a pastor...

We were still reeling from the news of my aunt's homegoing when another friend from Dan's childhood, David Salmo, unexpectedly passed away. He was only 62.

I told Dan that I was waiting for the proverbial "other shoe" to drop when i received a message from his aunt, Josie Lacanilao, which she sent in the early morning hours of December 23 (Philippine time), that her husband, Tito Paul, our favorite of his uncles, had also gone home to heaven. Tito Paul had been sick for awhile and we are thankful that he is no longer in pain, but it's still a great loss for those of us who knew and loved him...

this is what was posted on Facebook:

Pastor Paul Lacanilao--Beloved Founder and Pastor of Cornerstone International Christian Church (CICC) in La Puente, California was ushered into glory and his heavenly home today. He was 83. God used him mightily as His faithful servant for over 50 years, bringing the Gospel to many and impacting lives for His Kingdom. We thank the Lord for Pastor Paul’s precious life and legacy!

Praise God!! All these precious individuals had a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, and we can look forward to seeing them again when God calls us home to heaven someday...

true...

You never know how long you will be walking the path with someone. Life has its own plans, and no matter how much we try to look to the future and predict what's going to happen, it's all still a huge unknown.⁠
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But don't let the constant coming and going of things make you fear what's around the bend. Because all of the things in your life, at one point in time, were unknown to you. All of the wonderful moments you have lived were once just around the bend, and you just didn't know it yet.⁠
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So see it all through the eyes of possibility. Know that what could be... could turn out to be far more than you have ever imagined.⁠
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And then look to what you have in the moments in front of you and plant the seeds of joy, connection, gratitude, and compassion. Immerse yourself in the moment.⁠ Because as wonderful as around the bend may be, it's never as certain as what we have right here.⁠
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Be here. Be here. Be here.⁠
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Appreciate them.⁠
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Tell them that you love them. Hold onto them while they are here, and if at some point in time the path runs out—as hard as it may be—you can at least acknowledge that you were really here with them while they were as well.⁠
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It takes just a moment to let go of all your fears, doubts, and worries and to connect with the fact that you are alive, loved, and looked after. People like this bring you back to who you are. They can help you rediscover what you thought was lost. They are guides to where you need to be.⁠

There are some really special people that come into our lives that bring out the best in us. They might be friends, family, or relationships. Each of them brings a gift, something to teach you, something to offer you, and a path to you becoming who you are meant to be.⁠

Friendships in Adulthood...

Can I let you in on a secret about friendships in adulthood? Sometimes they are really freaking hard. Like, really freaking hard. But so often the friends we have in our adult years are the only thing saving us from hitting rock bottom. The truth is that even the strongest friendship bonds are not forged in stone. No, just as life is ever changing, friendships will always ebb and flow. Sometimes your closest friends fade away into the background of your life.
Sometimes background friends somehow become part of your inner circle. Sometimes brand new people enter your life and become the friends you never knew you needed.
Sometimes your heart aches because it misses the friendships that used to be but are no more. No matter where you are in your adult friendship journey, don't overthink it and don't dwell in the past. Instead, hold on tight and ride the friendship wave. Welcome the ones that find their way to you.
Send peace to the ones who fade away.
Love the friends that are there right now.

Changing Perspectives with Jenny Brennan