I'm officially an "orphan"

WHEN YOU SAY GOODBYE TO A PARENT

You are suddenly living in a whole new world.

You are no longer ‘the child’ and regardless of how long you have officially been ‘grown up’ for, you realise you actually never were until this moment. The shock of this adjustment will shake your very core.

When you have finally said goodbye to both your parents, assuming you were lucky enough to have had two. You are an orphan on this earth and that never, ever gets easier to take no matter how old and grey you are yourself and no matter how many children of your own you have.

You see, a part of your body is physically connected to the people that made it and also a part of your soul. When they no longer live, it is as if you are missing something practical that you need – like a finger or an arm. Because really, you are. You are missing your parent and that is something far more necessary than any limb.

And yet the connection is so strong it carries on somehow, noone knows how exactly. But they are there. In some way, shape or form they are still guiding you if you listen closely enough. You can hear the words they would choose to say to you. You can feel the warmth of their approval, their smile when a goal is achieved, their all-consuming love filling the air around you when a baby is born they haven’t met.

If you watch your children very closely you will see that they too have a connection with your parents long after they are gone. They will say things that resonate with you because it brings so many memories of the parent you are missing. They will carry on traits, thoughts and sometimes they will even see them in their dreams. This is not something we can explain.

Love is a very mystical and wondrous entity.

It is far better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all and grief, grief is the price of that love. The deeper the love the stronger the grief.

When you say goodbye to a parent, do not forget to connect with that little girl who still lives inside you somewhere.

Take very good care of her, for she, she will be alone and scared.

When you say goodbye to your parents, you lose an identity, a place in the world.

When the people who put you on this earth are no longer here, it changes everything.

Look after yourself the way they looked after you and listen out for them when you need it the most.

They never really leave.

Donna Ashworth
From my poetry collection
To The Women: words to live by
UK: https://amzn.eu/d/i8Xpzmu
US: https://a.co/d/2FaN5Ey

whoever wrote this is very wise...

Today I was in a shoe store that sells only shoes, nothing else. A young girl with a tattoo and green hair walked over to me and asked, "What brings you in today, I looked at her and said, "I'm interested in buying a refrigerator." She didn't quite know how to respond, had that deer in the headlights look.

I was thinking about old age and decided that old age is when you still have something on the ball, but you are just too tired to bounce it.

When people see a cat's litter box they always say, "Oh, have you got a cat" I just say, "No, it's for company!"

Employment application blanks always ask who is to be called in case of an emergency. I think you should write, "An ambulance."

The older you get the tougher it is to lose weight because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends.

The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

Have you ever noticed: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are XL.

The sole purpose of a child's middle name is so he knows when he's really in trouble.

Did you ever notice that when you put the 2 words "The" and "IRS" together it spells "Theirs"

Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

Some people try to turn back their "odometers." Not me.

I want people to know why I look this way.

I've traveled a long way and a lot of the roads were not paved.

Ah! Being young is beautiful but being old is comfortable.

Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.

May you always have:

Love to share,
Cash to spare,
Tires with air,
And friends who care.

Also read https://hotflav.com/postman-brings-cheer-to-people-with-funny-costumes-during-lockdown/

BE IN THE PHOTO

It’s easy to shy away from photographs because you’re so busy, so exhausted, not feeling your best.

It’s easy to be the taker and never let yourself be ‘in,’ when holidays make you feel exposed or ‘less than.’

But one day, your loved ones, will search for those memories, to bolster their own.

Those pictures, no matter how you look, are set to become absolutely precious.

And no one, not one of them, will care how ‘together’ you looked.

They will care, very much, that it is you.

And all of your you-ness, will be the exact gift they very much needed in that moment.

Be in the photo…

they are not for you.

Donna Ashworth
(This may be the most important thing I have ever written)

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN...

"The Road Not Taken" is a classic poem by Robert Frost that explores the theme of choice and its consequences. The poem is written in a simple yet powerful style that resonates with readers of all ages.

Frost uses the metaphor of a traveler journeying through a forest to represent the journey of life. The traveler comes upon a fork in the road and must decide which path to take. The two paths represent the different choices we make in life, and the traveler's decision to take the less traveled path symbolizes the choice to take a risk and follow one's own unique path.

The imagery in the poem is rich and evocative, with Frost's use of words like "yellow wood" and "falling leaves" creating a sense of natural beauty and transition. The poem's rhyme scheme and meter add to its overall musicality, creating a sense of movement and rhythm that reinforces the theme of journey.

The poem's message is timeless and universal, reminding us that the choices we make in life have consequences that can shape our destiny. Frost's exploration of this theme through the metaphor of a traveler in a forest speaks to the human experience in a way that is both relatable and profound. "The Road Not Taken" is a masterpiece of American poetry that continues to inspire and resonate with readers today.

THOSE WHO WAIT…

If each of us knew how much time we had allocated, perhaps we could play around with it.

But we don't.

Believing tomorrow to be a guarantee, is the biggest mistake we make.

Not seizing every day like the gift that it is, is the biggest risk we take.

Waste time wisely, my friend.

Time spent in rest, joy, company and kindness, is never wasted.
As for the rest, just do it.

You won’t regret the things you tried and failed at, but you will regret a life spent waiting.

Waiting for anything is a dangerous game because there is no guarantee the conditions will ever be just right.

Those who wait, wait...
but you, you have a life to live.

Right here, right now.

Donna Ashworth
From ‘I Wish I Knew’: https://amzn.to/3JVMJlZ

today's Donna Ashworth installment...

SUMMER BODIES ARE CANCELLED

Maybe this year we could take away the ‘summer body’ pressure, no questions asked.

Maybe this year we could just embrace summer, rolls and all, and be absolutely deserving of the joy that sunshine brings after a winter of discontent.

Maybe we could all admit, that having gone through one of the hardest collective time-periods, we can’t possibly be reemerging in pristine condition.

Maybe, we could just abandon ourselves to the lull of the summer breeze and float through the blissful long days full of light and laughter, languishing and loved (by ourselves).

And…

If we can do that, maybe we can repeat it every year?

Because every year we deserve to just be who we are, regardless of this ‘bikini body’ we are all supposed to seek.

We are humans, not mannequins.

And summer is a gift we haven’t been making the most of, for the wrong reasons.

So, lets cancel the summer body.

Bodies are not seasonal, nor are they responsive to expectations.

You’re beautiful, in any shape or size and you are alive, you survived to see another summer and that’s the only truth you need to know.

Donna Ashworth From ‘life’https://amzn.eu/d/9Y6E6kz
#summerbodies #summeriscoming #weightloss #bodypositive #bodybeautiful #women #dietsdontwork #bodyimage

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...

 Enough money within her control to move out...
And rent a place of her own
even if she never wants to or needs to...
Something perfect to wear if the employer
or date of her dreams wants to See Her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A youth she's content to leave behind....
A past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her Old Age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A set of screwdrivers,
a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
One friend who always makes her laugh...
And one Who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE....
A good piece of furniture not previously owned
by anyone else in her Family...
Eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
And a recipe for a meal that will make
her guests feel Honored...
A feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
How to fall in love without losing herself..
HOW TO QUIT A JOB,
BREAK UP WITH A LOVER,
AND CONFRONT A FRIEND WITHOUT
RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP...
When to try harder...
And WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
That she can't change the length of her calves,
The width of her hips,
or the nature of her parents..
That her childhood may not have been perfect...
But it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
How to live alone...
Even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
Whom she can trust,
Whom she can't,
And why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
Where to go...
Be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
Or a charming inn in the woods...
When her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...
A month...
And a year... ॐ

Written By: Pamela Redmond Satran