A Beautiful Image

Every life is touched by happiness, joy, good times and bad, and a million other bits and pieces. Too often we focus only on certain parts and allow them to define who we are. But we are so much more than a few individual experiences.

The beauty and magic of thinking of life as a kaleidoscope is that we can take all of the moments of our lives, the good, the bad, and even the ugly –

shuffle the sparkly bits and pieces together and create a spectacularly beautiful image.  

We have the power to embrace the metaphor of a kaleidoscope, to keep moving, growing, and seeing the beauty in each new perspective as a natural part of our journey to becoming the person we are meant to be. 

Desperate

Words can inflict emotional pain...

Verbal abuse happens when a partner or family member uses verbal assault or humiliation to undermine another person's self-esteem and self-worth. These behaviors  can create emotional pain and mental anguish and are every bit as damaging as physical abuse. After exposure to verbal abuse, victims may develop clinical depression or other stress-related illnesses. Typically, in romantic or family relationships, verbal abuse increases in intensity and frequency over time. Anger underlies, motivates and perpetuates verbally abusive behavior.

If you are repeatedly exposed to verbal abuse from a partner it may be necessary to temporarily or permanently end the relationship. If the abuser is a family member, or friend who is part of your larger social network the only way to avoid the abuse—or at least minimize its damaging effects—is to limit contact with the abuser or only interact with them in public when surrounded by non-abusive people.

Inside my Memory Book

Inside my memory book,

you come alive.

With the turn of every page

I hear the laughter in your voice,

and see your noble face

Our past is present for me now.

I can feel an evening breeze,

as starlight and moon glow

dazzle us with summer magic.

We sit side by side 

to talk and talk –

like two poets reading verse aloud.

I hear your words, 

and try hard to retrieve them all –

to make them my own.

I remember a trip

on my twenty- first birthday.

The clickety-clack of the rails

still echoes in my head.

We’d dreamt so long of flying free.

Now the cage had opened and

sweet freedom called our names.

Breathing heavy in the twilight,

we inhaled joy and wonder

Life lessons filled our souls.

Now as your face eases

back into the shadows

of my mind’s eye

I smile and hide

all the pain

I feel inside

but tears still come

from my heart.

I loved you then,

and I love you now.

Deutsches Jungvolk

A fearsome love for their “fatherland”

overwhelmed them as they salute

and start to goose step forward.

With fierce unbridled hate,

today’s feud was won.

The next conquest

was now theirs

to fight

for.

German boys were encouraged and later required to join Hitler Youth Groups. This kept the control of young people in preparation for when they became adults. Its members were viewed as ensuring the future of Nazi Germany and were indoctrinated in Nazi ideology, including racism. The group appropriated many of its activities of the Boy Scout movement which was banned in 1935, including camping and hiking. However, over time it changed in content and intention. Many activities closely resembled military training, with weapons training, assault course circuits and basic tactics. The aim was to instill the motivation that would enable its members to fight faithfully for Nazi Germany as soldiers. There was greater emphasis on physical fitness, hardness and military training than on academic study. Sacrifice for the cause was inculcated into their training. The idea that "Germany must live" even if they youth members had to die was "hammered" into them.

White Winter Kisses

Warm Summer Kisses