what i did for love, shirley bassey

and it's only the beginning... 

we all do things for love. for the love of our neighbor, our family, our own selves, our God, you name it and we do it... we plan, we execute, we fail or we win... no matter but we did it for love...

lifelike

sailboats sail and left abandoned at the riverbank
palm trees grow and then fall after a hurricane's blow
clouds come and go whenever the rain flows
the ocean will spill as water comes rushing in

but it will retreat again as another cycle begins

when spring breaks free it is summer's turn
when autumn's joy is gone and its color had fallen down
it's cold and it's freezing beneath those glittering sheets of ice
for a while you thought, life is dead and won't ever come back

but the snow flakes are just a fake and a farce

Jesus did, He resurrected and was heaven bound
like everyone else, no one is exempt, it will come to pass
life is experienced, life is enjoyed, life is conquered
and when all is said and done, life will be gone

but there is spring again, as another generation begins...

thanks for your lifelike art mr. davis, truly wonderful. the water is cool, the rain is refreshing, the sail boat is waiting for us to enjoy the ocean, the lakes or the river as the palm trees sway amidst the wind swept environment of a tropical setting. life is good, it is meant to be enjoyed. holy week is a reminder of the timelessness of our surroundings and also a reminder of the limited existence of human beings. just as newell oler had left us but his music remained with us forever. as the beat goes on the melodies will never die. they just move on as someone else will play these tunes over and over again. i'm glad i discovered his music for it is a treasure, to me at least...

newell oler, mr. music extraordinaire...   

his music are played by ear so they called him the one with the perfect pitch in piano, died at age 67 with no immediate family. he missed 20-30 more years of living for some reason or another. "you don't know me" a music of what could have been. blame it on money, financial status or etc... in this case love did not conquer all...(^&*)... sad...

Real integrity is doing the right thing knowing that no one's going to know if you did it or not...CPL

we might not know...

who could have thought
that the sun won't shine today
because it had already shone yesterday
who could have thought that the moon
will be half of the size of what it was
for the moon kept changing like life
it kept on changing like love
and the stars above

today they twinkle up in that sky and dance
today they dazzled this planet earth's inhabitants
but tonight who knows if they are still around
for all we know they could have plunged
down into the deepest part of that blue ocean
and counted by thousands of wanting hearts
wishing for their dreams
that might come true or not...

we won't know, we might never ever know...

our mother of perpetual help

when parishes merged and joined into one, our parish was one of those affected. its brand new name now is "our mother of perpetual help" parish... in life where so many unknown dwell, we welcome this divine change as we hope and pray for better days ahead as we similarly hope and pray for answers about what happened to malaysia flight 370. we pray for those on board and their relatives who are still hoping for their safe return. although the hope is dim but that's all we have...

between two ferns, the awkward and somewhat funny interview of pres. obama ;)

i am happy with president obama and president clinton because they are the ones who gave us the ACA and FMLA and both affect me :)  if you care, you just care and it shows by your actions... thanks to you both my beloved prez, my votes did not go to waste :>

and speaking of ferns, i ordered a variety of it to be planted this spring for i love fern plants. it reminds me of the forest with its tranquility and peaceful surroundings. and if a waterfall is nearby then you hit the jackpot :) with that soothing calming sounds in a cool and enchanting environment, that's where they build campfires...(^&*)...

dreams of our childhood, robert schumann... the music continues...

welcome to my world, newell oler...

the weather was trying
so we clammed up
the sun wasn't shining
so we dug in

the world so it seems
is unfriendly, unforgiving
the world is too busy
too preoccupied with itself

the storm rages on
it's hot, it's cold
where did the whistles
and the ringing bells go

with dreams in tow
you are now headed
to the beach
to the mountains
to the forest

where no one can find you
where no one is looking
where peace and quiet is waiting
and ready to hug you...

life sometimes is trying, that's the norm actually but we move on. we persevere for that's how we win...(^&*)...never give up, never say never, never lose the dream... you owe it to those who are suffering, you owe it to the one who changed your life forever. but most importantly you owe it to God who is the source of everything on earth...

Son of God, the movie...

            

the movie that will make you fall in love with Jesus all over again per Roma Downey. She and her husband Mark Burnett, the producer of Survivor which i learned lately had 2 episodes filmed in Palaui island in Cagayan, Philippines located in barangay San Vicente. my dad's sister auntie Laning lives in Tuguegarao near that island paradise where the survivor film episodes were shot...hmn and everyone told me then that i looked like my aunt Laning, laughs. when immediately after graduating nursing at UST, the government required us to have a rural service of one month after graduation and lo and behold i was assigned to serve in the bontoc province where the famous banaue rice terraces are, together with 2 of my batch mates. there was a small hospital ran by an american missionary married to a filipina nurse so we served in that little hospital perched high in the mountains, i remember the view was terrific. i saw some tourists there, americans and other europeans. my brother came after and together we went to see my aunt and her family. i never knew that they have an island paradise in cagayan then. from manila the travel time going there is 8 hrs, too long ;)

for the solemnity of the lenten season this is the movie to see. i rarely go to the movies but JC and me went to see it on its first day of showing here. now i truly understand that my life's suffering is nothing compared to Jesus. if i hadn't felt it then this is the wake up call. in our lives we think that the world sometimes is unkind to us. sometimes we thought that we could have gotten a better treatment, a better deal in whatever our heart desires. but Jesus was betrayed, Jesus was put to death without even harming a single soul. take loads of kleenex with you for you will really need it if you decide  to see this movie. the acting of the Jesus actor alone who is truly a very good looking guy btw, his acting will drain all your tears away and of course the depicted suffering of Jesus as if you are viewing it in flesh and you were there at that point in time... there are people who looked like Jesus, hope they will also act like Jesus, in kindness, humility and goodness...

happiness is everyday :)

when you open your eyes
thanks heavens for another day
when you close your eyes
thanks heavens for another night

the ride is almost over, tell that to the 110 years old lady
who just recently died and closed her eyes for good
tell that to the drug addicts of our time
who continually snorts for a temporary high

who cares about tomorrow of course i do
who cares about the sharp tongued
the users without conscience and the likes
tell that to the past generations of our time

who are now tucked and kept
on piles and piles of time machines
where we will all go someday
sometime, sooner or later no doubt

that nobody can't deny
it will push its force on all of us
whether we like it or not
we all grow old day by day slowly
our skin shrinks, our hairs turn into gray

no exception
the young
the old or
the in betweens

but happiness is the spice
that i would want to put in my life
no matter if it rains or shines
no matter if it's hot or cold
no matter if it's spring, summer
winter or fall

no matter what the music is playing
no matter who is around
as long as God is by our side
no matter what time of day
or time of night

laughter and joy will overcome
even if the dark is here
cheerfulness will win
even how black the sky dims

for above the sun shines without rest
even if life is 110 years short
110 years lived, yes,
though short but sweet...

hope we all live up to our ripe ages, mine is 110 years young, i can wish can't i ;? ...so shall you (^&*)...

our elaborate lives...

from "aida" the opera..."we all live such elaborate lives, hard to know whose loving who" sometimes it's hard to tell, but i can always tell :)...wonderfully written song. i think that's the magic and surprise of life. true, we all live, playing games we can't all win. nice song by adam pascal & heather headley, original cast in aida, the broadway musical recording. intelligently written lyrics. deep, daring, desperate, despondent. brilliantly executed by talented individuals with awesome gift of the perfect voice. so many choices tore us apart, how true. my name is music, my name touches hearts. with that i am happy and i did not even have a hand with that...(^&*)... our lives are unique plots, chapters in a story. sometimes happy, other times sad. true, we all live such elaborate lives...

the oscar award winning actor who recently died of heroin overdose with a needle still hooked in his arm is a very, very sad story. he was only 46 years old and with 3 very young kids at that. so if you have a similar life using meth plus alcohol and you are a decade younger then you might just have a decade as well to live. his parents were divorced when he was only 9 years old, so maybe one factor? that brought him to this deadly habit. he had talent, money, fame and family and still he was hooked. it is because once you are in, it is hard to get out in this kind of addiction. drugs will rule your life once you are hooked not unless successful intervention is planned with the help of family members. he was in rehab but to no avail. your life will be majorly affected till the end and your loved ones as well. so why not be a hero to us and quit primarily for your own good. the sad part is notable rich members of our society are addicted to drugs such as meth, heroin, cocaine, shabu and the likes. i remember a blog expose about them years back. drug addicts are always living in the dark. please let the grace and the light of God shine upon you... pray, work hard to defeat this devil that you thought nobody knew. i certainly knew, i always knew...

"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up."...John Andrew Holmes

HOPE

hope is the light that springs when all around us is dark

hope is the force that makes us get up at dawn

to tackle the piles and piles of problems that bloom

hope is you and me, all of us combined

hope is the only one left when dreams

had failed, when love is gone

and only God is

with us...

calamities may have kicked us
sufferings may have put us down
always we strive to get up
pick our spirits where it left us

the wind may have swept our homes
the rain may have drenched our backs
never that we gave up
never that we lose hope to laugh

for the sun is always up above
shining brightly behind the clouds
there to cast its rays where we needed light
even when the moon is gone at night

the trees may have fallen and turned bald
the ocean may be in front of our house
we wade, we swim, we persevere
as we fight for our dear life

the human spirit is a phoenix
rising from smoldering hot ash
when there is despair, there is hope
when there is lost, there will be love...

above image is from the www, thank you :)

the power of the divine

when days turn into nights
and sunshine into rain
when waves come crashing in
darkness must have reigned

but one thing is for sure
when hearts bleed and freeze
God is always there for us
to catch us, as we fall...

only God can make things happen. miracles come in big and small packages. nothing is impossible with God. our faith in Him is the key. in happier or in sad moments the divine should always be our refuge. when life hurts, God heals. when we celebrate we always remember Him...

sunset boulevard

we open a page in a book
we close when chapters are soaked

we start a dream project
we stop when we reached our goal

in life when life is full
sunsets will come and roar

when hopes are turned into truths
the door will now have to be closed

sunsets are here now peeping
in slowly departing modes...

thanks mr. davis for your wonderful sunset art, astonishing!

indian vs. chinese

"be a man and do the right thing", laughs. it is sooo funny! ...this you tube video is terribly too much to take without laughing ;)

happiness

the truth about happiness

it is not how other people treat you
but it is how you treat other people

it is not how your boss sees you
but it is how you respond to
what your boss sees in you

it is not how your friends deal with you
but it is how you deal
with your so called friends

happiness is hard to catch
but if you know where to put your bait at
happiness is just out there ready for you

and if you care to look up above
happiness is really you
for you are a mirror of God...

so take care of yourself so that happiness will last
and try to make each day a happy day all the time if you can
always remember that every one's days are numbered
so why not try to catch happiness as much as you can

it is also the one that you're looking at the mirror
every morning of your life, that's a start
happiness is really you Jo, don't ever forget that...(^_~)...

as the song goes... for the good times... always...

like a bird on a wire, leonard cohen

what's the use of those wings
were they tattered and lame
if one can't soar up in the sky
and can't dive with a stingray around
then you can kiss to be free, goodbye...

i tried to leave you, leonard cohen ...music ensemble to the max. that's how music should be played and done. what a lovely man! ...isn't it at times we try to leave a life's circumstance, ex. blogging, our so called friends, individuals, or a way of life. sometimes we fail, but other times we prevail and win...

white, cold and beautiful

here it is cold and beautiful but in Hawaii, it is green, warm, sunny and tropical...

polar arctic chill

the ice cone never melted
at the touch of your hot tongue
the chill is at the heart
it froze as the beats stopped

memories of beaches
with slippers at the sides
torn flip flops unusable
the sun just scorched my hands

the sand bits are burning
the smoke is about to fire
tired feet, hazy eyes
where did the sea went, it's gone...

for the good times

for the infinite happiness of our lives
for the unmeasurable joys life gave us
for the peaks, the ultimates
for the highs, don't mention the lows
for my mind will blow
only for the good times...

don't look so sad
2013 is not that bad
2014 what will you bring
another heart break, please no
another joy, let's give a toast to that
another illusion, another game
but we prefer true magic, pls. let it ring

we want to laugh and to smile through and through
for life is short, someday, sometime, life will have to go
we need to catch life at its best, at its cheers
until it's time to let go, 2013, it's time to go
i'm sad but there's no use to clinging to the past
onward and forward, let hope and light shine upon us

welcome to the year of the new
as it repeats itself over and over at this time of year
goodbye, it's hard to bid adieu
but tomorrow the sun will shine
as it brings us warmth from the sky
we are here to catch it and to save it
for the turbulent days and nights of our lives...

we're ready, to all the future good times
please dear God, give it to us :)

cheers to many happy moments to come!!!

ring in the new year with lanterns and flowers. that was then, more than a century and a half ago. now, welcome the new year with dangerous fireworks... above art is by john singer sargent, a master portrait and landscape painter of his time plus more, circa 150 years ago... magical and lovely!

endings are mostly sad. new beginnings are full of hope and excitement until maybe you become jaded and tired with life's baggage of disappointments and illusions. though inspite of failures, for sure there are nice surprises in little boxes that came with that :>  God gave us these gift boxes after all, for me so far so good. i can't complain :)...welcome 2014!!!

the longest road to goodbye...

the wind of change is over
the door is closed at last
time slowly ticked away
the destination is at hand

how long it took to get here
the count is lost in the sky
it went across in zigzag roads
as the roar of the car stopped

as heavy foot alight
the renaissance has come
new path, a new direction
it took awhile to find...

happy new year everyone!!! to get into another year is always a blessing. thank God :)

Dad Divine

Frosted flakes in that window pane,
Sturdy stems of evergreens,
Wind swept shadow in my window glass,
Peeping softly, and as silent
As my beating heart...

that is my dad, visiting :) he passed away 12-30-1987...like love ones who have left us, we longed for their presence again as it was before esp. during the holiday season for we longed for their love back. but that won't ever happen again, in my dad's case at least... although still i get teary eyed when i remember my dad, life went by for the past 26 years without him. he'll be very happy if he is alive today... cheers! papang :) wished you had seen america but it wasn't meant to be. mamang did so i should be happy with that...

autumn leaves, parting leaves...

 

one favorite song, autumn leaves, newell oler...

what colorful way to depart
in reds, yellows
burgundies and browns

down to the ground
caressing the land
sleep, deep sleep

never to wake up
never to walk
never to stand

in life again...

the sadness of life. we are here today but gone tomorrow. we play today but eventually we don't. we smile today but we will cause sadness when we go and leave this world forever, like fallen leaves, the irony. where memories will be the only one left of us. like the passing of the years. never will it comeback. it is always moving forward. but in spite of it all life is beautiful. in it we experienced love, joy, tears and goodbye... i know what somber thoughts to start the new year... but we need to take the good with the bad for that's reality. no games, no magic, just simply the truth...

christmas and the poor

the rich will think
of handbags and diamonds
the poor will think
more of food, shelter
and hopes

will the sun come out
with its rays tomorrow
or a dreadful cyclone
that wipes the earth
with its gale force wind

you'll be lucky if
you live in a country like mine
who will catch you
as you drop on the ground
who will guide you as you

stand again and try to walk the harsh reality of life...

although to be poor is not only defined in monetary terms. to be poor financially is truly a burden that only us that is touched by it would know first hand. those of us that experienced financially devastating problems will be humbled by it. those of us who rode that path hoped for a way out and there is always that painful path that points towards that direction. taking care of a disabled family member will send you to your knees financially. it is not shameful to be poor, what is shameful is to steal what is not ours and to live off of what we did not earn by our sweat and tears. although you won't fully understand what is really like to be truly poor if you did not experience it or if you weren't in our shoes. i'm glad that we have now a caring pope who cares and loves the poor for he was there in flesh and was exposed to it firsthand before. the time's person of the year, 2013...

God of all...

 

perpetual help... perpetual love... perpetual birthday... the nativity scene at the shrine of the little flower catholic church taken by JC in his cell phone last 12-28-2011... our mother and Jesus, a www image, thank you :)

perpetual always

as the tide of the ocean recedes
and the eclipse of the sun subsides
as the phase of the moon wanes
you'll stay forever for you're eternal

you're as perpetual as the planet turns
and as green as the grass of spring
you're as sweet as the birds of summer's tweet
and as gentle as the movement of the summer breeze

forever as eternity will take
as far as the heaven's lair
or as deep as the ocean's floor
and as far as our faith will go

as the journey of our lives continues
us dodging the devil's clutch
saving us from satan's path
moving us into the divine's heart...

yup, since the very beginning of my life on earth i am surrounded with the divine who... get this, "who always saves me from the devil" :)... Jesus, Mary, our mother of perpetual help, san vicente, san lorenzo, santo tomas, mount carmel, our lady of fatima... so i can never say thank you enough. they see what i can not see, read hearts which i can not do and steer me away from the grips of satan. my life really has been divinely touched like many other christian lives have been, that i concluded a long time ago :) so i always wonder what my old self can do or offer in exchange. that's the next chapter of my life that i plan to create and i can only hope for God's blessings for its fulfillment and its fruition for the framework has already been started. aid a life, be a blessing and a joy to others, that simple. no insults just constructive criticisms that hopefully will make other lives better. so far so good :)



the scent of love, death and birth

we wasted our days
with the horizon beyond
we forgot to live for the present
we wonder why time passed by
so quick as a bullet on a fly

gone, goodbye, sayonara
caught in a whirlpool of hope
false reality as illusions rule
magic, malaise, memories
and more

perfume of love was it?
mesmerizing truly was not
rosaries, bibles, smiles
letters, life, lost loves
it went sour, free at last...

born to save, to love & to make miracles

 

paintings of the nativity and the visit of the three kings inside a london catholic church's wall, painter unknown...

anyone that you know
who is adored a billion times
anyone that you know
who is revered countless of times

the world will stop to work
the planet will begin to shine
the universe will dole out love
and give presents to everyone

all because of one baby born
humbly in a manger one starry night
the king of kings came
bells and whistles none

the prince of peace the lord of all
has set an example for us
birthdays with no much ados
and without any extravagance...

live day by day...

live day by day
rest night by night
capture the sun's rays
in the palm of your hands

only for a number of years
only for a cluster of decades
our life on earth is measured
there is the end that will come next

you thought life runs forever
that is a big error
life is here now
tomorrow it maybe not

young or old are even
life is a great equalizer
for death will touch us all
sooner or later

not death drop by drop
like the petals of a music plant
it is life one by one
now until it's gone...

with that somber thought merry christmas everyone... happy b-day baby Jesus :) your life, your birth and your death are chronicled for us to emulate through out our life time...

there are memories made with music...

 

it is a fool's paradise, sometimes. it makes one teary eyed, die or live just for a moment or for a lifetime. it is a second language, a not so silent expression of the inner spirit. it is sad at night, playful or happy at daylight, fancy free in the evening. music is an art, a tool, or a gift bestowed to composers and to the listening public. it is where sorrows are drowned, yesterdays are forgotten and futures are planned. although it is a fool's paradise half of the times, it is also as serious as a beating heart when it tells the story of human lives, loves and the likes... so my question is what do my parents were thinking then when they named me after music ;? for i could be a rose, a mary, or july ;) ...mary jo, mary rose. yup, the names i like :>

fool's paradise that we make

it could be a dream unreached
a music unwritten
it could be a mountain unclimbed
or works undone

but it could also be hopes
unfathomable
or oceans' floors unswum
a sky so high

unconquered in our lifetime...

new year, new chapter, new dawn, new day

i don't read a book
but i open its pages
glance at the paragraphs
decipher it for once

i can fairly tell
if it's a boom or a bust
no need to waste your time
and your precious eyes

so many books to
run down your hands
so many silk pages
to play with your palms

books come alive with the pulse
with the warmth of a beating heart
coming to haunt you more
until you can't put it down

no need to read more books
for our lives are enough
its passing days and seconds
are fine leaves that need tuning up...

new year is an alibi to be a better person for our own selves and for human kind in general. but just as promises are meant to be broken and dreams are skeletal framework of the mind, without reality and without its fruition, it would belong to fiction or an illusion or write ups that are just made to earn a buck. new years are also points in time to examine ourselves. am i a better christian, a better human being, a better this and that? for me God knows i always try. sometimes i'm a failure, sometimes i'm a winner, sometimes i'm in between. but i try not to regress to a lesser version. i always strive to climb the ladder and be very careful not to fall down to status quo. we're suppose to grow up at the sun's rays and play with the wind to reach our full potential. enough said, let's start doing things for real for words are empty if not followed up by deeds...all of us knew this...

this almost past year is a step up. even though you're old you learn something new everyday. i learned to let go of grudges, of disappointments. i think about the pluses this year gave me. i thank God for the life that i have. it was not handed to me on a silver platter for i earned it and worked hard for it. yes there are downfalls but it certainly had its high points. thanks to google for making it possible to unleash my inner self and have a space here to record my thoughts. i google, i gmail and i am a blogger. i'm not on twitter, i don't have to for i tweet a lot here anyway. i don't do face book for my face can't qualify to be in a book page. with that merry christmas everyone, to the few who knows this spot. plus have a wonderful and a blessed new year :) let's not forget the reason for christmas and it is Jesus. He is love, He is forgiveness, He is the gift that is constantly giving. He makes miracles happen into our lives. i believe for i am a recipient. i believe for i am living it...

the divine presence

the colors of christmas...

it is not only ruby red like poinsettias
or green like sycamore trees' leaves
in front of our house

it is a kaleidoscope like a rainbow
making you smile through and through
leaving your heart aglow

ah Christmas, you make us forget
about hate, criticisms
regrets and lost loves

as Jesus brings hope, love
forgiveness, understanding
and the likes

to all of us who have faith
to all of us who believes
to all of us catholics & christians

in this world...

amen to that...i love Christmas. its spirit makes our world rejoice. it brings happiness, laughter and joy making us forget for a moment the hardship of life. what more could we ask for. it is a season like no other. can we just let the christmas spirit move into our daily lives...(^&*)... thanks mr. hayes for your lovely art :)... the divine should top everything for without the divine there is no life, there is no love, there is no you, there is no us...

it's all in the windmills of our minds...

why did summer go so quickly..."was it something that you said?"...one of the best written song that i've ever heard. wonderful song, beautiful voice, plus a pretty face. what more can one ask in life. except that on important trying times words unsaid leave more to be desired unless it is to reveal a hidden truth that the divine wants you to have and be privy of. then by all means let it all out...(^&*)... we are measured by the words we say. we open ourselves with what comes out in our mouths...



music is one fabric of our life. well, to those that are touched by it and i am. my name is music, my name is an opera. so there you go...i try to contribute to music in little ways that i can, privately of course. thanks pilita for your piece. i can't help but be entranced...

thanks mother of perpetual help and Jesus :)

 

 

 

Matthew 7:7-12...“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened"... it may not be the answer that we want but remember that God gives us the best solution to our problems. all we need to do is to have faith and to believe in Him... in baclaran last april, 2012. time moves fast...

                                         

for all the good things that He already had given me i can only sing my sincere thanks :)

one nice music that i love to hear over and over again is romance of the north sea. a french relaxing music in piano. anything by the sea, the beach, the sand and the ocean waves. i think all we need is the beach to survive dirty minded people. at the beach you get a fresh perspective on life. you get new beginnings like new dawns, new mornings, new moments and new hope...

all saints day's thoughts...

when all is said and done
when dawn had passed and gone
when flowers had wilted
and river banks had dried
such is life it came and it died

never to return or to say hello again
once it said goodbye once it bid adieu
only the memories are left
kept in the minds of love ones in grief
whose someday's turn will tick

as the cycle repeats itself
like a wheel that now will rest
never to turn on again
for it reached its time limit
no more circle in the wind

no more dancing in the air
no more laughter that we hear
no more smiles, no more tears
no more heavy burdens to carry
no more struggles no more sighs

for now comes forever silence
eternal life is reached
sad in a way but such is life
it comes and goes
when it's time to depart...

we remember the love ones that we lost. we remember the lives that we miss...

somewhere in time

 

 

 

everyone born will have a destiny

every tea cup poured will have to be devoured

every life that blossoms someday will be lost

creating memories in a stock pile of rooms

that will be forgotten as days move on

as time travels it leaves a lot buried

in the sea of sorts

when new generations will

take over

the cycle of life

repeats itself

once more.

  

"I'VE LEARNED"...written by Andy Rooney, a man who had the gift of saying so much with so few words...

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows. I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day. I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right. I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child. I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way. I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with. I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand. I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult. I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes. I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for. I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class. I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular. I've learned.... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved. I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts. I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you. I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds. I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am. I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile. I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them. I've learned.... That life is tough, but I'm tougher. I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss. I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere. I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away. I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them. I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life. I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it. I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.