MOST ESPECIALLY AT THIS STAGE OF MY LIFE, EVERYTHING IS SMALL STUFF WITH TWO EXCEPTIONS ...

MOST ESPECIALLY AT THIS STAGE OF MY LIFE, EVERYTHING IS SMALL STUFF WITH TWO EXCEPTIONS:  I FEEL NEED TO BE PROACTIVE IN PROTECTING OUR FOREFATHERS’ CONCEPT OF LIBERTY FOR ALL AND I FEEL NEED TO ENJOY MY GOOD HEALTH WHILE GENTLY ENCOURAGING MY LOVED ONES TO DO THE SAME

As promised in a recent post, it’s come time to
Address my decision to consciously
Enjoy my good health and hard won liberty to
Be true to myself—Every day
Really!  Every single day!
For the rest of my life!
And while enjoying my good health and
The  liberty to be true to myself
I’ll appreciate Will's good health and his sense of
Liberty to be true to himself as well as
Barry's, Marie's, Tony's, Ray's
Steven's, Celina's, Ravi's and David's
Good health and their sense of liberty to
Be true to themselves, and let’s not forget
The good health and liberties of
My extended family and friends, all of
Whom make up our little corner of the world
None of whom know the horrors of being
Torn from their despairing parents' arms, which
Is not small stuff by any means, because
Thoughts of adults terrifying children, all of whom
Deserve safekeeping, enflame my passions as
Is true of thoughts of pogroms!  Or sex trafficking!
Or terror stricken children, stolen from
Burning villages, enslaved, drugged and brainwashed into
Becoming cold blooded killers, battered children raised by
The quiet psychopath, next door, and with
Knowledge of horrendous ‘stuff’ like that taking
Place right under my nose, how can ‘small stuff’
Irritate me?  Well, here’s why it will—
Irritation concerning imperfection is as natural to
Human nature as is true of pleasure whenever
All goes as smoothly as planned, so here's where
Depth in self awareness helps me to
Progress toward bettering my attitude whenever
Some minor aspect of life sours my spirit's smile—
I remind myself that my precious loved ones are presently
Robust with good health and that each one has been blessed
To work freely toward making the most of their lives in
This land of opportunity, and with those thoughts in mind
Any heaviness of spirit, based in ‘small stuff’, lifts as
Spontaneously as humming and laughing stimulates
The secretion of dopamine, which, upon being absorbed
Throughout our bodies, offers up a natural high

If you ask how else my mind has been working toward
Buoying my spirit during times when woe upon woe is
Heaped upon the heads of so many seeking asylum, I'd reply—
I decided to spend as much time as possible with
Loved ones (also descendants of immigrants) who
Dwell in states far from our desert home, and thus, when
I learned that Will's conference was to be
Held in the Midwestern metropolis where
We were both born and raised by immigrants, fleeing
Persecution, I suggested that we stay longer than
Had been true in years past so as to pleasure our hearts
(As well as the hearts of loved ones) at a more leisurely
Pace than had been the case when life's non-stop activities
Had caused us to feel more hurried and anxious than
Relaxed and happily fulfilled; however now that
Our Golden Years are upon us, today's proactive
Train of thought is the very one that served as
The arrow, which, having been drawn forth from
Cupid's quiver, had hit the bullseye, which shaped up into
The marathon of hugs enjoyed with loved ones, who, like
Will and me, also feel blessed with good health as well as
Spending precious time with a trio of loved ones who’ve
No choice other than to struggle to enjoy the severely limited
Time that old age or serious illness has placed on their plates,
And though everyone we broke bread with matched
Our delight to have supped, together, each of the three who
Are not long for this world, embraced our presence with
Tender-hearted hugs that held on to our eyes with their own as if
Their spirits wondered, as did ours, if we'd ever enjoy
Each other's presence in this life, again, and—today, while
Reminiscing over their expressions of heartfelt appreciation of
Our visit, my soul feels peaceful as each of the three comes to
Mind ... and now, with feelings of inner peace enriching
The present state of my personal well being, it’s time to
Take hold of a fresh loaf of honeyed whole wheat bread before
Fetching Ravi (from preschool), who is sure to feel as eager as
Her gramma to enjoy this sunny afternoon at the duck pond, where
My grand daughter and I, thriving happily within each other's
Presence neath a clear, azure blue sky, shall ponder upon
The fact that Good Fortune's wand, held aloft in
Lady Liberty’s hand, chose to cast a smiling spell upon
The greater part of my life as well as upon my grand daughter’s
First four years, suggesting how fitting it is for today’s train of
Thoughts to fuel my heart with gratitude that will carry
My spirit toward the coming weekend when
My shopping list from previous years will be copied in
Preparation for creating our traditional Thanksgiving feast
Soon to be enjoyed with family and friends—
Ohhmm ...