July  8, 2019 -

Thought for today:

“I am the vessel.  The  draft is God’s.  And God is  the  thirsty  one.”  

Dag Hammarskjold,  

Markings, 1964

July 8, 2019

SEESAW

Who was the first person who set up

a plank as a seesaw to keep kids busy?

Did they realize it would bring laughter

and joy - besides great teaching?

Life: it calls for balance if you

want to keep things fair and funny.

Life: it has its ups and downs and

the biggest kid can stop the game.

Life: how you see and what you see

depends on where you’re seeing from.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July 7, 2019

INCOMPETENCE

Passing by a full length mirror

I stopped to look and saw only

myself: Framed Incompetence.

“Oooooh!” That hurt! Big time.

But to be self-honest, I spotted

in the mirror broken promises

and a lot of unfinished business.

“Oooooh!” That hurt! Big time.

I looked away from the mirror

to look at others - to see their

faults - their incompetences.

“Oooooh!” They too hurt! Big time.

I went back to the mirror.

I went back to myself.

I realized that’s where I must begin.

“Oooooh!”  Where I hurt.

Looking in a mirror is judgment time

and it’s where I hurt I must retell love

into myself - in the places where I hurt.

“Oooooh! Lord. That  feels right.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July  7, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Fanaticism is … overcompensation for doubt.”  

Robertson Davies, 

in The Manicore, 

Viking, 1972

July  6, 2019 

Thought for today:

“The bagel [is] an unsweetened doughnut with rigor mortis.” 

Beatrice and Ira Henry Freeman, 

“About Bagels”, New York Times, 

May 22, 1960

July 6, 2019

POLLY  NOSES

It’s now summer, so one has 

to wait for autumn for pollynoses …. 

But I spotted one today in the 

hedges - just doing nothing …. 

I’m sure it enjoyed its helicopter 

ride down from some maple tree …. 

But that was it …. never peeled - 

never stuck at the end of some nose …. 

Me?  I want the whole deal - growth - the 

ride - the rain - the fun - becoming a new tree. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July 5, 2019

DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS

There is always background ….

We heard the song a long time ago

- but it was by a different singer or we

were dancing with a different person ….

Ice cream - mashed potatoes - or

Route 97 means something different

to different people.  Of course ….

But instead of accepting differences,

we are self-centered and think everyone

is thinking exactly the same, same way.

There are always different backgrounds ….

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019