A Blessing For Dad

We're sorry to hear the sad news
Of your 70th birthday today.
Our deepest condolences are with you,
And we'll pray for you each new day.

We'll pray that your eyesight won't fail you,
And that arthritis won't set in your bones -
That you won't be afflicted with maladies,
Like ulcers, arthritis and stones!

May your days ahead not get shorter.
May the hair not fall out of your head.
May you live to see your next birthday
Before you fall over dead.

If what we've said is depressing,
Take comfort from the words of your peers:
According to Noah and Methuselah,
"You are young for all of your years!"



© Cari Kissel 1994 *This poem was written for my father's birthday in 1994

Pardon Me, Your Self-Esteem is Showing

Today boys & girls, we are going to talk about body image & self-esteem. Yes, it may seem like a silly topic for a blog post, but in flipping through the channels on our TV, & glancing at magazine covers as I'm waiting in line to check out at the grocery store, it has become so evident that this is a topic which does not receive enough attention. One only has to look at the tabloid magazine covers to see how much our society is drawn to images of celebrities being made fun of for having visible cellulite while wearing a bikini, or other magazine covers to learn the secret of losing weight & keeping it off.

Introductions Please

I really don't think I'm all that different from anyone else. I have however, had some experiences that you just don't hear about every day. When I decided to write a blog, it was because people have told me that they've been encouraged or inspired by things I've shared, & I thought that just as I am encouraged by the experiences of others, maybe something I share can touch someone as well.

Stop Taking Offense Already!!!

We live in a litigious society, where people are bringing about lawsuits, from the most trivial of perceived offenses to the most extreme. Once upon a time, a lawsuit was a last resort measure taken when all other attempts to resolve disputes have failed. Today, one simply has to be offended at something that someone said, & then out come the "victims", sure they have been grievously wronged, & the only way that there can be any measure of recompense, is if the "wronged" party is rewarded for their victim status in either a court of law, or a court of public opinion.