Credits and Debits

Today I am sorting through papers and cleaning my paper world. A task I have been putting off for too long and I have to admit it, it's my least favorite thing to do. Taxes!! I am leaving town tomorrow and need to send all the documentation needed to do my taxes to the tax guy when I get back. There is no way we could possible figure out how to do them. I am so grateful for people CPA's who can figure things out.


As I was sorting through things, I found some credits from credit cards and medical bill I had over paid and this thought came to mind. Life is all about ups and downs. credits and debits. Everything we do has debits and credits not just our balance sheets! For instance, take eating: You add calories when you eat and you subtract calories when you exercise. The balance of the two will make you gain wait or stay slim.  There is no magic formula, it's that simple is what you put in your mouth vs. what your body burns that is subtracted or added.


 Another example: In a relationship with other humans, you give and take. If a relationship is one sided, where you only give, and give and give, or only take and take and take, it's not healthy. I think for a friendship to be balanced it needs to go both ways. Sometimes I do something for you, other times you do something for me. I think that also works with parenting, you keep putting a lot of deposits into your emotional account that when you need to  do a withdrawal to discipline, it won't damage the relationship because there is enough left in the account.


But my favorite of all is keeping a balanced budget. I love numbers, and watching how I am saving money and how my money grows without being obsessive about saving every little dime, as a matter of fact, I can't stand people like that. I am at a point in my life that I want to enjoy the little bit of extra money we get each moth and also to be generous now I am in a position,  although I am not rick,  to give more than what I am taking. I love to think I am contributing in someone's life by giving a generous fast offering.  I feel so blessed and hope that people with influence, money and power out  there will do something to bless  the lives of others. I love the feeling of going to bed at night knowing that all the bills have been paid and  that the only debt we carry is the mortgage on our homes. I would  hate it if at this time in my life, when we supposed to be caretakers,  my  husband would be out of work and destitute. This has happed to people you wouldn't even think it could happen, they are smart with incredible skills but they got old and no one wants them. I am grateful for my husband's employment with the best people in the whole world.

Tidious tasks are better done with a friend

I love having a fridge with all kinds of yummy things but the actual grocery shopping I absolutely hate unless I am with a friend. This came to mind when I read this post from Amy Anderson, my favorite blogger. Some time ago she wrote:


"Say you have to do something that isn’t your favorite thing in the world to do.  Then say you have to do it with people who are not fun to be around, who are negative, selfish, and basically drag you down.


Now say you have to do that same something that isn’t your favorite in the world to do, but this time say you get to do it with people who are a total blast to hang out with, who are upbeat and positive, generous and kind, and who lift you up anytime they are around.


Imagine how you feel in both those situations.  In both cases the task needing to be done isn’t something you want to do.  But when you get to do that with people who are a joy to be around they can make anything a joyful and fun experience.


I remember years ago when I was still a single mom a guy friend asked me and my kids to go on a hike with him.  Now let me start by stating that I HATE hiking!  Like really hate it.   But being single at the time and not wanting the guy to know to what extent I hated hiking, I said I would go.  What the guy didn’t tell me was that we would be hiking up a massive mountain in the canyons and that it would be a really steep climb up sheer rock cliffs.  When we got to the hike it was clear that I was not keeping up.  I was hot and miserable and I just wanted the hike to end.  My date and my son climbed ahead of us a ways and my daughter, who was only about 10 at the time stayed back with me to bring up the rear.  She could tell I was miserable on the hike and frankly she was too back then.  But rather than complain about how awful it was she decided to turn the hike into a game. She started saying that we should pretend we were on the escalator at Nordstroms on our way to the biggest sale of the entire year.  She and I began to laugh and make up all kinds of stories to tell ourselves to make the climb into something fun and silly, taking our focus off how miserable we actually were.  When the day was over she and I laughed like crazy about our miserable day and how nuts we had been coming up with our silly stories to get through it.  Now 7 years later she and I still laugh about our miserable hike and the fun that we had.


It was a miserable activity, but I was doing it with someone who was a fabulous person to be hanging out with and that made it extraordinary for me.  It taught me a really great principle about life.  I learned that I could get through anything if I was surrounded with the right people.  Life is always going to have its hard challenges but when you can go through it surrounded with amazing people who make you laugh and be silly and who lift your spirits up, it can turn even the hardest times into your very best memories.  Surrounding yourself with good people makes all the difference in life."   Amy





I absolutely love to hang out with my friend Jill Kimball. She is one of the kindest sweetest women I have ever known. I go visiting teaching with her and she takes me shopping when I need to go since I usually don't have a car.  She goes all over town all day running errands and people on the streets come to  her to sell  things because they know she will buy something. She even knows them by name and they know her and her family by name too.  Today we went out shopping for groceries and as ordinary of a thing as that is it became extraordinary simply because I did that tedious task with a good friend. Oh how I will miss Jill when  she moves to Mexico this Summer.

You got a friend

 Remember a song by Carol King, you got a friend? Well today I was thinking about how important it's to have friends in your life. I was wondering if I am a good friend to someone? Today I got a call today from Barbara Hopkins. She is a woman who has gone through so much trials in her life since I met her years ago when I worked for the Family Support Center and our family and ward did a sub-for Santa one year.  She has been divorced for the past six years and that has been so hard on  her but somehow she has managed to keep going. She calls me sometime out of the blue just to tell me about her day or some good news. I seriously consider her a friend even though we hardly know each other. We feel very  connected and have shared many special moments. She played the piano at my wedding and was  fabulous. I wonder if sometimes being a friend to someone has to do with liking someone for no rhyme or reason as if  there was some magnetism involved and with some other people you don’t care as much. I like how Barbara is so sweet. I like to associate with people who have big hears.  She always ends her calls saying “I love you” She is an amazing pianist who is teaching Mandy and Spencer and I hope someday she gets to teach me too. I saw this post the other day on friendship that I want to share. “How does one go about being a good friend?  We all have friends, and we all are a friend to someone else. But how often do we stop and take note of whether we ourselves are being a good friend to those we love?  I would admit that I don’t do it often enough.  And so I decided to make a list of things we could do to be a better friend:

Remember birthdays and anniversaries of important event in our friend’s lives.  We all use digital calendars today so all it takes is adding important dates as a recurring appointment in our calendars and then set it to remind us a day in advance.

Be a good listener. When a friend is sharing a problem just listen intently.

Take a get well card to friends when they are feeling down. Heck take a friendship card over for no reason at all, just to tell them you are glad they are your friend.

If someone is talking ill of your friend come to your friend’s defense.

Don’t try to compete or outdo your friends.  Be genuinely happy for their successes without feeling like you need to compare yourself.

Give sincere compliments to your friends.  Build them up. Point out their strengths whenever you can.

Respect your friend’s privacy and keep confidences they share with you.  Be someone they can trust and rely on.

Set a good example for your friends.  Don’t ever be the person to drag them down. Always be the one to help them be better than they realized they realized they could be.

Pay attention to the little things that are important to your friends.  Notice the things that matter to them and let them matter to you as well.

Pray to be a better friend and pray to be made aware of when your friends need you.

I want to keep adding ideas to this list so I can keep it on my mirror or somewhere I will see it daily so it keeps these ideas front of mind for me.  It’s so easy to get caught up in worrying about ourselves and I think it helps to have daily reminders around us that we want to focus our attention on serving our friends instead of spending so much time worrying about ourselves.

Have a great day and remember to call a friend and tell them that you love and appreciate them!” Amy makes a good point as always.

I saw a woman do some #35 people she wanted to meet in 35 days for her 35 birthday and it was very interesting how she went about meeting them and actually writing about them.  I will do a 55 people I will interview who I considered special. Maybe somehow they have touch my life at one point or another and perhaps we no longer see each other but I want to do that this year or I can do that with all my family members I don’t know that well yet but somehow we are related.  I’ll see what I who I can come up with. These have to be women or can even be men I have admired over the years and I can think of so many. I don’t even know where to start. Maybe I should start with people I am getting to know in the DR and go from there.

 

 

Brooks Entrepreneur spirit

I was looking at a picture of Brooks and Cristi posted on facebook while in Mexico. It is something related to Proof products.  I am amazed at this idea he had to start this venture and how far it has gone in just a few years. I love that entrepreneur spirit the Dames have. It came to mind a post written by Amy Anderson a couple of years ago about Tony Hseih that I want to share, she wrote: “Today I was invited to attend the Credit Suisse Entrepreneurs Conference… For our dinner tonight Tony Hseih, CEO of Zappos.com spoke to us.  Years ago I read Tony’s book “Delivering Happiness” which, by the way, is an excellent book and a must read for entrepreneurs and leaders.  His understanding of the importance of culture to a company is something I appreciate tremendously.  As a CEO I learned that nothing was as important to our company’s success as the culture.

Tony shared with us his newest project – the Downtown Project.  His project is a for-profit venture that will create a ROI (return on investment) by first creating a ROC (return on community).    Tony based his project on the teachings found in the book by Harvard Economics Professor Edward Glaeser’s called “Triumph of the City.”  Edward’s book suggests that when people live and in close proximity to one another, the opportunities to interact serendipitously increase, which increases the sharing of knowledge, ideas and improves productivity. It goes on to say that a city residential density of at least 100 people per acre combined with ground-level gathering places such as cafes, interesting small businesses, and public gathering spaces will increase economic output and community happiness.   So Tony is putting the theory to the test by taking $350 million dollars and investing into real estate development, residential development, small business, education and a fund for start-ups that will locate in downtown Vegas.  His goal is to transform Downtown Las Vegas into the most community focused large city in the world.  He wants to create a community where people live, work, play, and run into each other as much as possible in what he calls “collisions” where there will be numerous interactions that lead to idea sharing, innovation, increased productivity, and ultimately increased happiness for the entire community.   The belief is that by focusing on the goal of creating a happier community money will ultimately follow, but the focus isn’t the money, it’s the happiness.

Like Tony, I have always believed that the best way to create wealth isn’t to pursue money – it’s to pursue your passion and the money will follow.   I have seen that firsthand in my own life.  People are motivated and inspired beyond themselves when they are working for a higher cause – a greater purpose, and when they are driven toward achieving that purpose they perform better, they are more inclusive and collaborative, and they feel happier.  All of which work toward creating ultimate wealth of spirit, which inevitably leads to better financial results. 

On the contrary, the moment someone becomes all about the money itself, their motivations turn selfish and self-serving and they kill any spirit of collaboration and instead become competitive (if you win I lose and vice versa), which ultimately leads to loneliness and isolation and a myriad of other personality issues. 

The greatest joy comes when we stop focusing inward and turn our attention outward.  The greatest success comes from collaboration and inclusion of other.   The best way to achieve greatness is to help everyone around you to achieve greatness.   The best way to be happy yourself is to make everyone around you happy!  

I am really proud of Tony’s example.  He has made a tremendous amount of money and if he wanted to he could sit back and do nothing but spend his wealth doing silly things.  But instead of doing that he is looking for ways to make the world a better place, starting with his own community.  He is focused entirely on helping others around him.  His goals are massive and his drive and passion are contagious.   Thank you Tony for setting that example.   Now it’s up to all of us to follow suit and get out there and make the world a better place by making everyone HAPPY!” and  thank you Amy Anderson for sharing your insights, always so informative and uplifting and I sincerely hope you and all those who think like you are able to share their talents with others. I hope the best for Brooks and the Dame brothers as they come up with the most incredible ideas doing good. They donate a good portion of their profits to charity. If you haven’t check out Proof eyewear, DO!!

 

 

Count your many blessings!

On Sundays I will post a talk or devotional that has touched my life or have found it to be very interesting or helpful to my life. I found this post by a blogger I followed on counting your blessings that I want to share:

"This past weekend I was able to listen to numerous talks that were given by extraordinary men and women on a myriad of different subjects.  One of my favorites was a talk about taking inventory of the blessings that have come into our lives:

“As I have reviewed the past 49 years, I have made some discoveries. One is that countless experiences I have had were not necessarily those one would consider extraordinary. In fact, at the time they transpired, they often seemed unremarkable and even ordinary. And yet, in retrospect, they enriched and blessed lives—not the least of which was my own. I would recommend this same exercise to you—namely, that you take an inventory of your life and look specifically for the blessings, large and small, you have received.”   -Thomas S. Monson

What a great idea!  Taking an inventory of the blessings we have received in our life to date.  I am going to get a notebook and I am going to find a quiet place to sit and start writing down all of the blessings that I can think of that have ever come into my life.  I am going to write them in a list, in no particular order, just listing everything that I can think of as it comes to my mind in this notebook.  I am going to try and start in chronological order, but if something comes to me out of the blue then I will write it down, even if it is out of order.  My goal is to literally flood the pages with the lists of blessings I can recall.  I want to capture all of them, even the smallest blessing of finding something I have lost after saying a prayer, to meeting certain people, to having certain opportunities, to the miracles that I have had come into my life.  I am really excited to do this exercise this week and I am going to report back to you on how it goes.    My mind has already begun racing with memories even just in my planning to write it down this week.  It is amazing the things I have begun to notice were blessings when I first decided to start thinking about it. Once I finish my list with every memory I can possibly think of, I am going to keep the notebook by my bed so as new blessings happen in my life I can remember to add them to my list.

I have a feeling that one day, when my life is over, this notebook will become one of my children and grandchildren’s most precious possessions.  Just think of how meaningful it would be to you to find a notebook written like this from your own grandparents or great grandparents. Just think of the impression and influence it might have on your life.

Even more important, I have a feeling that this inventory book will become one of my own most valued possessions while I am still living.  I have a feeling that keeping this little book by my bed to look at on the difficult days that come will help me to keep things in perspective.  It will help to remind me that my life truly is blessed and that even though things may get difficult, there is still plenty to be grateful for.

I would challenge all of you reading this to make the same notebook this week.  And when you finish it, maybe take some of the most meaningful items from the lists and make little notecards that you can write one on each card to hang them on your cubicle at work or tape them to your mirror at home, or put them somewhere that you when viewed they can give you a pick me up to help you stay grateful and focused on all of life’s blessings.

Life truly is a blessing.  I stand in awe at the many blessings I have been given over the years:  my family, my friends, my life lessons…so much to be grateful for and so many more blessings still to come.

“A good life is when you smile often, dream big, laugh a lot

and realize how blessed you are for what you have.”  

-unknown

 Smile today, dream big, laugh a lot, and realize you are BLESSED!  It is going to be a great day!"

~Amy

She took the words out of my mouth and every time this happens, I copy her words because why re invent the wheel if someone already came up with what you are thinking. I do acknowledge it is her writing and not mine. I do want to add that ever since I read her post from a few years ago, I keep a gratitude journal. I write in it only the blessings and miracles I am aware so that I don't forget the hand of the Lord in so many things around me. I also keep a diary where I write my daily happenings too as mundane and silly as they might be it's my life and someday my grandchildren and great-grandchildren might want to read about grandma Almeida and this is also the reason I write in this blog.

 

Activity Days on Word of Wisdom

The primary children came to the house for one special activity on the word of wisdom. It was great since I knew exactly what to teach. I am grateful I never had to quit drinking or smoking to be a member of the Church. I am grateful I knew about the word of wisdom and understood it from the time I was little. Amy had done a nice post about not joining a crowd that I want to share too.
“It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone.”


"Most everyone will have times in their life when they have to make a choice to stand alone. For most it comes during childhood when a group of kids is doing something you know you shouldn’t do and you have two choices…you can join in, or walk away. It takes tremendous courage at that age to walk away. Heck, it takes tremendous courage to walk away at just about any age! But it is that willingness to stand up for what you believe in…to stand for your values…it is that willingness that determines our character.

The hope is that we surround ourselves with enough good people that share common values that we don’t have to stand alone very often. The choices we make of who to be friends with, who to do business with, who to associate with…are among the most important choices we will ever make.

I still remember a time back in High School when I was spending time with people who didn’t live the same values I had been taught to live. Slowly I found myself becoming more and more at ease in situations that previously would have been incredibly uncomfortable to me…situations where I would have needed to walk away. But if we surround ourselves with enough people who conduct themselves the same we begin to find way to rationalize the bad behavior. We begin to make excuses to ourselves on why its not so bad…and that begins a slippery slope. Luckily for me an adult pulled me aside and pointed out to me that it might be time to consider making some new friends. At first I was angry…after all I was a teenager who thought she knew everything because don’t all teenagers know everything??  But as I stepped back and looked at my life at that point I realized that if I continued to surround myself with that group that I was going to head in a direction that was not the direction I wanted to go. And so I had to make the choice to stand alone. For a senior in High School that was no easy choice to make. It was brutal in fact. But I knew it was what I had to do if I wanted to become the person I hoped to be someday.

From that point forward in my life I was far more careful to make sure that I surrounded myself with people who lived the values I wanted to live. There were definitely a few times as an adult in both my personal life and my business life when I thought someone was a good person, only to learn later that they weren’t, but when those situations arose I learned the best thing to do was to separate myself…even if it meant being alone…because no matter how difficult it may be, it is better to stand alone with your values than to become a dead fish that just goes with the flow in murky waters…

Be courageous enough to stand alone when needed, but be wise enough to surround yourself with great people so you won’t actually have to."

~Amy

I am so glad that I also had the courage to stand alone knowing the truth. I knew I didn't want to pick up the habit of smoking even when friends repeatedly offered me to take a puff. I also never tasted alcoholic drinks ever! I knew better than to get drunk and honestly was never interested anyway. No one back then knew that smoking was bad for you. It has been discovered much later.  I am grateful to all my Church leaders who told us what was right and what was wrong in the eyes of God and that is what I am trying to teach my primary kids.

 

It's Friday, Yay!!

Friday for me means that my hubby gets home. He has been traveling a lot in the past few months. He is actually going to visit all the islands he is over and is getting things ironed out in case we are asked to move to another area. So far we still don't know where we would be next year but as long as we are together that is all that matters. Daniel is very sweet and kind of old fashion but I like him like that. There are fewer and fewer men out there who I would call real gentlemen. It comes to mind a post a saw on facebook from a woman I don't even know but shares many friends with me so I get to see  her posts. She publishes on her wall an article written by Jen Ruiz:

"In a world filled with late-night booty calls, infidelity and a general “hit it and split it” mentality, it’s easy to become jaded by today’s dating scene.

As women, we brace ourselves for the worst, proceeding with extreme caution during the first few months, for fear of falling victim to the aforementioned debauchery in which so many men partake.

It’s a welcome relief, then, when we stumble upon those few true gentlemen. They exude chivalry with even their smallest actions, and remind us that there are still good ones out there.

It doesn’t take a grand gesture or costly display of affection to win a girl over. Often, it just takes a little sincerity and display of genuine romantic interest.

Despite popular opinion, chivalry is not dead — here are 9 everyday gestures of men that prove it:

1. Opening doors

A guy who takes the time to come around and open the car door for you is a keeper, not to mention a commodity this winter.

With certain states getting up to five inches of snow an hour, do you want to be left standing outside in a blizzard while your date gets nice and toasty in the driver’s seat?

Recognize and appreciate a guy who puts your comfort and well-being first, even if it’s just for a few extra seconds.

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2. Saving the last bite of food

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. So, when he saves the last bite for you, it’s basically him saying he likes you more than whatever meal is in front of him. Which, for the record, is a lot.

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3. Spending time with your family

A guy who shows an interest in your baby photos, coaches your little brother on how to throw a football and compliments your mother’s cooking is a guy who’s in it for the long haul. These are small gestures, but they speak volumes about his intentions.

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4. Suffering through a girly movie

When a man volunteers to endure a girly show or movie because he knows you’ll enjoy it, he earns major bonus points. (Even more if he does so without complaining or expecting something in return.)

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5. Sending flowers

I’m not talking about the $100 bouquet you get on Valentine’s Day. I’m talking about the grocery store assortment he picked up on a random Tuesday while thinking of you. There’s just something about unexpected flowers that makes a girl smile.

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6. Walking on the outside of the sidewalk

The first time someone does this, you will probably be confused. But then you’ll start to question how come other men in your life have never been concerned about positioning themselves in such a way that you’d be protected should curbside tragedy strike.

It’s not a must, but it’s certainly nice to have.

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7. Kissing your forehead

Sure, if you’re hoping to date someone and he does this, it can be a dreaded sign of sibling-like affection.

But, if you’re in a long-term relationship and your guy does this, it’s a small gesture that can make you feel adored.

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8. Filling up your gas tank

Much like walking on the outside of a sidewalk, this gesture will probably surprise you the first time it’s performed.

It’s indicative of a man who was raised right and is generally courteous, which is always a welcome surprise.

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9. Putting your jacket on

Women are fully capable of putting their own jackets on, but it’s not a question of ability. It’s gentlemanly and kind for someone to hold out your jacket for you or offer you theirs when it’s cold.

These are little ways men show they care, the same way women have instincts to nurture and protect loved ones. Chivalry is not dead; men can be everyday knights in shining armor. You just have to learn to spot the subtle, more meaningful gestures. By Jen Ruiz

I agree with her 100% and that is why I copy pasted her article in here. Daniel does all those things and more. He for instance, does not just fill up the car before he leaves town so I don't have to but also puts the car facing forward so I don't even have to back out. He used to buy me flowers every week until I told him, only to buy them for special occasions. I was too worried of spending too much money and killed his genuine act of kindness. Silly me.

 

Our divine nature

I love the class I had to teach today about the pre mortal life and the knowledge of having a life before we came to planet earth.  I imagine there will be one day that I will know what was like. In the meantime as I was preparing my class I found a beautiful poem, "Ode: Intimations of Immortality form Recollections of Early Childhood"  by William Wordsworth written two centuries ago where he describes what it would have been like to live in Heaven. Enjoy!
 

 

THERE was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight,
To me did seem
Apparell'd in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream.	5
It is not now as it hath been of yore;—
Turn wheresoe'er I may,
By night or day,
The things which I have seen I now can see no more.
The rainbow comes and goes,	10
And lovely is the rose;
The moon doth with delight
Look round her when the heavens are bare;
Waters on a starry night
Are beautiful and fair;	15
The sunshine is a glorious birth;
But yet I know, where'er I go,
That there hath pass'd away a glory from the earth.
Now, while the birds thus sing a joyous song,
And while the young lambs bound	20
As to the tabor's sound,
To me alone there came a thought of grief:
A timely utterance gave that thought relief,
And I again am strong:
The cataracts blow their trumpets from the steep;	25
No more shall grief of mine the season wrong;
I hear the echoes through the mountains throng,
The winds come to me from the fields of sleep,
And all the earth is gay;
Land and sea	30
Give themselves up to jollity,
And with the heart of May
Doth every beast keep holiday;—
Thou Child of Joy,
Shout round me, let me hear thy shouts, thou happy	35
Shepherd-boy!
Ye blessèd creatures, I have heard the call
Ye to each other make; I see
The heavens laugh with you in your jubilee;
My heart is at your festival,	40
My head hath its coronal,
The fulness of your bliss, I feel—I feel it all.
O evil day! if I were sullen
While Earth herself is adorning,
This sweet May-morning,	45
And the children are culling
On every side,
In a thousand valleys far and wide,
Fresh flowers; while the sun shines warm,
And the babe leaps up on his mother's arm:—	50
I hear, I hear, with joy I hear!
—But there's a tree, of many, one,
A single field which I have look'd upon,
Both of them speak of something that is gone:
The pansy at my feet	55
Doth the same tale repeat:
Whither is fled the visionary gleam?
Where is it now, the glory and the dream?
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,	60
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come	65
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Shades of the prison-house begin to close
Upon the growing Boy,
But he beholds the light, and whence it flows,	70
He sees it in his joy;
The Youth, who daily farther from the east
Must travel, still is Nature's priest,
And by the vision splendid
Is on his way attended;	75
At length the Man perceives it die away,
And fade into the light of common day.
Earth fills her lap with pleasures of her own;
Yearnings she hath in her own natural kind,
And, even with something of a mother's mind,	80
And no unworthy aim,
The homely nurse doth all she can
To make her foster-child, her Inmate Man,
Forget the glories he hath known,
And that imperial palace whence he came.	85
Behold the Child among his new-born blisses,
A six years' darling of a pigmy size!
See, where 'mid work of his own hand he lies,
Fretted by sallies of his mother's kisses,
With light upon him from his father's eyes!	90
See, at his feet, some little plan or chart,
Some fragment from his dream of human life,
Shaped by himself with newly-learnèd art;
A wedding or a festival,
A mourning or a funeral;	95
And this hath now his heart,
And unto this he frames his song:
Then will he fit his tongue
To dialogues of business, love, or strife;
But it will not be long	100
Ere this be thrown aside,
And with new joy and pride
The little actor cons another part;
Filling from time to time his 'humorous stage'
With all the Persons, down to palsied Age,	105
That Life brings with her in her equipage;
As if his whole vocation
Were endless imitation.
Thou, whose exterior semblance doth belie
Thy soul's immensity;	110
Thou best philosopher, who yet dost keep
Thy heritage, thou eye among the blind,
That, deaf and silent, read'st the eternal deep,
Haunted for ever by the eternal mind,—
Mighty prophet! Seer blest!	115
On whom those truths do rest,
Which we are toiling all our lives to find,
In darkness lost, the darkness of the grave;
Thou, over whom thy Immortality
Broods like the Day, a master o'er a slave,	120
A presence which is not to be put by;
To whom the grave
Is but a lonely bed without the sense or sight
Of day or the warm light,
A place of thought where we in waiting lie;	125
Thou little Child, yet glorious in the might
Of heaven-born freedom on thy being's height,
Why with such earnest pains dost thou provoke
The years to bring the inevitable yoke,
Thus blindly with thy blessedness at strife?	130
Full soon thy soul shall have her earthly freight,
And custom lie upon thee with a weight,
Heavy as frost, and deep almost as life!
O joy! that in our embers
Is something that doth live,	135
That nature yet remembers
What was so fugitive!
The thought of our past years in me doth breed
Perpetual benediction: not indeed
For that which is most worthy to be blest—	140
Delight and liberty, the simple creed
Of childhood, whether busy or at rest,
With new-fledged hope still fluttering in his breast:—
Not for these I raise
The song of thanks and praise;	145
But for those obstinate questionings
Of sense and outward things,
Fallings from us, vanishings;
Blank misgivings of a Creature
Moving about in worlds not realized,	150
High instincts before which our mortal Nature
Did tremble like a guilty thing surprised:
But for those first affections,
Those shadowy recollections,
Which, be they what they may,	155
Are yet the fountain-light of all our day,
Are yet a master-light of all our seeing;
Uphold us, cherish, and have power to make
Our noisy years seem moments in the being
Of the eternal Silence: truths that wake,	160
To perish never:
Which neither listlessness, nor mad endeavour,
Nor Man nor Boy,
Nor all that is at enmity with joy,
Can utterly abolish or destroy!	165
Hence in a season of calm weather
Though inland far we be,
Our souls have sight of that immortal sea
Which brought us hither,
Can in a moment travel thither,	170
And see the children sport upon the shore,
And hear the mighty waters rolling evermore.
Then sing, ye birds, sing, sing a joyous song!
And let the young lambs bound
As to the tabor's sound!	175
We in thought will join your throng,
Ye that pipe and ye that play,
Ye that through your hearts to-day
Feel the gladness of the May!
What though the radiance which was once so bright	180
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;	185
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,	190
In years that bring the philosophic mind.
And O ye Fountains, Meadows, Hills, and Groves,
Forebode not any severing of our loves!
Yet in my heart of hearts I feel your might;
I only have relinquish'd one delight	195
To live beneath your more habitual sway.
I love the brooks which down their channels fret,
Even more than when I tripp'd lightly as they;
The innocent brightness of a new-born Day
Is lovely yet;	200
The clouds that gather round the setting sun
Do take a sober colouring from an eye
That hath kept watch o'er man's mortality;
Another race hath been, and other palms are won.
Thanks to the human heart by which we live,	205
Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears,
To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.