Today's Thougth From HAzelton

Butterfly Woman · 03-06-2010, 11:45 PM

Sunday, March 7, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

He who distributes the milk of human kindness cannot help but spill a little on himself.
—James Barrie

We like ourselves best when we like those around us. When we smile at them, they smile back; when we ask them, they tell us about themselves. When we scowl at people, they'll frown back; when we ignore them, they'll walk away.

It's true that we get back what we put into things, whether it's work, play, love, or gardening. We decide by the extent of our commitment how valuable or enjoyable or depressing an experience can be for us.

Our actions toward others come right back to us. When we smile at people, they smile back, and we feel good. Sometimes feeling good about ourselves depends on feeling good about others. When we send out that smile of ours, those who get it pass it on, and we have added power to the happiness of the world.

What can I do to show my fondness for others today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-08-2010, 12:56 AM

Monday, March 8, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Laughter by definition is healthy.
—Doris Lessing

A hearty laugh can warm a cold room and make our spirits soar. But many of us are afraid to laugh, especially when we make mistakes. We think we're supposed to be perfect, and we don't allow ourselves to make mistakes. However, we're not a mold punched out by a machine. We're human beings, with all our wonderful flaws. It is those flaws that make our lives interesting and surprising. Who knows when we might accidentally bump into a chair or catch our sweater on a doorknob? We needn't feel self-conscious, it happens to many of us.

The ability to laugh at ourselves is a gift from God. All we need to do is grab it and use it. Then we will see how healthy and powerful laughter can be.

Can I find the humor in my mistakes today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-09-2010, 12:35 AM

Tuesday, March 9, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

There is no such thing as a long piece of work, except one that you dare not start.
—Charles Baudelaire

A big assignment can be scary to face. We may start to think that how we do on the assignment will determine if we're good or bad people. The more we think about it, the harder that task seems. The key to overcoming our negative feelings is to say to ourselves that we are capable of finishing our projects. We must say it over and over until we start believing it's true. Then we can attack the assignment with vitality and positive energy we didn't know we had.

We can make up our minds to do our best and accept that from ourselves. We say Edison was a genius, but our light bulbs still burn out regularly. Even Einstein was wrong once in a while, and he knew it, but that didn't stop him from trying.

When we feel afraid to start something because it seems too big a job, let's stop and think what the first step would be, and do each small step in its own time.

What can I start that I've been putting off?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-09-2010, 11:40 PM

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

The older you get the more you realize that kindness is synonymous with happiness.
--Lionel Barrymore

Once in a while, we forget about the kind things people have done for us. Do we remember the next-door neighbor who helped us get our kite out of a tree, or the brother who helped us finish a project for school? If we think about these kindnesses, we will remember how happy we were to receive them.

These people and others may need a kindness we can give. Our next-door neighbor may get sick and need us to go to the store, a brother or sister may need to borrow a radio, or the elderly person down the street may need the lawn mowed. Whenever we take the time to give a kindness, we will find that like the boomerang, it returns to us in the form of happiness.

Will I be alert to my chances to give kindness today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-11-2010, 12:32 AM

Thursday, March 11, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Being a healthy parent means being firm but nurturing, giving children a decent sense of the boundaries along with lots of unconditional love.
—Karen Shaud

In a healthy family, life goes along and everybody pitches in to do the housework. Some people wonder why housework is such a big deal. It is because people need to contribute to a group in order to feel they belong to it. Housework makes us part of the same group--our house, our family. We make our house comfortable so we can feel comfortable and safe in it. We show love for ourselves by making our surroundings likeable. And when we do physical work, we can do our inner housekeeping, letting go of negative feelings that pile up during the day.

On days when life feels out of control, we feel good when we do one simple job: clean the messy desk, wash dirty dishes, shovel the snowy walk. In this way we regain control of our feelings as well as a perspective on those things within our control.

What simple work do I need to do to feel better today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-11-2010, 11:28 PM

Friday, March 12, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Gentleness is not a quality exclusive to women.
—Helen Reddy

Each of us has our soft side: maybe it's when we're petting a kitten, caring for a baby robin with an injured wing, or soothing a crying child who is afraid. Behaving in a gentle way toward others gives us warm feelings inside. It also encourages others to treat us gently, too.

We don't always feel like being gentle. If we're sad or worried about school or a friend, we might not even notice the people around us who need our gentleness. But when we remember gentleness, it lifts our spirits. Two people will always be happier when we're gentle--the person we've been gentle to and ourselves.

Who can I share my gentleness with today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation

Butterfly Woman · 03-13-2010, 12:19 AM

Saturday, March 13, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

I never dreamed of so much happiness when I was the ugly duckling.
—Hans Christian Andersen

The ugly duckling was not really ugly at all, he was just different. The other ducks teased and pecked and even bit him until the ugly duckling flew away. He wandered around for a year, and was treated as an outcast everywhere. In the spring, he saw a group of swans on a lake, and wanted very much to join them. As he swam out toward them, he was astounded to notice his reflection in the water--he was a swan! The other swans welcomed him warmly, and found him to be beautiful.

Most of us go through times when we feel different from those around us. These are painful and lonely times, but it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with us. Like the ugly duckling, we will come into a time when we will be loved. All the pain and loneliness we have felt will help us fully appreciate the acceptance when we find it.

How can I treasure the ways I am different from others today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-14-2010, 12:05 AM

Sunday, March 14, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Each man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.
—Mark Twain

What does it mean to be different? How does it feel? Is it okay to act or look or be different from everyone else at times? Sometimes, maybe even most of the time, it feels safer to blend into the crowd. We don't want to stick out like a sore thumb. But sometimes it's when we are different that we discover new things no one has ever thought of or done before.

We don't want to spend our whole lives doing only what others do. And there are times when we must take a stand if what others are doing is wrong. Perhaps it's good practice to try to do some little thing differently once in a while, to stand out from the crowd, just to get used to it. We might even like it. After all, if no one ever dares to be different, how would our world ever change for the better?

What little thing can I do to stand out from the crowd today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation

Butterfly Woman · 03-15-2010, 12:09 AM

Monday, March 15, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

The difficulty in life is the choice.
—George Moore

How we choose to spend our time says much about what is important to us. If we have no goals, we may try to kill time. If we have too many goals, there may not be enough time in the day to do all we set out to do. We must make some choices based on our values. We may need to take more time for some things, and let go of others. For example, this year will we try to learn to play the guitar? Perhaps we have finally decided to drop out of that club which seems to have little purpose. Will we give more time to work, or less time? With each of these choices, we shape our lives. We can do it with the touch of an artist if we pay attention to the choices we are making.

What is truly important to me today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-17-2010, 08:51 AM

Wednesday, March 17, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Love is always open arms.
--Leo Buscaglia

There is a story about a boy who left home and dishonored his father by spending a large amount of money on fast and reckless living. When the boy's money ran out, he was faced with the prospect of returning home to face his father, knowing the father had every reason to be disappointed in him. Filled with fear and shame he approached his home, his mind racing with words of apology. Before the boy could say a word, his father rushed to him with open arms and hugged his lost son in joy and love.

Have we done this? Have we found it in our hearts to approve whatever a loved one does, even if we would have wanted something different?

Love like this is the highest kind of love. It finds joy in others no matter what, because it recognizes the freedom of those we love, and doesn't chain them to our own wants. It is the same kind of love God has for us.

Are my arms open today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-18-2010, 12:16 AM

Thursday, March 18, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Tyger, Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? Did He who made the Lamb make thee?
—William Blake

Is there a lamb and a tiger inside us? Is there any commandment, written on the sky or a stone tablet, denying us our perfect right to be both tiger and lamb? The tiger, beast made of fire and night, shows its teeth when it blazes with love; the lamb, orphan wrapped in soft blanket of cloud, weeps to receive that same love. So we give and take, are strong and weak, guilty and innocent, wrong and right. So we are balanced, even when we seem to be in conflict.

When we learn to accept all the things we can be, we will be able to love all the ways the world outside us can be.

What conflict is helping me grow today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-19-2010, 12:18 AM

Friday, March 19, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Where is the yesterday that worried us so?
—Joan Walsh Anglund

In the fairy tale The Last Dream of the Old Oak Tree, the oak tree felt sorry for the dayfly. The dayfly only lives for one day, and the tree was already 365 years old. But the dayfly was so enjoying his one-day that the tree's sympathy puzzled him. The dayfly said to the tree, "You may have thousands of my days, but I have thousands of moments to be pleased and happy in."

And so the dayfly continued to dance in the sun and smell the clover and honeysuckle. His day ended as happily as he spent it, and he settled down on a blade of grass.

If all of us could approach our day the way the dayfly does, as though this were our only day, we would spend less time worrying about yesterday and tomorrow.

How can I show my gratitude for the gift of this day?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-19-2010, 11:40 PM

Saturday, March 20, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

I want, by understanding myself, to understand others.
—Katherine Mansfield

Growing up to be the best people we can be is a lifelong process. As teenagers, we may have thought that twenty-one would be a magic year for us because then we would become adults. We'd be grown up and able to handle any problems that came along, if any did.

But the older we get, the more we realize that growing up is a process that never ends. We are always becoming the people we are capable of being. We're always learning new things about ourselves, and in that process, we're always coming to new understandings about other people and how we can get along with them.

How wonderful that life always offers us room to grow! It makes new discoveries possible all through our lives, and ensures us that we will always have something to offer.

What discovery have I made just today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-22-2010, 12:36 AM

Monday, March 22, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

Real men don't vacuum.
—Anna Genich

Once, not so long ago, there was a family who tried to divide up housework equally. The father signed up for vacuuming, but he never got around to doing it.

One morning he told everyone about his dream the night before. He was lined up in the dining room with an entire football team, and they all ran in a line through the house, pushing the clutter and dirt up against the walls and out of the way. They came to a finish at the picture window, where the father turned and raised his arms in victory. Then he saw his wife watching him, so he explained, "Heroes don't vacuum."

Perhaps each of us is a hero at one time or another. In that case, we might take turns at different chores, rewarding the day's hero with a day off from vacuuming or dishwashing. When we work together to get the chores done, we become a family of heroes, and can feel a healthy pride in our warm, loving, and clean home.

How can we share housework more equally?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-23-2010, 12:21 AM

Tuesday, March 23, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

It feels so good to cry. . .
—Susan Cygnet

Some of us were taught that it's bad to express our feelings directly - crying, wailing, jumping up and down for joy--that it's good manners to talk softly, slowly, and politely and to sit still.

But what happens to our feelings when we sit still? If they don't get expressed, they must be caught inside our bodies. Trapped feelings are like birds in a cage, or a rabbit in a trap--they try to get out any way they can. They peck on our heads and give us headaches. They scratch at our stomachs and make us hurt.

We must let them out. We must laugh and cry. Then our bodies will be happy, and our feelings will curl up in our laps like happy puppies.

Am I ignoring the physical symptoms of trapped feelings?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-24-2010, 12:27 AM

Wednesday, March 24, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

The things we hate about ourselves aren't more real than things we like about ourselves.
—Ellen Goodman

It is so easy, and tempting, to get down on ourselves, to focus on an imperfect face, a dismal batting average, our fear of math, or our big feet. The trouble is, the more we feel sorry for ourselves, and the more we have to feel sorry about. And though it probably doesn't hurt to indulge in a little self-pity once in a while, how unfortunate--and limiting--it can be to let those attitudes define us.

The things we hate about ourselves are no more real than the things we like about ourselves. The trick is to dwell on the things we like instead of those we don't. Even on days when we are sure we are the least loveable creatures in the world, we can "act as if" we like ourselves. What a surprise at the end of the day, to find out that we actually do!

What can I like about myself today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-25-2010, 12:30 AM

Thursday, March 25, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

My most irrational fear is that I've forgotten how to cook.
—Pam Sherman

Once there was a teacher who was having nightmares about doing a good job. In one dream, he couldn't find his classroom and he had to run from building to building. In another dream, he started teaching the lesson in the middle of the woods and didn't notice he was in the wrong place!

Then one Sunday morning, he read an article about a wonderful baker. She baked every day, started bakeries, and fixed food for her friends, yet when the reporter asked her about her fears, she said, "My most irrational fear is that I've forgotten how to cook."

Suddenly the man felt better. He realized someone else had the same kinds of fears. In a miraculous way, our fears become less powerful when we discover that we share them with other people.

What fear can I share with someone right now?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-26-2010, 12:23 AM

Friday, March 26, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

There is a proper balance between not asking enough of oneself and asking or expecting too much.
—May Sarton

The boy's mother baked pies that morning before he was up. She left them on the back porch to cool, their warm aroma curling up through his bedroom window. His mouth was full of the smell when he woke.

Before she left for work, she said, "You may do anything you want today, anything at all. Except for one thing - don't step in those pies."

All day the boy could not get the pies out of his mind; his feet itched just thinking about them.

Don't step in those pies. He heard her voice inside his head. By late afternoon he could control it no longer. One, two, three, four, five, six--his foot fell squarely into the middle of each pie.

When we expect the worst from others, we often get just that. The same goes for our expectations of ourselves. And when we trust others, it too is returned.

Do I expect the best of others--and myself--today?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-27-2010, 12:07 AM

Saturday, March 27, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

We like someone because, we love someone although.
—Henri de Montherlant

Families are like scissors. They are joined in the middle but often spread wide apart, moving away from each other. When we're not feeling close to other family members - when it's hard even to like them - it seems as though we'll never come together again.

But pity the scrap of paper that comes between our scissor blades! The scissors works together again and slices the trouble clean. When trouble threatens our family, we can slice it through if we move together in love and acceptance.

No matter our small differences, we are part of the same living organism, in a way. The family we live in has been together for many generations, and we are just the most recent members. When we look at one another, we see the products of centuries of love.

When I feel distant from my family, can I locate where we are still joined together?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Butterfly Woman · 03-28-2010, 12:34 AM

Sunday, March 28, 2010
You are reading from the book Today's Gift

I have a feeling I should paint what I am supposed to paint. So I sit. And there my hand moves and I made a picture.
—Norval Morriseau

The writer sits, head in hands, amid a mound of crumpled paper wads. The deadline is tomorrow and not even the first paragraph is written. The writer has been working nonstop since the early morning hours. Frustration pushes the writer up from the chair and out on a long walk in the woods to the stream. After an hour of plunging through lush woods, a rest by the stream listening to the sounds of the rippling water is refreshing. Back at the typewriter, the fingers move, the words flow, the job is done.

Sometimes we need to quiet ourselves to let our inner resources flow through our outer noise. We are always doing what we are supposed to do. Even when things don't seem to come together just right, there is a purpose; even if only to let us know we need to do something else for a while.

How much simpler our lives can be if we only have the faith to accept what happens as a guidepost along a path that is naturally correct.

Am I frustrated with something I should step away from?

From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

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03-06-2010, 11:45 PM	#521
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Sunday, March 7, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift He who distributes the milk of human kindness cannot help but spill a little on himself. —James Barrie We like ourselves best when we like those around us. When we smile at them, they smile back; when we ask them, they tell us about themselves. When we scowl at people, they'll frown back; when we ignore them, they'll walk away. It's true that we get back what we put into things, whether it's work, play, love, or gardening. We decide by the extent of our commitment how valuable or enjoyable or depressing an experience can be for us. Our actions toward others come right back to us. When we smile at people, they smile back, and we feel good. Sometimes feeling good about ourselves depends on feeling good about others. When we send out that smile of ours, those who get it pass it on, and we have added power to the happiness of the world. What can I do to show my fondness for others today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-08-2010, 12:56 AM	#522
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Monday, March 8, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift Laughter by definition is healthy. —Doris Lessing A hearty laugh can warm a cold room and make our spirits soar. But many of us are afraid to laugh, especially when we make mistakes. We think we're supposed to be perfect, and we don't allow ourselves to make mistakes. However, we're not a mold punched out by a machine. We're human beings, with all our wonderful flaws. It is those flaws that make our lives interesting and surprising. Who knows when we might accidentally bump into a chair or catch our sweater on a doorknob? We needn't feel self-conscious, it happens to many of us. The ability to laugh at ourselves is a gift from God. All we need to do is grab it and use it. Then we will see how healthy and powerful laughter can be. Can I find the humor in my mistakes today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-09-2010, 12:35 AM	#523
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Tuesday, March 9, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift There is no such thing as a long piece of work, except one that you dare not start. —Charles Baudelaire A big assignment can be scary to face. We may start to think that how we do on the assignment will determine if we're good or bad people. The more we think about it, the harder that task seems. The key to overcoming our negative feelings is to say to ourselves that we are capable of finishing our projects. We must say it over and over until we start believing it's true. Then we can attack the assignment with vitality and positive energy we didn't know we had. We can make up our minds to do our best and accept that from ourselves. We say Edison was a genius, but our light bulbs still burn out regularly. Even Einstein was wrong once in a while, and he knew it, but that didn't stop him from trying. When we feel afraid to start something because it seems too big a job, let's stop and think what the first step would be, and do each small step in its own time. What can I start that I've been putting off? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-09-2010, 11:40 PM	#524
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Wednesday, March 10, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift The older you get the more you realize that kindness is synonymous with happiness. --Lionel Barrymore Once in a while, we forget about the kind things people have done for us. Do we remember the next-door neighbor who helped us get our kite out of a tree, or the brother who helped us finish a project for school? If we think about these kindnesses, we will remember how happy we were to receive them. These people and others may need a kindness we can give. Our next-door neighbor may get sick and need us to go to the store, a brother or sister may need to borrow a radio, or the elderly person down the street may need the lawn mowed. Whenever we take the time to give a kindness, we will find that like the boomerang, it returns to us in the form of happiness. Will I be alert to my chances to give kindness today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-11-2010, 12:32 AM	#525
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Thursday, March 11, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift Being a healthy parent means being firm but nurturing, giving children a decent sense of the boundaries along with lots of unconditional love. —Karen Shaud In a healthy family, life goes along and everybody pitches in to do the housework. Some people wonder why housework is such a big deal. It is because people need to contribute to a group in order to feel they belong to it. Housework makes us part of the same group--our house, our family. We make our house comfortable so we can feel comfortable and safe in it. We show love for ourselves by making our surroundings likeable. And when we do physical work, we can do our inner housekeeping, letting go of negative feelings that pile up during the day. On days when life feels out of control, we feel good when we do one simple job: clean the messy desk, wash dirty dishes, shovel the snowy walk. In this way we regain control of our feelings as well as a perspective on those things within our control. What simple work do I need to do to feel better today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-11-2010, 11:28 PM	#526
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Friday, March 12, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift Gentleness is not a quality exclusive to women. —Helen Reddy Each of us has our soft side: maybe it's when we're petting a kitten, caring for a baby robin with an injured wing, or soothing a crying child who is afraid. Behaving in a gentle way toward others gives us warm feelings inside. It also encourages others to treat us gently, too. We don't always feel like being gentle. If we're sad or worried about school or a friend, we might not even notice the people around us who need our gentleness. But when we remember gentleness, it lifts our spirits. Two people will always be happier when we're gentle--the person we've been gentle to and ourselves. Who can I share my gentleness with today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation

03-13-2010, 12:19 AM	#527
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Saturday, March 13, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift I never dreamed of so much happiness when I was the ugly duckling. —Hans Christian Andersen The ugly duckling was not really ugly at all, he was just different. The other ducks teased and pecked and even bit him until the ugly duckling flew away. He wandered around for a year, and was treated as an outcast everywhere. In the spring, he saw a group of swans on a lake, and wanted very much to join them. As he swam out toward them, he was astounded to notice his reflection in the water--he was a swan! The other swans welcomed him warmly, and found him to be beautiful. Most of us go through times when we feel different from those around us. These are painful and lonely times, but it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with us. Like the ugly duckling, we will come into a time when we will be loved. All the pain and loneliness we have felt will help us fully appreciate the acceptance when we find it. How can I treasure the ways I am different from others today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-14-2010, 12:05 AM	#528
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Sunday, March 14, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift Each man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds. —Mark Twain What does it mean to be different? How does it feel? Is it okay to act or look or be different from everyone else at times? Sometimes, maybe even most of the time, it feels safer to blend into the crowd. We don't want to stick out like a sore thumb. But sometimes it's when we are different that we discover new things no one has ever thought of or done before. We don't want to spend our whole lives doing only what others do. And there are times when we must take a stand if what others are doing is wrong. Perhaps it's good practice to try to do some little thing differently once in a while, to stand out from the crowd, just to get used to it. We might even like it. After all, if no one ever dares to be different, how would our world ever change for the better? What little thing can I do to stand out from the crowd today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation

03-15-2010, 12:09 AM	#529
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Monday, March 15, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift The difficulty in life is the choice. —George Moore How we choose to spend our time says much about what is important to us. If we have no goals, we may try to kill time. If we have too many goals, there may not be enough time in the day to do all we set out to do. We must make some choices based on our values. We may need to take more time for some things, and let go of others. For example, this year will we try to learn to play the guitar? Perhaps we have finally decided to drop out of that club which seems to have little purpose. Will we give more time to work, or less time? With each of these choices, we shape our lives. We can do it with the touch of an artist if we pay attention to the choices we are making. What is truly important to me today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-17-2010, 08:51 AM	#530
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Wednesday, March 17, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift Love is always open arms. --Leo Buscaglia There is a story about a boy who left home and dishonored his father by spending a large amount of money on fast and reckless living. When the boy's money ran out, he was faced with the prospect of returning home to face his father, knowing the father had every reason to be disappointed in him. Filled with fear and shame he approached his home, his mind racing with words of apology. Before the boy could say a word, his father rushed to him with open arms and hugged his lost son in joy and love. Have we done this? Have we found it in our hearts to approve whatever a loved one does, even if we would have wanted something different? Love like this is the highest kind of love. It finds joy in others no matter what, because it recognizes the freedom of those we love, and doesn't chain them to our own wants. It is the same kind of love God has for us. Are my arms open today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-18-2010, 12:16 AM	#531
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Thursday, March 18, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift Tyger, Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? Did He who made the Lamb make thee? —William Blake Is there a lamb and a tiger inside us? Is there any commandment, written on the sky or a stone tablet, denying us our perfect right to be both tiger and lamb? The tiger, beast made of fire and night, shows its teeth when it blazes with love; the lamb, orphan wrapped in soft blanket of cloud, weeps to receive that same love. So we give and take, are strong and weak, guilty and innocent, wrong and right. So we are balanced, even when we seem to be in conflict. When we learn to accept all the things we can be, we will be able to love all the ways the world outside us can be. What conflict is helping me grow today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-19-2010, 12:18 AM	#532
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Friday, March 19, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift Where is the yesterday that worried us so? —Joan Walsh Anglund In the fairy tale The Last Dream of the Old Oak Tree, the oak tree felt sorry for the dayfly. The dayfly only lives for one day, and the tree was already 365 years old. But the dayfly was so enjoying his one-day that the tree's sympathy puzzled him. The dayfly said to the tree, "You may have thousands of my days, but I have thousands of moments to be pleased and happy in." And so the dayfly continued to dance in the sun and smell the clover and honeysuckle. His day ended as happily as he spent it, and he settled down on a blade of grass. If all of us could approach our day the way the dayfly does, as though this were our only day, we would spend less time worrying about yesterday and tomorrow. How can I show my gratitude for the gift of this day? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-19-2010, 11:40 PM	#533
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Saturday, March 20, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift I want, by understanding myself, to understand others. —Katherine Mansfield Growing up to be the best people we can be is a lifelong process. As teenagers, we may have thought that twenty-one would be a magic year for us because then we would become adults. We'd be grown up and able to handle any problems that came along, if any did. But the older we get, the more we realize that growing up is a process that never ends. We are always becoming the people we are capable of being. We're always learning new things about ourselves, and in that process, we're always coming to new understandings about other people and how we can get along with them. How wonderful that life always offers us room to grow! It makes new discoveries possible all through our lives, and ensures us that we will always have something to offer. What discovery have I made just today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-22-2010, 12:36 AM	#534
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Monday, March 22, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift Real men don't vacuum. —Anna Genich Once, not so long ago, there was a family who tried to divide up housework equally. The father signed up for vacuuming, but he never got around to doing it. One morning he told everyone about his dream the night before. He was lined up in the dining room with an entire football team, and they all ran in a line through the house, pushing the clutter and dirt up against the walls and out of the way. They came to a finish at the picture window, where the father turned and raised his arms in victory. Then he saw his wife watching him, so he explained, "Heroes don't vacuum." Perhaps each of us is a hero at one time or another. In that case, we might take turns at different chores, rewarding the day's hero with a day off from vacuuming or dishwashing. When we work together to get the chores done, we become a family of heroes, and can feel a healthy pride in our warm, loving, and clean home. How can we share housework more equally? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-23-2010, 12:21 AM	#535
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Tuesday, March 23, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift It feels so good to cry. . . —Susan Cygnet Some of us were taught that it's bad to express our feelings directly - crying, wailing, jumping up and down for joy--that it's good manners to talk softly, slowly, and politely and to sit still. But what happens to our feelings when we sit still? If they don't get expressed, they must be caught inside our bodies. Trapped feelings are like birds in a cage, or a rabbit in a trap--they try to get out any way they can. They peck on our heads and give us headaches. They scratch at our stomachs and make us hurt. We must let them out. We must laugh and cry. Then our bodies will be happy, and our feelings will curl up in our laps like happy puppies. Am I ignoring the physical symptoms of trapped feelings? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-24-2010, 12:27 AM	#536
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Wednesday, March 24, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift The things we hate about ourselves aren't more real than things we like about ourselves. —Ellen Goodman It is so easy, and tempting, to get down on ourselves, to focus on an imperfect face, a dismal batting average, our fear of math, or our big feet. The trouble is, the more we feel sorry for ourselves, and the more we have to feel sorry about. And though it probably doesn't hurt to indulge in a little self-pity once in a while, how unfortunate--and limiting--it can be to let those attitudes define us. The things we hate about ourselves are no more real than the things we like about ourselves. The trick is to dwell on the things we like instead of those we don't. Even on days when we are sure we are the least loveable creatures in the world, we can "act as if" we like ourselves. What a surprise at the end of the day, to find out that we actually do! What can I like about myself today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-25-2010, 12:30 AM	#537
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Thursday, March 25, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift My most irrational fear is that I've forgotten how to cook. —Pam Sherman Once there was a teacher who was having nightmares about doing a good job. In one dream, he couldn't find his classroom and he had to run from building to building. In another dream, he started teaching the lesson in the middle of the woods and didn't notice he was in the wrong place! Then one Sunday morning, he read an article about a wonderful baker. She baked every day, started bakeries, and fixed food for her friends, yet when the reporter asked her about her fears, she said, "My most irrational fear is that I've forgotten how to cook." Suddenly the man felt better. He realized someone else had the same kinds of fears. In a miraculous way, our fears become less powerful when we discover that we share them with other people. What fear can I share with someone right now? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-26-2010, 12:23 AM	#538
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Friday, March 26, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift There is a proper balance between not asking enough of oneself and asking or expecting too much. —May Sarton The boy's mother baked pies that morning before he was up. She left them on the back porch to cool, their warm aroma curling up through his bedroom window. His mouth was full of the smell when he woke. Before she left for work, she said, "You may do anything you want today, anything at all. Except for one thing - don't step in those pies." All day the boy could not get the pies out of his mind; his feet itched just thinking about them. Don't step in those pies. He heard her voice inside his head. By late afternoon he could control it no longer. One, two, three, four, five, six--his foot fell squarely into the middle of each pie. When we expect the worst from others, we often get just that. The same goes for our expectations of ourselves. And when we trust others, it too is returned. Do I expect the best of others--and myself--today? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-27-2010, 12:07 AM	#539
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Saturday, March 27, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift We like someone because, we love someone although. —Henri de Montherlant Families are like scissors. They are joined in the middle but often spread wide apart, moving away from each other. When we're not feeling close to other family members - when it's hard even to like them - it seems as though we'll never come together again. But pity the scrap of paper that comes between our scissor blades! The scissors works together again and slices the trouble clean. When trouble threatens our family, we can slice it through if we move together in love and acceptance. No matter our small differences, we are part of the same living organism, in a way. The family we live in has been together for many generations, and we are just the most recent members. When we look at one another, we see the products of centuries of love. When I feel distant from my family, can I locate where we are still joined together? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

03-28-2010, 12:34 AM	#540
Butterfly Woman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fluttering about Posts: 2,656 Thanks: 2,226 Thanked 4,059 Times in 2,141 Posts My Mood:	Sunday, March 28, 2010 You are reading from the book Today's Gift I have a feeling I should paint what I am supposed to paint. So I sit. And there my hand moves and I made a picture. —Norval Morriseau The writer sits, head in hands, amid a mound of crumpled paper wads. The deadline is tomorrow and not even the first paragraph is written. The writer has been working nonstop since the early morning hours. Frustration pushes the writer up from the chair and out on a long walk in the woods to the stream. After an hour of plunging through lush woods, a rest by the stream listening to the sounds of the rippling water is refreshing. Back at the typewriter, the fingers move, the words flow, the job is done. Sometimes we need to quiet ourselves to let our inner resources flow through our outer noise. We are always doing what we are supposed to do. Even when things don't seem to come together just right, there is a purpose; even if only to let us know we need to do something else for a while. How much simpler our lives can be if we only have the faith to accept what happens as a guidepost along a path that is naturally correct. Am I frustrated with something I should step away from? From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

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