Support

Life’s Blessings

/ markmkane / 8 Comments

BB1

Every day when I wake,

I take stock in what I have…

the strength from loved ones,

devotion from my family,

support from my friends,

affection from my pets,

my strong faith in God

Because of these simple things,

I take comfort in knowing

that I can take on…

any challenge,

face any dilemma,

make life changing judgements

without hesitation and total clarity

Because life is all about…

seeing what’s around us,

having an appreciation for all that we have,

a sense of gratitude for things we are given,

and the  knowledge for making a difference,

not just in our lives

but in that of others

It is only then,

when we realize this

that we will truly feel

we’ve been bequeathed with

life’s blessings.

 

Spreading Sunshine

/ markmkane / 1 Comment

10A

As you go through life

be there for the people around you…

loved ones,

family,

friends,

those in need

Be the foundation for their support,

lend a shoulder to cry on,

give a big, tender hug,

share a warm, caring smile,

bring humor to the table

Displaying your light

with unabashed pride,

that’s how

you make everything better…

by

“spreading sunshine”

11A

Forever Strong

/ markmkane / 4 Comments

AA3

We wish good times would last,

that feeling of no tomorrow,

but we know that’s not the case

How does one stay strong

in the midst of the dark

When your life is riddled with

change,

crisis,

death,

tragedy,

pain,

heartache

We try to summon every ounce of

faith,

hope,

love,

courage,

support,

even false bravado

to overcome our trials and tribulations

We will never know how strong we are

until strong is the only choice we have

In the end if we do this, we’ll be

resilient in hard times,

fearless of the unknown,

eternally optimistic,

steadfast in our mind’s eye,

and

forever strong.

The Love From A Pet

/ markmkane / 3 Comments

Having a family pet

is truly a blessing from the start,

they give their all, and more, to you

warms the bottom of your heart

 

Their warm and gentle eyes,

soft fur and cheerful grin,

their playfulness and compassion unbound

stirs feelings from within

 

They’re comforting to the soul

keeping you from a tailspin,

they’re there with you throughout it all

in it through thick and thin

 

To have a family pet, you see,

is to have a friend for life,

they’re there to provide strong stability

through all the stress and strife

 

The love a pet shares

is unconditionally all to you,

it becomes the greatest gift of all

to the end their hearts be true

 

So if you’re given the chance

get a loving pet by your side,

experience all their wondrous joy 

and hang on for an awesome thrill ride

Tigger

/ markmkane / Leave a comment

img_4467-1

With 2016 winding down, I ,like many others reflect on what took place in our lives and put things into perspective.  As I was doing my year end house cleaning, I stumbled upon a picture of my beloved dog “Tigger”several years removed from our lives; attached was a note that I had penned soon after his passing.

I read through it and reflected on how important he was to me and my family and wanted to share how I felt at that time with you.

“Today a part of me died,

you left a void within my heart that can never be replaced

You touched my life in ways that you could never imagine

I sit here trying to think of a word to best describe you

But no words can describe what you truly meant to me

You were my best friend for the past 18 years

and you did everything in your heart for me

You made me laugh and smile

and comforted me when I was scared

You protected me when I was asleep

and kept me company when I was alone

In your little funny ways,

you made me see what life was about

I will miss you with all my heart;

your perky ears, your jovial bark, and your gentle lick

It will be hard to face life without you by my side

Your support and love made me feel invincible

Your gift of love

was the best gift I ever received from you

For that I am most grateful

I’m so lucky and honored that you came into my life

For the rest of my life, I am in debt to you

Tigger…you taught me what love really is,

to give it and to receive it

you will never be forgotten

because you have a special place within my heart forever

Whenever I think of love or share it,

you will come to mind

you will live on in the love I give to others

Thank you Tigger,

thank you for choosing me,

thank you for being there for me

and caring with your heart.”

A Spark Of Hope

/ markmkane / Leave a comment

spark1

Ever have one of those days when things just don’t seem to go your way or situations pop up that test your limits?  We’re all faced with that time and time again; believe me, I’ve had my share ten times over and then some.  There are other that have it even worse. 

 What I’m most curious about is how others cope with their personal struggles.  How do they keep positive in light of all the bad things that are happening to them?  What gives them the drive to face their dilemma head on and never give up?

 When problems arise in my life, my “doom and gloom meter” starts to rise and my mind starts to go into overdrive about all the things I could’ve done to avoid this mess.  My outlook starts to look depressingly hopeless and my daily routines are all out of whack.

 I start to do normal things on auto-pilot all the while racking my brain on how to solve my problems or obstacles so that I can get back on track and live normally again. 

 When this happens, I start to get into a funk and feel like “Why does this always happen to me and when will it all end!  Can’t I just get a break?!”  Just when I see there is no solution to my turbulent mess, “a spark of hope” appears out of nowhere.

spark3

 For me, that can come in the form of my dog greeting me at Mach speed with unconditional love and adoration.  A big bear hug from my wife. It can even come from watching my kids simply do their homework or observing family members go about their daily routine.  It’s amazing how something so small and mundane can make a difference.

 Just the mere sight of them snaps me out of my much misaligned chaotic demeanor.  It’s weird but seeing something like that, just soaking in those positive things gives me hope. Remembering all the good times and feeling so blessed to have a family like mine helps a lot; knowing that I overcame previous predicaments helps in the process.  Maybe subconsciously I know that I have their undying love and support in my corner and I know I’m not facing my predicaments alone.  

 Can’t really explain it; I get a renewed sense of energy and endless possibilities about my life explode in my head…AND it’s all good.  It feels as if nothing in the world can stop me from accomplishing anything and everything! 

It’s funny how something so simple can become a beacon of unbridled optimism.  Life doesn’t appear so bleak and I’m enthusiastically anticipating what’s in store for me in an hour, a day, a week or months from now.  I begin to envision a more desirable and successful future for myself which might or might not happen.  Who cares?!

 My “spark of hope” is all that matters in driving my life forward.  As long as I have that grain of reverie then everything is fine.

 I can’t fathom how this process works but I’m just truly grateful that this “spark of hope” can do wonders for me.  I just pray that this sparkle continues to light all of the dark and hard times that I’ll encounter in my life.

spark2

My Wedding Vow…

/ markmkane / Leave a comment

My life had no meaning

it was desolate and blue,

darkness consumed me

until I met you.

The times spent with you

gave me a feeling so great –

it felt like paradise

had just opened its gate.

Your warmth and your kindness

that you eagerly gave,

my belief in your love –

my life you have saved.

Your faith in me was strong

through the good and the bad,

you gave of your love

made me appreciate what I had.

Your lovely voice,

your warm tender smile

the presence of your beauty

makes love all the worth while.

This feeling for you

is so hard to convey,

to pick one true meaning

would be unjustly to say.

My spirit soars

when your presence is near,

“YOU”…the love of my life

gives me reason to cheer.

To have you as a partner in life

is a great honor for me,

and eternity in heaven

is what our lives will always be.

That’s What Friends Are For.

/ markmkane / Leave a comment

Friend2

We all have friends in our lives. Some may have an army of them while others a few. Contrary to most social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and others of the ilk where quantity determines popularity and self-value, true friendship is based on quality.

 A friend is someone who is with you through the good times and the bad. They’re there to lift your spirits up and to support you in times of crisis.

Friend1

 We have childhood friends, work friends, family friends, fair weather friends and even befriended friends of friends.  “WOW!” that’s the most that I’ve used the word friends in one complete sentence.

There are some, the “lucky ones”, that are most fortunate to have a life-long friend or friends that have been with you in all stages of your life and you in theirs. You guys, the “lucky ones”, really hit the lottery.

There’s no question that family members can be our friends; but that’s a different type of bond that goes well beyond conventional friendship.

 For the rest of us, we’ve had friends that came in and out of our lives at various points in our life.  Some we lost touch with, some that fell apart, some that passed away, some that abandoned us, some that promised to keep in contact but never do and some that just quietly drifted away.

 Despite what type of friends we have, I feel that the ones that came into our lives at any given point in time was there for a reason.  They were there to serve a purpose, and when it was fulfilled, they moved on so that we could do the same.

 There’s nothing wrong with that.  Sometimes we weren’t meant to be life-long friends with certain people; that’s okay.  In that given time span of when we started that friendship till the time it ended should be cherished whether it be good or bad.

The fact that we shared a friendship with someone is an amazing feat in itself.  We displayed an ability to give of ourselves to another to the point where they liked us enough to do the same.  If we continue to do that throughout the rest of our lives, there will be no shortage of friends.

Friend3

 We all desire friends because life’s too short to go it alone.  We need that special someone to accompany us in our life’s journey because it’s just way more fun.  Having twice the laughs, twice the craziness, twice the smiles and twice the hugs is the best reward a friend could provide.

Friend4