Courage and Dr. Martin Luther King

Dear Sillies,

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and that's all. Right? Nothing else's happening today. Nothing worthy of note. (But why, friends, why are people shocked that Snoop Dogg is performing? When did Snoop convey an Eagle Scout vibe?) 

Anyway, let's remember the heroism of this remarkable man whose actions and courage transcend space and time. It's imperative that we continue the fight for equal treatment for all humankind. 

Sometime in the 1990s, I sat in a big auditorium listening to a moving speech by Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King's then widow. I couldn't have felt more directly connected to the Reverend's teachings.

Coretta would pass in 2006, outliving King by 38 years.

As overwhelmingly distressful as things may seem now, there's always reason for hope. 

A hopeful, brave week to you!

Courage

Extending the dance 

When you’ve long lost your groove
Swimming to shore too frail to move.

Stepping towards light, when darkness abounds
Permitting a laugh amid no other sounds.

Confronting a beast no one should endure
It strikes with no warning, no reprieve and no cure.
 

Snuggling with hope, when the pain you can’t bare
Unveiling your heart in the face of despair.

Conveying a smile, when you’d much rather cry
Speaking the truth though it’s safer to lie.

Taking a stance, when integrity’s lost
Forcing what’s right in spite of the cost.  

Holding to faith in your value and worth
Maintaining a grace that softens the earth.  

Passing with ease
As you air your last breath
A hero whose soul
Transcends life

and death.

                           

                                     by me, Robyn Alana Engel

California Wildfires and Now

My Dear Silly, Caring Dears,

How are you? Please be be safe and able to smile. 

I'm fine, as are my loved ones in L.A. They're inhaling toxic air, of course. Some areas in which I used to work or play, and scores of homes, were completely charred. Lives lost. It's beyond imaginable. Right? I don't think I'll begin to absorb the devastation until I'm next in Los Angeles. 

What can we do but hunker down, appreciate our blessings, offer assistance when we're ready and able, share love and healing vibes? Afterall, the only thing we can count on is the present moment. 

That said, I'd written Now in 2012 for my first book, Just the Right Time. A dear friend, Dee Dee Vest, had long ago asked for some of my poetry to perhaps turn into song. As a surprise that brought me to tears, she sang this* publicly on the very same day that I'd learned about the Bidwell Mansion Fire. Thus, my words revisited me in magical form, when I sorely needed the message. 

*Sorry if you can't view this because you're not on Facebook. I wish I knew how to share it a different way. (Ugh, I dislike supporting Z-berg's empire.)

The very lovely, talented, and kind Robin Mead provided her stunning artwork for that book. Here's Now. 

Missing Dick, Dick Collage, New Year's Eve Sentiment

My Dear Sillies,

Here we are again with a "How the heck did this happen?!" I won't wish you one that's "Happy," because that feels empty and silly. We're looking towards a lot of unknowns and challenges. Yet that's life, right? We'll still laugh and love and eat chocolate. Right? (Unless you're allergic, in which case, you'll eat what brings you good feels.) So have a New Year that's filled with sparkly moments of joy and heart warming awe.

I love you.

I miss Dick, though. I really do.