Tag Archive | beauty

Happy Green/White Tara Day!!! <3

Dec8

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(Green Tara – not my photo)
“There is a true feminist movement in Buddhism that relates to the goddess Tārā. Following her cultivation of bodhicitta, the bodhisattva’s motivation, she looked upon the situation of those striving towards full awakening and she felt that there were too few people who attained Buddhahood as women. So she vowed, ‘I have developed bodhicitta as a woman. For all my lifetimes along the path I vow to be born as a woman, and in my final lifetime when I attain Buddhahood, then, too, I will be a woman.'”
~Dalai Lama, 1989

Today is Tara Day!!

Tara is the female Buddha of love and compassion. She represents Perfected Wisdom.

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE

This is the mantra for Tara. It appeals to longevity, merit, and wisdom.

Listen here:

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE – mobile

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE – desktop

It may be easier to understand at first if you read the mantra while listening.

Om
ah- essence of awakened body
o- essence of awakened speech
m- essence of awakened mind
Tare –
quickly with boldness
Tuttare –
clearing away all fear, distress and suffering of all beings
Ture –
complete victory of truth over all negativity
Soha/svaha –
all accomplishments

Tara’s Vow

“There are many who wish to gain enlightenment
in a man’s form,
And there are few who wish to work
for the welfare of living beings
in a female form.
Therefore may I, in a female body,
work for the welfare of all beings,
until such time as all humanity has found its fullness.”

White Tara(1)

(White Tara – not my photo)

Tara is often mentioned as Green Tara or White Tara.
Green Tara represents youth and vitality. Green Tara is depicted as being youthful and girlish. White Tara is more womanly and mature and more “motherly” or maternal. White Tara is full – breasted and represents day while Green Tara represents night.

Green Tara is said to help people with immediate and worldly concerns such as wealth while White Tara responds to problems relating to emotional and physical health. She is associated with health and beauty. Her love is said to be so powerful, it can cure diseases.

Isn’t that beautiful?!

Also, check out these beautiful  legends.

“Origin of White Tara

According to legend, White Tara originated from the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.  When Avalokiteshvara witnessed all of the suffering in the world, he was so moved that he began to cry.  It is said that White Tara emerged from the tears flowing from his left eye.  Her essence is the compassion within Avalokiteshvara’s tears.”

“From the Tears of Avalokitesvara
Tara is a female form of Avalokitesvara, the bhodhisattva of compassion.  There are many legends of how Tara came into existence. One legend, similar to the legend of Kuan Yin says that as Avalokitesvara wept for those sentient beings trapped in the lower realms Tara was born from a lotus flower that grew from his tears.  Another version of this story tells of how the Green and White forms of Tara were born from 2 tears of Avalokitesvara.  Yet another version of the legend says that Tara was created from a blue beam of light emanating from Avalokitesvara’s eye.”

How inspiring these myths are! We can look to this beauty, Tara, in both her White & Green forms, for inspiration. We can channel our inner Tara to be more compassionate to others and be more loving in everything that we do.
When we chant her mantra, we can summon all the love and goodwill and strength we have within, bringing it to the surface of our mind to be more conscious of it.

Here is me channeling my inner White & Green Tara!

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Celebrating our femininity. ❤

There are 21 praises of Tara. Here are some of my favorite ones.

1
Homage to Tara swift and fearless
With eyes like a flash of lightning
Lotus-born in an ocean of tears
Of Chenresig, three worlds’ protector.

2
Homage to you whose face is like
One hundred autumn moons gathered
And blazes with the dazzling light
Of a thousand constellations.

3
Homage to you born from a gold-blue lotus
Hands adorned with lotus flowers
Essence of giving, effort and ethics,
Patience, concentration and wisdom.

9
Homage to you beautifully adorned
By the Three Jewels’ gesture at your heart.
Your wheel shines in all directions
With a whirling mass of light.

10
Homage to you, radiant and joyful
Whose crown emits a garland of light.
You, by the laughter of TUTTARA
Conquer demons and lords of the world.

12
Homage to you with crescent moon crown
All your adornments dazzling bright.
From your hair-knot, Amitabha
Shines eternal with great beams of light.

15
Homage to the blissful, virtuous, peaceful one
Object of practice, nirvana’s peace
Perfectly endowed with SOHA and OM
Overcoming all the great evils.

16
Homage to you with joyous retinue
You subdue fully all enemies’ forms
The ten-letter mantra adorns your heart
And your knowledge-HUM brings liberation.

18
Homage to you who holds in your hand
A moon like a celestial lake
Saying TARA twice and the letter PEY
You dispel all poisons without exception.

19
Homage to you on whom the kings of gods,
The gods themselves and all spirits rely.
Your armor radiates joy to all
You soothe conflicts and nightmares as well.

21
Homage to you, adorned with three natures
Perfectly endowed with peaceful strength
You destroy demons, zombies and yakshas
O TURE, most exalted and sublime!

They are all beautiful but here are just some.

You can find all 21 and other information about our Tara here!

http://cubuddhism.pbworks.com/w/page/24906657/TARA

I hope to one day receive a Tara Empowerment at the Buddhist center. I received the one for Avalokitesvara, the masculine version of Tara.

So, in honor of Tara and Tara Day, which is the 8th day of each month, here’s this post! Sometimes I attend the chanting ceremonies at the center. They are beautiful and inspiring. We chant together to Tara to generate positive energy and receive her love & wisdom into our own minds. Even if you aren’t a Buddhist, it’s an inspiring way to open your mind to greater love for all and just as a state of being. It’s a great ritual to develop inner strength and deepen our wisdom. Tara symbolizes great love & beauty and equality which is good for anyone. Tara is to remind us that a woman can do many things as well as a man can and we can do this while cherishing our feminine nature.

“For all my lifetimes along the path I vow to be born as a woman, and in my final lifetime when I attain Buddhahood, then, too, I will be a woman.”

Happy Tara Day!! 😀

Much love to you,

Xoxo Kim ❤

Inspiring quotes & pictures! {beauty} <3

Nov27

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Here are some lovely quotes and my pictures!

“If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happened better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb. (Don’t Hesitate)” ~
Mary Oliver

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This is an old picture of me kissing my puppy last year shortly after he was born! His mommy ran out of milk and we had to feed him and his sister with a dropper. His name is Woody and he’s a big boy now!

“Beauty doesn’t have to be about anything. What’s a vase about? What’s a sunset or a flower about? What, for that matter, is Mozart’s Twenty-third Piano Concerto about?” ~Douglas Adams

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“Kindness and awareness work together. Through awareness we understand the underlying beauty of everything and every being.” ~Amit Ray

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This is me! as a kaliedoscope! lol

“Compassion is all inclusive. Compassion knows no boundaries. Compassion comes with awareness, and awareness breaks all narrow territories.” ~Amit Ray

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“The beauty of that June day was almost staggering. After the wet spring, everything that could turn green had outdone itself in greenness and everything that could even dream of blooming or blossoming was in bloom and blossom. The sunlight was a benediction. The breezes were so caressingly soft and intimate on the skin as to be embarrassing.” ~Dan Simmons

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This is me with no makeup or photo effect/filter. I just made the picture lighter because it was a bit dark. I love makeup but don’t always wear it even when I go out. I usually wear makeup in my pictures and usually put photo effects on them. I love photography and editing pics and hope to learn more!  These are my Winter pj’s but I don’t think they match! Lol oh well! 

“Beauty is an inner light that shines on the outside.” ~Lailah Gifty Akita

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My mom put the Christmas tree up a couple weeks ago! We just need candy canes now! I love how the lights turned out in this picture! The way the colors go out like that. I don’t know what that’s called. It’s the only pic that turned out like that!  My mom loves decorating and is very proud of the tree. The animals wrecked the last trees we had! Lol And there’s Lacey sleeping next to it, she loves the tree! ❤

“Niagara Falls is the hanging tongue on the face of the earth, drooling endlessly over its own beauty.”~ Vinita Kinra

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These are my pretty babies. Aren’t they so cute?! They love their cucumbers! A lot of people don’t know this but they can feel when their shells are touched and love to be petted and brushed with a toothbrush. They cannot switch shells and cannot live outside them. They cannot live if their shells break too much and if they have minor breaks, they can be super glued. 
The shells get bigger as the baby snails grow up. They are cold blooded and have to be kept warm and moist. Some snails can live to be older than fifteen years old! 😀 ❤

“Explore the wonders of different shades of colours. It is purely lovely.” ~Lailah Gifty Akita

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I read this on Google:

“Most snails have thousands of microscopic tooth-like structures located on a ribbon-like tongue called a radula. The radula works like a file, ripping food into small pieces.”

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I can feel their little teeth sometimes when I hold them. It’s not painful but tingly. Those things love to eat! Lol

My mom is afraid of them. lol

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“Ah yes, the beauty of nature…once we understand life’s delicateness, then we will surely protect and cherish all of its forms.Ah yes, the beauty of nature…once we understand life’s delicateness, then we will surely protect and cherish all of its forms.” ~ Shannon Leigh Warren

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“Looking at beauty in the world, is the first step of purifying the mind.” ~Amit Ray

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I don’t have dirty fingernails. lol I had on ugly nailpolish and took it off quickly before work and not all of it came off.

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“If you realized how beautiful you are, you would fall at your own feet.” ~Byron Katie

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Beauty’s Only Skin Deep – Temptations- mobile

Beauty’s Only Skin Deep – desktop

This is an Oldie song sung by the Temptations about how inner beauty is more important than physical beauty which I completely agree with. But i think he has nerve because he tells his girl she is beautiful on the inside but does not have a pretty face! Whaatt?! What girl wants her love to tell her that?! And he got the gall to tell her his friends ask him what he sees in her! i’m offended! lol And he says a pleasing personality is rare. I disagree. Lots of people have a lovely personality!

❤ 😀

Much0 love to you!!

xoxo Kim ❤

To My People – Ode to Humanity

Nov24

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“Best friend, acquaintance, lover, co-worker, 
Even if I don’t know you, all the good that you do,
Helps me see my way through,
Service space thanks for sharing all the good news” ~ Empty Hands 

Nimo Patel (of Empty Hands Music) is one of my favorite singers! All his songs are great, I love both the tunes and his messages. You know how you may love the words of a song but not the tune or music? Or the other way around, you really like the tune or music but not the words or message? One example of a song I like the tune and music of but not the words is “Pumped up Kicks” I think it’s called. It’s so uplifting and will get you pumped…..until you realize it’s a song about gun violence! He’s like running through the school blowing away all the kids. I don’t have anything against people listening to it, it’s just not my cup of tea(i do listen to Alice Cooper’s twisted songs about killing and stuff, Alice gets away with it just because he’s Alice! Lol).

Anyway, I love every single one of Nimo Patel’s songs, both the tunes and the messages. Most of his songs are about universal love, loving everyone, friends, family, strangers no matter their views, ethnicity, lifestyles, about togetherness and being thankful for life and every single living being in it, insects, humans, everything. So beautiful! 

So today I want to share this incredible song, “To My People – Ode to Humanity.” I love it because “my people” are not just their own friends and family and community…but people everywhere, even strangers. It’s an ode to humanity. The singers are thankful for every single life, even those they never met. They acknowledge the goodness in everyone all around the world and give thanks. They encourage us to love our friends, our family, our acquaintances, our coworkers, everyone. 

This song resonates with me so deeply. I have always felt this way and sometimes I feel it deeper than other occasions. But I frequently feel that everyone is someone to me, even strangers. Every life matters to me. I can identify with everyone in some way, some more deeply than others. I think if we tune into our empathy and wisdom, we can all feel this way often. We can relate to one another through our basic humanness, even other species because members of other species (animals, insects) share our basic will, desire to live, to avoid suffering and gravitate towards pleasure and relief.  

“To my people yeh,
You’re my soul, you’re my roots 
Your’re my family, my life and my truth
To my people yeh,
Your everybody, every being, every life, every moment, everything
To my people yeh,
Your my God, you’re my soul,
You’re the one that pushes me to help me grow
To my people yeh, 
I bow down to your heart of gold” ~ Empty Hands 

Imagine a world full of not strangers but friends, family, acquaintances, even if we don’t know them, we have some sense of kinship with them. Everywhere we look, in crowded shopping malls, in cars around us, at work, in stores, in hospitals,….we see family, living beings who are all someone to us and have a place in our heart.  Imagine.

Wouldn’t that be beautiful? 

We all have a name, a life, a breath, goals, pleasure, pain, happiness, fears, loves, a desire to avoid suffering, and gravitate towards things that bring pleasure or relief. 

Underneath we are really quite similar.

We can practice feeling this more frequently and deeply by intentionally wishing the best for each person, each sentient being, we look at even if those people don’t know it. Even if just in our heads we can hope nothing but good for each person, animal, life we encounter. Each person we see on the streets, in cars, in stores, we can consciously, make it a point to think positive, pleasant things about those people. This can get our minds in the habit of loving everyone. I often feel this automatically without even trying but when I don’t feel it, I can make an intentional decision to wish each person the best. Not only is it just great to feel this, it can carry over into our actions, consciously or unconsciously. 

I am so thankful for every life I come across in some way, no matter how briefly, online and in person. Every encounter we have with someone can impact that person so let’s make it a positive encounter. Let’s smile and send out love and engage in acts of kindness.

I’m so thankful for Nimo Patel and those who can write and sing these messages I receive so deeply, so lovingly. They take the words right out of my mouth, my heart, my being.

So I dedicate this post to my people.

You, you, you, you, and you! All of you and everyone around the world.

I bow down to your heart of gold.

I appreciate your goodness, your beauty, your love, your kindness, your compassion, your smile….

I love you and wish you the best in everything you do, all the good intentions you have. 

I wish us all the best. It may seem like it doesn’t make sense because sometimes what’s best for one person may not be to someone else. What’s “best” for one may be the “worst” for someone else.For example two people going on a job interview and only one can get it. How can they both get the best? And what if someone wants to murder someone, that may seem best to the potential murderer but certainly not to the victim! The person who doesn’t get the job can still be at peace, still be happy and just try again. And the potential murderer can change and no longer hurt or try to hurt people.  When I wish the best for others, I don’t just mean in an external way but inside, inner peace and love and happiness. Some people argue that universal love cannot possibly work out in a practical sense even if it’s a beautiful concept. But that’s simply not true. When we wish others the best, we are referring to an inner experience whatever happens on the outside. 

Here is this wonderful song! 

To My People – Ode to Humanity – mobile

To My People – Ode to Humanity – desktop

Much love to you, 

😀

Xoxo Kim ❤ ❤ 

November Sunset <3

Nov22

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“People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don’t find myself saying, “Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner.” I don’t try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.” ~Carl R. Rogers

This is the sun setting this evening around 4:35pm! My sister and me were sitting in the living room and I saw the walls overcome in a pink/orange glow and I said “Is that the sun setting already?!” It seemed early for the sunset! My dog, Woody, was sleeping on me and I did not want to disturb him but I wanred to check the sunset before it disappeared! So after a minute I made him get up ran to the front door and gasped so loud my next door neighbors who were out turned quickly to look at me but I was in awe! And still am! 😀

The above picture is exactly what it looked like! Not much pink or orange, just blue and bright, bright yellow! Isn’t it stunning?! So beautiful!

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The above pictures have no effect and were not altered in any way, it really looked like that! I never saw a sunset like that with so much bright yellow!! I would surely remember! It’s probably the most beautiful one I have been blessed to witness!

But this one here, I did put an effect on just to see what it looks like. It’s not as pretty as the real unaltered thing!

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And here are a couple more not altered. These ones I took on the other side of my street and there was no yellow! Just pink/orange but still pretty!

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This blue picture is not altered except it’s cropped because someone’s tag number showed up in it. I don’t like when people put someone else’s info online so I cut it out. I don’t know why it looks different than the others, maybe the way I held my phone.

And I ran to the back door and took these out back before the beauty faded into the darker beauty of nightfall!

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This is the side out back with the big tree then just on the other side, the same minute, it looked like this!

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I love the reflections on the cars & windows!

and here are some beautiful Fall leaves out back!

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They are so lovely and they feel amazing in my hands, rough but smooth against my skin.

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“Forests, lakes, and rivers, clouds and winds, stars and flowers, stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes – every form of animate or inanimate existence, leaves its impress upon the soul of man.” ~ Orison Swett Marden

There’s so much beauty all around us in various forms.

I watched “The Gallows” tonight! I like it but my family said it’s boring! I find it to be creepy and like the ending!

I hope your day/night is going great!

❤ 😀

Standing Knee Deep in a River (Dying of thirst) – Joe Cocker – mobile

Standing Knee Deep in a river – desktop

Hugs & Love,

xoxo Kim

November 19th

Nov19

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“Life goes on
no one gets rehearsal
life goes on
through everyday reversal 
with every dawn everyday is full of chances 
to find some good before it’s gone…” 

Today and tonight is very rainy. On my way to Buddhist class in Center City, I looked up at the tall buildings through the rain and saw people in one of the upper floors sitting around at a meeting! Lol Anyone else probably would have found it not important or thought nothing of it but I just loved seeing it. I saw three men in what appeared to be business suits.  There were probably more who I couldn’t see. None of the men I saw have hair. 

It looked important. 

Lol  

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This isn’t the building, these are different, similar ones.

I love hearing and seeing people in the distance. And I love the sounds of laughter and talking and construction work, it just provokes a feeling of connection and Oneness in me, I love the life all around. 

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The meeting in the building I saw through the window brought back a memory of a day in 9th grade when a girl in class had some speaker thing and either it called people or she hooked it up to her phone and called random people and we all heard it through the speaker. She did not know any of the people she called, it was just random numbers. A man answered one of the calls and he sounded distraught, almost panicked and said he’ll have to call her back, he was in an important meeting at City Hall. She kept telling him it’s important to talk to her right now. He did not realize it was a high school girl just messing around. Lol All the kids were laughing and so was the teacher. 

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His meeting probably looked a little like the one I briefly witnessed way up on that top floor tonight. 

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In class tonight, the monk reminded us to remember that everything is impermanent, the seasons, relationships, our problems, everything we love, our physical traits, our life….so cherish all that we have but be prepared to lose it. Depending upon how we think about it, this can be inspiring or gloomy. Remember to bask in the beauty of all we have and not put too much into problems or pain or negativity, it will all end soon enough.

I found the lecture and meditation to be inspiring and soothing and sad. I thought of my coworker, Diane, who died in February. I was very close to her and I don’t always cope with her death well. And I thought of those I will likely lose later, animals and humans. It was soothing to hear our teacher remind us that loss is just part of life, just the way it goes and it doesn’t have to destroy us. He used an analogy of staying at a luxurious hotel for a few days and having to leave it. We don’t break down over having to leave the beautiful room and bath and breakfast in bed and king sized bed and incredible view and room service and all because we knew all along it would end. It was never ours to keep. We were prepared to have it end. It’s like our life now. It was never ours to keep, the relationships we have aren’t meant to last forever. The very nature of life is change. If we just prepare ourself for it to end, like the way we know vacations end, we will be great. We are travelers just passing through life. 

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We were also reminded that the most important things are love, wisdom, and inner peace, not material things like money and jewelry.

The monk used another analogy of receiving a big expensive diamond then soon after, being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Would we even care about the diamond now next to something like that? We can have expensive things, pretty things, and still be miserable or still be sick, and still die. And we can have a terminal illness, experience a devastating loss, be very old, and still be happy and at peace.

It’s all about our attitude and what we focus on. 

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When we focus on the good and focus on our breath for a few minutes, we can experience inner calmness. When we meditate upon the concept of death and loss, it can at first seem gloomy, negative, uncomfortable, terrible, but eventually it can bring us to peace and lessen our anxiety about it.  

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It was a good class! Very helpful!

Last night was my little sister’s 19th b-day so my family took her bowling! It was a lot of fun! I got 2nd place! My mom got the lowest score and my dad and sister got the same score.

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Here are a couple pictures:

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The people before us left this score sheet.

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Lol

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I’m the only one of us usually who likes to get my picture taken. Lol 

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This is my boys and me. They are just the sweetest things! ❤

Emmy is the little daddy on my shoulder and Woody is his baby looking up at me. They get so jealous of each other and both want all the attention. Lol It's so cute!!

Here is a sweet song relevant to the topic of impermanence and appreciating the good while accepting the bad and the uncertainty.

“You’ll never know which way a day is gonna take you
there’s always some surprise that comes along to shake you
you’ll never see exactly where the road will lead you
and when it comes to love you gamble when you need to
you’ll maybe break your heart on one unlucky throw
but then again, you’ll never know”

You’ll Never Know – Ringo Starr – mobile

You’ll Never Know – desktop

Much love to you!! ❤

😀

xoxo Kim

Father Figure

Nov17

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“If you are the desert
I’ll be the sea
If you ever hunger –
Hunger for me
Whatever you ask for
That’s what I’ll be. .”

Ever hear this song? I listened to it often when I was young. But I never truly listened. I liked the music and the voices singing and the feeling of mystery to it. I still do! I occasionally wondered what it’s about but those thoughts were very fleeting. Then I haven’t heard it for years probably, just once in a blue moon.

Recently I read the lyrics and found that at first they may seem deeply disturbing to someone not truly paying attention or not in tune with the wisdom within. It seems, on the surface, as if an adult man is singing to a child about wanting to be naked at his/her side and wanting to be this young person’s “daddy.”

Or like he’s in love with an adult but thinks of him/her as a child. (eww)

Who wants to lay naked next to your dad?! (Or who wants to think of your man as your daddy? [eww lol])

Unless maybe the person is a baby and like laying on the sofa or bed with the dad. Some babies/toddlers do rip their clothes off and run around in front of people, I used to! Lol

But even then I don’t think the dad usually says or thinks “I want you naked at my side.”

But this song seems to have a sexual overtone, not an innocent song a daddy sings to his child.
And not like a regular romantic love song where the singer acknowledges his lover is an adult.

(I never completely understood why some men like their lovers to call them “daddy.” lol But whatever floats your boat as long as they’re all consenting adults!)

But I felt, while reading the lyrics that this message runs so, so much deeper than the sexual or romantic or pedophile song it may seem at first glance.

I felt it before I knew it intellectually. I felt with my intuition and my deep wisdom before I truly read the words.

“That’s all you wanted
Something special, someone sacred –
In your life”

He may or may not be singing to a (romantic) lover. He does mention a lover but “lover” doesn’t always have to be romantic necessarily although the word is usually reserved for a romantic sense. And the person probably isn’t a child. A lover in the most basic sense of the word is just one who loves. “A lover of life” for example.

“If we have faith in each other
Then we can be
Strong”

What I think he’s saying is, he wants to be wise and strong and help someone else who may be in need. He has a hunger for being just what someone else needs. He has a relentless need to BE for someone else.

And I think that’s beautiful.

A father is often a person a child looks up to and can trust to guide him/her in this life. Our father is (or is supposed to be) someone whose love and wisdom can help us see through the turmoil and pain and negativity in life. We look up to him to protect us and lead us, to show us the way. But we don’t have to be a child to look up to a person like this and the person doesn’t have to be our father. This person can be a friend, a lover, a teacher, a religious person, a man or a woman,….anyone who has realized deep wisdom, deep love, and a strong desire to help others.

A father’s love is (supposed to be) unconditional.

“I will be your father figure
Put your tiny hand in mine
I will be your preacher teacher
Anything you have in mind
I will be your father figure
I have had enough of crime
I will be the one who toves you
Until the end of time”

The person in this song he is singing to may not be an actual child but childlike. Innocent and full of wonder. A person who is in a state for whatever reason, where s/he needs to be protected or needs someone to look up to. All of us are in a position or can be in a position where we are helpless and can be taken advantage of. There will always be someone bigger and stronger and with more power. We will almost all probably at some point need some kind of help or need answers whether it’s a serious situation like a medical condition, a mental health issue, or just needing directions while driving or how to fix something or a recommendation or help finding something. And most of us have power or an advantage over someone, whether physical, financial, emotional….all of us can hurt or help heal, protect or potentially need to be protected.
We will some occasions be in a position to help another in need. And sometimes we’ll be in a position to accept someone else’s help.

The singer (whether for real or just in the song) wants to protect this person and be his/her light, his/her guide, the one s/he can always trust and look up to.

The “child” in the song is symbolic of innocence and vulnerability.

And the “father” is symbolic of fierce, unconditional love & boundless wisdom.

“Naked” doesn’t mean physically naked, the body stripped of clothing. It is a metaphor for the baring of the soul, stripping the self of everything, of all barriers and fears, and insecurities, and allowing someone else to see through to the light and love and wisdom within. And allowing someone to see the flaws, the mistakes, the fears….Strip all the layers of wariness and anxiety and fear and embarrassment and let the true naked self be seen.

It’s actually a very beautiful song and message.

Well, this is my interpretation but someone else may have a different one.

“So when you remember the ones who have lied
Who said that they cared
But then laughed as you cried
Beautiful darling
Don’t think of me”

We can be this to someone else and also have someone else be this to us. We can all take and give, be strong some moments and allow someone else to be our strength at other moments, we can have eyes wide with wonder and innocence, blue with youth, we can break and need, and also be full of deep wisdom, have a soul so old with deep understanding and wrinkled with experience, and a thirst to provide and help and be someone’s strength and source of love.

“Because all I ever wanted
It’s in your eyes baby, baby…”

I hope we will all take advantage of whatever position we are in at each moment. Take advantage in a positive way. If we are feeling strong and wise, let’s reach out to someone not yet so strong, not in this moment in touch with the wisdom within the person, and help that person, guide that person to discover her/his wisdom, if we are feeling weak and in need, let’s reach out for help in whatever form we need it or allow someone who wants to help us, to provide what we need. It’s good to be strong and ok to be weak. It’s good to help and ask for help. It’s beautiful to give and sometimes necessary and good to take what is offered.

We can all be the child & the father.

Father Figure – George Michael – mobile

Father Figure – desktop

Much love to you! 😀

Xoxo Kim ❤

November Sunrise

Nov15

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“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.” ~
Bernard Williams

It’s rare that I’m up early enough to see a sunrise! But this morning after 6:00, I woke up in an urgent state to unplug my phone because it was charging overnight and the battery was probably destroyed! But I soon realized that my phone wasn’t charging! It was in bed with me, under a book so my dogs wouldn’t find it and chew it! (I sleep with books…lol) I remembered that I decided not to charge it last night and just go to sleep! 

Then I noticed a pink, very bright pink, hue seeping through the window and reflecting off the walls, I thought to myself “is that the sun rising?!?!” I looked out and sure enough, it was! What a gift! Whenever I would purposely wake up early to see it, I don’t catch it, I look out and nothing. But on a few rare occasions I woke up accidentally and saw it! Even better!

So I ran downstairs and into the backyard
 and took pictures (hoping people weren’t looking out thinking I’m some creeper taking pictures of their windows). It was much more beautiful than it looks in the pictures!

It was more pink than my pictures suggest. My phone camera often has the tendency to make pink skies look more orange than they really look. 

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I love how it reflects in the windows on the house next door.

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Here are two that I altered:

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It’s so disappointing when I take a picture of a beautiful pink streaked sky and it turns out looking orange in the picture! Blah! But i’m so happy I got pics of the sunrise this morning! Sometimes the sky really is bright orange! It’s beautiful when it’s really orange and not a simulated orange!  

Like here:

(this is a sunset)

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This is exactly how the sky looked that night. It’s completely unedited. It really was that bright, that dramatic, that orange! It was amazing to see! It looks so fake! It looked like some orange entity taking over the city! It was reflecting off all the windows on the cars and buildings. 

It was only that orange though on parts of the sky. I held/tilted my phone a certain way to make it look as if the entire city was drenched in orange.

Here is the same night:

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Driving into the sunset! 

They are not all the same picture. They are slightly different and none of those are altered.

But this one is one of the above ones altered with an app on my phone:

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I love both sunrises & sunsets. Sunrise is symbolic of new beginnings and hope. No matter what happens, the sun comes up in the morning. ❤

😀

Hugs & Love, ❤

xoxo Kim