Seasons and the power of 4

My shoulders are sunburned. We went swimming and while I managed to get sunscreen on the rest of me, I failed to get all of my back.

That said, I love summer. In fact,the change of seasons remains a masterful, wonderful happening . What a brilliant God we have! Just when we get so hot that we cant stand it anymore...our hands and feet are pruned from too much time in the swimming pool, relief. Fall comes, the leaves turn and we need jackets. The days get shorter and we look toward Christmas. Then the first snow falls and winter begins and you can see your breath. When we cannot take the cold, huddled in our homes, the trees bud and the grass starts growing again and my rosebush outside blooms.

The power of 4. 4 seasons. 4 winds. 4 compass points. 4 types of sentences. 4 types of volcanoes. 4 main characters in winnie the pooh. When you google '4 types' you even get the four types of barbeque. ( vinegar and pepper, mustard, light tomato and heavy tomato) I know, random.

I like that my band is 4. 4 types of people. 4 distinct personalities. 4 parts of the whole.

So what would we be, if we were the four seasons, four compass points, 4 types of sentences or 4 disney characters? Well, for entertainments' sake, I decided to try to peg us.

Let me start with Hilary. The intellect. Definitely winter for the season, as she wilts in the heat, and loves to huddle with books. I consider winter an introvert, that is definitely her. Cold and brooding, or as open and beautiful as a frozen winter landscape. As for the sentence, she is delclarative. Matter of fact and practical. Compass point would be North...see above comment about the winter. as for the winnie the pooh characters, i will have to think on it. I would say maybe she is more like Belle in Beauty and the beast. Or perhaps Moses as a biblical character. She is the only one besides Moses that could have written those books of law..and been humble and steadfast enough to not let it go to her head. Plus she loves being alone with God.

Now let me do Marla. The Spirit. Fall is the season. Full of color and even temperature. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. Comfortable and even in temperament. Compass point would be west, with a do-it-herself mindset...she has a great ability to work with her hands and figure out logistical problems. She would have made a great pioneer woman. For her sentence, she is an interrogative...always wanting to know about you, hesitant to talk about herself. Definitely Winnie the Pooh. She is also like Mary Poppins. If she were a bible character, she would be Ruth. Steadfast.

Now Rikie. The Heart or emotion. Definitely Spring. Full of beautiful rich color and friendly temperatures. Blooming like roses, Rikie has an ability with plants that I cannot fathom. They love her without reserve, as she also loves the people in her life. Like Spring, she has the power to drive the winter duldroms away...she makes Hil laugh! Her emotion is close to the surface...so she feels deeply both with hurt feelings and with intense love feelings as well. It is a great way to live. She is an imperative statement. Once she decides something, she will stick to it until it is completed. Compass point is south. Where you go for vacation, warm and inviting. Disney character would probably be Aurora from sleeping beauty, as she is happiest either at home or in the outdoors. (and she just looks like her...) As for bible character, she is Paul. Intellectual and driven, feeling deeply with a passion for people and Christ. She is also a great writer.

As for me, I am not sure, but I would probably peg myself as the blending of the three. Where the heart emotion and spirit collide. The expressive part of the four. Summer is me. Too intense at times, but very warm and open. Compass point is East, somewhat mysterious and a little exotic, sometimes people want to know about me, but dont want to know me. Much like the far east remains somewhat a mystery. Definitely exclamatory sentence. Like I said, too intense at times. Disney character is that candlestick off of beauty and the beast. or perhaps Esmerelda in the hunchback of notre dame. A little unorthodox. Too expressive. Too impulsive. Too much of a risk taker. Too much like Peter in the garden, cutting off the ear of that soldier before I consider the consequences.

So back to my first sentence. I am so glad that I have friends who 'have my back.' Otherwise I would spend all year with my shoulders burned. Thank God for His seasons. But I thank Him more for providing me with best friends that share my hurt and happiness. that keep me in check and push me to be better. Friends that keep my soul from getting as burned as my shoulders.

Call yourself blessed if you have a friend to put sunscreen on you. "We werent made to live this life alone." (beautiful thoughts from Hilary), so if you are sharing your life with friends, thank the Lord. He has been good.

Seasons
copyright 2004 LeighAnn Heil
I'm alone but never lonely
Like the seasons changing are we
Sometimes cold and sometime warm
sometime fair and sometime storm

When the winter spreads her blanket of white
When fall's golden leaves first give up their fight
When the summer sun sinks low in the sky
When springtime breezes blow

Nights are warm when shadows are long
And the summer sings its first song
when the sun rises high in the sky
Sitting in a shadow am I

Tell me when the morning breaks
In the dawn of may and spring
Take me through the long winter night
Let my spirit sing

Spread the dark of night over me
And in slumber I will be free
Free to roam and ramble within
Light as dust and free as the wind

I'm alone but never lonely
Like the seasons changing are we.

A Place To Run

Today is GRATI-TUESDAY. An idea I got off of a blog of someone special that is no longer with us. I have decided that for the rest of June, I am going to only blog of things I am grateful about. Perhaps this will bring forth terribly maple-syrup-sappy-sentimental-songs. If it gives us all diabetes before I am done, then maybe I will think about changing course.

So here are a few things I am grateful for today.

Ryan went to his first day of camp today. It is just a morning thing, but it is sponsored by the place he gets therapy. As I was pulling up, a little girl (around 6 years old) with the sweetest smile on the planet, is getting out of her car, with her tiny pink walker.

I am grateful my child can walk run, tie his shoe and take his own showers.

I am grateful my child is able to learn and has social skills to where everyone that meets him, likes him.

I am grateful that my child will seek out and include children that do not have friends, and that even teachers notice his ability with other kids.

I am grateful my child is my child, so that he gets the help he needs to succeed in life.

I am grateful that I have a child, since I have known many women that long for a child and wait and pray, with the answer to that prayer being "no".

I am grateful that my child has a family that loves him. and I am grateful that he is a loving, sweet tempered child.

I am grateful that my child is mannerly, eats what is served him, works hard and helps people and rarely, EVER, complains.

I am grateful that I am a Christian and that I am commited to prayer, service and quiet time.

I am grateful that I have a wonderful husband, who cares about my happiness more than his own.

I am grateful for my parents, both for the hardworking example exhibited by my Dad (which I inherited and learned from him) and the dedication of my mother to our family.

I am grateful for my brother, who is probably the most honest, trustworthy person in the world. And he is a great Dad. And he picked the best, most even tempered lady for his mate...and she is a great mom to her kiddos. So grateful for both them and their kids.

I am grateful for the ability that I have been given to bring joy to people through music.

I am grateful for my mermaids, see the post below about 'home is where you are my friend'.

I have to go back to Ryan, though. It is exasperating at times to be a mom of a 'special needs' child. It will test you. It does test you. I believe God picks very strong women to handle the most special of those children. Ryan is that child, and I must be that woman.

I wrote this song over the weekend for Ryan. It echoes my sentiments about him in my unique way.

A Place To Run

If I could give you anything,
It would be bright cloudless skies
And paints to capture the colors
In a night of velvet stars

I would give you love and purpose
And a life filled with peace
I would give you a sense of direction
and a heart that sings.

I cant promise you fortune or glory
Or sweet days to walk in the sun
All I can give you is a hand to hold onto
And a place to run.

Some day your heart will be broken
someday somebody will let you down
But you will have the strength to stand
When that someday comes around…for

I cant promise your life will be perfect
Or that you will be free of pain
All I can give you is the promise
You always have shelter, when it looks like rain

I cant give you fortune or glory
Or sweet days to walk in the sun
All I can give is a hand to hold onto
And a place to run.
I’ll be a place to run
I’ll always be a place to run.

Photographs

Last week, I stayed up too late. It always happens when Robert is gone, I get caught on the computer researching or surfing and before I know it, 1 a.m. has come and gone.

I discovered a site called pbase, through a friend. (mermaid number 3's husband) It is a photography site and the pictures are pretty remarkable. Her husband has gallery quality photos posted. Although I have been blessed with almost every other artistic talent, photography has always eluded me. There are very detailed images of flowers, close up pictures of instruments and exquisite shapes and colors. But the pictures I return to over and over are the people. The people I care about.

Often while traveling, I took pictures of landmarks and scenery. Most were just mediocre, some the scenery was stunning..but they rarely made it to the pages of any scrapbook. The ones that we keep, cherish, protect and pour over are people. The people that made a difference. Family members that are gone. Friends that live far away and that we long to see again. Snapshots and portraits that remind us of our babies, our youth. Robert and I laugh at our similar family photos with both of our dads wearing plaid leisure suits and those hideous black-coke-bottle glasses.

why do we seem to love photos so much? Why is scrap-booking so popular? It is a little piece of time we can hold in our hands. A visual representation of a memory. Photos are important because they are history, our history. A time machine in a turn of the page and a trip down the hall.

Photographs

I have a picture on the wall
In the foyer down the hall
And the faces there are smiling back at me

Family pictures, funny hair
Friends and memories waiting there
For me to travel back in time and see

And find my way back home
Through sepia and Kodachrome
And see the way that life use to be

All those faces and those names
Funny how the times have changed
But You will know as time goes by
You will be
With me on my wall of memory

I have a picture in a book
Just a snapshot that I took
When a little boy was only 3 days old.

Now he wants to drive the car
and throw fast balls in the yard
Jumping in before he even looks to see.

how to find His way back home
Through sepia and Kodachrome
And see the way his life use to be

all those faces and those names
Seems nothing remains the same
but he will know as time goes by, he will be
With me on my wall of memory.

There is a picture someone took
That is hanging on the hook
Of a younger girl with eyes that look like mine….

I’d like to go back there in time
Tell her, that life turns out just fine
Just be strong, hold onto love, and she will find.

Her way back home
Through sepia and Kodachrome
And see the way that life use to be
All those faces and those names,
Funny how life still feels the same
She will know as time goes by she will be
Living on the page of history….
Up there on that wall of memory.