Hope

The darkness, the cold,

The loss of a chance to be bold.

Hands tied, lips sealed,

Unable to truly feel.

Silence falls everlasting,

Only the sound of my heart blasting.

Unable to see what is there,

Unable because all is bare.

I look in the darkness for a clue,

Something to cast another hue.

I find that deep within,

I nurture it with hope that something may begin.

Lost in the forever night eyes closed,

Looking for something deeper I suppose.

Not sure if I can cope…

So I continue to nurture my ray of hope.

Coming Through

We all travel through darkness at some point in our lives.  When we find ourselves on the other side, we can’t weep for what we've lost.  We have got to pick up what remains and keep moving forward.  We have to do this in honor those that came before us, those who lived and breathed so that we can.   We have to also have the knowledge in our hearts that no matter what, things will always get better.  Know it, believe it. 

Wordless Watery

Emotions

Emotions can flow like a river, coming from no where and engulfing all that is you.   I myself have experienced this first had the last month and a half since I lost my Grandma.   Grief is a difficult emotion to describe and it comes intermittently. 

When Ya Gotta Go...

Sometimes, you just have to smile and let go of what is serious.

For another fun pop art photo, click here. 

Faithful

There is nothing like the love of a faithful companion.  Someone that will adore you and see through all of your faults, someone to be there and cuddle you just when you need it the most.  Nothing like unconditional love…. Be it feline, canine, or any other variety, our pets offer us something so precious that it must be cherished. 

Scenery

Scenery changes from one season to the next and even depending on where you stand.  If you ever feel like you’re surrounded by the same scenery and you need a change, maybe you should just walk ten feet to the left. 

Bus

Sitting behind the house of a friend just outside Greensboro, NC is a relic… a relic of a time gone by.  This old school bus sits protecting not children but firewood from the rain.  When I first saw it I was mesmerized… it was something different, with a beauty all it’s own. 

Change

There comes a time where change is necessary, no matter how used you are to something or how iconic something has become.  Change is a good thing in many ways, it opens the door to things that once would not be considered and allows for new ideas to infiltrate and old stale ways to have new life breathed into them.  While change can also be in some ways negative and the fear of the unknown promotes fear, change is to be embraced even if only for the reason that those who do not change are destined to eventually fail. 

A few days ago I got to see the new look of American Airlines up close and personal.  I feel that it is a good step for this iconic legacy carrier to embrace the future as they emerge from a long bankruptcy.  I feel that the new look is respectful of the history of the company and a gentle nod to the country it represents. 

My Hero...

On Sunday January 6, 2013 I lost my hero.   My Grandmother Lalia Louise Hawthorne Wixson passed from this world.  It is a hard thing to accept, someone that meant so much to me no longer a phone call away… There are moments where it is almost unbearable.

But then I think of the legacy that she left me.

Every time I look in the mirror, I see her work in progress.  She took me in when I needed her and she insured that I went to school and had every tool that she was able to give me to live the best life I possibly can.   

And I will. 

Every breath I take, every moment… will be in honor of her. 

Lalia Louise Wixson

August 4, 1939 – January 6, 2013

Louise Wixson, 73, passed from this life Sunday, January 6, 2013 at Hospice Ministries, Ridgeland.

Visitation is 5:00-8:00pm Monday, January 7, 2013 at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl. Graveside services arer 2:30pm Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at Drakes United Methodist Church Cemetery in Flowood. 

She was born August 4, 1939 in Madison County, a daughter of the late Robert Lee Hawthorne and Catherine Lee Eley Hawthorne. She was a devoted wife, mother and homemaker and a member of Drakes United Methodist Church.

Survivors include sons, James Grant Wixson and wife Michele and Bubba Wixson and wife Becky; daughters, Sheila Williams and husband Marvin and Tina Wixson; brother, Henry Hawthorne; sisters, Sarah Haskins, Betty Dulworth, Annette Creel, Clara Reid and Margaret Hawthorne; grandchildren, Jayroe Williams and wife Rebecca, Heather Williams, Christina Shores, Grant Blakeney, John Wixson and Kirby Wixson; and great-grandchildren, Autumn Williams, Destiny Crosby, Hanna Crosby, Hayden Shores and Charles Williams.