The Treasure-Keeper

Then a woman said, Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.

And he answered:

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises

was often-times filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being,

the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit the very wood

that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart 

and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow

that is giving you your joy.

When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart,

and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that

which has been your delight.

Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow",

and others say,

"Nay, sorrow is the greater."

But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come,

and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other

is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.

Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.

When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and silver,

needs must your joy or your sorrow rise and fall.

Joy and Sorrow

from

THE PROPHET

by

Kahlil Gibran

I shall be taking a little pause 

until sometime in May.

Tread gently on Life's journey

and gentleness will accompany you.

Early Morning Light

The first rays of sun come over the hill behind some buildings

and I am held spellbound.

There's that special silence which is associated with this time of the day.

The blackbird has been singing on a nearby tree for some time now,

but just before the sun appears, he becomes silent

adding to the drama of  it all.

This little wooden chair was bought in Spain

 for my eldest son when he was just two.

It has been used by all of my children and then my grandson.

It holds many fond memories of many years ago,

and now, bathed in the ever-changing morning light, 

it brings me fully into the beauty of this moment

of sunlight and shadows.

The golden rays illuminate the tulips in a dark blue jug

next to the couch where I am sitting.

Everything is bathed in gold, including me.

It feels wonderful!

The star-like reflections in the base of the jug hold my gaze in this play of light.

Abstract patterns are created with the ebb and flow of the sheer curtains

where shadows become a tangible reality.

My early morning peppermint tea is blessed by the morning sun

and when I look up through my window, 

I can see the soft coloured shapes of the freshly planted Ranunculus flowers

in the window box through the bevelled edges of the glass window hanging.

Early mornings are my favourite time of the day

in every season of the year.

How could I possibly stay in bed with so much beauty coming into my little home?

The Colour in Our Lives: Yellow

Colour is a form of energy

and plays an important part in our lives.

The colours we surround ourselves with

 can effect our mood and the way we look at things.

How do you feel when you look at yellow?

Yellow is the most luminous of all colours. It fills us with optimism.

It helps us focus and see things in a different light.

It cries out for our attention!

It speaks to us of sunshine

and puts a spring in our step and brings out the cheerfulness in our disposition.

Just what we need after the neutral tones of winter.

When I add blue

it feels to me that the whole world is opening up to me

full of wonderful possibilities.

I feel joyful. 

Do you?

Colour is very powerful

 and it's good to remember this when we choose the colour schemes

in our homes and in the clothes we wear.

I know that when I crochet, I choose the colours that I need to see.

Today, I chose to make some flower coasters

 to bring some sunshine into my home.

Yellow and blue and white

which remind me of buttercups and blue skies and fluffy white clouds!

Or with fresh green like new spring leaves and a touch of orange

for a radiating energy.

So if we choose our colours carefully each morning when we get dressed,

we slip into a robe of happiness which gives us

the vibrational qualities we need for our day.

Surrounding ourselves with colours that make us feel good

can change our whole outlook.

Try it when you're feeling blue!

The lovely flower coaster pattern

is a design from Color 'n Cream

check out this link here