Category Archives: poems

Gratitude For Life’s Lessons

An activity is suggested that compares two points in time in your life: a younger you compared to an older you. What would the older you tell the younger you? Using personal photographs practice this activity with the author and see what would be your own personal outcome?

This posting focuses on the journey to gratitude for life’s lessons. Five lessons learned on the journey to a State of Gratitude are discussed with examples from the author’s life. The Lessons include the following:

Lesson One: Love Your Family. Two poems are read: My Family, and You Carry My Genes by Marian Elsie Blake in the book, A House Inside of Me by Mary Blake Huer, available on Amazon.

Continue reading

Gratitude for Seasons of Life

This posting reminds us to celebrate all seasons of life, but especially our elderly family members and neighbors as they may not be with us tomorrow. Personal stories highlight special moments between senior couples and also focus on the musical talents of many of our parents. Have gratitude for your older family members.

#gratitudelite

Gratitude for Mothers of Special Children

Mothers of special children are amazing. This posting focuses on one mother of an autistic child who was often disruptive to the family. The awesome mother would sing to her daughter to calm her and to try to teach her. When her daughter was good she would sing “You Are My Sunshine”. When her daughter was having a bad day, the mother would sing “One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus”. This posting focuses on the lyrics from both songs and reminds us to have gratitude for the good as well as the bad times in life. Especially during the pandemic, the words to the songs offer lessons to us all.

#gratitudelite

A House Inside of Me

How do you acquire your moral values and beliefs? My mother was my teacher. Here is one of our favorite poems she would tell us, “A House Inside of Me”, poetry by Marian Elsie Blake available on Amazon.com (2013). I have deep gratitude for what my mother taught me.

A House Inside of Me (Poem)

#gratitudelite

Tomorrow Is Not Promised

My mother, Marian Elsie Blake, was a poet in addition to being the wife of a minister. I found 100 of her poems after she passed away and published them in a book, A House Inside of Me Poetry by Marian Elsie Blake (2013), available on Amazon.com. Marian was always so upbeat, optimistic, and positive about life. She inspired many people, as well as encouraged them during the worst of times (such as the death of a child), as well as the best of times. For today’s post, I selected one of her poems: Tomorrow Is Not Promised

Tomorrow is not promised us,

So let us take today.

And make the very best of it,

For once we pass this way.

Just speak a kindly word,

Or do a kindly deed.

And try to help and understand,

Some fellow creatures’s need.

Tomorrow is not promised us,

So let us take today.

And make the very best of it,

For once we pass this way.

© Marian E. Blake

As I continue to practice “being in a state of gratitude” I find her words provide instruction to us

  • Make the very best of every day
  • Speak a kind word
  • Do a kind deed
  • Help meet another’s need
  • Make the very best of today

These five important directives seem to summarize appropriate “actions” for us today. What do you think?

This is #gratitudelite according to the categories I posted on February 28, 2021.

This Is Not Goodbye My Dear – Remembering More Than 500,000 Deaths (Audio Poetry)

The global pandemic has taken so many precious lives in the USA as well as around the globe. On February 22, 2021, I provided the text of one of my mother’s poems “This is Not Goodbye My Dear” as a moment of silence to remember each of those individuals as well as their families who have died. This poem is classified as #GratitudeLite according to a post on February 28, 2021 titled, Your Choice: Gratitude Zero, Gratitude Lite, or Gratitude Ultra.

My mother was a minister too and wrote many comforting poems for members in her churches. For other poems to honor and remember your loved ones, please see a reference to her poetry below. Peace be with you on this day and always, March 24, 2021.

Huer, M.B. (2013). This is Not Goodbye My Dear,  A House Inside of Me Poetry by Marian Elsie Blake. Huer LLC, pp. 104-105.

A House Inside of Me is available on Amazon.com

The entire book of poetry is now available for free on ahouseinsideofme.com

This Is Not Goodbye My Dear – Poem by Marian Elsie Blake

Our Gratitude Stream (Audio)

On February 7, 2021 I first posted a narrative on the source of my own gratitude stream based on my Mother’s teachings and parenting of me. This is a topic that is #gratitudeultra according to the categories I described in my posting on February 28, 2021 titled, “Your Choice: Gratitude Zero, Gratitude Lite, or Gratitude Ultra.

I read the posting to several individuals who did not read because of various disabling conditions and they seemed to value the messages for #gratitude from this audio version. Please enjoy listening to how gratitude is derived from your #moralvirtue, based on the teachings of values, beliefs, and ideals molding your own character as you move toward adulthood. Some of these values are taken directly from my mother’s poetry which was published in a book, A House Inside of Me Poetry by Marian Elsie Blake by Mary Blake Huer, available on Amazon.com.

In Memory of More Than 500,000 Deaths

Today is a day of remembrance of the more than 500,000 precious lives lost from the ongoing pandemic in the USA. Let us take a moment of silence to remember each of those individuals as well as their families and friends who have died.

My mother was a poet and one of my favorite of her poems was about death, because it is really not about dying but about life and a future. I share it with you now to give you comfort and peace for your loved ones.

This Is Not Goodbye My Dear

This is not goodbye, my dear,
That body of clay I’ve left it here.
To live in the celestial Heaven above,
Where all is peace and joy and love.

I’ll speak to you through the stars at night.
I’ll glitter and twinkle and you’ll know I’m alright.
I’ll speak to you through those drops of rain.
I’ll speak this way again and again.

I’ll speak to you through the falling snow
I’ll touch you gently and then you’ll know.
That love’s a bond that can’t be broken,
The snow flake, the rain drop, will be our token.

I’ll speak to you through the song of the bird,
In a song, a language like you’ve never heard.
I’ll speak to you through the stormy night,
Through the thunder roar and the streaks of light.

I’ll speak to you through the baby coo.
A message dear, just for you.
I’ll see in your eye that tiny tear,
Remember, my love, I’m really near.

God changed my body to another form,
His way is right have no alarm.
He changed my body from a house of clay,
To a glorified one where I’ll live fore aye.

In that rain, that snow, and those stars in the sky,
I take many forms, but I did not die.
For life’s dimension is unending,
This is not the end,
Just a grand beginning.

© Marian E. Blake

My mother was a minister too and wrote many comforting poems for members in her churches. For other poems to honor and remember your loved ones, please see her poetry below. Peace be with you on this day and always.

Huer, M.B. (2013) A House Inside of Me Poetry by Marian Elsie Blake. Huer LLC, pp. 104-105.

A House Inside of Me is available on Amazon.com

This is #gratitudelite. See the post on February 28, 2021 for definitions of gratitude categories.

Our Gratitude Stream

It seems important that we ask “What is gratitude”? Where does gratitude come from? Can anybody find gratitude? Is gratitude derived from giving or receiving, or both? These questions and the answers may offer us significant directions along our journeys and pathfinding to gratitude.

If we consider the event of dying as a stimulus, for example, has does knowing one is dying trigger the feeling of gratitude?  Or, if we feel deeply moved during a beautiful sunset, or when proudly watching our young child perform a speaking part in a school play, or watching a dog scratch his back on the grass, from where does this emotion we call gratitude come?  Gratitude is an emotion of thankfulness. It feels good. It is a form of pleasure, and positivity in life. It may be related to a positive mood, or memorable action, or creative idea. Gratitude has also been described as a spiritual discipline, or a grateful heart.

Continue reading