WHIRLWIND

 

 

 

 

 



Gavin

Brenna

 

A series of short stories.....


.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


This past week has been a whirlwind of activity.  Ali, Brenna and Gavin have just left on their flight back to Michigan (which they almost missed due to a police blockade on the Lake Jessup Bridge) and, Dan just called to tell me he nearly met head-on with a deer on the 417 heading into work.  I'm sitting back at home missing everybody.....

Pretty Happy Looking for a 6:30 AM Flight

It's difficult to feel so complete for a random amount of time only to experience such loneliness in a matter of a few minutes.  Ali sent a picture of the three of them all snug in their seats before take-off and I took a selfie of Papa and myself and sent it to them at the same time!! 

Three Pairs of Shoes.....Missing!

Now I sit here sipping my much needed cup of coffee thinking about all of the fun activities we all enjoyed this past week while, in turn,  anticipating our next visit to Michigan in six weeks when our niece, Caitlin, is getting married.  I can wait a mere six weeks to see all of my children......can't I?




Thank You, Jack and Linda.  Dinner was fun!!

There is something quite surreal about sharing intimate space with loved ones all the while knowing that it will abruptly come to an end with a plane ride scheduled just down the road.  You squeeze every last drop of sunshine out of each moment together and savor the memories as though they were sparkling, precious jewels.....which they are.  Golden sequences of opportunity to reflect back on during this time when placing them on that plane tears you apart and the echoes of their laughter and sweet giggles still ring in your ears.

Anticipating the SunRail Train

Gavin enjoyed his first train ride as we traveled on the SunRail line between Lake Mary and Winter Park.  He loves his trains!  Brenna went swimming once, twice and, often, three times a day all week long.  She has been our 'water baby' forever!  Ali met with friends from her 'Old Disney Days' for dinner and a quick catch-up on life's progression since last year.  Papa and I went with the flow, administered a multitude of kisses and hugs and tried not to think about the swift passage of time.




Gavin and Brenna at Winter Park Station

Water Babies at Play......

 

Loved The Bear in Winter Park!!!

Since time waits for no one....we have thoroughly enjoyed what little of it we've had together, creating those golden memories and now having  to move on.  I understand.  I don't always like it but, I understand.  Brenna begins second grade next Tuesday.  Unimaginable!  I recall every detail of my own girls starting second grade and now, we have granddaughters in second and first grades!  Tomorrow a beautiful friend, Eliane Closset, will celebrate her Birthday at her home in Belgium.  Return safely for your next visit to Florida in October, Eliane.  I am 'impatiently' waiting to see you once again et, Bon Anniversaire!  I will be re-entering the world of social media and resuming my regular writing schedule.....which was seriously abbreviated during the past week. 




Choosing A Movie For The Flight Home

I must creatively smooth-back the edges of my life, transform the 'extra special' back into the norm and elude the whirlwind vortex of actions and emotions for a little while.  Keeping life in perspective is such a beautiful and important thing.

Helping Papa Unload The Car

Right now, I must think about remaking the beds, picking-up the pool toys, washing a load of beach towels and consider what to make for a dinner for two....    

Safe travel, My Loves!  Papa and I will see you soon!

Grandma and Papa

Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

ANTICIPATION

A series of stories.....

On the Road to Sedona, Arizona.....With Much Anticipation!!

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes



Anticipation

.....is the hope that spreads throughout our body and sends silent tremors from the brain down our arms and legs to our fingertips and lowly toes until the power that surges through us reaches its pinnacle and climaxes into a brilliant crescendo of sound...colors...and textures!  Like a frosty morn waiting for the warmth of sunrise, we, humans, shiver in the non-light of dawn's chilling embrace while crouching in a near fetal position, naked to the world, exposed to the elements and completely vulnerable...unprotected...and waiting, waiting for the morning sun to penetrate our mortal souls.  With the light, our hope becomes real.  With the bird's song, our hearts sing.  With the morning breeze kissing our lips, we clothe our nakedness in expectations, great or ordinary, looking forward to what this bright, new day has to offer.

Being human...we can, in turn, make our way through the discordant notes of imagined or real foreboding, presentment, until the feeling of discontent looms right above our heads like a menacing, black cartoon cloud surely capable of precluding brighter prospects.  Some days are better than others.  Other days, we are confronted by certain scenarios that may negatively 'set-us-off' allowing our inner demons to take charge of our physical and mental functions until we no longer have a voice...and, our options have diminished.  Sadness.  Despondency.  Yet, a dull ache openly anticipated by many without full comprehension of reason or why.  Can the prospect of personal dysfunction lull the mind into a state of adverse comfort with its cold, inimical voice singing acidic words deep within melodies composed of beating drums leading funeral marches to the grave?  Some of us sit by, uncomfortably, on the sidelines without knowledge or reasoning behind such personal conflict and continue to fail to assist or understand...shame, denial.

Remember the written words of Mr. Alexander Pope in his Essay on Man, "Hope springs eternal in the human breast," and extract from these words what you will...what brings for you "the soul's calm sunshine" and the idea that each one of us can achieve true human happiness while on this earth.  Oh, to remain open minded and receptive of this concept every day of our lives would truly be a goal worth its weight in gold and as priceless as the newborn infant entering naked into a world of the unknown....a clean palette of hope and possibility!  May this child grow strong and healthy, hear and feel the firework's gut-wrenching 'Boom' and witness the majestic spray of glittering and colorful glory high above as new ideas sparkle and swirl slowly down around him.  Humans are adaptable and the blinding rains that cover us in doubt one day turn into rays of sunshine that calm our fears and self-doubts tomorrow.

Carly Simon's second album, Anticipation, released in November of 1971, is an explosive reminder that innocence of mind, purity of heart and the promise of new love can become a 'tour de force,' a breath of fresh air to those of us who might have forgotten that passion is the true ruler of man, not, necessarily, reason...

Author's Note: Anticipation is waiting to hug and kiss your beautiful daughter and two adorable grandchildren at the airport in just a few more hours time.  Wow, I am so excited to have them here....even if for only one week!!!


Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

PLENITUDE

A series of short stories.....

 

 

 

 

Plenitude....A 'Super Moon' Kind of Story

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


It's difficult for us to imagine how someone who could give us so much infectious joy throughout a lifetime and career can become so lost within themselves that the same joy is not able to save them from the sadness and helplessness swirling around within their own mind and soul. Like the fatal black mist that it is.....despair and the complete absence of hope has claimed yet another victim, Robin Williams.

Yes, Rest In Peace, Sweet Man!  As God and all of His Angels welcome you into their 'Heavenly Comedy Club' please know that your joyful spirit and generous nature lives on within every earthbound creature you have left behind.

We do not see you as a victim......rather, as an example so that we may become more informed and aware of others around us who suffer from feelings of extreme sadness and hopelessness, as you have.  Your private struggle should become our public format as we consciously educate ourselves to help others find relief from their own personal despair.

Comic Relief ~ Help For The Nation's Homeless
Whoopi Goldberg...Billy Crystal...Robin Williams

We must never take lightly this serious disease labeled depression.  Not one single person should have to suffer its consequences alone.  Unfortunately, it is a 'silent disease' that often evokes a sinister form of embarrassment by those who do recognize its symptoms.  This stigma has always been a grave societal 'faux pas' in the United States and has seriously weakened healthy social development for many decades.  Mental illness in this country can be filed under the heading of Major Taboos right alongside the medicinal value of marijuana (cannabis), nudity, same sex relationships, Civil Rights (after all this time and suffering), sex education and contraception, masturbation and, most regrettably.....rape.  Don't get me started!!

Sorry, too late.  How can such an advanced society such as ours,  comprised of intelligent individuals, still 'giggle' because they feel uncomfortable about their own bodies?  Why, in 2014, do we still hide behind invisible masks when the above topics are brought up within a civil conversation?  Has our own naïveté and unsophistication blinded our radar so badly that we've become oblivious to the presence of understanding and common sense?  Yes.  Quite simply, yes, because we continue to refuse to acknowledge the positive lessons learned by example and apply them to our daily lives.  "It's his problem or her problem, not mine," I hear this all of the time.  No, my friends, it is OUR problem!  I have said this before and will say it again and again.....we are all in this game of life together.  Let's make a valiant effort towards getting it right this time around!  Our children and grandchildren depend on our generation making a positive difference.

I further acknowledge the sinking notion that if a particular scenario does not make quick and copious amounts of revenue for certain individuals or institutions, then it's not worth pursuing.  Our resources are great and we live in a land of abundance with a plenitude of food and natural resources.  And yet.....yet, we squander the opportunity to properly feed and house our own people.  We continue to ignore the fact that our forefathers failed to appropriately apply checks-and-balances with regards to industrial development throughout the years.  Our world is suffering, in part, due to their neglect.  Couple this with our neglect, as well because some of us are still choosing to pretend, either for political reasons or by employing the 'ignorance is bliss' syndrome, that we are not destroying the natural beauty and sustenance that was given to us as our greatest gift of all, Mother Earth!

Perhaps, Robin understood all of this.....  The rich do get richer and the poor, well, the poor are too often forgotten about.  The color of your skin should never determine the value of your intelligence.  Love for your fellow man holds more value than a bulging bank account.  And, laughter can only temporarily hide or distract us from our underlying problems.  Sadly, Robin knew this.



Scene From The Movie Good Morning, Vietnam

Growing up in the same generation as Robin Williams, I often think back on the many reasons why I am who I am today.  I am a product of a strict, Catholic upbringing in the '50's; the '60's and '70's unveiled their complete package consisting of the brutality of war (Good Morning, Vietnam!), the unreasonable death of good people (Kennedy, King and Kennedy), while peace, free love and rock n'roll wound their trailing tentacles of import and significance throughout every fiber of our existence; the '80's and '90's were years spent attempting to cope with everything we'd lived through our first three decades of life.

Despite of or, more than likely, because of all the above, I have learned to be open-minded, verbal and passionate, vulnerable and always choose to believe my cup is half full rather than half empty.  Being an eternal optimist, I trust that mankind will do the right thing, make the best choices for a healthy sustainable earth and provide subsequent generations with a positive footprint for their future growth and development. 
 

Courtesy of: The Global Citizen

  
I Do Not believe in the justification of war because of religious ideals, beliefs or doctrine.  War becomes a hypocritical smoke-screen for the general lust for power and the control over others.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a hypocrite as, "A person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion and acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings."  Our history books are filled with such hypocrites (The Crusaders, for example) who hid behind their particular 'cross' while seeking power and greed in the name of the Church!  Innocent people died, as they are dying today in Syria, Israel, Iraq and the Ukraine, to name only several places, due to the inability of men and women to see one another as equals along this dusty road called Life.  Who gets to decide that his/her lifestyle and religious beliefs should reign over another human being?

No one.

I don't care what banner you wave or if your 'good intentions' heighten your feeling of superiority over those you feel are less fortunate or living in darkness and must see the light....communication, learning and understanding our differences with the eventuality of accepting them and seeing yourself within others will even out the playing field. Toss out the fear of the unknown and accept the fact that the earth never really was flat after all!

Fear exists when the lack of knowledge prevails.  Understanding, awareness and the appreciation of other cultures, their lifestyles and customs are some of the main reasons why we enjoy traveling.  Walking unfamiliar terrain and witnessing sights you've only imagined while reading a favorite book or enjoyed in a particular movie......what a personal thrill! 

There is nothing quite as invigorating as a misty afternoon hike along a craggy mountain trail or walking hand-in-hand with someone you love on a moon-lit, Caribbean beach as a cool ocean breeze caresses your face.  And, like a refreshing breath of fresh air, Robin Williams inundated our mundane world with an abundance of pure joy, a plenitude of laughter and helped us to understand that life is a series of extemporaneous 
adventures.....totally unscripted and capable of taking us anywhere we want to go.  This is his legacy; this is his gift to all of us. 

Koko and Robin 'Hamming It Up'

"Tickle me, tickle me," signed Koko, the gorilla friend whom Robin had forged a bond with when he visited the Gorilla Foundation in California back in 2001.  Whenever I saw Robin Williams, either on the big screen or television, secretly I was asking the very same thing.  "Tickle me, tickle me and make me laugh......"  He never failed to do so.  I will always remember this brilliant, generous and kind man!  Love.

Courtesy of The 'Love Infinitely Project'
Give...Love...Create...Change

Copyright © 2014 Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved


 

THE APPLICATION OF LIFE

Classic Thursday.......





~~Lydia Kaprice With Her Great Grandma, Marceline Robertson~~

......as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


I may call this an 'author's repost' or fundamentally, "Gone fishing in the archives for this special one!"  Maybe this comes under the heading of 'Classic Thursday.'  Whatever it is to be called, I always feel it's important to go back a little in time and allow work from a few years ago to resurface, come up for air and take a deep, deep breath once again.  As a writer, it's important to see where you've been in order to realize which direction you are heading in.  

This post was originally written in celebration of a friend's birthday.  Rereading it, after giving it a slight dusting-off, the original intent,  celebrating our life from infancy through adulthood by weaving one component, Love, constantly within the fabric of our existence, encourages us to be stronger, responsible and creative humans.  The message stays as relevant today as back then, as it will tomorrow or a thousand years from now.

Enjoy....





Originally Posted 08/20/2010

Ode To Those Of Us Turning Sixty

Like mist rolling into a dream that gently wraps all thoughts, all perspectives within its opaque wisdom....life proceeds on a daily basis as we take baby steps along this abstract journey.  We struggle to stand and to walk and to speak and to communicate with others around us…..as we observe their personal creation of the dance of life through every second, minute, hour, day, month, year and decade of breath that escapes between their ruby red lips.

We are infants morphing into adults with so much exotic pain and exquisite joy accompanying our movements that we’ve been known to cry to the heavens either in shock or  ecstasy during any given day.  On quiet days we curl into ourselves and specifically fail to ask the question, “Why?” deeply afraid of the answer and genuinely appreciative of the minute respite, knowing our emotions will attack us, once again, tomorrow…….

All too swiftly we become the adult form of the beautiful infant of our past carrying the trappings of adulthood upon our shoulders like our Father once carried us, high above the snakes that slithered around his shoes…..making us tall and momentarily secure.  Unfortunately, he let us down from that lofty place in so many ways.  On our own , survival is imperative as we hopscotch our way between the serpents and manage  incredible bites of sustenance in the form of hard work,  hard play and profound moments of sweet, enduring love…….lovers, spouse, children, grandchildren line-up to create this undeniable bond of such magnitude and strength….we are blown away by its power.

We become survivors.  Like a flash of lightning in the evening sky, the electricity flows through our earthly bodies with such creative power that we in turn charge the world around us and continue the ebb and flow of eternal life.  Such power and responsibility within us is, simply put, enormous!  Love….   



Have a Beautiful Day!

Copyright © 2014 Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved