MOVING 'TWENTY YEARS' UP NORTH

A series of essays.....

HOMEOWNERS IN ORLANDO

.....as seen through my eyes!



By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Prior to moving down to Orlando, my husband had to put up with a mad person. 

“People don’t travel down to Florida to live,” is how I would counter his attempts at reasonability. “People travel down there to vacation, right?” We’d, actually, been doing just that for almost twenty-five years with our two, young daughters while we owned a week’s timeshare condominium on Sanibel Island, Florida.

After much kicking and screaming, and abject resistance on my part, and old fashioned wooing on his, I conceded after nearly a year. Our youngest, was just entering her freshman year at Michigan State University and I was bound and determined not to abandon her at this critical time in her life. Also, I was enjoying my job and was hard-pressed to leave it, our daughter, or the state that I had called home for so many years.

The ‘magical’ part (pun intended) was that our oldest daughter had secured a job with Walt Disney World after graduating from MSU and was just beginning a ten-year-long career with the company. Having her near helped me through the depression I’d been feeling about having to relocate.

And so, this journey to the City Beautiful (Orlando’s nickname), Theme Park Alley, and more people from all over the world than you could possibly imagine in one small space, began. It was nineteen hundred and ninety-seven when my husband drove down to begin his new job as Project Manager with Picerne Development. Our oldest daughter followed him down after accepting an Internship with Walt Disney World. I was, happily, up North trying to figure out how it happened to be that I was, suddenly, living all alone with family scattered here and there. And, then....it was time to move and join Dan in Orlando!

Moving itself was a no-brainer. The company moved everything we’d been collecting as a family for over thirty years and we had it divided between our new apartment and an air conditioned storage unit until we had a plan formulated as to where and when we moved into our own home. “Got to learn the lay of the land first,” I would say. “I have no clue which area of this sprawling city I want to live in! And, not knowing a single person down here to help fill us in, this is going to take some time.” Dan did agree with this.

Even as depressed as I was about having to change my life so completely, as well as leaving our youngest in college up in East Lansing, I knew that, eventually, I needed to find a job. The simple act of employment really turned things around. My concentration was not centered around ‘poor me’ anymore; it was about working once again, being with other people, and saving money for our new home. For the first time in many months I felt totally alive!

Two years in and with steady weekly deposits into our savings account, we were ready to take the piano out of storage and become homeowners in Orlando!

As our oldest daughter spread her wings and climbed the corporate ladder, we had two years to figure out where we were going to plant our Floridian roots and chose to build our ‘forever’ home on the East side of the city with convenient highway access to anything and everything of importance to us. 

Every night for four months, we would meet at our construction site to see the progress on our new home: “Perfect timing. Thought you were going to be late,” I chided. “You’re the one who had to drive all the way from Celebration to get here. That’s almost forty-five minutes across town on the 417! Let’s go see how much they accomplished in there today,” he said. How excited we were, and to think that building on our dreams within those four, cement block walls (eventually, to be covered in stucco) with the plumbing pipes sticking out of the cement slab on the ground....I felt I was going to be living on the other side of the moon! Pipes were supposed to be stuck somewhere between the wall studs or in the ceiling! And, not being able to have a basement was culture shock for me. 

Our oldest daughter met her future husband here. They were married on the west side of Orlando and gave us two of the most beautiful and brilliant grandchildren here. Having decided to follow an alternate career, however, they moved to Michigan and now thrive not far from where her sister resides. Our youngest, found the ‘love of her life’ in Michigan, married him and produced three adorable and accomplished children......including twins! And, then there were ‘five’ of the most precious reasons to ever reconsider making grand changes in our lives.

Dan retires this year. The pulse of life ebbs and flows with the tides that pull at the vast seas surrounding this semi-tropical peninsula we call home. Changes are coming along the horizon and we either accept them gracefully or remain basking in the Floridian sunshine forever, our family far away in Michigan.

A typical conversation would have gone something like this:

“Did you know this is the longest we’ve been in one home together throughout our married life? We’ve been down here for over twenty years, worked and played hard, and created a ton of memories,” Dan said, continuing the running theme of our Saturday morning coffee-fest while lounging in the room we, lovingly, call our library. 

“I do,” I replied. “But, my question is, haven’t we done all this the opposite way around? Don’t most people retire and then move down here to relax and live? I feel like we’ve been on a perpetual vacation all of this time. I kind of like it, Dan. I don’t know if I can take the Michigan weather anymore.”

“We’ve been very fortunate. But, I think life itself is calling us back up there with all of the kids. Hey, I remember having to convince you that moving down here was a good thing to do. You hated me for pulling you away from up there!”

“My heart was there, Dan. Our ‘baby’ was still there and I felt numb and disoriented when I knew it was time to commit to the disruption of our family by leaving her and making a life down here. 

Looking me square in the eyes, he asked, “Can you make that same commitment to our grandchildren now? Will you pull the ties that bind us here gently apart and help me create a new life surrounded by the people we love?”

“I can do that.” I paused, thinking for a moment. “Do you remember that mad, depressed woman you had to convince that Orlando could be a great place to call home? For nearly a year I would fly down to visit and you’d take me to plays, soft jazz concerts at Leu Gardens Park, with long, sunny drives down the Florida A1A where we’d make stops to walk the beach hand-in-hand and end up hauling tons of sand back into the car before making the trip back to your apartment? I want to feel that warmth again; always keep it alive in my heart.”

“I remember you kicking and screaming all the way down here! You weren’t very happy for quite some time, as I remember.”

“You dropped me in the middle of a fire pit and then flew off to West Virginia and Mississippi for the week for work! Orlando was in a dry spell and fires were flaring up all over the outskirts of the city,” I said, clutching a pillow to my chest as I recalled those frightening, early days.

“I know. You told me it was like I’d left you in the bowels of hell when I flew off to work every Monday.”

“If it hadn’t been for Ali being so close, I would have gone completely crazy! Our daughter helped me keep some semblance of sanity. Then we built this beautiful house together and I, finally, got the chance to decorate a home just the way I wanted to after all these years.”

Smiling at me, “It’s difficult to change. It’s hard to just let go of so many years of memories, isn’t it?”

“Yes. And because of that, you now have another crazy, mad woman on your hands! Only, this time, I’m kicking and screaming in the opposite direction...because, and don’t tell me otherwise, we both feel that Orlando is now our home in so many ways.”

“I agree, wholeheartedly, but after retiring, there isn’t a good enough reason for us not to be up North with all of the kids, my brothers and their families, and all of our good friends. Our lives will be full. Our lives will be complete and we’ll have, definitely, come full circle.”

“You’re right,” I said. “Of course, you are. What I need to do is get over the huge hurdle of retirement, selling this home, and dealing with the intricacies of packing up twenty years of memories. Twenty years of happiness.“

“Yes? And......?” he inquired with a quizzical looking grin on his handsome face.

“If I believe enough in ‘us’ and understand that being a family once again is our highest priority....then, and only then, will it be easy for me to fill up boxes and bins with all of our amazing Florida memories and begin moving ‘twenty years’ of our lives up North.”

“At the end of all our hard work will be the ultimate prize,” he explained. “Those five shining faces accompanied by a million kisses and hugs will surely warm us both up every day of the year!”

“I know. Their love for us and our love for them will always be far greater and much more meaningful than having the Floridian sun shining down like every day is a golden summer’s day. Hey, I love you, too, Papa! Let's get some boxes and I'll start packing some books...."

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved  

MOVING ON: IN KINDNESS, HAPPINESS, JOY, AND LIGHT...

A series of essays.....

JAZZ HEART....FOREVER!
FEEL THE BEAT AND SWAY IN THE MOMENT.
ALLOW THE RHYTHM TO PENETRATE THE SOUL AS
YOU BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY OF LOVE...

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

I’m beginning to see what I’ve been missing in my life for a very long time. I am learning, day by day. I’m starting to understand a little bit more about why I am going through this miserable period of unsettling and emotional heartache. Enlightenment has been a long time coming for me but, I’ve gradually opened my eyes, my heart, and my soul to so many new, intriguing possibilities. With a spring in my step, I am learning the importance of moving on.

We spend much of our time asking a myriad of questions about the meaning of life only to receive in return a few thought provoking answers which we must decipher, try to comprehend, and, hopefully, hold dear enough to trust in. 

Throughout a year of deep soul searching, one small, uncomplicated word kept floating around and through me while whispering softly, “You’ve known me before when you first fell deeply in love. I was there in your heart when you held each of your daughters for the very first time. I never, truly, left you at all. You were the one who placed me on a dark shelf to gather dust. In order to move on, gently tuck me back where I belong and rediscover how your heart is willing to accept the ‘Joy’ that everyone deserves!”

When and why did I forsake the Joy that once filled my heart? Could it have been when I lost my best friend, my beautiful Mother when she was only sixty-two years old? And I, her child, lost and vulnerable, a young mother myself only in my mid-thirties....? 

Rediscovering Joy, even for the second or third time around, we instantly learn that having it in our lives again can make us wiser, healthier, stronger, and more loving human beings. It can make us feel happy and even ageless all at the same time. Pure Joy never abandons us; we have an uncanny knack of setting it aside when things get tough only to lose it within the deep shadows for long periods, failing to hear its gentle whispers in our ear.

Understanding our personal connection with everyone else in this world is imperative. Agreeing that our calling, as fellow world travelers, is to help relieve the pain and sadness of every woman, man, and child and replace it with Joy is not as daunting as you might think. We all possess the means; the key is learning how to apply it.

The ‘key’ can be as simple as sharing random acts of kindness with others every day!

Kindness towards others...along with the acceptance of all human beings into our lives, is imperative when it comes to seeking Joy, the golden light that shines within each and every one of us. For me, the truest meaning of this life is to find the light within myself, once again, and let it shine for others to see. Given patience and time it will become a strong beacon, a singular tower topped by a system of powerful lamps and lenses, shining brightly enough to be able to guide others towards their own internal light.

Personally, I had been experiencing undeniable heartache for over a year. It was based on confusion, lack of understanding and communication, and the misconception that my personal energy should flow in one direction only...outwards. What I’m beginning to understand is that life’s energy should be flowing in both directions; circulating throughout my being and offering me the strength and understanding that I require in order to become complete and whole. 

If you are unhappy, you must learn to change something in your life. Iyanla Vanzant, life coach, says it best, "If you are remembering all the ways you have been hurt or forgotten, let it go!"

I’ve been allowing the unforgiving feelings of those near and dear to me to take over the person I am; the person I was meant to be. My personal Joy had been siphoned off, chipped away at bit by bit, little by little, until my own shame and humility began to lower the bar of my personal self worth. The unconditional love I have for so many people, those I would do anything for, was being taken for granted, misinterpreted. I began to resemble a cartoon character metamorphosing into swirling pieces of dust particles and falling, one by one, through the cracks of the wooden floorboards. That’s when I knew that change was in order.

I know the absolute love I feel in my heart will never be depleted because my love is too strong and I will not allow that to happen. The intensity and depth of my emotions will never change.

Many people are weary of hearing the old adage, “Everything happens for a reason,” however, I firmly believe that it does. And, while it’s happening to you, you may be so tied-up within your accompanying circumstances that you don’t have time to recognize what’s going on at all. I was coherent enough to realize that I’d been stewing in my own turbulent, emotional juices for a very, very long time. 

With the kindness and helpful understanding of a dear friend (a Sister-of-Life), a colorful butterfly has emerged from her cocoon and her eyes can see what the heart failed to imagine for these many long, sad years. My Wise Sister has helped me to see how harboring such complicated emotions deep inside has taken a toll on my physical well being in the form of lethargy, instantaneous tears, and doubting myself at every turn. One cannot continue to live this way and expect to find the Joy they are seeking in this lifetime. Meeting my Wise Sister has renewed, not only the faith I must have in myself, but the feeling that our meeting was surely meant to be. The timing of her sage advice was impeccable. May her joyful spirit dance like the brilliance of the eternal flame of light that she continues to shine down upon others. Thank you, M.

While all of the rough edges are being honed and polished and the belief in myself is slowly emerging from this busy construction sight of damaged emotions, everything is beginning to feel fresh and new as this highly emotional renovation project continues on.   

The road remains littered with potholes and other surprises, I’m sure. And, there’s never a guarantee that the ones you love will return that love to you, absolutely. However, believing that the best is yet to come keeps my life in perspective. For now, I will own my pain but not dwell in it. (Thank you, Miss Iyanla!) I will continue to believe that women really do have the capacity to make things better because it is in our DNA. We do have the power to kiss a boo-boo away!

As Doctor Christiane Northrop, author of the best-selling novel ‘Goddesses Never Age’ explains, “How you live your life is strictly up to you. Your mind truly does control everything about you and you become what you believe.” If I believe in myself, I know that my inner light will shine through the darkness and will help to brighten and unite the entire world in Kindness and Joy.

I will not allow our culture or any individual to dictate how I will move through time or react to change because I will always choose to celebrate, even the smallest victories of my individual pilgrimage, in my own way. I must remember that by being healthy, ageless, and filled with happiness and joy, as positive symptoms, they can be as contagious as the kindness we spread to everyone we meet along this Journey of Love!

It's time to stop singing the Blues and begin swaying to the dulcet tones of the cello and enjoy the pleasant harmony of my heart as it beats in a gentle way with the rhythm of life. 

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

REAL HEROES: DAVID HOGG AND OUR POSTMAN'S SON

A series of essays.....

PARTIAL VIEW OF OUR LIBRARY VIA THE FRONT DOOR

.....as seen through my eyes!





By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Enjoying the opportunity to begin writing around six-thirty every weekday morning has its ups and its downs. Kissing the husband good-bye as he heads off to work, grabbing my mug filled to the brim with freshly brewed coffee, and making my way over to snuggle on the couch with i-Pad nestled on my lap.....is pure heaven for me. Now is my time to become totally immersed within the world inside my head, for better or worse.

One ‘down’ for this particular morning is having to listen to a crew ripping off a neighbor’s shingles, two houses down from us, in preparation for a new roof. They have decided to take advantage of our earlier sunrise and promote the resounding echos generated by the fruits of their labor which are bouncing around the subdivision like gigantic, rusty chains being scraped along metal grates!  Add a little sandy grit to the mix and you can imagine the detrimental effect on me in terms of unanticipated distraction! Can the disagreeable rhythm of powerful nail guns be far behind?

There’s, also, the fact that I tend to hang-out in my sleeping attire far longer than most people are able to. As long as nobody requires me to open the front door for any medical emergency....I’m set to go, feet resting on the soft, beige ottoman and time becoming irrelevant to my current state of mind. 

As with most of us who make a deliberate effort to care about the world and her people, the subjects of gun control, Dreamers, Immigrants, corruption and greed, bigotry, illicit affairs, and hate plague our thoughts on a daily basis. I believe that if we can find one ‘shining moment’ every day and concentrate on it for at least thirty minutes, this process will help to enlighten our moral outlook and keep us moving in a forward motion.

Last Thursday’s ‘shining moment’ presented itself to me in a unique manner. Not only did I keep it in my thoughts for a very long time, I decided that this enlightening moment had to be shared. It happened to be fortuitous that I’d already showered and changed into daytime clothing before it all went down!

POSTAL LETTER CARRIER
UNIFORM  ~  SUMMER BASEBALL CAP

He rang the front doorbell. You would like to think that anyone standing on your front stoop would not take advantage of looking directly into your home via the sidelight but, he did. 

Placing my i-Pad off to the side, I walked around our ‘Grandpa’s Chair’ (purchased for its larger yet cozy capacity for sitting and cuddling with Grandchildren) and into the foyer to gaze out at my unscheduled guest from my side of the sidelight before opening the front door. His broad smile along with a cap and shirtfront displaying the recognizable Seal of Delivery of the United States Postal Service gave him away. I opened the door.

“Are you Jacqueline Hughes?” he inquired in very good English but with a thick accent reminiscent of a Spanish speaking native who has lived in this the U.S. for many years. “Yes,” I replied. Next he was handing me a tiny machine and asking me to sign my Etch-a-Sketch signature before signing and printing my name on the registered letter itself. As I was signing my life away for one elongated, white envelope, he peeped through the open door and exclaimed, “Oh, I love your library!” Could he have endeared me more to him by saying anything else, I ask you?

“Thank you. You must be an avid reader,” I said.

“Oh, yes I am! I love books. I love to read. And, it’s so rare to see home libraries anymore. Your library is beautiful!” His excitement was contagious and heartwarming.

My new friend was beaming and I could sense that there was much more to this story than a huge smile and extreme fawning over our cozy library would tell me. And, there was....

“My oldest son was accepted to Harvard! He was just informed yesterday! We are so proud of him!” he blurted out in what seemed like one, long exhaled breath. “He’d been accepted at MIT, as well, but has always had his heart set on attending Harvard!” All five feet and close to five inches of him was shaking with pride and love and all of those happy, wonderful emotions that we parents feel and display so readily when it comes to the unique accomplishments of our offspring.

~~SPRINGTIME AT HARVARD~~

                                   Photo: Courtesy USA Today

“How wonderful that is for your son and for you, too!” I said while feeling myself bobbing up and down in mirrored rhythm to his ‘joy and happiness dance’ enforced by his exuberant vibes. “I am so happy for you and for your son and family. The hard work he has had to put into everything he does is paying off for him.”

“I know. I know. He has earned a partial scholarship and that is supplemented with various grants he’s applied for. It will be a long road, I understand this. But, he is strong and knows exactly what he wants in this world and that will help make a difference.”

I continued to bounce along with him as I looked into his sparkling eyes and thought about all of the kids from Parkland, Florida who have resumed their own high school studies this past week. They are the so-called ‘privileged’ white kids who, if accepted into Harvard or MIT or Northwestern University, may not have to depend on the supplemental grants to get them through their college careers. They may not have to take-on a part-time job in order to afford any little extras along the way. 

Their baggage, however, now includes taking-on the memory of hate in its purest form. By having dodged the bullets of a deranged person hell-bent on leaving a legacy of death and destruction, they carry the burden of this hatred around with them for the rest of their lives. Judging by what I’ve read and seen, this baggage has already served to strengthen their moral courage and is directing many of them to stir-up change in current political policies that will help protect them and others from haters in the future. I think many of us are waiting for the November elections this year. Undoubtedly, much needed change will happen then.

SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD DAVID HOGG HID IN A
CLOSET WHILE SHOOTER KILLED SEVENTEEN PEOPLE
IN PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL.
PARKLAND SURVIVOR HAS TURNED ACTIVIST.

And, really, are they that much different than my postman’s son in the long run? The world rests upon all of their young shoulders. It doesn’t matter what personal struggles helped to shape their lives, when their educational values kick in and they become the new leaders of this world, the fields of Arts and Science, Education, Mathematics,Trade Schools, Industry, and so much more, will blossom like fresh new flowers on a warm and sunny spring day with energy and color bursting forth for all to see, learn and profit from, and enjoy!

Before my postman, sporting his thin, dark mustache and brown, penetrating eyes, could leave my front stoop, I wanted to reach out to him one last time and said, “Please know how proud we all are of you and your son. I know for a fact that a much brighter future revolves around him and the youth of this country. We need to let them all know how much their strength and intelligence is appreciated.” I was so grateful at that moment for this fellow human being, slave to his many emotions, who was unafraid to display them all to me!

Just by the look on his face, I was certain he knew exactly whom I was in reference to in this particular case; his son, as well as the Parkland students who will always remain near and dear to us and in our daily thoughts and prayers. I knew this because he stopped, turned back towards me and said, “Yes. Yes. They are the strong ones. We must help them along their journey....” And, he issued me a standard ‘thumbs up’ on his way back to his vehicle.

To think that my book-filled shelves helped to promote this entire conversation only encourages me to constantly support the power and wisdom behind a good education. This jubilant postman opened his heart to me and related one of the most auspicious moments of his family’s life. Together we delivered an homage to this young generation who are television and Social Media savvy warriors and will serve to catapult all Americans into the kind of world we wish to live in. #Progress #Youth #Resist....!

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

THE REAL REVOLUTION

A series of essays.....

ONE OF THE TWO LIVE OAK TREES, COMPLETE WITH
HANGING MOSS, THAT LIVES IN OUR FRONT YARD

.....as seen through my eyes!





By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Breathless beauty surrounds us as we enjoy the changing of the seasons here in Central Florida. People who’ve never lived here say that’s impossible; seasonal changes only happen for them because they live further north in colder climes. Having lived in Orlando for over twenty years has taught me differently and, the respect for and understanding of our seasons has grown as my time here progresses.

Sitting on a cushioned deck chair on the lanai (that’s a porch or patio to those up north) reading ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ by Madeleine L’Engle, the sweet smell of orange nectar laces the air and I drink it in like a mimosa at Sunday brunch. This can only mean that the Sweet Olive plants living along our back fence are sporting their thick coif of tiny white flowers; a splendid headdress for golden sun goddesses!

THE TWO WEDDING
GARDENIA BUSHES

The two giant gardenia bushes that grace the north side of our bright, red garden bench have yet to yield their creamy blooms of perfection that will grace and stand-out among the deep green, glossy leaves it displays twelves months of the year. Soon. One day I will walk outside and their flowers will resemble bright, white lights adorning these special plants. You see, as youngsters, these two gardenia plants were a part of our daughter’s wedding day celebration. I’ve always been proud to have given them a good home to grow and thrive in. The gardenia was my own wedding flower, worn with love, so many years ago.

The tiny jasmine tree we planted in the huge, blue pot that was my Mother’s Day gift fifteen years ago stands tall and proud just outside the screen door and to the right of the lanai. The sweetness of its tiny blossoms rides the gentle breezes until it fills the air with its thick perfume and I must rest my book, close my eyes, and dream sweet dreams of love and happiness. 

MY SWEET, SWEET JASMINE!

We have around twenty species of Live Oak trees living here in Florida.  A significantly small number considering the oak tree family is made up of about 400 species of oak trees and shrubs. For the most part, their leaves can display decent fall color given the right weather conditions and, yes, we can be peppered by acorns in the springtime that collect in dark pools on the ground and crunch under your car’s tires in the driveway leaving dark brown splotches in their wake.

For me, the most significant chapter in the life of the three Live Oak trees that live in our yard involves their loss of leaves in February and early March. Due to the warm climate, our trees and shrubs are never naked or leafless as they are up north in the fall and winter months. These trees are demure to a certain degree and stay dressed-up in their spirally arranged leaves until the leaves begin to decay on the tree and are pushed off by the strong, young buds that are living behind them, waiting, like warriors ready for battle, to emerge onto the scene.

During the initial weeks in March, these alert warriors, punching their way out like champs, create an illusion of soft, green fuzz and our Live Oaks dance in this haze as the young leaves stretch and become as strong as their predecessors, now brown and ready to be bagged up, once were. As humans, we sit back and observe the progression of life among the plant kingdom and marvel at its complexity.

Watching the older leaves falling to the ground like bad habits meant to be lost, I can’t help but believe how perfect their timing is as I correlate their struggle with the recent school massacre in Parkland, Florida, our neighbors to the south.

Young sprites, mere children among a vast world of adults with their rules and regulations, closed mindedness, and archaic attitudes.....emerge from the chaos and carnage as beautifully decorated butterflies ready to fly and sting like a bee, when necessary. These young humans have abruptly become students of life and death, survival, and human compassion beyond anything that I have ever had to endure. With such strength and outward composure they have combined intelligence and insight into a world they have only known for fourteen to eighteen years. 

If you care about the world we all live in, if you wonder how this world is going to change for the better and not remain in a stalemate between outdated logic, money and greed, and the lack of desire to change....you have to admire these young adults and everything they are doing to make this change for the better happen. Unfortunately, dire circumstances have ignited the flame in their bellies and unveiled the warriors within.

CLUSTERS OF BRIGHTLY COLORED
AZALEA BLOSSOMS 

Generation Z may be their 'label du jour' but they are, also, called by the name of Emma, Kai, Delaney, Zach, Daniel, Kyle, Sam, and Cameron, to name only a few. They're of an age where they are, for the most part, without bills to pay and carry the main responsibility of doing well in school and looking forward to their future. They exit with a clean slate, an absence of restraints or commitments, and their fury over the killing of teachers and friends has sparked the warrior in each one of them; their shields emblazoned with the words, ‘Never Again!’ 

This fight has quickly spread across our nation. Because they have been told it’s not the time to talk about gun control, is precisely why it is the time to talk about gun control, and they are making their feelings be known from Tallahassee to Washington, DC and all across the United States!

This March 24, the students of Stoneman Douglas High School have organized a ‘March For Our Lives’ in Washington, DC where they are bound and determined to have their voices heard in the fight for gun control. They are already being heard....loud and clear. Their energy is contagious. They have a clear message of 'Protect the Kids, Not Guns.' The turnout for this march will be astronomical and, why wouldn’t it? These kids are our future. Their purpose is the future, as well. Their cause is the real revolution being fought through the tears being shed by each one of them.

COME TOGETHER, MARCH 24, 2018,
AND 'MARCH FOR OUR LIVES'

My hope is that all students will participate in this one common fight and avoid being rendered sacrificial lambs for the grievous misinterpretation of our Second Amendment. May this movement bring all students together as one; Black, White, and everyone in between! These new buds shall push their way forward as one unit, united by grit and determination, hoping to unlock the alarmingly strong grip on all of us by the National Rifle Association and the crusty, old politicians who have financially benefited from the NRA throughout the years. 

NEW BUDS PUSHING THEIR WAY THROUGH:
ANNUAL FLORIDA LIVE OAK LEAF DROP.

The season down here in Florida is changing and all of these changes are beautiful and fresh. The new flowers brighten our lives and their aroma soothes our soul. The crisp, bright new leaves offer us Hope. And, the victims, as well as the survivors, of Parkland, Florida, would not have it any other way.

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

THE PRICE OF POSITIVE CHANGE: THE LOSS OF INNOCENCE

A series of essays.....

SANE, BALANCED, GALVANIZED AND READY FOR CHANGE.....
FROM THE MOUTH OF BABES TO OUR HEARTS. WE MUST LISTEN TO REASON!

.....as seen through my eyes!





By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

As a teenager, it was so simple to tune-out the rest of the world. I would tune-in The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Animals and then close my bedroom door.

I didn’t understand at the time that what I was creating was my own form of stillness; a personal solution to maintaining sanity and balance in my life. Stillness for me was the result of the juxtaposition of contrasting experiences.....silencing the world around me by interjecting the comforting sounds of my favorite music into the moment like a long-loved security blanket tucked into the arms of a sleeping child.

Technology may have advanced the devices we use to hear our music on today, but the idea behind the action remains the same; discovering and enjoying a balance in our daily lives. Stillness.

New styles and artists are added to my musical repertoire as time progresses, but the comfort derived from the music will always be a part of my life. Just like the music, the search for ‘stillness’ has magnified throughout the years and I realize that to obtain true stillness and peace of mind, I’ve had to discover how to listen. And, by listening, I’ve come to understand a little more about how small we are as individuals within the larger picture of the world around us. 

There will always be wisdom to be found in listening to the bigger world we exist in. Some of the greatest pleasures in life can be derived from having a deep conversation with a friend and truly listening to what it is they have to say. We crave intimacy and kindness and must never forget to make time for it. People need to be seen and heard and know that they matter. One of the main purposes of being here on earth is to listen to and look-out for one another.

Understanding that it’s not the experience that shapes our life, but how we respond to these experiences that really matters. The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, have been actively practicing this ‘life lesson’ since experiencing the mass shooting that eliminated seventeen friends and teachers from their lives last week. 

Their youthful innocence will be forever changed from that moment going forward. 

This tragic experience forced upon them has given rise to a super intelligence and mind-set that is taking over our way of thinking by storm and is transforming archaic values into new, bolder time-appropriate ideas that will help to shape our country for years and years to come! Their response to our tragic lack of gun control, politicians being bought and sold by the National Rifle Association, and the possibility of future mass murders is: “We’re not going to take it anymore!” 

These students may be small as individual entities within the larger picture, however, uniting as one, solid unit, they are being seen and heard and know how important their voices have become in the process of looking out for one another.

This latest shooting here in Florida has clarified the rejection of passivity and catapulted the idea of change for the better deep into the atmosphere and the notion that ‘we sit back and do nothing’ is definitely not part of their public or private persona any longer. This is their way of healing after having to endure the atrocious acts that have taken place within their ‘house of stillness,’ learning, and solace....their own high school environment. 

If you are even close to my age and all of this sounds vaguely familiar to you, may I suggest that their personal war zone is for them what my generation called the Vietnam War and we must continue to learn, as one generation laps over the next generation or two, that the value placed on human life should always remain at its highest. It is eminently sensible to believe that one of the most important reasons for all of us to be here on earth is to take care of one another and we must never ignore the fact that if we do not, our stillness, sanity, and balance may be placed in jeopardy, indefinitely.

When I listen to the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School speak out about change with all the fervor of their youthful energy and commitment, I can’t help but feel encouraged that this time it will be different. This time, hopefully, the adults in the room will listen, understand and, finally, take action! Godspeed!

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

HAPPINESS.....

A series of essays.....

                          MY FIVE REASONS FOR SEEKING HAPPINESS!                             
 LET'S PROTECT OUR BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN VIA DRASTIC 
GUN LAW CHANGES IN THIS COUNTY!!!

.....as seen through my eyes!




By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


HAPPINESS...,

...is a relative term, co-dependent upon our own current state of mind and/or circumstances. It can be an illusion or state of being that some of us only dream about. It can be the most amazing feeling ever experienced. Happiness can be faked, stepped on, crinkled into a ball and thrown away. It can, also, be fed, encouraged, and built upon until such joy fills our entire being that we might suddenly fear losing even a drop of it and carry our happiness cautiously as we would a glass filled to the brim in which the slightest movement could cause it to spill over......onto others? To know true happiness would be to share our own happiness with as many people as possible and assist in turning negative circumstances into positive ones.

Happiness is the feeling of a deep seated, comfortable ride through the green valleys and along the craggy mountaintops that comprise our everyday lives. While our trusty steed navigates the wild terrain, we may experience rain showers and snow storms one day, only to be perked-up by the warmth of the sun on our faces the next. Our ‘state of happiness’ is not determined by the chilling weather patterns of the tundra or the warmth of a sunny climate. We could feel happy in both environments. Rather, it is a feeling that has saturated our inner being since birth and only diminishes if or when we allow it to.

We are born with happiness overflowing from every pore of our being with our innocence and inquisitiveness sparkling from within like a bright, shining star. As we age, our personal interaction with others, may it be good, bad, or indifferent, sets the pace for retaining or losing measured quantities of inborn happiness as time reveals a truthful account about the world we live in. Good experiences, wholesome relationships, and positive attitudes help to elevate us in ways that excite the senses and motivate the positive emotions that contribute to future happiness. Negative experiences can cause us to feel displeasure and discontentment and will, eventually, diminish the happiness we were originally born with. 

Heading into this world as toddlers and young adults with the understanding that life itself is a challenge can provide a modicum of strength and encouragement along our path to survival and, ultimately, perceived happiness. With the passing of time, understanding happiness can be likened to the anticipation of a great adventure; traveling to a place we have always wanted to experience but, up to this point, only read about. With anticipation comes the expectation of hope and the desire that this particular event becomes a possibility considering we save our money and make the time for it. Instinctively, we float in a state of suspense that carries us along on the whims of our research and planning until the crescendo increases in intensity and our very being tingles with throbbing vibrations as though we were listening to a fiery Irish jig with good friends on a Saturday night....pints raised to the heavens above! Happiness!

We own our own personal answers when it comes to coping with the depths of our private being. But depth, the core of our being, is something we cultivate over time. The renowned Dutch philosopher, Baruch Spinoza, once wrote, “The more clearly you understand yourself and your emotions, the more you become a lover of what is.” Our mask of upside-down frowns and narrowed eyes only scratches the surface of what and who we truly are. If we wish to dig deep inside and project accurate images of gut feelings, failed dreams, lost promises to ourselves throughout the years, we may find the projection of these images upon our ‘face-screens’ to be  clever truths depicting worn paths down the long road of ‘trial and error.’ Maybe it is merely a mask we wear for others to see and be comforted by in times of earthly tribulations in the hope that they will return the favor by allowing us to luxuriate for a moment in artificial solace as they share their mask with us? Even if the intentions are good, by shedding false masks and doing whatever it takes to understand what truly makes us happy is worth all of the effort we put into it. 

It is our duty to ourselves as an active member of the human race to dig deep down inside, to the depth of our very soul and understanding, and become a lover of what is....for the sake of happiness.

Author’s Note: This piece was written hours before the latest mass killing here in Florida. Happiness, for myself, would be to be able to protect our youth from suffering through having to fear for their lives by simply attending school. We, as adults, know how to correct this scenario. It’s been done successfully in many other countries. It had been done with great success in our own, at one time. Will we allow greed, money, and power to diminish the happiness of our youth forcing them to grow up too fast?  Or, will we work together to pass laws to stop this senseless murder...now?

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved 

"I'M GONNA LOVE YOU THROUGH IT....."

A series of essays.....

~~CORINNE, JANIS, AND ALEXANDRIA~~
THREE EARTH ANGELS
  

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE that very few of us have enough of throughout our lifetime. The aging process is not always kind and our ‘cup that runneth over with patience and tolerance’ may begin to evaporate and its precious contents drop by several finger widths as time goes by. When we love someone and recognize that their patience is running thin due to justified intolerance or the recognition that time is turning into a misty compilation of memories, may we have the understanding to hold them close to our hearts. May we have the emotional resources to be able to soothe their trembling bodies and souls and whisper softly into their ear...I’m gonna love you through it; I’m going to be there with you every step of the way. I can’t help but think how many lives have been saved because someone loved them through the bad times along with the good.

EARTH ANGELS ABOUND and drift softly among the pages of our lives like delicate snowflakes glistening in the winter sunlight, untethered, not connected to or limited by the earthly restraints of fear, hate or deviousness. Never encumbered by perceptible ethereal wings comprised of burnished plumage, they live, love, and laugh beside us day and night and wear labels of honor invisibly pinned to their chests the likes of friend, daughter, co-worker, Mother, stranger, husband, teacher, son, Father, organ donor, wife, or guardian (angel?). We can be earth angels ourselves and not even realize it just by bestowing random acts of kindness onto others; by understanding that even our own invisible wings can wrap around someone in need as we whisper softly that we’re gonna love them through it no matter how long it takes.

“I TRY TO BE CHARITABLE. I think that’s the greatest virtue.” John Mahoney, beloved actor of stage and screen, passed away this week and we remaining, unknowledgeable mortals have, as usual, been learning more about his incredible life only after his death. John, aptly, epitomized the true meaning of the phrase, “I’m gonna love you through it.....” via his powerful words and generous beliefs. “Charity is more important than telling the truth. I think sometimes the virtue is making sure you don’t hurt anybody’s feelings, as opposed to patting yourself on the back saying, ‘Oh, well, I had to tell them the truth,’” he says. “I’m pretty much in a spiritual state most of the time. Yes, you make mistakes. And yes, you do things that you shouldn’t do, but you will be forgiven, and you will be loved, and you won’t be loved less. You will be loved just as much as you were before you made the mistakes.” John Mahoney’s God is a kind God.

JOHN MAHONEY AS MARTIN CRANE
ON THE SIT-COM SET OF 'FRAZIER'

                         Courtesy of Stuff.co.nz 

COMMUNICATION, LOVE, FEARLESSNESS, AND CHARITABLENESS: Life skills that help to define the goals that serve to make our life the greatest it can be. I ask you, what do we have to fear or lose when we truly understand that we are only here on this earth for a finite amount of time? The brave act of practicing these virtues is the hardest thing we will ever hope to accomplish during our brief stay here. If and when we succeed in this quest, even if it takes us to our final days here on earth, I genuinely believe we will have brilliantly uncovered the true ‘Meaning of Life’ much to the betterment of ourselves and, hopefully, others. In our time of need, what a wonderful feeling to have someone   hold us and say, "I'm gonna love you through it...." This is a personal mantra and message we could use to aid in our own healing process.

MAKE EACH NEW DAY ONE THAT is infused with that 'service bent' attitude. We may give thanks each morning for the new day that’s been given to us as we swing our legs out from under the warm sheets. We may, also, ask for blessings and protection for those we love (including ourselves) before snuggling back into those same sheets at night. It is when we become consciously aware of any opportunity to spread our wings and say to our fellow man, “I’m gonna love you through this bad boy, my friend,” will we understand that by loving them, we will be, in turn, honoring ourselves. Any goodwill gesture will return to us tenfold and continue to spread its kindness around the world. Each of us is a collection of mistakes, and, often, we do things we shouldn’t do, but we will be forgiven because we must believe that John Mahoney’s God is a kind God....

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved