Favor me

Dearest, favor me
With a smile
And tell me
It's all OK now

I'm there for you
I support you
I love you
I cherish you

--By Ron Cooper
(Dedicated to my wife)

For your beloved

Love's highest ambition and most cherished hope is to make a breathtaking change in the life of the beloved.

--By Ron Cooper

True character

Compassion reflects the character of the soul and is the truest expression of greatness.

--By Ron Cooper

Joyfully

Humbly
I can say
I’m not free
Of worry
Of regret
Of pain

But…

Joyfully
I can say
I am free
To praise
To hope
To love

--By Ron Cooper

An ocean of love

Imagine a thimble.

Now put your disappointments there. These may loom large in your mind, but still fail to fill this tiny space.

Imagine an ocean.

Fill it with all the acts of love that have been expressed toward you. These are bountiful and flow over this vast space.

It is entirely human to feel let down. But keep things in perspective. Someone somewhere is sending you loving thoughts right now.

These thoughts are vast, endless.

Like the ocean.

--By Ron Cooper

A sister admired

I don’t have to travel far to find someone whom I greatly admire.

This good-hearted person is the fount of compassion and kindness, one who would give someone the shirt off her back or the car that she drives.

My sister Cindy actually did give away her family van (a second car) to a young man who was struggling financially and needed transportation to get to his job.

That’s just one of the generous acts that has caught my eye and softened my heart.

She also helps countless families with food and clothing donations. During the Christmas holidays, she and her family of daughters and grandkids pile in the car for a giving extravaganza.

Over the years, many homeless people have benefited from a pair of gloves, a hot meal and more as Cindy and her clan make stops along their goodwill route.

She and her therapy dog Pax make regular trips to a local nursing home. Residents get the chance to pet him and recount stories of raising and loving dogs in their earlier years.

There are many, many other acts of generosity that have poured forth from the heart of this remarkable sibling of mine.

Suffice it to say: She is my hero, a servant leader whose positive example reverberates throughout our family and the wider community.

Sis, I’m very proud of you, and admire your good and great soul!

Love,
Your brother Ron Cooper

A perfect ending

As the day closes, we all take stock. And some days, our internal tape recorders play back negative things.

“I accomplished nothing today.” “He gave me grief.” “She hurt my feelings.”

But I have a friend who closes her day in a perfectly serene way—with simple gratitude.

Here’s what she wrote recently:

“Every day I see or hear something that inspires me to be a better person. Today, it was a friend who took time to share and encourage, a woman who showed incredible grace and dignity in the face of disappointment, and a stranger whose actions said ‘I am indeed my brother's keeper.’”

Perfect.

Serene.

Grateful.

What are you thinking about tonight?

--By Ron Cooper

(Your comments are welcome!)

Breathe the quiet

Breathe the quiet
Deeply
Fill your soul
Serenely
Open your heart
Lovingly

Calm infuses you
Now
Peace enriches you
Now
Solitude embraces you
Now

Breathe the quiet
deeply

--By Ron Cooper

A sacred space

Every place
A sacred space
To welcome hearts
And gentle souls

Every place
A sacred space
To seek and find
Our lofty goals

A
Sacred
Space

--By Ron Cooper

Softened gaze

Softened gaze
Sees the world
A blessed place
To live
To love
To forgive
All

--By Ron Cooper

Give yourself to the morning

Morning time
Time to trust
My insights
Time to embrace
My solitude
Time to explore
My glorious
Possibilities

--By Ron Cooper

The healing shall come

Losing heart is an all too human experience. But so is restoring it.

Much in the same way as losing heart, we also lose hope. But we regain that as well.

Or we lose trust, and then seek to renew it.

These are predictable cycles. Living these realities will make us more, well, human. These experiences make our spirits stronger. We learn that while things may get worse, they are bound to get better.

We learn that we can:

1. Reclaim our positive outlook
2. Renew our commitments
3. Re-energize our spirit

Losing heart, hope or trust happens to us all. But these things are momentary. Be patient. A brighter day nears.

The healing will begin soon.

--By Ron Cooper

Optimism

We are disappointed sometimes. Discouraged sometimes. Feel let down sometimes. The biggest mistake is to dwell on it. Just move on, distancing yourself from the experience. If you're going to dwell on something, let it be the rebirth of optimism.

--By Ron Cooper

As if

I live my life as if I'll live forever and a day. For a while it works, this way of looking at things, until illness or sorrow strikes me down. Ups and downs. I've learned these are all part of life, and I live it as if I were simply human.

--By Ron Cooper

The best morning

Chaos may reign
Over fragile lives
But the best morning
Returns the quiet

The best morning
Fills the spirit
With peaceful reflection

The best morning
Holds the heart
In a strong embrace

Welcome to your
Best morning

--By Ron Cooper

Worthy

Grappling with life's thorny problems, we should remember a simple truth: We humans are vulnerable to hurt, disappointment and worry.

But here's another truth for you:

We're also worthy of love!

--By Ron Cooper