Shoes Rock!

What is it about shoes that make me feel I can never have enough ?? I am not going to say how many pair I have...but all I know is that there is always at least one pair lurking out there......just out of reach, consuming me, making me wonder how I can pull the potential purchase off and still feel justified!! 

I love shoes, like seriously.  

I wonder what Mr. Cole Haan will do with his extra time in the next life.....

Amizade......

I read today something that made me think:

"Friends are the brothers/sisters that God let us choose".

It made me think about friendship from a different angle. I do feel we are all brothers and sisters in God's family, but friends aren't family necessarily. Sometimes family can be friends, sometimes not.

I feel that I am not only a product of my family, but of my friends as well. I realilze that isn't an earth shattering news flash by any means....but because I lived a life of a diplomat-brat in many different countries, I was particularly influenced by different cultures, surroundings and people beyond just my family.

There is something quite unique about arriving in a 3rd world country, ripe with new and interesting smells, sounds, people and to top it off -- not being able to communicate. The nice tight lines of your "known" comfort zone become very fuzzy and you can't quite make them out no matter how much you "squint"! It is like holding on to slippery soap......You feel out of place, out of sorts, and maybe even out of "sight" at times. A good friend told me recently their experience of moving all over made them feel "invisible". It was a terrible feeling that lingered far too long.

I was lucky, no matter where we moved we had a built in "Transition Kit" it was called Family. Funny how fast you start to look at your younger punk brother who you normally wouldn't want to spend more than the required "30 minutes for dinner" with through different eyes. All of a sudden he is the only thing that seems to make sense in this new place. How ironic that it becomes so easy to find interesting things to do together in this new context. Moving bonded me to my siblings and parents. What fantastic memories I have and we often draw upon them during get togethers and reunions.... Moving wasn't the only reason, but definitely a factor in facilitating my family to become "friends".

It is difficult for me to even talk about how much my friends have meant to me over my life. I know that no matter how many words I may write, it will sell them short with respect to their total influence on me. My parents led by example....they seemed to always see the best in all people and cultures. I couldn't begin to list the number of wonderful people that I have come to know over my life. So many hundreds of faces and names that significantly impacted my thoughts, my heart and my life.........and continue to.

Friendship for me is as real as drinking deeply from a cold water fountain when in dire thirst. It is almost palpable and tactile for me. Spending quality time with friends is what I would do with most of my time if time was what I had. Even with family, work and church responsibilities I find I can still carve out time for friends. It is never enough, but sometimes just a few moments can really "hit the spot".

My Dad once told me in a note that it "hurt good" to be my Dad. It was a compliment to me. The metaphor stuck forever. It made immediate sense to me both mentally and emotionally. It is a "heart" feeling. It is the feeling I aspire to when it comes to my friends. Not in every exchange, but to have occasional moments where we both may find a lump forming in our collective throats. An all knowing, unspoken spiritual connection of meaning that binds, edifies and enables our spirits to soar because we have simply been willing to be open and share, despite the risks.

I love my friends, old and new. They add spice, variety and depth to my life. I love them for their unconditional acceptance of me and all that I bring to the table....(baggage included).

They are in my thoughts often and I catch myself asking Heaven to consider them in all of its doings. I am forever grateful and indebted to them for helping my life's journey be ever sweeter.

Thank you for making my heart "hurt good"........

50 Words....Post lude

By request of an interested family member, I am adding to my previous post. Since very few people see this blog, I am very prone to fulfilling any request, especially since in this case it sheds more light on both my Grandfather and Father.

I am including my Dad's original 50 word assignment he did for his Father: Earl Marion Brown, who grew up as a pioneer rancher from Southern Arizona/Northern Mexico. Those who knew him will appreciate this snapshot of who he was from my Dad's point of view.

“He was tall in the saddle, but when he landed, he was short and, somehow, seemed more firmly planted than those around him. His gaze was steady and direct, and his natural good will was masked by what looked like a scowl to anyone who didn’t know him well.”

In addition, I am including two other sets of 50 word snapshots of my Dad. When I decided I was going to do this for my Dad's birthday I issued an invitation to others in my family to see if there were anyone else wanting to join me. Part of the allure for me was to see what others would write about my Dad so I could learn more about him, while at the same time, thinking that several 50 word descriptions would just make the gift for him even better! So, I thank my brother Roland and my Aunt Earlene Porter (Dad's youngest sister) for contributing to the cause and supplying 2 beautiful works of prose that I included in Dad's birthday gift. Enjoy:

He's affable and accepting;
Admirably astute, yet always unassuming.
While eloquently Erudite, his evenness sets all at ease.
Faithful and facade-free, he faces forward.
A wizard with words, he wields well-worn Wisdom
and Wry wit equally well.
In poetry and practice, the pure is pronounced,
The paltry, purged.
Earlene Porter – Mar ‘05

Disguised as a simple, globe-trotting Cowboy,
He is salt of God’s final sprinkling.
Cloaked in unassuming human-ness,
He maintains sweet savor
While thousands of improved lives,
Trail quietly behind.
E.Roland Brown – Nov ‘05