Month: September 2018

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LEAVE THEM SOME GOOD MEMORIES

Chuck Lee

I’ve heard people say, ”At least she lived a full life.” or ”He’s fortunate.  He had a full life.” Hmmm….it makes me wonder…. What in the world is a FULL LIFE? Some say it’s achieving everything you dreamed of, or…. helping others achieve what they dreamed of, or… having no regrets on your deathbed, or… leaving the world a little better than you found it. A global survey by Abbott asked 2 million people around the world what ONE THING made them feel MOST FULFILLED IN LIFE. Their answers, in order of preference, were… FAMILY, SUCCESS, and HEALTH. Interestingly, SPIRITUALITY … Continue reading LEAVE THEM SOME GOOD MEMORIES

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IT’S OKAY TO SOMETIMES ACT SQUIRRELY

Chuck Lee

I admit I have a love-hate relationship with squirrels. Some days they’re cute and funny, other days they’re a nuisance as they attack our bird feeders. Most days they’re just plain squirrels — jumpy, nutty, flighty, unpredictable, scurrying around in a mildly insane manner. But let me admit something right here — the other day when I was scurrying around being flighty, acting a little nutty, maybe acting mildly insane, like I do on occasion…. I thought, “Just look at me. I’m acting squirrely.” My dad had another name for it — “Acting like a chicken with its head cut … Continue reading IT’S OKAY TO SOMETIMES ACT SQUIRRELY

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DOESN’T EVERYONE NEED A LITTLE NOSTALGIA?

Chuck Lee

Nostalgia,noun: ”A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past; a twinge in the heart more powerful than memory alone; a feeling of a place where we ache to go again.” Yes….nostalgia….I love it. I love creeping into the recesses of my mind…. traveling back to the days that once were…. pulling out slices of my life to enjoy…. nothing more….just enjoy…. simply remembering things that warm my heart. On this day I remember the  old pump  out by the barn. Oh, the twinges I feel when I recall grasping that long iron handle and pumping water for … Continue reading DOESN’T EVERYONE NEED A LITTLE NOSTALGIA?

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THE ART OF BENDING WITHOUT BREAKING

Chuck Lee

I have an orange tree in my yard. It’s a lesson in life to behold. I watch the miracle of blossoms give birth to oranges. And then I watch the oranges grow larger and larger, heavier and heavier, causing the branches to bend under the increasing weight. Storms come and the winds blow, the boughs swing and sway, the boughs bend and bounce, but the boughs do not break. Those tiny branches have been created to somehow have enough strength to withstand the storms that come and the weight of the oranges and make it through to face another day. … Continue reading THE ART OF BENDING WITHOUT BREAKING

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OH THE JOY THE BLACK-EYED SUSANS BRING

Chuck Lee

My black-eyed susans took a lot of care all summer, cultivating, nurturing, watering, pruning— a lot of work for me, the gardener— whose old knees don’t bend so easily anymore. But oh such JOY those black-eyed susan’s brought me all summer long — their bright yellow faces and dark brown eyes made me smile each time I was in their presence. But now as Autumn creeps in I look at these once beautiful flowers and see that they are fast fading and will soon be gone. As I sit on my garden bench, I ponder. I could easily focus on … Continue reading OH THE JOY THE BLACK-EYED SUSANS BRING

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THE FIVE-FOLD PHILOSOPHY OF THE ANT

Chuck Lee

Ants are fascinating creatures. We can learn a lot by studying their FIVE-FOLD PHOLOSOPHY: Carry your share of the work; Know where you’re going; Stay positive and never give up; Work as a team; Love where you live. Carry your share of the work. Every ant works, no exceptions. Each one knows what to do and does it. No shirking of duty, no laziness. Know where you’re going. Every day ants have purpose. They know where they need to go and they go. They accomplish something every day. Stay positive and never give up. When things go wrong, ants keep … Continue reading THE FIVE-FOLD PHILOSOPHY OF THE ANT

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THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME…REALLY!

Chuck Lee

When my mother was in the hospital, gravely ill, and in pain, I was holding her hand and she said, ”I want to go home.” Home and family meant so much to her and I wish I could have helped her go home one last time. But it was not meant to be. Knowing my mother, though, I think she also meant she was ready to go to her eternal home, the one she often sang about in hymns. One day later she made it to that home. I think there’s a longing for home that lives in all of … Continue reading THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME…REALLY!

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HOW A LITTLE LADY’S ACT OF KINDNESS CHANGED MY OUTLOOK

Chuck Lee

One morning my wife and I had breakfast at a local restaurant. For some reason, we were both a little down. As we were eating I noticed a small, older lady sitting alone. Once in a while she would look over and smile. What a sweet lady, I thought, and probably lonely. She finished eating before we did, and when she walked past us she smiled again. I wondered about her. Did she have children who lived nearby or did they live far away? Did she have grandchildren and did they come to visit her? Did she have any  friends? … Continue reading HOW A LITTLE LADY’S ACT OF KINDNESS CHANGED MY OUTLOOK

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A SMILE IS WORTH MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS

Chuck Lee

There’s so much to know about smiles. A study by a French neurologist concluded that there are two kinds of smiles, smiling with the mouth and smiling with the eyes. Some people can do both, some can’t. I wonder which I do. A famous study of yearbooks discovered that women who had the biggest smiles went on to lead happier lives. Hurry and go look at your old yearbook photo. And what about the guys? Well….a famous study of baseball cards found a connection between how big a player’s smile was to how long he would eventually live. The players … Continue reading A SMILE IS WORTH MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS

Art, Blog Posts4 Comments

THE PRICELESS GIFT OF SOMEONE’S TIME

Chuck Lee

Over the years I have received many gifts and I’m always appreciative of what I have been given. But one gift that always stands out in my mind is when someone gives me the gift of time. They give me a portion of their life. It costs nothing….yet it’s priceless. You can’t wrap it….yet it has great value. It doesn’t come from a store…. It comes from the heart. How special I feel when I get someone’s undivided attention, when they give me their time. What a wonderful gift to give someone. Continue reading THE PRICELESS GIFT OF SOMEONE’S TIME