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To: At the end of May,1965, we
put on our caps and gowns and walked across the stage here at We said goodbye to a few and should have taken the time to say goodbye to all. That, I have regretted more than once over the last forty years. But, life was waiting for us and we had to be on our way.
“SOME OF US” When we
left that day- in 1965 Some of us
turned left and some of us turned right. Some of us
went to college and some of us went to work. Some of us
stayed in the area and some of us moved away. Some of us
went to To those
who went, from those who stayed, we are proud of you and are glad you came
home. Some of us
got married and some of us did not. Some of us
got divorced and tried it again. Some of us
got it right the first time. Some the second. Some of us
never tried it again. Some of us
had children and some of us did not. Some of us
have grandchildren now and some of us do not. To those
who don’t have, from those who do, we hope that happens for you. It may just
be the purest form of love on this earth. Some of us
have worked for someone else all our lives. Some of us,
either by choice or chance, now have our own companies and
guide our own ships. Both are
noble. Both are right. Neither better than the other. Some of us crawled into a bottle and some of us did not. Some of us stayed in it and some of us crawled back out. To those who stayed in, from those who crawled back out, life is truly better out. Just take a look at the faces of those who love you. There lies the answer. |
Some of us found our nitch in life. Some of us are still searching. Some of us just gave up. Some of our hair has turned white. Some has turned loose. What remains, some of us have colored and some of us use only mousse. Life has hardened some of us. Age has mellowed some of us. Hopefully, we have all found some degree of inner peace. Some of us are no longer on this earth. To those who have gone, from those of us still here, we are sad. If we have not already done so, we will, on some rainy Saturday afternoon, remember you and shed a tear. Some of us made it here tonight and some of us did not. To those who didn’t, from those who did, we missed you and hope you are well. Life 101 should have been taught at That brings us to the question, “How about our next reunion? Yes, we should plan on another reunion here at We should have one no matter if only two of us show up. Some of us will no longer be on this earth and some of us will. Because of death, illness, or lack of interest, some of us will not make it to the next reunion. All three reasons are sad. For the last few minutes, hopefully, one of us has read this to you. One of us wrote this. All of us have had these thoughts at some time in our lives. Let’s just say that we all wrote this and make a promise that we will stay in touch. Some of us will and some of us won’t. All of us should try. With love to ALL from, One Of Us |
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THE CLASS Every ten years, as summertime nears, An announcement arrives in the mail, A reunion is planned; it'll be really
grand, Make plans to attend without fail I'll never forget the first time we met; We tried so hard to impress. We drove fancy cars, smoked big cigars, And wore our most elegant dress It was quite an affair; the whole class
was there. It was held at a fancy hotel. We wined, and we dined, and we acted
refined, And everyone thought it was swell The men all conversed about who had been
first To achieve great fortune and fame. Meanwhile, their spouses described their
fine houses And how beautiful their children became The homecoming queen, who once had been
lean, Now weighed in at one-ninety-six. The jocks who were there had all lost
their hair, And the cheerleaders could no longer do
kicks No one had heard about the class nerd Who'd guided a spacecraft to the moon; Or poor little Jane, who's always been
plain; She married a shipping tycoon The boy we'd decreed "most apt to
succeed" Was serving ten years in the pen, While the one voted "least" now
was a priest; Just shows you can be wrong now and then They awarded a prize to one of the guys Who seemed to have aged the least. Another was given to the grad who had
driven The farthest to attend the feast
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They took a class picture, a curious
mixture Of beehives, crew cuts and wide ties. Tall, short, or skinny, the style was the
mini; You never saw so many thighs At our next get-together, no one cared
whether They impressed their classmates or not. The mood was informal, a whole lot more
normal; By this time we'd all gone to pot. It was held out-of-doors, at the lake
shores; We ate hamburgers, coleslaw, and beans. Then most of us lay around in the shade, In our comfortable T-shirts and jeans. By the fortieth year, it was abundantly
clear, We were definitely over the hill. Those who weren't dead had to crawl out of
bed, And be home in time for their pill. And now I can't wait; they've set the
date; Our fiftieth is coming, I'm told. It should be a ball, they've rented a hall
At the Shady Rest Home for the old Repairs have been made on my hearing aid; My pacemaker's been turned up on high. My wheelchair is oiled, and my teeth have
been boiled; And I've bought a new wig and glass eye I'm feeling quite hearty, and I'm ready to
party I'm gonna dance
'til dawn's early light. It'll be lots of fun; But I just hope that
there's one Other person who can make it that night
Author Unknown |
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SONG OF THE FLOWER I AM A KIND WORD uttered and repeated By the voice of Nature; I am a star fallen from the Blue tent upon the green carpet. I am the daughter of the elements With whom Winter conceived; To whom Spring gave birth; I was Reared in the lap of Summer and I Slept in the bed of Autumn. At dawn I unite with the breeze To announce the coming of light; At eventide I join the birds In bidding the light farewell. The plains are decorated with My beautiful colors, and the air Is scented with my fragrance. As I embrace slumber the eyes of Night watch over me, and as I Awaken I stare at the sun, which is The only eye of the day. I drink dew for wine, and
hearken to The voices of the birds,
and dance To the rhythmic swaying of
the grass. I am the lover’s gift; I am the wedding wreath; I am the memory of a
moment of happiness; I am the last gift of the
living to the dead; I am a part of joy and a
part of sorrow. But I look up high to see
only the light, And never look down to see
my shadow. This is wisdom which man
must learn. Author: Kahlil Gibran |
SONG OF THE WAVE THE And I am his sweetheart. We are at last united by love, and Then the moon draws me from him. I go to him in haste and depart Reluctantly, with many Little farewells. I steal swiftly from behind the Blue horizon to cast the silver of My foam upon the gold of his sand, and We blend in melted brilliance. I quench his thirst and submerge his Heart; he softens my voice and subdues My temper. At dawn I recite the rules of love upon His ears, and he embraces me longingly. At eventide I sing to him the song of Hope, and then print smooth kisses upon His face; I am swift and fearful, but he Is quiet, patient, and thoughtful. His Broad bosom soothes my restlessness. As the tide comes we caress each other, When it withdraws, I drop to his feet in Prayer. In the heaviness of night, when all Creatures seek the ghost of Slumber, I Sit up, singing at one time and sighing At another. I am awake always. Alas! Sleeplessness has weakened me! But I am a lover, and the truth of love Is strong. I may weary, but I shall never die. Author: Kahlil Gibran |
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SONG OF FORTUNE MAN and I are sweethearts He craves me and I long for
him, But alas! Between us has
appeared A rival who brings us
misery. She is cruel and
demanding, Her name is Substance. She follows wherever we go And watches like a
sentinel, bringing Restlessness to my lover. I search for my beloved in
the forest, Under the trees, by the
lakes. I cannot find him, for
Substance Has spirited him to the
clamorous City and placed him on the
throne Of quaking, metal riches. I call for him with the
voice of Knowledge and the song of
Wisdom. He does not answer, for
Substance Has enticed him into the
dungeon Of selfishness, where
avarice dwells. I seek him in the field of
Contentment, But I am alone, for my
rival has Imprisoned him in the cave
of gluttony And greed. and locked him
there With painful chains of
gold. I call to him at dawn,
when Nature smiles, But he does not hear, for
excess has Laden his drugged eyes
with sick slumber. I call for him at
eventide, when Silence rules And the flowers sleep. But
he responds not, For his fear over what the
morrow will Bring, shadows his
thoughts. |
He yearns to love me; He asks for me in his own
acts. But he Will find me not except in
God’s acts. He seeks me in the
edifices of his glory Which he has built upon
the bones of others; He whispers to me from
among His heaps of gold and
silver; But he will find me only
by coming to The house of Simplicity
which God has built At the brink of the stream
of affection. He desires to kiss me
before his coffers, But his lips will never
touch mine except In the richness of the
pure breeze. He asks me to share with
him his Fabulous wealth, but I
will not forsake God’s Fortune; I will not cast
off my cloak of beauty. He seeks deceit for medium; I seek only The medium of his heart. He bruises his heart in his narrow cell; I would enrich his heart with my love. My beloved has learned how to shriek and Cry for my enemy, Substance; I would Teach him how to shed tears of affection And mercy from the eyes of his soul And utter sighs of contentment through Those tears. Man is my sweetheart; I want to belong to him. Author: Kahlil Gibran |
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SONG OF THE RAIN I emerge from the heart of the sea and Soar with
the breeze. When I see a field in need, I descend and embrace the flowers and The trees in a million little
ways. I am the
sigh of the sea; The
laughter of the field; The tears
of heaven. The voice of thunder declares my arrival; The rainbow announces my departure. I am like earthly life
which begins With the cries from the pains
of birth and ends Under the upraised wings
of death. The heat in the air gives birth to me, But in turn I subdue it As woman overcomes man with The strength she takes from him. I am
dotted silver threads dropped from heaven By the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn Her fields and valleys. The field and the cloud
are lovers And between them I am a
messenger I quench the thirst of the
one; I lighten the burden of
the other. |
I touch
gently at the windows with my Soft fingers,
and my announcement
is a Welcome
song. All can hear, but only The
sensitive can understand. So I return again and again with love from the deep sea of affection; Laughter from the colourful
field of the spirit Tears from the endless
heaven of memories. Author: Kahlil Gibran |
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THE LIFE
OF LOVE SPRING COME, my beloved; let us walk
amidst the knolls, For the snow is water, and Life is alive from its Slumber and is roaming the hills and valleys. Let us follow the footprints of Spring into the Distant fields, and mount the hilltops to draw Inspiration high above the cool green plains. Dawn of Spring has unfolded her winter-kept
garment And placed it on the peach and citrus trees;
and They appear as brides in the ceremonial
custom of The Night of Kedre. The sprigs
of grapevine embrace each other like Sweethearts,
and the brooks burst out in dance Between the
rocks, repeating the song of joy; And the
flowers bud suddenly from the heart of Nature, like foam from the rich heart
of the sea. Come, my beloved; let us drink the
last of Winter’s Tears from the cupped
lilies, and soothe our spirits With the shower of notes from the birds,
and wander In exhilaration through the intoxicating
breeze. Let us sit by that rock, where violets
hide; let us Pursue their exchange of the sweetness
of kisses. |
SUMMER Let us go into the fields, my beloved, for
the Time
of harvest approaches, and the sun’s eyes Are ripening the grain. Let us tend the fruit of the earth, as the Spirit nourishes the grains of Joy from the Seeds of Love, sowed deep in our hearts. Let us fill our bins with the products of Nature, as life fills so abundantly the Domain of our hearts with her endless
bounty. Let us make the flowers our bed, and the Sky our blanket, and rest our heads
together Upon pillows of soft hay. Let us relax after the day’s toil, and
listen To the provoking murmur of the brook. Author: Kahlil Gibran |
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AUTUMN Let us go and gather the
grapes of the vineyard For the winepress, and
keep the wine in old Vases, as the spirit keeps
Knowledge of the Ages in eternal vessels. Let us return to our
dwelling, for the wind has Caused the yellow leaves
to fall and shroud the Withering flowers that
whisper elegy to Summer. Come home, my eternal
sweetheart, for the birds Have made pilgrimage to
warmth and left the city. Prairies suffering pangs
of solitude. The jasmine And myrtle
have no more tears. Let us retreat, for the
tired brook has Ceased its song; and the bubblesome springs Are drained of their
copious weeping; and The cautious old hills have
stored away Their colourful
garments. Come, my beloved; Nature
is justly weary And is bidding her
enthusiasm farewell With quiet and contented
melody. Author: Kahlil Gibran |
ER WINTER Come close to me, oh
companion of my full life Come close to me and let
not Winter’s touch Enter between us. Sit by
me before the hearth For fire is the only fruit
of Winter. Speak to me of the glory
of your heart, for That is greater than the
shrieking elements Beyond our door. Bind the door and seal the
transoms, for the Angry countenance of the
heaven depresses my Spirit, and the face of
our snow-laden fields Makes my soul cry. Feed the lamp with oil and
let it not dim, and Place it by you, so I can
read with tears what Your life with me has
written upon your face. Bring Autumn’s wine. Let
us drink and sing the Song of remembrance to
Spring’s carefree sowing, And Summer’s watchful
tending, and Autumn’s Reward in harvest. Come close to me, oh beloved
of my soul; the Fire is cooling and
fleeing under the ashes. Embrace me, for I fear
loneliness; the lamp is Dim, and the wine which we
pressed is closing Our eyes. Let us look upon
each other before They are shut. Find me with your arms and
embrace me; let Slumber then embrace our
souls as one. Kiss me, my beloved, for
Winter has stolen All but our moving lips. You are close by me, My
Forever. How deep and wide will be
the And how recent was the
dawn! |
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Nothing Can Hold Back A Dream |
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Show me the way There hung a
picture in the hall The house was
warm although quite small I stopped to look
almost every day At the beautiful
angel showing the way To a small child
much like me It gave me hope
that she might be There to guide
and be my friend From morning
light to days long end When I grew up
and moved away In the house the
picture was there to stay Then when I grew
into a man She was always
there to hold my hand God makes
angels, great and small Some just a
picture on the wall But in life’s
journey he shows the way To lead us
safely home one day
Copyright© JGStout/2006 |
Dear Angela, I hope this letter finds you well, that your
thoughts are filled with anticipation for the journey we will take this
weekend and happiness lives in
every thought you think today. It
is not often that I write letters on religious subjects unless they are for
someone who is depressed, has lost a loved one or just needs some comfort on their
bad days. So I write this letter as a prayer for Angela because it is a
prayer that lives in my heart. Lord,
I pray that you would give the gift of wisdom discernment and revelation to
Angela. Help her to trust you with all her heart, not dependent on her own
understanding, but trust in your wisdom to understand clearly the path she
should walk. Help her to discern good from evil and be sensitive to the voice
of the holy spirit saying, this is the path for you to take. I
know that much of her happiness in life depends on gaining wisdom and
discernment, which your word says brings long life, wealth, recognition,
protection, enjoyment, contentment and happiness. May all these things come
to her because of your gift. I
pray that your perfect love will surround Angela, give her peace and protect
her from fear. Wherever there is danger or good reason to fear, give her
wisdom, protect her and draw her close to you. Help her not to deny her
fears, but take them to you in prayer and seek deliverance from them. I prey
that your love will penetrate her life and crowd out all fear while you plant
words of love in her heart. Let faith take root in her mind and soul as she
walks on the path you have chosen for her feet to follow. I
pray that Angela will find her identity in you and that you will help her to
understand her worth through your eyes and your standards. May she recognize
the unique qualities you have placed in her and be able to appreciate them.
Please enable her to see herself the way you see her, understanding that you
have a made her a little lower than the angels, but that you have crowned her
with glory and honor. Thank
you, Lord that you care about her eternal future even more than I do and that
it is secure in your hands. In the name of the father and the son we pray. If
God grants just one prayer in all my days… it is that your prayers be answered.
Stay
well….be happy |
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