2009: Wishing you and your family & friends many blessings for this winter holiday!

Dear Friends & Readers,

It has been quite a journey for me this year, but despite all the ups and downs, it is always this time of year when I feel I am born again. That is because I feel so truly blessed with all the things I have in my life. There are not enough words to describe this strong feeling. I cannot ever complain.

Just being with the hospital patients today made me realize that I feel sorry in that they are not able to be at home with their families. And despite all of the problems they have with their families, the holidays mean family to them. However, I am forever thankful that they have sought treatment to get better, and that's what matters most. I truly want them to get better so that they don't have to relapse or end up in another treatment facility for the rest of their lives. I am thankful to get a chance to cross paths with them. It's like the starfish story one of my classmates talked about in my multicultural studies class. Even though many, many starfish wash up on the shore and dry up in the sun, taking the time to throw one back into the sea as soon as possible does make a difference.

For today, I am thankful to have faith in God and have Him in my life. He has given me so many small miracles in my life and granted my prayers. But most importantly, He has given me peace through St. Francis of Assisi.

I am thankful that I have a family and that they are supportive. I am thankful that I have a HUGE family. Getting to know my aunts, uncles, cousins, and my nieces and nephews is never boring!

I am thankful to have people I can love and care about in my life. I am thankful to have friends who are understanding and know the right things to say when I need it most.

I am thankful to meet new friends both online (e.g. Twitter, red Ravine, Read Write Poem, etc.) and in real life.

I am thankful with my gift of poetry. I am going to use it for healing as I continue my work in the psychiatric and medical field. This haiku journey has stretched to include tanka, senryu, renga, and micropoetry. It is amazing to see the power of words.

I am thankful to have a job right now. Otherwise, I was laid off back in May. Even now, I still dread not having a job to pay for bills, school, etc.

I am thankful that most of my family and relatives are relatively still in good health.

Finally, I am thankful to know and cross paths with many kind people in my life. But most importantly, I am thankful when I know that I mean the world to them just as much as they mean a lot to me. I now understand what it means to live for others as well as for myself. A good balance between the two is my purpose for living and breathing. There are not enough words or perhaps the right kind to express the feelings of appreciation, gratitude, and genuine love and joy. I am truly blessed. Happy Thanksgiving, my dear friends & readers!

weaving
through the rusty gate
black-eyed susan vines tug
the sunset rays
of the persimmon tree

flower-pressed in his warmth,
his sighs of longing
and missing her mandarin & berry perfume
jumped an octave deeper
making her toes curl
& her stomach somersault
like the autumn leaves around them

putting leaves
of (mis)quotations aside--
the moment wrapped in
the pause
of their jasmine kisses
was whispered
to a nearby singing wren:

please forgive me.