Courage To Be: A Moment With Bill Reflection
Facing Serious Challenges
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.
- Atticus Finch”
― Harper Lee, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Knowing you are licked before you begin and yet following the course to the very end….how well does that describe a writer?
Somewhere there is a little girl. Every night before she goes to bed, she pulls the tablet from underneath her bed, and she curls up under the covers, and she writes fanciful stories of enchanted worlds where love reigns supreme. She finishes her story and then closes her eyes and dreams of being a famous author one day.
In the light of day her dream is, of course, only a dream. Reality follows her through the years, and the voices of detractors echo in her head, and she convinces herself that she could never be a writer.
Still she tries on occasion, and once she even sends a story to a magazine only to be ignored or rejected, and the dreams of that little girl curl up under the covers of her life and fade away in the darkness.
We may not be licked when we begin our writing journey, but the odds are, at the very least, enormous. If we are lucky enough to have loved ones who support our efforts, we are still faced with the seemingly endless hours of solitude as we work our craft in relative obscurity. We may be the “author” in our own home, but in the world we are just one of millions who get up each day, write a few thousand words, and go to bed with nothing to show for the effort.
Make no mistake about it: it takes courage to be a writer.
Somewhere There Is a Young Woman
She rises at dawn each day and prepares the lunches for her two small children. Her husband is gone, never to return, and she is left with the kids, the mortgage, the pile of other bills and the sense of hopelessness.
But still, her kids need her, so off she goes to the first of two jobs, the same today as yesterday and the same as a year in the future. Waiting tables during the day; cleaning offices in the evening. Thank God for mom and dad and their willingness to watch the children or she doesn’t know what she would do.
What would a warm bath feel like? What would it feel like to be held and given some reassurance? What in the hell would it feel like to go to bed not terrified of the next day, and yet too damn tired to care one way or another what is going to happen?
What happened to the dreams? What happened to the hope? All traded in for the price of a bullet in some foreign land, a footnote in history not worth mentioning except when the kids want to see pictures so they won’t forget what daddy looked like.
Telling your son and daughter of hopes and dreams and unlimited possibilities, all the while taking another step down that dead end road of life.
Make no mistake about it: it takes courage to be a single parent.
Weep Not for Me
Somewhere there is an old man. He rolls his wheelchair to the park daily to feed the pigeons and then off to the street corner, sign in hand. Help me, I’m homeless, the sign declares, and truer words were never written.
Forty-two years after the wound that cost him a leg and an arm; forty-one years after the related disease that almost cost him his life as he once knew it, he holds his head high and daydreams of running free in a field of lavender, his dead wife by his side. They smiled so in those days, two young lovers without a care in the world, making plans for a future that had no restraints.
Hold the sign up high and smile at the people. Tuck away the bitterness cuz there are no dividends in that investment. You have to take what comes, the good and the bad, and keep moving forward….always forward. There are no promises in this life; no guarantees and no bargains. There is only today, and what can be gained, and hopefully come out of it all with your dignity.
Make no mistake about it: it takes courage to be a homeless veteran.
Something to think about
- The Human Experience: Everyday Heroes
Heroes are among us in every walk of life. With quiet determination they make us all better people through their living examples.
This Prison Ain’t Got No Walls
You breathe through a tube that is taped to your lips, the constant hum of that life-giving machine always serenading you during your waking moments. Mobility is defined by the availability of someone to push your chair around, and if you are having a really fine day you will be able to sit in the garden while the sunshine reminds you of better days.
Better days of laughing, running, eating solid foods and yes, breathing on your own.
You look out the window and see it approaching. At first it is a subtle shift in color, a shadow within the shadows, but as it gets closer it takes on definition, size, shape, until it stands before you, your hated, and loved, companion…..regret.
If only I hadn’t been drinking that night…if only I hadn’t driven home….if only I had stopped at that stop sign….if only….if only…..if only they would have let me die.
How can a man be alive when he is dependent upon others to eat and breathe? How can a man be alive when he cannot even end his own life?
I want to die! I want to live!
Make no mistake about it: it takes courage to be severely handicapped.
They Are All Around Us
This living gig is not easy for most. Oh sure, there are those born with a silver spoon in their mouths, skipping through life seemingly without a care in the world, untouched by the mundane business of just breathing in and breathing out. For those few, struggle is only a word found in Websters.
For the majority, though, struggle is an everyday fact of life. Putting one foot in front of the other, and somehow finding the courage to continue, those are the acts that dominate any given day. Summoning determination in the face of overwhelming odds, and refusing to surrender when every fiber of their being screams to raise the damn white flag, those are acts of true bravery.
The soldier dons his pack and heads out, not knowing when the next bullet will have his name on it. The fireman answers the bell, not knowing if today the bells tolls for him. The dead end struggler working a dead end job in a dead end life, nevertheless gets up each day, pushing forward towards a future that is best described as questionable and at worst hopeless; these cases may not be the stuff of legends but they are the stuff of the human condition.
“To strive, to seek to find and not to yield”….the words of Tennyson ring true for many in this world of seven billion. You may know one; hell, you may be one. I would submit to you that for most, it is not a matter of finding greener grass on the other side, but rather in hoping that there is any sign of grass at all, and battling the suspicion that the grass is long gone never to return.
And still they move forward!
Some final thoughts
- Loneliness : Marco....Polo....Can Anybody Hear Me?
People need to know that they are being heard, that they are not alone, that their lives have meaning.
Words of a Father
His words echo in my brain still today, forty-four years after his death. “Bill, always move forward. Never retreat. No matter how tough things get, end your day with the knowledge that you did not give up and you gained ground.”
My dad…..profound words to tell a ten year old, and in truth those words meant little to me during my teen years, but their meaning slammed me alongside the head later in life. I remembered them then, and I called on them for inspiration, and I held onto them as a drowning man grasps a floating piece of flotsam….always move forward!
When you know you are licked but you see it through anyway….yes indeed my friends…the perfect definition of courage, and God bless those of you who live it daily.
No, this living gig is not easy for most. There will be times when most of us are knocked down to our knees, when the darkness spreads its wings, swoops in and darkens our very soul. Those are the times when we toss of the chains of mere mortality and we rise above it all and we scream at the top of our lungs…..I AM ALIVE AND I WILL NOT GIVE UP!
2013 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Related
Comments
Power Bill, just powerful. The human spirit mixed with tenacity and courage can do the impossible. Thank you for those reminders! You have empowered me today like a power bar with your words and scenarios.
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Carly, thank you so much! Like a power bar? Wow! That is empowerment. :)
All holistic, caffeine free, no preservatives Powerbar. :)
Thank you so much for writing this Bill, I needed this today.
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Carly....LOL....of course. :)
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My pleasure, Michele, and thank you for taking the time from your busy day to read it.
Billy,
This relates to everything in life! It's funny, in the very beginning of your hub I thought about this last weekend. I sat on my parent's porch and had my smartphone in hand. I wanted to share with them one of my recent hubs and began pulling it up on my phone to read to them. I should've know better, any time I refer to HubPages or my writing, they seem very uninterested even though it is accompanied with a glow on my face. I thought 'maybe today will be different'. As I got a couple of sentences into reading my hub... they seemed like children, interested in everything else going on around them and I felt that I was reading it to myself... well, I already know what my hub said and there wasn't much point in wasting my battery... so with tears in my eyes... I x'ed out of the page. It's pretty sad when you can't share your joys and dreams with your loved ones because they can't appreciate or understand the sentiment. So, I dream in silence... but I'll keep dreaming.
Love the hub!
Have an awesome day!
Cat
Uh oh, I felt myself sliding downhill creating the illusion that my monsters were getting bigger. In fact they were just further up a hill, I need not travel. This hub gave me back some perspective. I do want to go up that hill. Now you have fired up. Come on Hill and Come on Monsters!!
Muchas Gracias from down Mexico border way.
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Cat, you sure got short-changed in the family and men department. Don't stop believing and don't stop dreaming. Come on out to Washington...Bev and I will give you all the support you could ever hope for. :)
Thank you my dear friend and enjoy your day....and thank you for the job you do in New York.
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Eric, you go buddy! Where do you live? I've been meaning to ask that for quite some time now.
Anyway, thank you sir!
A little town called Spring Valley -- unincorporated outside of San Diego By hiking uphill I can see the Pacific Ocean and twenty miles into Mexico. Within a mile I can be outside of the town and if I head due east would not see another town for about 400 miles. Sonoran Coastal Desert. Only 105 here on Saturday last.
If we look up on the other hill we can see the rich folks in their doublewides ;-)
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Thanks Eric! I saw the pictures of your area and I figured desert, but I couldn't place where it was.
Don't you just hate those rich folks in their doublewides? LOL
What words of inspiration! Some days are hard for most of us, even those of us who have roofs over our heads, clothes on our backs and food in our bellies. This hub is very humbling. We should be thankful for what we have - not what we wish we had. Every dark cloud has a silver lining if you will yourself to see.
Great hub, my friend!
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Thank you Sha! Just trying to keep it real for all of us. I need reminders from time to time about just how good I have it in life. :) Hope you are well.
love,
bill
Bill, your father was a very smart man who would be very proud of his son, the writer, who is constantly moving forward and inspiring others to do the same. Believe me!
I love when you write scenes like this.
I believe struggle goes beyond the material. I don't think there is an individual on this earth who doesn't understand what struggle is. A person who spends her entire life never having to worry about paying the bills still has demons, hurts, and issues with attachment. Like Plato said, *everyone* you meet is fighting a hard battle.
Beautiful writing, my talented friend! You are truly a voice for voiceless.
Couldn't agree more Bill with your father's words. And he sounds a lot like my own dad, who has always told me to fight for what I want and believe in and not give up or be a quitter. So, quite simply, I very much agree with your article and your thoughts here. This is truly why I work my tail all day long and not give up, because it is about making something of myself and having self-worth for who I am and what I am capable of accomplishing. Thank you Bill for sharing and you know I have done the same and shared all over!! Have a wonderful rest of your day!!
wow..great write, but I would expect nothing less from you. I am learning more from you than most of my English professors.. thanks.
Aw, thanks Billy! You set such a good example of how to be supportive! Doesn't being supportive of others make you feel good yourself? That's what I thought... shouldn't be an enigma.
I'll be planning that trip to Washington! :D
Thanks again!
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drbj, I'm trying my friend....I'm trying. :) Thank you. The next time I see my dad I'll tell him you said hi.
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Lizzy, you were serious???? What's wrong??? LOL
A voice for the voiceless...that brought tears to my eyes. Thank you...seriously thank you! I am smiling right now and facing Florida while smiling.
Yup, we all need this from time to time indeed!! Thank you!
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Thank you Janine....our dad's would have gotten along quite nicely. I was lucky to have mine for twenty years.
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Michael, thank you very much. That was a very nice compliment my friend.
Have a great day writing!
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Cat, I couldn't agree more...it's so easy to spread some love and good feelings...takes very little effort. :)
We'll leave the light on for you.
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We do indeed, MIchelle. Thank you!
Yes, forging ahead even when it seems like that foot cannot lift up one more time...is isn't over till it is over..for sure.
My child and my grandson are living testimony to that very belief. Both of them have been told their time is short but they have chosen to live every day to its fullest, and I am so thankful for that.
Thank you for reminding all that to keep on keeping on requires the courage that awaits within each of us.
Angels are on the way to you right now....ps
Very inspirational and so very true. So important to not give up and good things will come. We can't depend on luck... it takes a little work (or a lot I should say)!.
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PS, I thought of your child when I wrote this...and your grandson...they are the personification of this hub.
Thank you my friend. I hope you are well. Sending hugs and blessings your way.
bill
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Liz, hopefully good things will come. :) There's always hope, right?
Thank you as always for the visit.
This is a thought-provoking and inspirational article about courage, Bill - the type of hub that you write so well. Thank you for sharing your writing.
Awesome article here and like you, my dad used to tell me things growing up that didn't mean much to me until now as an adult with my own kids. You're right, working hard, moving forward and not giving up is what we all need to remember in life. Inspiring piece as always!
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Thank you Alicia. This is where my heart and soul are with regards to writing...I feel alive when I write pieces like this, and it's nice to be recognized for it.
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BNadyn, thank you so much. I love reaching out and inspiring people with my words...it's quite a rush. :)
Bill, we tend to forget what real struggle means, thank you for this very powerful reminder. It doesn't matter how tough life gets, there are always someone worse off.
You never fail to inspire, take care and my best to you.
Strange how just one sentence will burn into our minds, or is it our hearts? As long as we believe in ourselves it is all we need but a few remembered words can give us that push we sometimes need. Very good write. ^
This was brilliant and profound! We must never give up when life seems desperately hopeless and we must always give support and encouragement to those that have been dealt a bad hand in life. Well done! Thanks for sharing. (Voted Up) -Rose
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Thank you Jo! I want everyone to be inspired and excited about life. I know it isn't realistic but there you have it. :)
blessings to you always
bill
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Jackie, it is strange for sure that after all these years that sentence is still with me...but I am grateful that it is.
Thank you my friend. I hope this finds you well and happy this Tuesday.
"Most men live lives of quiet desperation." I have always felt that Thoreau was right about that up to a point. The desperation of some is noisier than others, but you are right Bill. Most keep on going forward, not giving up.
"Brilliant and profound" is a good comment (above) for this hub.
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Rose, thank you! There are so many out there without hope...I want to change that, one person and one story at a time. :) I hope I live long enough to see real change.
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Jim, thank you and it's good to see you again. Quiet desperation...what a sad and lonely statement....and so true for so many.
Bill, I've said this before and I'll say it again, your father was one wise man. And for the record, so are you. Well done.
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Thank you Bill. I hope I've learned a thing or two. :)
The hub I posted today is about another side of courage. It takes courage to deal with all the challenges life throws at us. Bless you for sharing your reflection and inspiration.
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Dora, I just read yours and commented. Yes indeed, it takes courage.
Thank you my friend and blessings to you always.
Bill.....I wrote a couple of very thoughtful, deep paragraphs, in an effort to comment on this hub, in as close a manner as it deserves.....I was doing just fine expressing myself and believing I could get my points across. Your hub made a huge impression on me and literally "spoke to me."......and then, the phone rang. I reached across to pick up the damned thing.....and POOF! Whatever magical KEY or KEYS I hit......my words just went POOF!
The heat began to rise up my neck....and I think I heard myself growl......I just kept staring and blinking at the blank white box.
I stared long enough to hear you tell me to find the courage and do not surrender.....move forward...do not retreat.
This is one hell of a powerful hub......and I'll be damned, if I will forget all that I have learned through blood sweat and tears.....to get pissed over something so totally ridiculous! Especially, when what I really wanted to say about this hub...was W O W!!!....but I didn't think Wow was enough!.......Anyway....W O W !!!!!...........UP++++
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Paula....believe me, WOW is more than enough. I love it when I get a reaction like that, because that's why I write and I think you know that by now. I want to touch people and let them know that I understand...been there, done that and survived. :) You made my night, Paula, and I thank you!
You know it Bill!!! Tell it . . . keep on telling it . . . I will second that WOW!
It truly does take a heck of a lot of courage no doubt, as this world is so very brutal. When we get into one of our pity party states, all we need to do is look around, and then we will realize we have nothing to feel pitiful about no doubt!!!
I believe each person should go out and walk down the street of the downtrodden and I pray that their eyes would be opened, for it does take courage and a lot of it, to get through each day for many such as you have featured here.
Beautiful hub and very powerful.
Voted up ++++ and sharing
Hugs and blessings, Faith Reaper
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Faith, thank you so much! If we all could only feel what others feel....experience, just for a moment, what it feels like to be the downtrodden...then maybe there would be more love and empathy in this crazy world.
Gives us something to hope for, doesn't it?
blessings to you always
bill
Bill - Wonderful inspiring words....you always know how to make a person think....
For the past few months, I've been marching to the beat of a different drummer...
...and his name is billybuc.
Aloha, my friend, and thank you for another in a long line of brilliant personal essays.
Joe
Thank you. I needed this today. I feel like - how the mighty have fallen. My wife must now feed me.
Amazing how we go about our lives with so little realization of what really goes on in the minds of Humanity all around us.
Mark
So true about reality the many people who share such kind of lives such a thoughtful write up here gets one thinking about how most of us take life for granted.
Hi Bill,
This hub has touched me deeply and in fact I find it hard to express just how much it hit a nerve.Your words are so powerful my friend . Being positive right now when faced with adversity is not easy but I try to do it daily. Never thought of myself as courageous but like so many I have been knocked down and looked for inner strength to keep fighting. Reading the comments left here I could relate 100% to Cat's experience with family. My family as wonderful as they are I know do not understand my going down this route. In their eyes I should be out with a 9-5 job. Have they read many of my pieces? I don't think so, maybe one or two.
Thank you Bill for a truly WOW start to my day.
Beautiful tribute to the ordinary people who are just trying to get through everyday. It is the courageous person that rises above the challenges that are before them. There was just one line I disagree with, "When you know you are licked but you see it through anyway….yes indeed my friends…the perfect definition of courage". I think courageous people never look at themselves as being licked. I think courage takes a resolve to not be or feel licked. Courage is determination to not be victimized, to not be put down, to not be held back, and to not ever feel defeated despite the obstacles they face. Courage is the strength in the face of situations where the less brave "know they are licked" and this may make them give up. I think a courageous person never allows themselves to feel licked. That is just my perspective on your beautiful essay. Your wonderful words and your father's wisdom that you shared are encouraging, empowering and inspiring. Thank you for sharing such an uplifting hub, and for reminding us about the heroes who never gain fame or fortune.
Hi Sir Bill
Apologies for being late to the party, it's been a mad couple of days.
Won't do the funnies today on this serious subject except to say that courage is a man with a gun especially if he only has one bullet and he is trying to shoot down the barrel of a tank.
You never know what you will do in any given situation until you are there but there are certain kinds of living that I wouldn't want to have to face and there are certain kinds of living that I believe are not worthwhile on any level.
Sure I'd try to continue to breath for the sake of a loved one but if it was only me then self termination is the route that I'd want to go.
Many people believe in some sort of after life and that something remains of your soul or personality. I believe that when you are dead you don't know that you are dead and that is the end.
Just a different look on things.
Have a great day.
MJ.
Well I tell you what billybuc, this here piece just about summed my life up - I was that little girl on the manual typewriter with the black ink ribbon so warn that I used the red because it had more ink in it. Oh man, I am the writer in the family, and just another notch in the editors bedpost. Sigh... but yes, we persevere because if we stop swimming, we drown. Fight the good fight, press on until it's all gravy, or the fricken floor falls out! Peace. Kawi.
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LaDena, thank you! That is my goal and it is nice to be affirmed.
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Joe, it is my pleasure. You and I are so much alike. I am proud to be your friend.
Aloha,
bill
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Martin, in my eyes you have not fallen. All that you accomplished will live on forever.....thank you!
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Mark, I agree....we are a clueless species so often and I find it profoundly sad. Thanks for stopping by my friend.
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DDE, that is my goal, to get people thinking and discussing these issues. Thank you!
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Suzie, bless you my dear friend. You have to follow your own path, and if your family does not understand then so be it....they never asked approval when they followed their path. :)
hugs to you and a big thank you!
bill
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toknow, thank you, and I like your perspective very much. Those weren't my words by the way, but Harper Lee's....and I love your take on them. :)
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MJ, thanks for your perspective. I write hubs like this one to get people talking and sharing. I love your perspective and it adds perfectly to the discussion.
Thanks buddy and enjoy your Wednesday!
bill
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Kawi, I love it...until the fricken floor falls out....great line and I thank you for it.
blessings
bill
Bill, This is inspiration expressed beautifully. This writing would make anyone wanting to write to GO for it. Your words brought a feeling of sadness but a feeling of pride for the people you chose to write about. Thank you so much for sharing your spirit with words.
The drive of sheer will is amazing. It, by its own standards, is going to see great things. Great writing. Thank you.
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Ruby, this is the type of writing I was born to do....I want to be the voice of those who are never heard from...is that taking on too much? I don't know but it is what I want to do. Thank you for your kind words and blessings to you always.
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W1totalk, thank you very much. I'll be by to visit shortly.
Dear Bill,
I attended a workshop this weekend given by a therapist in my area...who has had a diagnosis of ALS since 1981... It inspired courage, hope and possibility for all who attended...and reminded me so much of this piece of your writing.
Beautiful and enriching food for thought. Voted UP and UABI.
Love, Maria
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Maria, if we could only reach more people with this message...there is always hope....we are made of tough stuff my friend. Thank you for sharing that message.
love,
bill
I commented yesterday, but don't see it, so maybe I didn't post. This is a great hub Billybuc! You really hit the nail on the head as far as real courage goes!
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Thank you Pickles...that happens from time to time for me, too. At my age I start questioning my sanity when it happens. LOL
Good evening Bill.
Cheering. As if you had spoken of my life's struggle when stating, " this living gig is not easy..." Never was, though taking it as constant companion, always moving forward . Oh, my Lord how little I knew of today's struggle being an exercise for still more challenges . Thanks for the 'courage ' word at the most needed moment , I guess. These are exciding days indeed, your hubs are gift from above , giving reason to sing outloud " I am alive and will not give up ".
Voted up, awesome anddefinitely useful.
Stay blessed. Amen
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Michael, these are exciting days, and I love the anticipation of each new day. Much joy coming for both of us my friend; I can feel it in my bones.
thank you
bill
Amazing!
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Thank you vkwok! That means a lot to me.
To give up, is to toss our lives to the wind. There is no point in that. We must rise above each shove backward, and only then will we be able to walk forward.
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True words, Deb!
Thanks and have a wonderful weekend at Boomer Lake!
*Applause* Really wonderful, powerful writing. Great work. :-) Lurana
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Lurana, I am honored...thank you!
Not sure how I missed this one Billy but better late than never for sure. A wonderful read; voted up and shared. Here's wishing you a wonderful day and lots of love from Wales.
Eddy.
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Awww, thanks Eddy. This was a while ago; I had forgotten about it so no reason you shouldn't do the same. LOL
Have a wonderful week my talented friend
love,
billy
This is why you are such an incredible voice on here...
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Thank you sir! Greatly appreciated!
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