People Are Like Tea Bags

Tea by Stephanie Dangoor

Author unknown but greatly appreciated

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there. They serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or help you figure out who you are or who you want to become.

You never know who these people may be: roommate, neighbor, teacher, friend, lover... Even a complete stranger who, when you lock eyes with them, you know in that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you, and at the time they may seem horrible, painful, and unfair. But in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles, you would have never realized your potential, strength, will power, or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere... safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the successes and downfalls you experience, create who you are. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. Those lessons are the hardest and probably the most important ones.

People are like tea bags - you have to put them in hot water before you know how strong they are.

Image source here

Way to Happiness

“For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time to still be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time and remember that time waits for no one.

So stop waiting; until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you’ve had a drink, until you’ve sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.”

Father Alfred D’Souza

All I Want Is to Love You

All I want is to love you

for the rest of my life...

to wake up every morning

with you by my side,

knowing that no matter what happens,

I'll be able to come home

to your loving arms.

All I want is to share everything with you...

to talk to you about our ideas,

our dreams, the little everyday things

that make us laugh,

and the not-so-little things

that we can't help worrying about.

All I want is to give you my love...

as a place you can always

come to for acceptance

or the simple comfort that silence brings

when things left unspoken

can still be understood.

All I want is to grow old with you...

to watch our life unfold,

our dreams, one by one, come true.

All I want is to love you forever.

By Renee Duvall