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Hello world!
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” Viktor E. Frankl
Hello world: Welcome to Mirth and Motivation!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Respite Reminder: I’m Taking My Advice. Will check occasionally. Back soon!
Welcome to Mirth and Motivation!
Mirth and Motivation is a lifestyle and motivational blog offering an eclectic mix of mirthful and motivational pieces: Life Tips / Advice, Affirmations/Wellness, Women’s Lives, Food, Travel, Interviews, Inspirational posts, Reviews, Peace, and social media ruminations on people, places, and events that shape our lives. That said, I invite you to stay awhile, read some posts, and share your thoughts with this growing online blog community.
I started this blog 17+ years ago, as a way to help agents/staff at the company I worked for stay motivated. This was my first blog post on this site, hence the dodgy title. After the market crashed and we were downsized, I decided to keep it going. Therefore, the main goal was, and remains, to encourage myself and others to keep moving forward. It has been a long and rewarding journey.
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?
Over the years, I have learned a lot about blogging, its many positives and pitfalls, and how important it is to stay focused on our own Why or raison d’être. We can choose to focus on one of the fundamental rules of blogging: making connections with others by adding value through our message/content, comments, and social interactions. We can also choose to turn our attention elsewhere. It is entirely up to us.
Nevertheless, one thing I know for sure is that if your heart is invested in what you blog about, you will stay the course. Remember to stay true to who you are and why you blog. It can’t just be about monetization. Add value. Help others. Stay Encouraged.
Another thing I know for sure is that we all want to be heard, appreciated, and respected; empowering messages are far more appealing than incendiary attempts to attract blog attention. If your blogosphere surfing brings you here, relax, kick back, and share a positive tidbit on your worldview.
HOW DO WE STAY MIRTHFUL AND MOTIVATED?
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“Freedom is not won on the battlefields. The chance for freedom is won there. The final battle is won or lost in our hearts and minds.” Helen Gahagan Douglas
Motivation Mondays: July 4th – 250th Independence Day Revisited
Happy Independence Day! How did we reach Independence Day? 250 years ago, on July 4, 1776, the forefathers commemorated the adoption of the US Declaration of Independence; it was an auspicious day filled with optimism for the future of this newly birthed, great nation. It signified the birth of the United States of America and the liberation of her original thirteen colonies from British rule. The actual legal separation occurred on the 2nd, not the 4th. July 4th is the date the documents were ratified, and the circuitous journey that many took to arrive on this new land in search of a new life reached a milestone.
On the 4th, we spend this day joyfully setting off fireworks, attending parades, and enjoying picnics with friends and family. We must all stay motivated to ensure that our Independence remains for all generations, and we do that by staying active in our communities and local government, and by voting. Our freedoms aren’t free; we must work to maintain them. Let us not forget that this is a nation built on the backs of millions who had a dream of a better life; of gaining personal freedom.
This year, for America’s 250th birthday, we planned to celebrate the day quietly with a focus on offering prayers for peace: personal, national, and global peace. I used to prepare a big festive meal and host a gathering for friends when the kids were little, but these days we don’t celebrate in quite the same way. We have a small family affair with maybe a few friends over. It is still a happy occasion but different. Living in a democratic nation means we are protected from chaos and anarchy, and enjoy other protections under the law. I think it is important to remember, on this day, the value of freedom, independence, and peaceful coexistence in the world.
On July 3, 1776, John Adams, reflecting on the signing of the US Declaration of Independence, wrote to his wife, Abigail, forecasting how the day would be observed:
“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America.
I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.
It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.
It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.”
America The Beautiful – A Poem for July 4. By Katharine Lee Bates via Wikipedia
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
America By Claude McKay via poetryfoundation
Although she feeds me bread of bitterness,
And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth,
Stealing my breath of life, I will confess
I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.
Her vigor flows like tides into my blood,
Giving me strength erect against her hate,
Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood.
Yet, as a rebel fronts a king in state,
I stand within her walls with not a shred
Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer.
Darkly I gaze into the days ahead,
And see her might and granite wonders there,
Beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand,
Like priceless treasures sinking in the sand.
“We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” William Faulkner
Motivation Mondays: July 4th – 250th Independence Day Revisited
What does celebrating Independence Day really mean? I know many people see this as a day off work, a day to chill out and eat a ton of food, or even to catch up on the fireworks with friends and family. While all of those reasons are fine, this day is really about remembering the value of our liberties; our rights to choose, live, congregate, speak out, and more. The gatherings remind us of the importance of our personal freedom; our right to gather and enjoy a meal with others without being under siege. Independence Day is also a reminder that many fought for us to provide a safe haven for our kids and loved ones; it means we uphold our rights to maintain a democratic process and that we don’t want to live in a war zone, under Censorship, a new McCarthyism, or suffer through restrictions like food rationing.
Why does Independence Day give us an opportunity to dream BIGGER and aim for huge goals? Before I moved to the USA, my impression of it was that it was a nation where everything seemed larger than life. Americans have big personalities, big cars, big houses, and a huge belief in the greatness of this nation. While some might disagree with this observation, it is what many on the outside see, and that becomes an attraction to folks who imagine pushing the boundaries of their lives. In many nations around the world, strict social hierarchies make it almost impossible to move between socioeconomic classes. If you are born into a certain group or class, your path is X.
While some can push beyond those boundaries, not enough do, and that makes the USA a fascinating country to move to. Of course, moving here offers no guarantees, but many have been able to transcend the limitations they faced in their native lands. The point is that we can adopt the same big dreams in our lives, and in our native lands, and support leaders who want the best for all their people. If our leaders’ dreams are not altruistic and only self-serving, nothing will change. But we can do our bit by dreaming bigger too and by embracing the process it takes to reach our goals.
The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key via poets.org
O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming;
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?
On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream;
‘Tis the star-spangled banner; O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave,
From the terror of flight and the gloom of the grave;
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!
O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land,
Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just.
And this be our motto— “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
The Congressional Library [excerpt] By Amy Lowell via poets.org
Where else in all America are we so symbolized
As in this hall?
White columns polished like glass,
A dome and a dome,
A balcony and a balcony,
Stairs and the balustrades to them,
Yellow marble and red slabs of it,
All mounting, spearing, flying into color.
Color round the dome and up to it,
Color curving, kite-flying, to the second dome,
Light, dropping, pitching down upon the color,
Arrow-falling upon the glass-bright pillars,
Mingled colors spinning into a shape of white pillars,
Fusing, cooling, into balanced shafts of shrill and interthronging light.
This is America,
This vast, confused beauty,
This staring, restless speed of loveliness,
Mighty, overwhelming, crude, of all forms,
Making grandeur out of profusion,
Afraid of no incongruities,
Sublime in its audacity,
Bizarre breaker of moulds,
Laughing with strength,
Charging down on the past,
Glorious and conquering,
Destroyer, builder,
Invincible pith and marrow of the world,
An old-world remaking,
Whirling into the no-world of all-colored light.
MORE BELOW! Read more…
Motivation Mondays: Revisiting Juneteenth
“Hold those things that tell your history and protect them. During slavery, who was able to read, write, or keep anything? The ability to have somebody to tell your story to is so important. It says: ‘I was here. I may be sold tomorrow. But you know I was here.'” Maya Angelou
Motivation Mondays: Revisiting Juneteenth
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Liberation Day, is a holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, enslaved people were declared free under the prior terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth refers to June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War.
In January 1865, Congress finally proposed the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, solidifying the national abolition of slavery. By June 1865, almost all enslaved persons had been freed. While slavery ended at different times in states across the USA, the name Juneteenth was first used in the 1890s by African Americans as a reminder of the challenges faced on the walk to freedom, the resilience and determination to preserve Black history while recognizing the ongoing fight for equality.
Today, Juneteenth is celebrated in many ways across communities in the USA. There are parades, talks, and gatherings to learn about, read about, and enjoy African American culture, history, and food. It is celebrated like many other special holidays, with a focus on the events that led to it and the Emancipation Proclamation. Did it end there? Did freedom reign for African Americans thereafter? No. Read on.
READ: History – What Is Juneteenth?
NYTimes – The History and Meaning of Juneteenth
Official Juneteenth Poem by Kristina Kay:
We Rose
From Africa’s heart, we rose
Already a people, our faces ebon, our bodies lean,
We rose
Skills of art, life, beauty, and family
Crushed by forces we knew nothing of, we rose
Survive we must, we did,
We rose
We rose to be you, we rose to be me,
Above everything expected, we rose
To become the knowledge we never knew,
We rose
Dream, we did
Act we must.
“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” Fannie Lou Hamer
Motivation Mondays: Revisiting Juneteenth
In response to the Emancipation Proclamation and the proposed 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, which was approved by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, a more sinister form of oppression arose. A new set of laws was instituted that were racially segregationist, discriminatory, and deliberately created to set back any gains African Americans expected to receive from the newly ratified Amendment.
What happened during 1865 and into 1866? Southern states passed the Black Codes, which were restrictive laws limiting access to African Americans and forcing many freed people back into a new form of slavery; “a dependent labor economy, the codes established virtual re-enslavement through harsh vagrancy and labor contract laws.” The Vagrancy Laws allowed local white authorities to arrest freed people for minor infractions and commit them to involuntary labor. It was a new form of enslavement that subverted the 13th Amendment and re-enslaved many.
Mississippi and South Carolina were the first states to enact the codes. This was also a precursor to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), which was founded in 1865 and, with it, foreshadowed the rise of Jim Crow laws. So people in the black community noted that in 1865, African Americans were freeish not entirely free.
Read: History – Black Codes
Wikipedia – The Black Codes, also called the Black Laws
Won’t You Celebrate with Me? by Lucille Clifton
won’t you celebrate with me
what I have shaped into
a kind of life? I had no model.
born in Babylon
both nonwhite and woman
what did I see to be except myself?
I made it up
here on this bridge between
starshine and clay,
my one hand holding tight
my other hand; come celebrate
with me that every day
something has tried to kill me
and has failed.
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“We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Motivation Mondays: Revisiting Juneteenth
As African Americans celebrated the events of Juneteenth, lurking in the background was the rise of the KKK, which by 1870 had reached into every Southern state, countering any gains the 13th Amendment offered. The goal was to reestablish white supremacy and set aside any expectations of equal access. Right in step with the KKK were the Jim Crow laws, a collection of state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation. Jim Crow laws lasted over 100 years, from the post-Civil War era until 1966, and the tacit plan was “to marginalize African Americans by denying them the right to vote, hold jobs, get an education, or other opportunities.” Between the Jim Crow Laws and the blatant violence of the KKK, for black folk, freedom looked nothing like its textbook definition.
The violence and terror the KKK showered on African Americans is in the history books, and lynching was the most horrific of those acts of violence. Since their rise coincided with the post-Civil War Reconstruction period, Congress battled them by passing the Reconstruction Act and the 14th Amendment, which guaranteed universal male suffrage. Women’s suffrage had to wait until the 19th Amendment, ratified on August 26, 1920. Jim Crow also saw the rise of fearless leaders in the African American community who spoke out and fought the Jim Crow laws: the NAACP, Ida B. Wells, Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Isaiah Montgomery, and so many others who even gave their lives for the cause.
While the Klan tightened its grip on the South, Congress initiated three other enforcement acts, including the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, to stem the rise, but it didn’t deter them. By the early 1920s, the 2nd generation of klansmen were growing strong as anti-black, Roman Catholics, Jews, foreigners, and organized labor. With time, their influence waned, and by 1964, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, both Jim Crow and the KKK lost steam. In its place are the complex and covert forms of racism we see today.
While Juneteenth had been celebrated since 1865, it was not legally recognized as a national holiday until June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed a bill officially designating June 19 as a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in America. The struggle for full and equitable freedom in all its permutations continues.
READ: History – Ku Klux Klan
History – Jim Crow Laws
Lineage By Margaret Walker
My grandmothers were strong.
They followed plows and bent to toil.
They moved through fields sowing seed.
They touched earth, and grain grew.
They were full of sturdiness and singing.
My grandmothers were strong.
My grandmothers are full of memories.
Smelling of soap and onions and wet clay
With veins rolling roughly over quick hands
They have many clean words to say.
My grandmothers were strong.
Why am I not as they are?
Positive Motivation Tip:
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos: via Pixabay, Adobe Free Stock, Wikipedia, and My Personal Photos
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Motivation Mondays: Four June Highlights
“I am not what happened to me; I am what I choose to become.” Carl Jung
Motivation Mondays: Four June Highlights
“Recovery is a process. I’m a work in progress.” EOF
The month of June has sped by so fast that I have decided to look back at some of the highlights that made it special. This month has been a busy one with writing classes, running meetups, birthdays, and celebrations among friends. Through it all, I’ve wanted more rest, more hydration, and less stress. How is that all going? Let’s just say that hydration is winning the race for now. Below are snippets of four events that stole my heart this month. It is not an exhaustive list but a snapshot of some special moments from this month. The photo collage captures each of the four, so take a closer look. What about you? What events in your life stood out for you this month? Which events below stood out for you?
I.
Happy BAA 10K Weekend! – June 21
I hope your Father’s Day weekend was wonderful! I enjoyed my time in Boston. I was there for the 2nd of the 3-part B.A.A Distance Medley; the 10k run. The final part will be in the fall.
It was great to be around other runners in Boston, to connect with people who remembered me, and to say a huge THANK YOU in my heart to all who wished me well as I struggled to cross the finish line in April after suffering a massive health crisis.
Erika was the volunteer crew chief at mile 21 in April, and we got to laugh, hug, and take some photos in the Distance Medley tent.
Boston is always close to my heart; something about it reminds me of London. It was cathartic to be back.
I returned to run the 10k with my doctor’s permission and a desire to overcome the fear that rhabdomyolysis had brought into my running life.
It was a hot and beautiful day, and I took it easy, as getting to full recovery is a process. I’m a work in progress. God is good all the time. How was your weekend?
Have a great week ahead, all!
“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Motivation Mondays: Four June Highlights
II.
Happy Father’s Day – June 21
Happy Father’s Day to all. Father’s Day always brings back memories of time with my dad and the loss of that relationship when he passed away. My dad never got to meet my children, my own family and friends, or see me grow and evolve through many life challenges and wins. I miss his presence, yet his legacy continues to bless us in so many ways. May God bless every father with health, wisdom, peace, and abundant joy, and fill our homes with love, laughter, and gratitude.
Enjoy the poem below.
Only a Dad by Edgar Guest (1881 –1959)
Only a dad with a tired face,
Coming home from the daily race,
Bringing little of gold or fame
To show how well he has played the game;
But glad in his heart that his own rejoice
To see him come and to hear his voice.
Only a dad with a brood of four,
One of ten million men or more
Plodding along in the daily strife,
Bearing the whips and the scorns of life,
With never a whimper of pain or hate,
For the sake of those who at home await.
Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,
Merely one of the surging crowd
Toiling, striving from day to day,
Facing whatever may come his way,
Silent whenever the harsh condemn,
And bearing it all for the love of them.
Only a dad, but he gives his all
To smooth the way for his children small,
Doing with courage stern and grim,
The deeds that his father did for him.
This is the line that for him I pen:
Only a dad, but the best of men.
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