Welcome to Mirth and Motivation!
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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; I know that 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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“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (nation).” John 15:13
Memorial Day: Honor & Remember
Honoring Memorial Day: On Monday, May 25th, we honor the brave men and women who served this great country and paid the ultimate price by giving up their lives so we can live free.
We honor and remember those who returned as survivors, witnesses, patriots, scarred.
We honor all our servicemen/women around the world. Originally called Decoration Day, this special holiday began in response to the great loss of life during the American Civil War, which, at its conclusion in 1865, had claimed the lives of over 620,000 men.
In the early days, women would place flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers. By 1868, Major General John A. Logan designated it as an official day of remembrance. In 1971, it became a federal holiday.
In case you don’t know this, Memorial Day honors American servicemen/women who lost their lives at war, while Veterans Day honors all who served, alive and otherwise.
I hope that as we grill, picnic, or enjoy being with family and friends today, we take a moment to remember why we honor Memorial Day.
Each casualty of war or MIA leaves behind loved ones, family members, and memories of what could have been.
How do we ever forget the pain and suffering inflicted on both victor and vanquished?
While one side might claim victory, the loss of life and the deepening resentments that come from warring create animosity and a spirit of revenge.
War is devastating, and its scars are indelible. So, when we raise our hands in salute to our heroes, let us also raise them in a gesture of peace.
In Flanders Fields By John McCrae – 1872-1918
In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields. via poets.org
Decoration Day By Henry Wordsworth Longfellow
Sleep, comrades, sleep and rest
On this Field of the Grounded Arms,
Where foes no more molest,
Nor sentry’s shot alarms!
Ye have slept on the ground before,
And started to your feet
At the cannon’s sudden roar,
Or the drum’s redoubling beat.
But in this camp of Death
No sound your slumber breaks;
Here is no fevered breath,
No wound that bleeds and aches.
All is repose and peace,
Untrampled lies the sod;
The shouts of battle cease,
It is the Truce of God!
Rest, comrades, rest, and sleep!
The thoughts of men shall be
As sentinels to keep
Your rest from danger free.
Your silent tents of green
We deck with fragrant flowers;
Yours has the suffering been,
The memory shall be ours. via hwlongfellow.org
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“The cause of Freedom and the cause of Peace are bound together.” Leon Blum
Motivation Mondays Revisiting Easter & Passover
Motivation Mondays: Revisiting Easter & Passover
Happy Easter and Passover weekend!
Growing up, Easter was central to my religious celebrations. I looked forward to the joy of Easter Sunday services, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, colorful eggs for little kids, and special family meals, complete with chocolate treats shaped like bunnies and eggs for the little ones. It was a time of celebration, family, and faith. Christ had Risen. Hosanna in the highest heavens.
When I got married, Passover became part of my life as well. My first Seder at my in-laws’ home was a beautiful and meaningful experience, rich with prayer, storytelling, song, and tradition. Family members took turns reading from the Haggadah, and the seriousness of the story was gently balanced with laughter, shared reflections, a sip of wine, and delicious food. It created a deep sense of connection and reminded me that gratitude, to God and to one another, is essential.
Reflecting on both Easter and Passover, I am reminded that we are all children of one Creator. Faith, family, and shared moments of communion matter because they bring us together. Celebrating both traditions has deepened my respect for all spiritual paths. After all, we are each on a journey; returning to ourselves, guided by faith, love, and purpose.
This year, in the spirit of Easter and Passover, let us pray for global healing and an end to suffering. Let us extend peace and goodwill to one another and keep hope alive. We can all do our part. I will be attending online services, spending time in the Word, sharing meals with loved ones, and giving so that other families may also be fed.
A Shared Message of Renewal and Freedom
Passover (Pesach) commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt, a powerful reminder of faith, resilience, and freedom. Through the Seder, families retell this story using symbolic foods, prayers, and song, honoring both struggle and deliverance. “Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Exodus 13:3)
Easter, central to Christianity, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a profound symbol of renewal, hope, and victory over death. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, new life is possible. Together, these sacred traditions teach us about freedom, sacrifice, renewal, and hope. “He is not here; for he has risen, as he said.” (Matthew 28:6)
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Motivation Mondays: Goodbye March!
“Our life is March weather, savage and serene in one hour.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Motivation Mondays: Goodbye March!
Considering all the events that occurred in March, some heartbreaking, others uplifting, mindshifting, or distressing, it is well to bid this month adieu. The thing with goodbyes is that they always leave a lingering and a longing behind… We do eventually move on, but then a fragrance wafts through the door on a sunny morning or a display of colorful polo shirts leaps at you, all quite innocently, at a local store, and the floodgates open our hearts wide again, reminding us of precise and specific moments with our loved ones engaged in some innocuous task. Ah, memory is a powerful thing indeed, and nothing brings it back as well as a scent or a sign… It fades, yes, but we don’t forget. Contemplate the poems below. May the coming months bless us all.
Late March by Edward Hirsch (Redacted)✨️
Saturday morning in late March.
I was alone and took a long walk,
though I also carried a book
of the Alone, which companioned me.
Down at the water, the queenly ship
started moving away from the pier.
Banners fluttered.
The passengers clustered at the rails on deck.
I stood with the people on shore and waved
goodbye to the travelers.
Some were jubilant;
others were broken-hearted.
I have always been both.
Suddenly, a great cry went up.
The ship set sail for the horizon
and rumbled into the future
but the cry persisted
and cut the air
like an iron bell ringing
in an empty church.
I looked around the pier
but everyone else was gone
and I was left alone
to peer into the ghostly distance.
I had no idea where that ship was going
but I felt lucky to see it off
and bereft when it disappeared.
“No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn.” Hal Borland
Motivation Mondays: Goodbye March!
How often do we put off things we want to do because we think the time isn’t right? How often do we ignore calls from friends or cut our conversations short because some other trivial distraction has caught our attention? How often do we put off establishing a sensible exercise or healthy eating routine? What about time spent in the company of family and close friends? Did you know there are many credible scientific studies showing that strengthening our relationships and friendships can prolong our lives and keep us healthy? A Harvard University report encourages us to focus on strengthening our relationships by spending time with our loved ones and discarding time-wasting activities. Another popular study showed that our friendships are a key social connection that can prolong our lives
Remember – By Christina Rossetti✨️
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann’d:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
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