May First
There's a different feel to each month, isn't there?
May brings the promise of warm weather and bright sunny days. Lord knows that is welcome this year. It's been sort of a miserable spring which followed a horrific winter.
But enough with the weather report.
May First is one of those days.
It's my nephew James' birthday and it's crazy because when he celebrates a birthday I recall the actual day of his birth and the feelings of happiness realizing that my brother Jim was blessed with living proof.
And James has grown to be a complex kid with a whole lot of energy and a long list of real strengths. Happy Birthday, buddy! Have a great year.
It's also my cousin Mary Ann's birthday and anyone who's ever had the pleasure of meeting Mary Ann has met a truly beautiful woman of strength and grace. Life itself put her through hell over the last few years, but five minutes after seeing her, you're laughing along with her. A wonderful, wonderful person. Happy Birthday, cuz!
Yet I also think of Aunt Stella who died on May First. She was the tough mother of my crazy Gasport cousins and Lord knows what sort of hell they put her through, but she cooked and cleaned and laughed and fought and she's missed. She lived every day. I sent my cousin a quick text to let him know we were thinking of her.
So, you see, May First is a stepping off point so to speak and since it brings in the new month...there's a hope springs eternal type of spirit to it.
And hopefully it does bring the sunny days.
Coincidentally I had a long trip today and I listened to the Howard Stern Town Hall discussion with Billy Joel.
It was simply awesome.
Billy talked about all of his songs and brought all of us into the room as he was writing them.
I'm truly fascinated with that level of talent and that type of discussion.
And I was a bit frenzied with work and thoughts of things that needed to be done.
Billy solved that little problem for me by talking about his great song Vienna.
He sang the lines beautifully:
Dream on, but don't imagine that they'll all come true.
And
Slow down, you can afford to lose a day or two.
Billy explained that he wrote it after watching people trying to cram so much into their days that they forget to breathe. The chorus:
Vienna waits for you
Popped into his head when he saw an older lady in Vienna sweeping the streets and was lectured by his Dad who told him that there was still value in her days and that in Vienna all life was valued.
A great May First thought.
So, as it rains...slow down if you need to, recall the value of each day...and jump onto spring a little.
Vienna waits for you.
May brings the promise of warm weather and bright sunny days. Lord knows that is welcome this year. It's been sort of a miserable spring which followed a horrific winter.
But enough with the weather report.
May First is one of those days.
It's my nephew James' birthday and it's crazy because when he celebrates a birthday I recall the actual day of his birth and the feelings of happiness realizing that my brother Jim was blessed with living proof.
And James has grown to be a complex kid with a whole lot of energy and a long list of real strengths. Happy Birthday, buddy! Have a great year.
It's also my cousin Mary Ann's birthday and anyone who's ever had the pleasure of meeting Mary Ann has met a truly beautiful woman of strength and grace. Life itself put her through hell over the last few years, but five minutes after seeing her, you're laughing along with her. A wonderful, wonderful person. Happy Birthday, cuz!
Yet I also think of Aunt Stella who died on May First. She was the tough mother of my crazy Gasport cousins and Lord knows what sort of hell they put her through, but she cooked and cleaned and laughed and fought and she's missed. She lived every day. I sent my cousin a quick text to let him know we were thinking of her.
So, you see, May First is a stepping off point so to speak and since it brings in the new month...there's a hope springs eternal type of spirit to it.
And hopefully it does bring the sunny days.
Coincidentally I had a long trip today and I listened to the Howard Stern Town Hall discussion with Billy Joel.
It was simply awesome.
Billy talked about all of his songs and brought all of us into the room as he was writing them.
I'm truly fascinated with that level of talent and that type of discussion.
And I was a bit frenzied with work and thoughts of things that needed to be done.
Billy solved that little problem for me by talking about his great song Vienna.
He sang the lines beautifully:
Dream on, but don't imagine that they'll all come true.
And
Slow down, you can afford to lose a day or two.
Billy explained that he wrote it after watching people trying to cram so much into their days that they forget to breathe. The chorus:
Vienna waits for you
Popped into his head when he saw an older lady in Vienna sweeping the streets and was lectured by his Dad who told him that there was still value in her days and that in Vienna all life was valued.
A great May First thought.
So, as it rains...slow down if you need to, recall the value of each day...and jump onto spring a little.
Vienna waits for you.
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