Siggy’s Blurbs

Do not be afraid of rejection and reach out to others.  You will be blessed beyond measure.  There are always hurting people around you and not every person will respond to you.  Accept that fact.

Reach out to others in small ways.  A person always remembers small kindnesses.  So reach out to others.

You will be rewarded in love far beyond your imagination and your belief.  Never stop reaching out.

This is all I learned and want to pass on.  Never be afraid of your rejections.

Learn to love.  You will never be disappointed.  People always respond to kindness even if is it is not acknowledged.  The person noticed even if she/he did not respond to you.  They noticed I guarantee you..

So never stop reaching out to others.  Your love is infinite.

And that which is returned.  Love is the only thing that matters in this world.

It is always there.  So, again, I say reach out to others around you.  You might may even entertain an angel.

Tags: blessed, do not be afraid of rejection, entertain an angel, hurting people, learn to love, love, love is infinite, love is the only thing that matters, pass it on, reach out to others, small kindnesses
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I have to thank both of my wives for one thing.  Both love cats and dogs.  When I was growing up I never had any pets.  My Mom simply was too fastidious.  She could not tolerate any messes they might make.  When I married Robin we usually had at least one dog and one cat.  And now I have a menagerie with Lynelle:  seven cats and four dogs.  I would not want to live my life any other way.  I love all my pets.  They daily enrich my life.

Tags: animals, cats, dogs, enrich my life daily, fastidious, love, love my pets, marriage, menagerie, my Mom, my two wives, never had pets while growing up, pets
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It was one small thing:  my dirty socks were sometimes inside out but finally she started complaining about it for she did the laundry and had to make them right side out.  Finally I made sure the dirty socks I placed on the dryer were right side in.

It was a small thing but marriage is composed of many small acts.  Things you work out between you.  And every marriage is different.  It was important to her that I not place my dirty socks inside out on the dryer so I did it.  Little things matter.

Tags: balance, clothes dryer, dirty socks, laundry, little things matter, love, many small acts, marriage, relationships, socks inside out, washing machine, wisdom, work things out between you
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I feel bad for our cat Slinky:  she is dying from a tumor.  I am not sure we can do anything about it.  She is a black female cat, somewhat timid but very affectionate, over eight years old.

We have a total of eight cats and four dogs.  That still does not make it any easier.  We could give her a cat scan, which might indicate whether the tumor is treatable but it is very expensive.

I am torn.  She was sitting on my lap just a few days ago and I realized how much I loved her.  It is so hard to let go.  I imagine some of my other pets dying.  I know they will but my mind is balking at the thought of any of them dying.

I love each pet.  Each pet is different and has a distinct personality.  And I have a special relationship with each.

I believe God has put pets in our lives to teach us to let go and love again.  We usually outlive them.  It is so hard to see any of them die.

Tags: 12 pets, affectionate cat, black cat, CAT scan, cats, death, dogs, dying from a tumor, each animal has a personality, God, love, love your pets, our cat, outlive our pets, Slinky, special relationship with pets, teach us to let go and love again, timid cat
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It is so easy to center on what you do not have.  And this always leads to unhappiness.  It is so easy to do:  center on what you lack.  The commercials in the media feed on this.  If you buy their product you will be happy and fulfilled.  Sex is used to sell everything.

Our gross national product is based mostly on consumer buying so this is no accident.  Start centering on your many riches and be satisfied with what you got.  The best things are free.  Love has no cost.  The things that matter the most can be freely given:  acceptance, love and an ear to those closest to you.

It is true:  you need the basics:  food and  shelter.  God just needs to provide you with that.  Poverty has always existed in this world.  And we are commanded to help those in need around us.

But we desire so much beyond that.  And it always makes us unhappy.  And I struggle with that, too.  I know money is going to get tighter but if I can focus on everything I have, I will be happier.

Tags: acceptance, be happy and fulfilled, be satisfied with what you have, best things in life are free, buy their product, center on what you have, commercials in the media, consumer buying, focus on everything I have, food and shelter, God, God provides, God's commandment, gross national product, happiness, help those in need, love, money is tighter, poverty, unhappiness, use sex to sell
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I am convinced the only reason marriage exists is to teach us how to love better.  Each person is sinful (and very imperfect).  And selfish.  Living with another forces us to examine our own foibles.

Some marriages are a better fit than another.  It does not matter.  At some point, there is going to be conflict.  And how successfully you work it out determines the success of your marriage.

Each person is selfish and conflict draws this out.  The vows say for better or worse, in sickness or health.  Commitment is always the key.  Do you ride out the rough moments?  Every marriage will have difficult times.

Your partner sees all your sides given enough time.  The good points of yours as well as your bad side.  Nothing is hidden.

Only love can transcend them.  That is why I say the institution of marriage was created for only one reason–to teach us how to love better.

Your rough points given enough time in a marriage becomes smoothed over.  Love is always the key.  And commitment makes it work.

Tags: commitment is the key, conflict in marriage, for better or worse, imperfect, in sickness and in health, institution of marriage, living with another, love, love is the key, marriage, marriage teaches us to love better, only love can transcend, our foibles, ride out rough moments, selfish, sinful, success of marriage, teach us to love, wedding vows, work out conflicts, your mate, your partner
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The smallest social unit within your family is your partner.  Do you treat him/her with kindness and love.  It matters.  How can you possibly treat others with love and kindness if you can not even treat the person who is closest to you that way?

Of course, kindness starts off with you, your thoughts, your self talk.  If you can treat yourself  with tolerance and love, fully aware you are flawed and forgive yourself for blundering and, also, ask others for forgiveness when you have hurt them.

I find it interesting in the Lord’s Prayer it states, ‘And forgive our debts, as well as we forgive our debtors’ (Matthew 6-12).  You have to ask God for the forgiveness of you sins first before can you can forgive others for hurting you.

If you love those who God puts in your life (and it starts off with your mate) you can transform the world.  Never discount the power of one.  Every movement started off with one person so never discount yourself.

Tags: ask for forgiveness, blunder, forgive yourself, forgiveness, God, hurt, kindness, Lord's Prayer, love, love others, Matthew, never discount yourself, our debtors, our debts, self talk, social unit, the Bible, the power of one person, thoughts, tolerance, transform the world, we are flawed, your mate, your partner
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I don’t understand hate but what I do know love, forgiveness and kindness would transform this earth if it was practiced by everyone.  I know it is not an easy formula for peace.

Humans (including myself) are very flawed.  It does not matter what you do for a living.  Some may be impressed by that but what most people remember is how you treated them.  If it was with love and kindness, they may remember that for a long time.

Forgiveness is in the equation because humans make mistakes with one another and hurt one another.  It does not matter if it was intentional or not.  It just happens.

And forgiveness give us a “clean slate” and lets us start afresh with one another.  And forgiveness has a price.  It is not easy.

I read in a book all God asks of us is to forgive each other.  Wouldn’t that transform the world if everyone did that?

And this starts in the most basic social unit–the family.  And then make wider circles:  your neighbors, your state, your country.  And it has to start in the family first.

Tags: clean slate, country, forgive each other, forgiveness, God, how you treat people, hurt each other, kindness, love, neighbor, peace on earth, social unit, start afresh, state, the family, transform the earth, we are flawed, we make mistakes
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Why do we care so much about things?!  You can not take your material possessions with you when your time comes.  It says in the bible ‘from dust you come and to dust you shall return’.

I am as guilty as anyone of this.  My music, my writings and journals and books are far too important to me.  Yet when my appointed hour comes, I can no longer hang on to any of these things.

Why do we act as if we can take our possessions with us when we die?  We try up till the last moment to retain some control of our most valuable possessions.  We make wills.

The fact still remains we can’t take them with us.  Wouldn’t it make more sense to invest in the things that really have more lasting effects?  Wouldn’t it make more sense to invest time while you are on earth in relationships–your immediate family, your friends, your kids?

Once you are gone all people have are their memories of you, the love and care you have demonstrated toward them.  You can have far reaching effects if you have invested time and love in others while you were on this earth.  People you have loved have memories of you long after you are gone.

Far too many people do not invest time in others.  They spend their whole life in accumulating things.  No one remembers how hard you worked in your lifetime.  They remember the love you have demonstrated toward them.  So before it is too late, do something about it.  Examine your priorities.  You have one life.

Tags: accumulating things, appointed hour, Bible, books, can't take it with you, care, dust-to-dust, examine your priorities, family, friends, invest in relationships, journals, kids, lifetime, long after you are gone, love, love is remembered, make will, material possessions, memories, music, on this earth, writing, you have one life
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What is worst than death?  A few suggestions.  Living and dying at the same time.

Knowing you really do not care how you are spending most of your time.

Knowing deep inside your job is the wrong one and you refuse or are too scared to make any change.

There are too many unresolved conflicts in your life.

Your marriage is “dead” and you are “paralyzed”.

Each day is the same.

You no longer can see beauty.

All you can do is complain.

Money is more important than people.

Each day is not new and blends into each other and you wonder how you spent your time.

In fact, you have no idea where the time went.

Love just seems to be too idealistic.

You can not love or work.

All you feel is pain.

You can not get past your pain.

You forgot how to laugh.

Each day is not a new dawn.

You think you have to go to some far off exotic island, To escape, to enjoy your vacation.

You can not wait to do that.

All your friends have died.

You forgot how to be a friend.

This is just an incomplete list.

And I want to caution there is always two sides to everything.

And it is only my list.

Tags: beauty, complain, friends die, laugh, love, marriage, money, new dawn, pain, scared, unresolved conflict, work, worse than death, wrong job
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I thought the tears were gone but they were not ended.  I heard the song Neil Young wrote thirty-seven years ago, “Old Man”, again and I thought of my Dad who died nine years ago.  A little later I burst into tears.

We had such a “rocky” relationship.  Most of my life he did not accept me and we argued a lot particularly about finances:  I knew I did not meet his expectations of a son.  He never told me exactly how.

The last conversation I had with him he told me he was far more impressed with the million dollars his future son in-law made selling his company than anything I did.

I remember our conversation and was then aware it might be the last time I  might talk to him.  He was ninety-one and possibly blind.  His mind was lucid but I had to talk to him slowly.  I tried reasoning with him but to no avail.

He did not value anything I accomplished in my life.  All he valued was money.  I finally gave up and left him in bed.  That was the last time I saw him alive.  He died shortly after.

Although he did not approve of my life I did know the last year or two of his life he loved me.  That was a gift but I wish he would have valued who I truly was a little more.

Anyway, hearing the song “Old Man” brought up memories of my Dad and all the years we “lost”.  I loved him despite how hard he was with me.  In the end he loved me.  That was all that mattered.

Tags: dad, expectations, father, love, Neil Young, old age, Old Man, son, tears
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Today is Father’s Day:  it is not a given:  you earn it.  You earn it by doing your job right, supporting your  family, going to work every day, even when you do not feel like it.

You earn it by spending time with your kids, day in day out.  Being a father is a privilege.  It is not simply genetics.  It is loving your kids even when they “mess up”.

You know damn well you are flawed.  Being a father is apologizing to your kids when you made a mistake.  God knows, we all err.

Being a father is encouraging each kid to follow his/her dreams even if that was not a path you would have followed but each kid has their own dream.

Being a father is encouraging your kid when they fall down and encouraging them to get up again and not give up.

There are so many things a father does.  Maybe the most important thing a father can do is to set the example for them to follow.  There is no more important thing a parent can do than the right thing even when it costs.  Honesty and integrity have their price.

Being a parent is forgiving your mate when he/she has made a mistake.  Being a parent (and father) is loving your wife at all costs.  Maybe that is the greatest example you can set.  Transmit fidelity and trust and love.  I can not sum up being a father in three more important words than that.

Maybe I will add another:  integrity, fidelity, trust and love.  Transmit all those things to your children and you have succeeded in your role as a father.  Being a father is a lifetime occupation.  You are in it for the long haul.  A lifetime.

Tags: being a father, do the right thing, don't give up, encouragement, fall down and get up, Father's Day, fidelity, flawed, follow dreams, genetics, go to work, honesty, integrity, lifetime occupation, long haul, love, love your wife, loving your kids, made a mistake, privilege, set an example, spend time with your kids, support your family, trust, your mate
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