Poems..

When your problems rise up to bog and depress,

When your mind is an vent, to burden's intent,

And your lips can't give voice to an prayer...

Turn away from the thoughts, that cause you distress,

They hinder the body in repair.

Trust God to provide, What the heartstings confide,

With assurance your still in his care.

Roxie Lusk Smith.... (this was in a an gift exchange sent to me  by an freind

to post on my compter where I can read it as I work)

Very nce, Shirley

Yes, she's been an dear friend over this last year in ways...always sending me little quips and things  to make me laugh for the day, think about, and be aware of these days.

You know you have an friend when you can be having the worst day and they are there with you  and suddenly together you find yourself laughing about the problem at hand...in some kind of joking way. I can remeber doing that one time with my travel buddy friend in her later stages of cancer. She had told me it hurt her to stand, sit, walk, even sleep..and she looked like she needed help so badly..and some how my concern for her ordeal and through her explaining it to me, we got into the stupidest ideas of how to help her with her "boney dead pan a$$" as she called it(she had to have an operation so she had no colon but an bag out the side of her body) and we got to laughing...so hard we had tears running down our cheeks. Last I remebred we left off with me looking into "Fredrick's of Hollywood" for an sequined small tractor tire intertube "on special" for her to sit on. I went out to my car to leave, hoping to cheer her up and said, maybe we can got to lunch somewhere, and she said to me,can't be far, they told me the cancer has spread through my body now, it's an matter of time. I felt like crying then, but I said, we'll do something by golly..we can't let this have you without an "women's rights" type struggle..and left..it was the last time I really talked to her before she passed on. That's the up-most of friendhsip, is the being able to laugh about life and its problems though. When I think of her,, I think of her fine mind she had, and our time of laughing. Beign an city prson an dher an country person, I could go out to her house an dit seemed like the hours few by in short minutes. One afternoon with her was like an week of vacation to me. I hope she's "happy" on the "other side" in whatever she's doing.

I'm sure she is, Shirley.  She's a perfect example of making the CHOICE to find joy, in whatever the circumstances and I find that very inspiring.  May she rest in peace.  And I'm sure having your friendship kept her cheerful as well.

I guess I shouldn't say this but she was an very "spiritual" person, she could see people's auras..so you couldn't lie to her about how you felt about anything. It was many years before she even let me know she could do that also. While she had an church up-bringing, it was main stream type churches..so as you know the Jehovah Witnesses come by your door and want you to see their latest book and talk religion with them. Few people these days have the time to "talk" religion. Few people entirely agree with them at times either, they have an tough life. So I was at her house one day and I see her hiding behind her door, and I could see people coming up that way, and I said..what's the matter?..she said JW's coming, they won't leave for "hours"...you know how they are...and I looked at her and said, "Yep..I do". they get to the door and I said, Hi there, and how are you?..well, they went into it, on religion ..and I said, I don't live here, and grabbed her from behind the door..shes' giving me an look that could kill possibly...I said, SHE owns the house here, I'm just visiting...after an few minutes of her niceities toward them I announced it was time for me to leave I thought...and she's giving me an "look" again..and says under her breathe, I'm gonna get you some day for this one Shirley..as I'm laughing an bit, and I said, I'll take one if your booklets before I leave though to take with me perhaps..and they gave me one and turned to her as I walked out the door....I got about 1/2 mile down the street and called her, they had just left. They didnt' stay long at all that day. I told her that we had sponsored an Kentucky poverty-type mountain family when kids and they grew up and one of them married into such an family..and later on..they divorced and he gave her thier 5 kids to raise. Last I time I saw her, she hated him with an passion, she said he had her black-balled in the church, in the community, she liked to starve to death before she met her present husband,and that she' d never forgve him for rmaking her and the kids walk the streets handing out those booklets and being insulted by others all day long, that she knew he was going to hell some day for what he'd put her through. Last time I saw her husband, I said helloto him nicely, and I said how's your "ex'..and he didnt' say much..I took one of his books and I said, I understand it takes two to tangle at times, but  I think you need to go back andand work on an few things in your life, maybe you need to read what it is your backing. He didn't say an thing to me. When I told my friend that, as shealso grew up in the Mountain hill area, she thought differently about the tough times she had growing up..and the fact I was trying to say..give each other an chance to do one's work in the world to make it an betterplace, even if you don't agee much about it indivdually..you know. Two friends they both thought they "knew" God..but found out they needed to learn more. My friend I got an letter from one day, she said, in it of her cancer, I am coming to terms  with my God I guess, I thought I knew him, and he' d cure me and things would be "OK"..when I started, we had all the best doctors money could buy, these days we go to whomever we can afford any more. I dont' know why "God" wantsme to die. I am scared. I don't know how my daughters will be later on. I can but only spend the time I can to travel to places while I still have the strength. I am thinking of going to Hawaii next monthwith the girls, I feel such an sense of "peace" whileI'm there for some reason. Would you like to join me an the girls? I had to write her back..and  said..(1)..I havent' the money this time around...(2) Because God loves you enough he wants you apparently with him in paradise. Go have fun and send me an post card or an letter..scoot now! I'll talk to you later after you return. The last post I wrote was the time we saw each other next...and were laughing. I decided right then that if I learned to be an healer....I knew if would be through an higher calling them just myself...and it has been also. I have found myself in much agony as she had been through though many times in knowing if I was doing the right thing and trying to understand the gift and the talent to have such an abilty. Just to be not called an "kook" is welcoming, and ofcourseI pick up the newspaper and constantly see court cases of children whom have died from not seeing medical doctors. Iremeber the day she told me how she could see how I was feeling by the colors around my body though and tried to explain it to me. I wished I could of done something to help her in ways..I think she had to go, because there is an higher calling for her in her next lifetime. She passed some kind of "test" given out for that calling. Her awareness in her travels and spirituality had lead her to the point she had to go. I think what she taught me as an friend, is that you can make  anything of  nothing. You start it by rolling up your sleeves and thinking sensibly...and trust your own intution. Shegave me an book of sayings onetime and the first one was..to find the beautiful in life, you must start from within.