Saturday, May 19, 2018

Whispers of Hope...




~ Whispers of Hope ~


That's what you find when you're on the streets that come through in the little
things that make an incredible difference -- A warm embrace, a gentle touch,
a kind word – these are the Whispers of Hope embedded deep within the heart,
something that can only be given, truly given straight from the heart,
making a world of difference in your life.

There is always an upside to everything, regardless of circumstance – including
being homeless and having to live year after endless year on the streets.
Being out here has brought to my life some of the most remarkable people I
have been blessed to know, whom I otherwise would not have had the pleasure of meeting if I were not homeless and forced to live out here. Those out here on
the streets, as well as though rare few who are not who have brought such
beautiful gifts of love, warmth, and humanity with a glimmer of HOPE
to my heart and my life. Enriching my heart on the deepest level at the
very core of my being...

The negative aspects of being on the streets are endless and weigh heavily
on your heart and soul, and would consume me whole, if I let it. That's why I
do my best to shift that focus onto more positive things, which at times truly
becomes a treasure hunt in the truest sense of the word. Those Whispers of Hope
are what keeps me going, pushing forward and sustaining me. Keeping it close
to your heart so you can call it forth when it's really needed.

When you are homeless, sometimes the physical fact of that circumstance
overshadows everything else around you, including the blessings that are generally disguised as something else so you don't always recognize them for what they are.

Every morning, I pull out a little journal and pen some Gratitude pages.
More often than not, that first stroke of my pen is so difficult,
trying to find something, anything, to really be Grateful for. Sometimes,
I have to look all around me to come up with even a few, but I do,
each and every day find something, many things, actually, to be grateful for.

Every morning, and most evenings, I have a front row seat for the
starts and ends to each day. Being witness to the sunrises, when it is not
overcast or raining, and the sunsets each evening. The songs of the
birds all around me, all the animals that share my space
and allow me to share in theirs.

My Gratitude list grows each and every day.... but it doesn't go down or diminish.

There are days that being Grateful is really hard,
especially with the forced circumstance I was put in and
everything I have to contend with.
But there is not a day that goes by that I fail to count the blessings in my life.