I remember when I thought I wanted___________but now I realize...

...I wanted to have the love of my wife forever. But now I realize that NOTHING is forever. Not that I didn't know that already. I MEANT as long as it lasted. I guess I wanted us to be an item, a couple, husband and wife, until DEATH do us part; just like the vows we took before the MOST HIGH IN 1994.

But now I realize that everything is as it should be. I couldn't be happier!

ALL I want to do RIGHT NOW IS...

...TO PLAN MY WORK, AND WORK MY PLAN, WHICH IS TO SELF-PUBLISH A POETRY CHAPBOOK BY YEAR'S END. IDEALLY I WOULD LIKE TO GET IT DONE BY MY 65TH BIRTHDAY WHICH IS IN SEPTEMBER. WOW! WHERE HAVE THE YEARS GONE?

I know, I've been here for most of them.

BESIDES THE CHAPBOOK I PLAN A WRITER'S RETREAT AND TO VISIT A FEW HISTORIC PLACES AROUND OHIO.

I PLAN TO TAKE MY NICHE (POETRY) UP TO THE NEXT LEVEL. I SEE A BYLINE IN MY FUTURE!

TO GIVE OR RECEIVE RESPECT MEANS...

...that you are flipping over a coin that is double-sided. You must recognize that in order to get respect (receive) you must give respect. That is basically how it works.

But conversely, the ideal is that whether or not someone is disrespectful to you, you must continue to respect them. Yes, you must give respect to get it, but you must not withhold it as a retaliation for that person not holding up their side of the coin.

in order to GROW AS A PERSON, I must LET GO OF...

...all my thoughts of getting some type of revenge on my X. Not that I'm a malicious, vengeful person, but I want her to pay for the pain and suffering that she has caused our family.

"Vengeance is mine saith the Lord," but I be sometimes praying that it will be sooner and not later, and that I would have the pleasure of having her grovel. 

But those things are not in my control and so I must stop harboring these thoughts and let fate take its course naturally!

3 things I HOLD DEAR TO ME...WHY?

My life, health and strength are the 3 things I hold dear. These things are a no-brainer because they are central to my whole existence ; everyone's existence, in fact. Without these things nothing else is even possible.

At first thought some material things were creeping into my mind, but I quickly realized that material things do not hold substance when compared to what I cherished most. I love my life!

Write a letter to your pain (PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL)

DEAR HEART

TAKE COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT THE CYCLE OF LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING WILL SOON SWING BACK IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION TO YOU. YOU HAVE ENDURED OH THESE MANY YEARS THUS FAR. BUT JUST AS SURE AS IT WAS IN PAST YEARS WHEN YOUR JOY CAME IN THE MORNING AND SUDDENLY ENDED, KNOW THAT THIS CYCLE WILL REPEAT ITSELF AND YOU WILL HAVE LOVE AGAIN.

UNDERSTAND THIS: AS IT WAS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN, THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

CLOSE YOUR EYES. CONSIDER THE LAST 24 HOURS:

WHAT MOMENT OR EVENT STANDS OUT? WHY? EXPLORE THE EMOTIONS ATTACHED TO THIS.
==============================================

This prompt is so appropriate for today that it's unbelievable.

When I closed my eyes I could only recall the last 2 hours of the day that were uppermost in my mind. My baby daughter was distraught and frustrated over not being able to effectively communicate with her mother, my estranged wife. Needless to say, communication was never established and what ensued was a buffoonish episode of loud and obnoxious ranting that did not resolve anything.

Without going into details, the whole thing turned into a fiasco that will surely lead to more confusion and less communication. What ensued was a gut-wrenching ordeal for a little girl who was only trying to express her feelings and let her feelings and let her wishes be known. Personally I stepped outside of myself with anger that I have never known. It took me a few hours to get myself under control. Afterwards I was able to realize that there is no conversation with a fool