Life is not living, but living in health.
Martial
Footnotes for Life
DECEMBER 21
“So, it’s been six weeks, Mom. How long do you suppose it’s going to last this time?” Stunned, I looked deep into the eyes of my ten-year-old son. I saw skepticism, pain and disgust at my recent attempt at sobriety. He had heard it all before when I assured him numerous times that I would stop getting drunk.
Today, I have the privilege of looking that same, trusting son in the eye as I have every day since that night of reckoning. I have earned credibility. I am responsible. I will reassure him and he will hug me tightly! This time, I will say, “It’s been twenty years, son! It’s going to last.”
Janell H.
There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.
Louis L’Amour
Footnotes for Life
DECEMBER 22
When traumatic events shake the foundations of your life, get out into the natural world–God will speak to you through his handiwork. Walk in solitude, drink in the regenerating air, open your senses to creation and take a lesson from nature. The healing in my life began when I came upon a field of fireweed while hiking. This magnificent wildflower shoots forth in splendor after an area is ravaged by fire; its magenta plumes wave proudly in stark contrast to its burned-out surroundings. The image opened my eyes, and I took what I learned from that moment to rise up from the ashes and go forth stronger and more alive than ever.
Linda Mehus-Barber
And hark! How blithe the throstle sings! He, too, is no mean preacher. Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.
William Wordsworth
Footnotes for Life
DECEMBER 23
Feelings flirt with our desires while faith nurtures our needs. Feelings focus on the moment while faith concentrates on the future. Feelings flourish in immediate gratification while faith is willing to wait for what’s better. Feelings react without thinking while faith takes the time and the thought to respond. Feelings are fickle and fleeting while faith considers the long run. Feelings want only to receive while faith decides to believe. What feelings do I still allow to control me? What can I choose to place my faith in today to better serve my true needs tomorrow?
Anne Calodich Fone
Faith can take us farther than any of our feelings.
Anne Calodich Fone
Footnotes for Life
DECEMBER 24
Isuffered much from the effects of my loved one’s addiction. Disappointments, manipulation, emotional abuse and betrayal dimmed my will to live. It was hard just to keep going. After all this, surely I am not expected to forgive! I let go of my old definition of forgiveness. I consider this–forgiveness is not about letting someone who hurt me off the hook. It is about letting me off the hook. I can feel, heal, express and live in the joy of this moment. I know I have forgiven when the cloud of past hurt no longer blocks today’s sun. In what part of my life do I welcome more sunshine today?
Anna Joy Grace
It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.
William Blake
Footnotes for Life
DECEMBER 25
The Christmas tree was destroyed; presents were smashed; our father was drunk, but for a moment, one brief moment, none of it mattered. My nine-year-old brother shot up out of bed like a rocket, took in a sharp breath and said, “Listen, reindeer!” So I listened silently to the scraping on the roof, something more magical than the familiar sound of squirrels. Staring at my brother, I saw something amazing–a smile. When belief and awe sparkled in his aqua eyes, for that moment in time, I, too, believed in the miracle of Christmas. Those heart-wrenching holidays are a distant nightmare, but I remember the gift I received that Christmas–a gift of hope.
Raquel M.Strand
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Theodore Roosevelt
Footnotes for Life
DECEMBER 26
Iam on a journey of spirit. Spirit calls to me within and without. In a still, small voice I sense spirit whispering in my inner ear. My body feels an increasing sense of aliveness as I invite spirit to make itself known. Spirit breathes in each pore within me. It fills the numbness with energy. It fills the emptiness and causes my inner being to overflow with its presence. Whenever I become still and allow spirit to enter my world, it is always there waiting for me to discover it, to remember it, to invite it in.
Tian Dayton
On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions; it is the best refreshment on the journey; and it is the greatest property.
Buddha
Footnotes for Life
DECEMBER 27
The door through the darkness is human touch. We do not need to see the light if we can hold a hand. A hug speaks languages that have no letters and need no translators. A gentle embrace can acknowledge sorrows too deep to speak aloud. When loneliness builds an island far away from hope it is not a land alone. The touch of one caring soul can build a bridge of hope, healing and a sense of belonging. We need not be eloquent or brilliant or even totally whole. We just need to care enough to reach out and touch another soul.
Renee Hixson
To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.
Stephen Covey
Footnotes for Life
DECEMBER 28
It is our children who will reap the consequences of our endeavors to find ourselves. It is the truth that lies within us that they often see us avoid or confront. It is they who gain wisdom from the truth we tell ourselves, the failures we refuse to acknowledge, the mountains we climb and the summit we reach.
Betty King
As the bird sits in its nest and the winds blow, it is the safety of its eggs the robin is concerned with, for it is the next generation the future owns.
Betty King
Footnotes for Life
DECEMBER 29
One of the best gifts I can give a person is my full attention when they need someone to listen. Truly listening is an unselfish act. Without saying a word, we can give the gift of insight and perspective to someone who is struggling with a problem, processing the changes in their lives or thinking through a new idea. For best reception, tune in. There is no need to offer advice. All we need to do is open our minds and hearts to hear what is being said.
Sherrie M.Johnston
Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery.
Dr. Joyce Brothers
Footnotes for Life
DECEMBER 30
Iunderstand that recovery is many little acts and subtle changes in attitudes. Recovery is not talking differently–it is being different. I will follow through on plans that I make and keep my life simple. I will not allow abuse in my home, of me or anyone else. I will take a positive attitude toward my life. Recovery is not only about reworking my past–it is about not repeating it. It is the little steps
I actually take that count. A small inner change, if it is real, can have a more transforming effect than a large outer one. Setting impossible, unreachable goals for myself is just another way to stay sick. Doing something small well will give me self-respect and serenity.
Tian Dayton
Our health is our sound relation to external objects; our sympathy with external being.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Footnotes for Life
DECEMBER 31
You are a unique individual with gifts; to dream, to become, to use your talents and to realize your potential. Build your life’s dream by reaching out with love, inspiration, forgiveness and selflessness. Touch the souls of people. Make a difference with unbridled enthusiasm and a positive approach. You might just be able, through example, to transform someone else’s dream into a reality.
George H.Moffett
Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.
; James Dean
Footnotes for Life
Reprints
We have excerpted passages from the following books:
366 Encouragements for Prosperity ©1992 Yvonne Kaye, Ph.D. Call (215) 393-5464. Visit www.yvonnekaye.com.
Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul. ©2001 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. To order: www.hci-online.com.
Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. To order: www.hci-online.com.
Daily Affirmations for Adult Children of Alcoholics ©1985 Rokelle Lerner. To order: www.hci-online.com.
Daily Affirmations for Forgiving and Moving On and Daily Affirmations for Parents ©1992 and The Soul’s Companion ©1995 Tian Dayton, Ph.D. To order: www.hci-online.com.
Wings of Soul and Pearls of Wisdom ©1999 and Eternal Blessings ©2000.
Brahma Kumaris Information Services, Ltd., London. For information, contact www.bkwsu.com. To order: www.bkpublications.com.
Say Yes to Life ©1997 Reverend Leo Booth. Visit www.fatherleo.com.
You Can’t Quit ’till You Know What’s Eating You ©1990 Donna LeBlanc.
Visit www.donnaleblanc.com. To order: www.hci-online.com.
Robert J. Ackerman, Ph.D. Passage on September 13th reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Nadia Ali, ©2005 Nadia Ali.
Jeffrey R. Anderson, ©2005 Jeffrey R. Anderson.
Karen Marie Arel, ©2005 Karen Marie Arel.
Maria Isabel A Arellano, ©2005 Maria Isabel A Arellano.
Suzanne Baginskie, ©2005 Suzanne Baginskie.
Lisa Jo Barr, ©2005 Lisa Jo Barr. Passage on January 29th, reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc. www.hcibooks.com.
Godwin H. Barton reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Elizabeth Batt, ©2004 Elizabeth Batt.
Amelia Rose Bederka as told to Steve Bederka-Toth, ©2005 Steve Bederka-Toth.
Ann Best reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Linda C. Bird reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul ©2001 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Loretta McCann Bjorvik reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Claudia Black reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Sarah Boesing, ©2004 Sarah Boesing.
Carol J. Bonomo reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Joanna Booher, ©2005 JoannaBooher.
Leo Booth, reprinted from from Say Yes to Life ©1997 Reverend Leo Booth.
Cynthia Borris reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Nicole Braddock, ©2005 Nicole Braddock.
Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University reprinted from Wings of Soul ©1999, Pearls of Wisdom ©1999, Eternal Blessings ©2000, Brahma Kumaris Information Services Ltd., London, www.bkwsu.com, www.bkpublications, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Stuart Brantley reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Carol Van Dyke Brown, ©2005 Carol Van Dyke Brown.
Rhonda Brunea, ©2005 Rhonda Brunea.
Annettee Budzban, ©2005 Annettee Budzban.
Irene Budzynski, ©2005 Irene Budzynski.
Nancy Burke, ©1995 Nancy Burke.
Jim C., Jr., Scottsdale reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Rachel Caplin reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Jenna Cassell reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Emily Chase, ©2005 Emily Chase.
Lilian Sau Leng Chee, ©2005 Lilian Sau Leng Chee.
Stacey Chillemi, ©2005 Stacey Chillemi.
David Claerr, ©2005 David Claerr.
Joan Clayton, ©2003 Joan Clayton.
Michelle Close-Mills, ©2005 Michelle Close-Mills.
Anne Connor, ©2005 Anne Connor.
Ann Coogler, ©2005 Ann Coogler.
Barbara A. Croce, ©2005 Barbara A. Croce.
Joseph R. Cruse, M.D. reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
John Crusey reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc. www.hcibooks.com.
Kimberly Davidson, ©2005 Kimberly Davidson.
Linda S. Day reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Sala Dayo, ©2005 Sala Dayo. Passage on January 26 reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Tian Dayton reprinted from Daily Affirmations for Forgiving and Moving On ©1992, Daily Affirmations for Parents ©1992, The Soul’s Companion © 1995 Tian Dayton, Health Communications, Inc.
Rev. Ed Donnally reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Nancy Eckerson,
[email protected]. ©2005 Nancy Eckerson.
Julia Jergensen Edelman reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Carla Edmisten, ©2005 Carla Edmisten.
Amy Ellis, ©2005 Amy Ellis.
Lana Fletcher, ©2005 Lana Fletcher.
Anne Calodich Fone, ©2005 Anne Calodich Fone.
Darlene Franklin, ©2005 DarleneFranklin.
John C. Friel, Ph.D. reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Valerie Frost, ©2005 Valerie Frost.
Michelle Gipson, ©2005 Michelle Gipson.
Anna Joy Grace, ©2005 Anna Joy Grace.
Vicki Graf, ©2005 Vicki Graf.
Carol Davis Gustke reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Janell H. reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Erin Hagman reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Karen Hall, ©2005 Karen Hall.
Joyce Harvey, ©2003 Joyce Harvey.
Shary Hauer, ©2005 Shary Hauer.
Debbie Heaton reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Maryellen Heller, ©2005 Maryellen Heller.
Miriam Hill reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Renee Hixson, ©2005 Renee Hixson.
Elaine Ingalls Hogg, ©2005 Elaine Ingalls Hogg.
Patricia Holdsworth reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Ha
nsen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Kevin J. Holmes, ©2005 Kevin J. Holmes.
Joyce McDonald Hoskins, ©2005 Joyce McDonald Hoskins.
Christyna Hunter, ©2004 Christyna Hunter.
Debra Jay reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Marilyn Joan reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Sherrie M. Johnston, ©2004 Sherrie M. Johnston.
Deb Sellars Karpek, ©2005 Deb Sellars Karpek.
Yvonne Kaye, Ph.D., (215)393-5464. Reprinted from 366 Encouragements for Prosperity ©1992 Yvonne Kaye, Ph.D.
Joy Neal Kidney, ©2005 Joy Neal Kidney.
Candy Killion, ©2005 Candy Killion.
Betty King, ©2005 Betty King.
Eleanor Kirk, ©2005 Eleanor Kirk.
Ted Klontz reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.
Pamela Knight, ©2005 Pamela Knight.
Lisa Kugler reprinted from Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ©2004 Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, published by Health Communications, Inc.