Since I gave mothers some blog space in May, I guess I will write about fathers in June. The 16th is Father’s Day, a day to contemplate and/or celebrate fathers. My dad died 10 years ago after a long illness. He worked hard at living those last three years, and, I think, had some good days. I was at his side with my mother when he died. I remember she was baking cookies and had a batch in the oven when I called her in to be with Dad at the end. She sent me into the kitchen to take the cookies out of the oven so they wouldn’t burn. Then I called the hospice nurse, who had been there just that morning, to come back. It was the first time I had been with someone who died while I watched. It was a peaceful end, though chaotic in my head.

I wrote a poem years ago about my dad’s hands, but I couldn’t find it in my files, so I wrote another one in the same spirit as the first one:

My Father’s Hands

My father’s hands worked the land,
holding the steering wheel of the tractor,
guiding it down the long straight rows
where corn or soy beans would soon grow.

It was dirty work,
and his hands often had to repair equipment:
greasy gears, nuts and bolts, and other parts
that broke in the toil of the day.

He would come in at night,
hands covered in the day’s work,
and clean them as carefully and thoroughly
as he could.

Often his hands were cracked and rough,
and the soil would ingrain itself into those spaces,
but he would wash and scrub
before he came to the table for supper.

Somehow, on Sundays, after a week of hard work,
his hands were immaculate,
his nails neatly trimmed and cleaned,
as he tied his tie getting ready for church.

What was your father’s work? What did you know about what he did?

How did your father’s work influence your life’s work?

Write about a memory you have about your father.

It is April, and signs of spring are beginning to show: buds popping out all over promising flowers and leaves, many by the end of the month; gardeners will be champing at the bit to get outside to clean out the flower beds and get them ready for the planting to come; and the air will feel different, soft and fresh. I am not a gardener, so my mind turns to spring cleaning and flushing out all the unnecessary “stuff” that has accumulated over time. I have already started with drawers and closets, and I’m beginning to feel lighter! I want to rid my mind of some thoughts that keep me stuck, too, and this seems to be a good time to do it.

I’ll want to spend some time outside, too, but not digging in the dirt, just being out and breathing in the spring air. What are you thinking about for this month? What is pulling you outside or out of your shell? Maybe you will want to do your writing outside in the sun or open the windows and let the fresh air sweep out the stale winter air that has weighed you down. This time of year can bring out your best writing; renewal and rebirth can carry you forward into optimism and a lightness of being. So, let me give you some ideas that may get you started.

What is Spring pulling you toward? What activities draw you in and give you hope for what is to come? What are you hoping for? Make lists that will get you started. Then choose something from your list and write away!

What can you do that will open up your mind to lightness and give you confidence that will wash out the negative to make room for some positive thoughts and feelings?

What “stuff” do you need to get rid of that may be blocking you from moving forward? How can you unblock and open up? Free write until you feel yourself loosing up.

Enjoy the process, and be prepared to be surprised at what appears.

Let’s talk about—and write about—Love. There are so many variations of Love: romantic, friendly, ecological (love of the natural world with a desire to protect it), parental, animal (pets, especially), children, and on and on. Then there is the use of love for things such as food, clothing, hair and other physical attributes, colors, seasons, and everything else that doesn’t have its own word for our admiration of it.

But I’d like to concentrate on Love of the highest order, love of and for other people. Some people are easy to love. We just seem to be attracted to them. They make us feel comfortable, cared for, listened to, and, yes, Loved. They are generous with their time and attention. We like to be around them. So, how do we nurture those relationships? By being the kind of person by whom we want to be loved. We, too, can be generous and attentive. We can give plenty of time to developing and maintaining those relationships.

But, what about those who are more difficult to love, with whom we just don’t seem to connect. We can write them off and move on, of course, but what if we are can’t walk away easily, like with family? That’s what our prompts are about in this post, walking that fine line between love and—Love.

Think of someone with whom you must interact regularly, like a family member, but who is difficult to be with. What can you do to make that relationship more loving? Make sure the steps are doable for you, simple and long range.

How might your thoughts and actions be changed to encompass a more loving attitude toward those who are less lovable?

What can you do if the actions you attempt are not accepted by the other person? What can you do then?

And then on the lighter side, write about someone you Love. What about that person makes you love him/her? Be specific. You might even write it out on nice paper and give to that person on Valentine’s Day!

December can be a busy, hectic month with various holidays falling throughout. Some people may be looking forward to a particular holiday, while others dread the emotional ups and downs that sometimes accompany days that are set aside for joy and happiness. However you approach a holiday, it can be tiring and way too busy. So, what can we do to slow things down?

Journaling every, or most, days can get your thoughts and concerns down on the page and out of your head. It can clarify what you really want to do and maybe what you can bypass. If you just have to do something you don’t want to do, it can help you make peace with it. Think about the following writing prompts and answer one or all of them to help make your holidays more joyful.

What December holiday draws you in, and how can you stay calm and peaceful throughout the days and weeks leading up to it? And get through it? Hint: schedule some enjoyable activities that don’t involve the holiday that you really like to do. What are those activities?

What makes you happy about this holiday? Be sure to savor those thoughts.

Write about a memorable time from the past regarding this holiday, and enjoy it all over again.