I never knew how capable I was of dealing with problems. I never knew how deeply I could feel until life carved out the edges of my heart.

This waiting is uncomfortable This waiting takes forever

I made a commitment I believed anything is possible

Step by step aging is like mirror work With less resistance to acceptance

I reside with my inner trust always looking for inspiration like a well-worn stuffed animal

Choosy mothers choose jif Don’t let the door hit you on the way out Mind your manners Take a breath Random thoughts all mulling around I’m looking to pitch my tent to find solid ground But am lost within the swirl of my thoughts Jumping from my childhood to the future Sandwiched in today Where am I now, I ask? What do I need? What am I feeling? What do I see? I can’t tell what’s mine With my emotions roiling around And what belongs to stories From last night’s movie Just like

I watched the documentary Becoming last night Michelle Obama’s new book She inspires me Her drive to keep on going In spite of the push back she’s received Every person she meets She asks what brings you joy Riding on her inspiration Within a millisecond Of a moment I ask myself What brings me joy? If I imagine I live In an energy world With no forms Only color energy I would see children And four-legged beings As bright colors Moving bouncing exploring I would see houses bur

I’ve been thinking about my childhood lately Which was out of control A mishmash Emotional and physical Fear, confusion and anger Swirling around my hope Anger turned inward to despair Never understanding why The anger, sadness, confusion Constantly hanging in the air What right does an adult Have to screw up a child? I don’t want them in my head I have had steel walls Barring them from entrance and They drop in again I will not be victimized By my childhood pain The thought

Courage 1, 2, 3 Jump Ready set go Start Chin up, eyes forward Walk With Determination Courage is found in my breath Determination is found in my vision Focus is found in my faith In a desire to rise Something inside so strong A knowing of worth A feeling of trueness A belief in my right My small voice used to obey Its belief I was less than My smallness bought into my invisibility My body believed I didn’t count My breath believed it had no space Until there was no room for m

I grew up believing I was how others defined me. I relied on invisibility and compliance to stay safe. I grew up feeling remorse and regret for my very existence. I learned to judge myself first because it hurt less. I followed my leaders, learned the rules, did what I was told. I thought life was normal, not realizing I had no idea who I was and what I wanted until I started hitting the speed bumps of my life. Being human is hard work. Learning to navigate a speed bump is

Thinking of Angels by Shirley Riga Thinking about angels today Recalling 14 years ago No wings no halo He emerged as a survivor Of a fatal accident Of my spouse Broken bones And heart wide open He reached out to console the family I pushed back to the stranger His consistency warmed my pain The door was opened His name is George Caring, loving, thoughtful, surviving George His eyes witnessed Lizzie’s last words His heart shared the moment His presence soothed my heart His bod

Though a day late, I was moved to share this writing. We pray for earth’s renewal. We pray for continued growth, abundance and viable life on our planet. In our current suffering, we hold high our vision of renewal, rebirth and purity of spirit. – Shirley Riga Happy Beltane -.this celebration is half way between the Equinox and the Summer Solstice. It is the time the earth is fertilized, pollinated, nests are being built, sprouting is happening. We are celebrating the beginni

Hope is Surrender By Shirley Riga I learned something about myself last night I won’t use a shopping service ever again I care deeply for my food choices Otherwise I am in pain I care deeply about my space Otherwise I am in pain I care deeply about my safety Otherwise I’m in pain I care deeply for my time Otherwise I’m in pain Pain is my motivator Pain is a global motivator Discomfort results in change Discomfort gets my attention The more I connect to my heart The deeper I f

A simple photograph can feel like an explosion of my senses Catapulting me back 60 plus years Causing a reflection of my life from the lens Of a bird looking at the whys and hows Of my circumstances. I have to ask why we suffer I have to ask why it’s necessary To hurt others. I have to ask And yet here the adult stands Having survived the abuse The adult has laughed and cried The adult has celebrated and wept The adult has lashed out The adult has loved And the adult has lost

Struggle with my Struggles by Shirley Riga I walk on the same street every day I awake to the same light as the day before I view the same me in the mirror I step into the same slippers I eat the same food I use the same computer I wash the same body I am familiar and yet I feel lost My thoughts take me to uncomfortable places I awaken doing U-turns Don’t think that Don’t go there Don’t eat that Don’t think that I struggle with my struggles I surrender into my chair Above me

How to make a blessing from a recipe of love By Shirley Riga First, I need a large vessel of cooperation. I am present in the now and hold an open mind and heart. I add in an intention. The intention could be anything you find worthy on your shelf of life and has signs of well-being. Stir with expectancy until well blended. It is important to stay present in the moment. Add in a whisper of a painful life experience to ground it and a spoonful of wisdom harvested from your col

I had a blast on my birthday. My happiness meter hit a ten with all my birthday wishes, cards, emails and gifts. I was in such joy. I am hanging on to the thrill of it. I want to forever be surrounded by this good feeling. A wise teacher once shared with me the importance of allowing emotions to keep moving through the body. Emotions come and go – the incredible highs and the devastating lows; the trembling fears and the raging hot floods of anger. Our bodies are vessels to e

The word came in a flash – “authenticity”. The word is my barometer to my thoughts, actions and beliefs. Authenticity holds the essence of honesty. My first priority with authenticity is to myself. When I feel lost, I pose the question to myself, what do I need? My answer may come back “chocolate” and I know I must dig deeper. What do I need? “Life’s not fair.” What do I need? It’s important to have patience with myself. It’s my responsibility to give myself what I need. The