Spiritualityandrecovery.com

10/26/2024

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01/22/2024

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Oreo crossed the Rainbow Bridge last night. She had been my best friend and companion since my wife, Carol, passed. Cancer spares no one once it latches on.
For those who didn't know us before, in the photo, I am the one with the glasses.
She was four days short of her 10th birthday.

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Our morning walks were absolutely the best. The birds would be singing for us and the squirrels would taunt and tease her by staying just out of her reach, before scurrying up a tree to chatter at her.
We both loved nature and living abutting a wetlands was ideal. In the spring, we would watch the ducks and geese and deer and turkeys and rabbits and foxes pair up and bring new life to the neighborhood.
In the summer we would slowly walk throughout the subdivision because Oreo was looking for an open garage door. When we would find one, she would walk up to it because she knew that a friend was inside with a treat for her. And she was usually right.
In autumn, she would love going to the end of her leash trying to chase her friends, the squirrels, that were acorn hunting.
In the winter, she would remind me that she was a product of Egypt and so didn't need the snow and cold.

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Oreo had an infectious joy for living. She was loving, happy, joyous, and free and wanted others to be too so she would act the clown to keep them stirring (and petting).

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She took care of me just like I took care of her. After knee replacement surgery, when I was walking her (very slowly and unsteadily) she would regularly stop, look over her shoulder to see if I was OK, and then continue slowly walking on.

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I don't believe that I lost a piece of my heart like I have heard in similar situations. I believe that my heart is stretched so that it reaches over the Rainbow Bridge "just to be assured that she is all right."

Thank you, folks, for your kind thoughts and comments on my other, brighter Oreo stories. God bless you!
Thank you, God!

01/07/2024

Well, Christmas is over, and guess what? The people who come to the St. Andrews Soup Kitchen on the East Side of Flint, MI are still cold, hungry, and miserable. You can help if you have access to blankets, towels to put over windows with the glass missing, and under doors and backpacks. You may wonder why backpacks. This is because many are transient and homeless, spending the cold days and nights in abandoned or burned-out structures, under bridges, or simply on the streets. The backpacks would help them keep their belongings together. And please don't forget their 4 legged companions, either. If you have or could obtain any of these items, please contact me and we will figure out how to get them. Thanks and God bless you.

12/18/2023

This picture reminds me of me. When I feel good, I can't hide it either.

12/18/2023

To me, spirituality is personal. It’s my journey into a deeper understanding of who I am. What’s important to me matters because I matter. My spiritual journey broadens my perspective about life and what could be possible. It’s not complicated, and at the same time, its life changing. ~ Rev Jane Beach

12/18/2023

Don't look for the light. BE the light!

12/04/2023

One of my publishers from Media.com is ILLUMINATION, ILLUMINATION has over 24,000 writers and publishes about 1,000 stories a week. I was blessed to have another of my stories, Spirituality And Just What Is Prayer, featured in ILLUMINATION's Curated and nominated stories V24.

https://medium.com/illumination-curated/new-curation-service-by-illumination-volume-24-0b02585d89ab

Nominated and curated selections from passionate writers tailored for avid readers

08/29/2023

is difficult to think of until actually doing it

08/28/2023

It is as simple and basic as anything could possibly be

08/28/2023

When you can be the light

08/27/2023

because I Am Somebody

08/26/2023

then take a deep breath, and enjoy your life.