How do you get your doses of happiness? Whatever brings a smile to your face and puts some joy in your heart; do that! Life is hard enough.
Thank you for watching! I have attached a previous article titled, Canopy of Protection. Where Do You Find Peace? Hopefully, you can find something that will help you if you need calmness in your life. As always, thank you for reading
“Hate is too great a burden to bear. Hate injures the hater more than the hated. “-Coretta Scott King
Life is so precious. Why live with hatred in your heart?!
Stay well and be blessed
You see her walking down the street
Purpose in her eyes
Meaning in her walk
Strut like you have never seen
Delicate flower, she be
Wearing her armor of protection
The look in her eyes lets you know
Back up or I will cut you
A face that tells you she means business
She ain't here for the games
Delicate flower, she be
Like the weeds that grow in your garden
The dandelions that grow in the empty lot on the corner
Growing in between the cracks in the ground
She rises up
Delicate flower, she be
Having the nerve to go where you wouldn't expect
She stands tall and firm
There are years that ask questions and years that answer
Looking at her reveals both; question and answer
Delicate flower, she be
Hard pavement of the concrete
Matches the hard look on her face
Meeting your gaze she stares back
Not a smile anywhere to be found
Delicate flower, she be
Inside she is just waiting for someone
Someone that sees her and brings out the smile
Simultaneously holding her delicately and firmly
In full bloom as delicate as can be
Delicate flower, she be
Delicate Flower, She Be is written in response to the W3 Prompt #148: Wea’ve Written Weekly. Violet Lentz asks us to write about elements of the human condition and include at least 1 of 3 quotes in her guidelines.
Human condition elements I wrote about are emotions, social interaction, resilience and growth. How people can look so hardened on the outside but are really loving and kind on the inside. A smile is just bursting, waiting to come out at the right circumstance.
The quote I chose is by Zora Neale Hurston, “there are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
Image credit: by Josch13 from Pixabay
As always, thank you for reading! 
beautiful to see
love, warmth, kindness, protection
only moms possess
keeping offspring safe, happy
indeed, the eyes tell it all
Near and Dear to My Heart is in response to Sadje’s prompt.
Image credit: Leandra Rieger on Unsplash
Is it hard to wonder
why people shy away
weather like lightning and thunder
resembling romance and all its blunder
Being swept off your feet
Knowing love is there
Dreams to never give into defeat
To commit is something concrete
When you know it is so fun
Romance is beautiful and serene
Shining bright like the sun
Don't let overcast think it has won
Image by Shirley Mwanje from Pixabay
The Allure of Love was written in response to a word prompt by Sammi Cox. The challenge is to write a piece using the word commit in exactly 64 words.
When you see your mate
Just the sight of them realizing your fate
Are you greeted with a warm embrace
Or indifference instead
You know, like a frown or look of dread
Just the simple things
You get home stressed from work
Walking in your mate is wearing a smile
A smile that lets you know that they miss you
They see you
They are glad you are home
They love you
Just the simple things
All that can be said without saying a single word
Its time for bed, your mate gives your hand a squeeze
Gives you a hug
Utters the words, good night Baby
Next up is the forehead kiss
Just the simple things
A forehead kiss...
Wait a minute
If you have not experienced a forehead kiss
When you do, you will understand
It’s one of the most endearing forms of affection
Just the simple things
Love who loves you back
Want who wants you back
If you are met with attitude
Take no gratitude in the latitude of someone else's wrath
The magnitude does not matter
Just the simple things
Thank you for reading! 
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Some things you can do would be to get screened by having a Mammogram. Also, perform home self-breast exams. Show you support by being there for loved ones, friends and family. If you choose to make monetary donations to a foundation or organization that is great, too. We can show support by being a listening ear, lending a hand and checking in on those who are diagnosed with breast cancer.
Thank you for watching.
Stay well and be blessed.
What is the proper age for people to get married? Is there such a thing as too young or too old? Undue pressures of society have us buying into unrealistic expectations. Who is to say at what age you find love. What is your take on the subject? Leave a comment and share your perspective.
As always, thank you for watching. 
August 27th is National Just Because Day. It is day to switch it up and do things, just because. Random acts of kindness are one way to celebrate this day. Do something out of the norm. Be spontaneous. You call the shots. It is a few days away, so put your thinking cap on and come up with things to do on this day.
You get the idea of what this day is all about. So, make it fun and do something just because. Don’t overthink it and do something without any rhyme or reason. You have a few days to plan something if that is what you want to do or just free style it and do what comes to mind on Tuesday, 27th of August.
Got jokes? Show your chops and tell a joke on August 16. Help keep the love and smiles coming by spreading the joy of a joke. Share funny memes or gags on August 16 to celebrate.
Laughter is the best medicine. Today we can make each other laugh and smile by sharing bits of humor. Want to brighten someone’s day by making them smile? Try telling a joke. I’m always up for a good laugh, how about you?
Telling jokes is harder than you might think. Comedians everywhere make it look so easy. Something that you might find funny and get tickled by the next person may not find funny at all. It’s that moment you deliver the punchline, and you hear crickets? After telling your joke, the last thing you want to hear is silence. Instead, go for laughter and smiles. A rupture of laughter, smiles and stomach-holding is the reaction you want to go for.
Personally, I look at the delivery of the joke. Two people can tell the exact same joke but if one of them is very monotone and robot-like and the other is more animated and livelier; usually the more effective delivery method to illicit laughter is the livelier of the two. What do think makes the best way to tell a joke?
Have you ever tried telling a joke and it was a bust? If so, how did you recover from that and how did you change your strategy? Also, do you think someone who has a more serious personally can effectively tell a joke and make others laugh?
Thank you for reading. Stay well and be blessed!
The inspiration for this poem is my dear father, may he rest in peace.
Emptiness is creeping in
Knowing that missing piece is no longer there
Gone
Never to return
Until that day
Waiting to see
Waiting, waiting, just waiting
Time is passing
How can I fill the void
The void of the man who made me
Until that day
Still, I wait
When you look at me, what you don’t see
The depth
My soul
Aching
Begging for a glimpse of half of me
Nostalgic father
I am nostalgic
Until that day
The other half of me, where does it come from?
My slanted, crooked smile, my complexion
The Boricua in me, ¿dónde está Papi?
In heaven is where you be
Until that day, I wait
My mom instilled in me
Black, resilience, humility
Black, resilience, humility
She is the half of me
Empty inside? How can this be?
Nostalgic father
I am nostalgic
Two people came together as one
To create me
She is her and he is him
She is here and he is there
Forever encapsulated in my heart you will remain
Thoughts of you never bring feelings of disdain
Although my heart is heavy
Until that day, until that day
That we reunite
The anticipation, anticipation brings me pure delight
Until that day
Nostalgic father
Sharing a personal experience of speaking in front of a crowd. I challenged myself to perform an original poem about my father. Although, I was not one of the finalists for the talent show. it was a great experience. I learned that you could do anything you put your mind to. Even when you do not take home the prize it is still rewarding just for trying.
Hope you enjoy and thank you for watching.
If you are ready to drop some ill talk or action on someone, stop and drop some good will or cheer instead. For example, if you are about to say something foul to someone, especially someone that you love or who loves you. Stop and say something nice instead. It can be so easy to take those closest to you for granted. Those closest to us, sometimes do not get the best of us. This is because we figure, I see this person on a daily basis, so I do not have to be on my best behavior or give my all.
If you are going to say something that you know is hurtful to your loved one, give a complement instead. Forget about the argument you just had. Let it be. After you have decided to say something nice and complementary, it will make the other person feel good and you will feel better as well. Try it. What do you have to lose? Ok, I will tell you. By saying something positive about someone, you lose stress and anxiety. Ill feelings that increase cortisol in our bodies. You want to release dopamine and endorphins, the feel-good hormones.
Lose the negativity and grudge feelings. Love rules over everything. Be slow to anger and quick to love. Becoming angry is so easy and that is exactly why we must challenge ourselves. Embrace love and forgiveness.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Please know that you are seen and appreciated for all that you contribute and do for your children. The dads who take the responsibility seriously and do what they need to, in support and love of their children. I hope you smile today and every day knowing in your heart that you are special, important, loved, needed and cherished.
Blended families exist and they can be rewarding but also come with some demands. Meaning, that the non-biological parent in the family may face some opposition when trying to discipline a child in the home. The child may feel like they do not have to abide by rules of someone who is not their biological parent. You know how defiant kids can be. So, that brings the question of what the rules are with discipline. Is it okay for a parent other than the biological mother or father to discipline a child?
One thing I think most of us can agree on is that children require discipline. The method of discipline varies greatly and is a personal preference. Nonetheless, it is a necessary part of a child’s growth and development.
Some families are blended, and some are strictly nuclear. As such, it creates a situation where the biological parent is either the mother or father but not both. I pose the question of whether or not it is okay for a man or woman other than the biological parent to discipline the child?
Let’s look at dads who take on the responsibility of another man’s child with his girlfriend or wife. Do you feel that he should have a say in what the child does and whereabouts of the child? Should he be concerned with things relating to household chores, school and extracurricular activities? At the very least, he should feel respected by the child, no matter what. After that I think if he helps support the child, he should be able to apply discipline strategies. Whether that means taking away privileges, punishment where they are restricted from certain activities or getting a beating.
In my opinion, I believe that the parents should come to an agreement and understanding of what that discipline should look like. And stand firmly on that without veering away from those rules. Of course, it will be different for every household but as long as the parents of the house are on the same page, I think it is possible for blended families to work and it can be so rewarding. What do you think?
The countdown is on. Only 1 week left to show those men how much they are appreciated. Do fathers get the credit they deserve? Fathers are very important and sometimes they do not get their deserved credit. People may say that they are supposed to be there for their children and take care of them. Indeed, but why not give them their flowers too?
Afterall, we all want to feel appreciated right? Yes, we do.
In honor of those special men, think about what they mean to you and the role they play in your life. What is special about your father that stands out and makes you want to extoll him? I’m sure you can come up with a few. Thinking about the moments in life that you and your father shared, how can you express your appreciation? Make sure that he knows what those moments mean to you. Additionally, remember to extend that gratitude long after June 16, 2024.
Is there is a memory or time that you most cherish with your father? It would be nice to recreate that moment and relive it all over again. If you cannot physically be with your dad, call him up and reminisce about that memory. I’m sure it would make him smile to know that you remembered it too and cherished the time just the same, if not more.
Dads don’t ask for much, they just want to know that their efforts are not in vain. It is nice to get a ‘thank you’ from someone. It lets them know how much they enjoyed an event or moment spent together. Although, we think they already know how we feel, nonetheless, say it anyway. Even if your dad is not be the sentimental type, and he likes gifts and/or gestures instead. Well, do that. He might want something as simple as watching a sporting event on television. He might want you to just spend time with him. And for the dads who like to receive gifts, make it possible for him. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant.
Do fathers get the credit they deserve? What are your thoughts on the subject? Leave a comment and share your opinion.