Hope and a Future

Hope is Yours

Hope is a constant force in the struggle to move onward,

It is a cry to move your gaze from down to upward,

Hope is the fuel to ignite a fire in your soul,

It is the putty that mends when your heart has a hole,

Hope is alive and well, when you are down and out,

It is the uplifting energy that makes you want to shout,

Shout for joy, that is, in the most positive way,

Hope is all you need today, and every day,

To carry on, when you don’t want to,

To face the day with the right attitude,

Hope is a bright future, with a light at the end of the tunnel,

It is the saving grace when you feel you are falling down an endless funnel,

Hope is the knot in the rope you hang onto when you reach the end,

Hope is your loyal and unassuming, kind friend,

Hope is delightful at its best,

Hope is encouraging when put to the test,

Hope is there. so grab on to it,

Hope will sustain you, bit by bit,

“To give you hope and a future” is God’s design,

Jeremiah 29:11 is yours and mine.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  1/23/2020

Life Questions

Recently, I turned the big 6-0!  Being in my sixth decade, I feel obliged to convey some wisdom to anyone who will listen...

Advice from a 60-year old

What IF’s

What if I fail?  Give it a try,

What if I lose? Play anyway,

What if others think I’m a fool?  Let them think,

What if others don’t like me?  Like yourself,

What if I make a mistake? Nobody is perfect,

What if they laugh at me?  Laugh with them,

What if I get bullied?  Stand your ground,

What if someone mistreats me?  Tell someone,

What if I feel like a failure?  Think positively,

What if I feel all alone?  God is always there,

What if I fall down?  Get back up again,

What if I fall again?  Get back up again,

What if I don’t feel loved?  God loves you,

What if I’m not smart enough?  You are,

What if I’m not the best at something?  Do your best,

What if I try but don’t succeed?  Try harder,

What if I’m scared?  Faith is stronger than fear,

What if I think I’m a bad person?  You are a child of God,

What if I have lost all hope?  Hope is never lost, just misplaced,

What if I don’t like myself?  Change your mind,

What if I have no friends?  Make friends,

What if there is no one to talk to?  Pray to God,

What if I need help?  Please ask,

What if I no longer want to live?  Seek guidance immediately!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  1/22/2020

You Heard her Heart from the Inside

Recently I had the unfortunate experience of seeing my Mom battle with a life-threatening illness.  It wasn't her first battle, but at age 86, it might have been her most serious one.  She was having trouble breathing and her heart was arrhythmic. The good news is that she was taken care of by a skilled cardiologist who found she had two blockages in her heart.   It was in that moment that I realized how much we all take our mothers for granted. There is no other love like a mother's love!  This poem was written even before her illness was discovered, but is a cry from all mothers who desperately need their children as they become more aged. 

Call Your Mom

Please come to see me sometime, when you can,

I hope you can fit me into your lifelong plan,

It means so much to see your face,

To hear your voice, to share my space,

I know the hours in your day are very demanding,

But I live alone now, so be understanding,

I just want to give you a hug and some food,

It will lift my spirits if I’m in a bad mood,

It will make me proud to hear about what you are doing,

Your accomplishments, your trials and what you are pursuing,

To see that you are happy and healthy will make my day,

I’m your worried mother; what else can I say?

You are all grown-up now and don’t need me,

But I need you now, it is easy to see,

Pencil me into your scheduling book,

You won’t regret the time that you took,

To visit me when I was alone,

Or just to randomly pick up the phone,

To give me a call,

For no reason at all,

Just to say “hi, I was thinking of you”,

Would brighten my day when I’m feeling blue.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  12/17/2019

Good Night, Sleep Tight

Daddy’s Girl

This is the story of a wonderful Dad,

And the beautiful young daughter he had,

With a face like an angel and twinkling blue eyes,

To have him wrapped around her finger was no surprise,

He read her a story and tucked her warmly into bed,

“Stay with me Daddy”, she lovingly said,

“I need you to lay with me until I fall asleep,

I’m really not good at counting the sheep”,

At five years old, she had the persuasion of a pro,

I can’t, Amelia, he said, I really must go,

I need to take care of the dirty dishes in the sink,

You don’t “take care” of dishes, she said in a blink,

You take care of me, Daddy- dishes you clean,

Out of the mouths of babes: she was very keen,

He was taken aback by the wisdom she had,

“I certainly do”, was all that he said,

With the tiniest words from the heart of a child,

The wonderful Dad could only have smiled.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  12/15/2019

The Race

Winning the Race

Slow down! said the turtle to the untamed rabbit,

You're running around like that is just a bad habit,

You could benefit from a much slower pace,

It is not if you win, but if you finish the race,

Slow and steady is my speed; that is clear,

You would be wise to take my advice, my dear,

You missed all the scenery as you whizzed by me,

I’ll bet you don’t know what was under that tree,

It was the best tasting grass you will ever eat,

Tenderly fresh, green and oh so sweet,

If you had stopped a while to have some of it,

You wouldn’t be hungry one little bit,

But run, run, hurry, hurry, you wouldn’t stop,

Now you are so tired and about to drop,

You should have napped beneath the shade of that tree,

Then you would be rested, just like me,

I am not telling you this to be rude,

But you need to stop and enjoy your food,

Enjoy your nap, rejuvenate your mind,

You might enjoy being like my kind,

We don’t get into a panic, but we get the job done,

And that, my friend, is how the race is won.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  12/14/2019

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Seasons of Life

Seasons come and seasons go,

Just like the seasons of life, you know,

Take, for instance, when you were born, before you grew,

It is like spring:  all things fresh and new,

Then you grow and it’s the summer time of your life, as a child,

You run and play, carefree like summer days, wonderful and wild,

Then time flies and it’s the fall season of your years,

A bit more serious, an adult, with experience, filled with fears,

Fears, stress, the day-to-day grind, the career, the growing responsibility,

The house, the car, the taking care of business, establishing stability,

Fall brings much change, like the colors of the trees,

It is cherished time that you must seize,

Time passes faster as the seasons carry on,

You look back and wonder where the days have gone,

The winter comes quicker than you think; your hair starts to grey,

You have grandchildren running around; you watch them play,

You settle in for a long winter’s night,

And you hope you have planned your retirement right,

You are in your last season, so make it your best,

Are the golden years, they say, better than the rest?

The body is no longer young and the mind is slowly fading,

But the memories of past seasons you will not be trading,

For anything in the world; seasons filled with hope and prayer,

Each one of them had its own reward to share;

The circle of life is almost complete,

It ends as it began, in a heartbeat.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  12/7/2019

Self Reflection

In January, the new year, most people are turning over a new leaf, setting goals for themselves and making New Year's resolutions.
Have you ever done a self reflection? It is a soul searching look at yourself from everyone else's perspective? It's a real eye-opener. You may say to yourself: "I'm not so bad, I'm a good person, or I'm better than so-and-so". The problem with that resolve is comparing yourself to other people. People are all flawed. The comparison should be to Christ, our redeemer. He is the standard by which all others should strive to be.
I have looked into the mirror recently and not liked the person staring back at me. I see my flaws like I've never seen them before. I realize now more than ever that I need to be diligently seeking to be like the One who gives us strength in our weaknesses.
This is not a pity party, so please don't take it as such. It is an honest account of my self reflection.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I ask “who is she?”
Am I the person that I want to be?
Am I looking within my heart to see?
I thought I was more compassionate, more kind,
But keep this in mind,
The person I see is not happy with me,
She is truly blessed, but does not show enough gratitude,
Her judgment upon others is the incorrect attitude,
I find her to be selfish and somewhat insecure,
Dancing around directness, not truthfully pure,
While honest to a fault, she does not choose her words well,
She has a tough exterior, but her feelings she cannot tell,
To reveal her vulnerability would be a disaster,
If you don’t believe me, then just ask her,
Her life has been turned completely upside down,
How does she smile when deep down there’s a frown?
She’s a real biddy, an unpleasant old hag,
It’s me I’m describing: a relentless nag,
I don’t want to be her; I want to feel better,
I don’t want to wear on people like an old wool sweater:
Itchy and stiff, uncomfortable and irritating,
So it is with myself I am constantly debating,
I prefer to be soft, kind, friendly and fun,
But the one in the mirror is the lonely one,
Not wanting to get hurt again by any other tragedy,
I feel the walls going up all around me,
So mirror, mirror on the wall,
God has a reason for everything, big or small,
Can’t change the happenings of the past,
But healing is slow, when I want it to be fast,
Reflection of mine, I would prefer to like you,
Opportunities are many, but successes are few,
I know I am made strong, because I am weak,
2 Corinthians 12:10 gives me the reflection that I seek.

Tammy Harvey
written: 11/27/2019