ROSES ARE
RED,

VIOLETS ARE
BLUE

I’LL WRITE A
POEM

THINKING OF
YOU

Here at Messiah Village we have a Poetry Society where most of the members write a poem at
least once a month. At the evening
meeting the third Tuesday of each month they all share a poem or sometimes two.
And then poems are sent to 50 Plus Senior News and a poem is selected for
publication each month. This year in November five poems related to Veterans
Day were published. In addition to that
honor the Poetry Society received an honor
plaque at the annual 50 Plus Expo in
Carlisle. WOW!

At the society meeting in November some of the poems read
were “The Year of 2012”, “Christmas of 1929”, “Thanksgiving”, “Cold Days are
Winter Fun”, “Church Steeple”, and “A
Time to Cheer“. One of these poems will
be selected for publication by Megan Joyce. editor of 50 Plus

Leigh Hoffman helped organize the Poetry Society in April, 2007, after he became a resident at Messiah
Village. Ten to twelve residents meet with the society each month in the
Fountain Room at the Village Center.

Most have written a poem but some enjoy coming
just to hear poetry read. Perhaps you would like to visit the third Tuesday of
a coming month to hear poetry read or to read a poem of your own. You are welcome to join them.

This year has been quite eventful, and now that Thanksgiving Day (USA version) is upon us, I thought that I would take a moment to share what I’m thankful for today.

1. Turkey Day NFL Football – There are actual reasons to watch the Detroit Lions today.

They could possibly make the playoffs. It has been quite some time since you could say that. They will most likely lose to the Packers of Green Bay, but it should prove to be an entertaining game.

2. Expandable Pants – I’ve been on a weight-loss journey this year. I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting at the end of January. So far I have lost over 40 lbs. I am proud of myself for this. I have not felt this good in awhile.  I actually went hiking in the Smoky Mountains this summer. And I enjoyed it. I have been on hiatus from meetings for about a month and a half, and need to get back to tracking my food.

Today, will not be that day. One day of too much Turkey, stuffing, and pie, does not undo nearly a year’s worth of work. So I’ll put on my roomier jeans today. Eat up. And go for a good walk later.

3. My Son – Absolutely the best thing that has happened to me this year is the birth of my son, Anderson Bert Shields. If you read my previous blog about Circle of Influence, you would note some doubts I was having about being a dad. I still have some doubts about how I’ll be as a father.

Anderson & Daddy

But what I know with certainty, is that I’ll never stop loving my son. I never quite understood the connection that parents have to their kids, I get that now. He is still so small and vulnerable. When I hold him… it’s overwhelming.

Anderson's 1st Snow

Welcome to the world, Anderson. I hope I do ok as your dad. I love you!

November ushers in the holiday season with both Thanksgiving and Christmas reminding us of the many things for which we should be grateful. Because God has so abundantly given to us, our gratitude should overflow into every aspect of life.

Traditionally, people greet one another by asking, “How are you?”, or perhaps “How’re ya doin”? Although they probably don’t really want to know about everything that’s bothering you, those questions seem mostly aimed at our health or welfare.

Instead of reciting a list of my current aches and pains or complaining about the bills that keep arriving in our mailbox, I’ve made it a practice to respond to those polite but generic greetings by saying, “Oh, I’m grateful”. …which I always am. Some folks act surprised by my off-beat answer to their friendly question, but few ever ask WHY I’m grateful.

So let me explain…. The reason is that regardless of my superficial circumstances at any particular moment, I’m always thankful for God’s grace and blessings in my life. Therefore when I say, “I’m grateful”…it’s the most honest and heartfelt answer I can muster up !
If someone DOES choose to explore the matter further—–which I highly doubt—-I’ll tell them that my gratitude results from God’s gift of eternal life in Christ. a wonderful wife and family and the joy of living at Messiah Village where our future is secure and enjoyable every day.

Now—–next time we meet, don’t be surprised if I tell you that “I’m grateful” when you ask, “How are you?”  (And I hope that you are grateful too.)

“Woo-hoo – you can do it. Way to go!”, I cheered to total strangers, from my perch on Second and Bergner Street.

On my way home from errands that morning, I realized that the Harrisburg Marathon was in the neighborhood, and decided to watch the action from the corner. There was another women there, armed with a cowbell. By the time we saw the runners, walkers and juggler, the competitors had been at it for up to 7 hours. The winners of the Marathon had been determined hours ago, and I bet til some of these folks finished, the bottles of water would be gone, and much of the race festivities would already be packed away for next year.

Male competitors in Harrisburg Marathon

And still, they came. When they past us, they still had about 4 miles to go, down Riverfront Park and onto City Island. It’s a beautiful neighborhood, but not a glamorous stretch of race. There are lots of four-way stops so the runners were constantly eyeballing traffic to make sure it was safe to proceed. We saw several people pushing strollers with children, and we cheered extra loud for them. One silver-haired woman trotted by and as we yelled, she shook her head and mumbled, “I always tell people to do this when they’re YOUNG,” but she kept going.
One white-haired gentleman came by, and I’m no expert on age, but he looked closer to 80 than 60. He was walking, so I went up and gave him a high five, and he said “I’m the Abominable Snowman”, which is exactly what the writing on his shirt said. But it was the back of his shirt that caught my eye: “Since 1982. Every mile a victory.”

Female Competitors in the Harrisburg Marathon

Then a car pulled up to us. A woman stuck her head out and pointed to the runners coming up the road. “That’s my daughter, Kim. Cheer for her”. So we did. “Go, Kim, you mom asked us to cheer for you. She loves you. Go Kim’s friend, too!”
At about 1:45, a parade of paramedics drove past us, heading toward the city, and when we couldn’t see any more athletes’ heads pop over the hill, we called it a day. I decided to walk up the race path toward my house, just in case. And sure enough, there was one final man, running slowly, beaming. I crossed the street and turned on my cheering and clapping, sorry I didn’t have my cowbelled friend with me. “Who-hoo! Way to finish!” He gave me thumbs up and said, “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?’

Yes, it was. Life. Embraced.

Chris Wnuk
Author, Contents May Have Shifted During Life:
Unpacking the Stories of a Daughter, Wife and Technology Goddess
www.christinewnuk.com
Now, on Kindle!

photo credits: from www.harrisburgmarathon.com

Have you ever gone to Wildwood Park near Harrisburg? It is an interesting place to visit. For active walkers there is Wildwood Way trail of about three miles that goes around the pond and you can start it from several places. It is a great place to walk yourself and also walk your dog, ride your bike, push your young child in a walker and in winter go cross-country skiing. Sometimes you will see a deer, fox, or groundhog.

Or you can stroll two wooden board walks. There are always birds, squirrels, rabbits and pretty scenery along the board walks.  There are about 150 bird species, many of whom are tourists who arrive at various seasons. You can stroll the Delta Boardwalk and end near the Nature Center. Inside the Nature Center there are exhibits and children’s entertainment. From the high view window you can watch birds and squirrels at the bird feeders and there are books and computer displays so you can identify birds that you see. It is very interesting at all times of the year. The North Boardwalk takes you out to the pond where there are ducks, geese and other water fowl. Spring is a good time to walk there because before the grass and leaves fill in around the pond you can view some water birds nesting or swimming with their babies. There are two Blind Bird shelters for viewing water fowl.