Archive for November 2014
The Phone Call
Posted on: November 28, 2014
The phone rang in the distance and through the device a voice
Could be heard of my mother leaving a message;
The ringer had been turned off for me to try and get some rest
This was the only time I could attempt to get some sleep at best.
This was because of the sleepless night
I had of the previous and many nights before.
Unfortunately though, I had then just missed her call.
My stomach felt in knots, as my body trembled,
For I feared I could literally then bawl.
There was something not right in the sound
Of my mom’s voice, I quickly thought.
She had asked for me to return her call in an anxious trembling voice,
That my ears had then caught;
As I picked up the phone to dial her number my fingers were shaking
And I was thinking, what could possibly be wrong?
My mother had answered on the other end,
As my heart continued to pound in my chest for so long;
Her voice sounded still anxious but now of someone
Who was rather in a state of sudden relief.
“Thank GOD I finally got a hold of you.
I have been trying to reach one of my kids
But there was no one I could reach until you.”
She then rambled on about my dad not doing well
And cancelling going into work for that day by calling the elderly lady
To explain the story of my father to tell.
It almost sounded to me as though my mom was in a bit of shock.
You see my parents have been happily married for over 55 years
And he had always been her rock.
I then asked if she had called 911
And her response was, “I was waiting to get a hold of one you kids first,
So as to not worry any of you, as to where dad and I were.”
I immediately told my mom to hang up with me and make that important call,
As every second as everyone knows is extremely crucial to all;
The ambulance soon arrived with its deafening siren and colourful flashing lights
This would soon grab attention, as they were so very bright;
The ambulance attendants put my dad on a stretcher
And brought him in their vehicle inside
And my mom proceeded by being at my daddy’s side.
They were both rather scared as my dad was now over 81 years of age
And with that there was a higher risk to whatever possibly might go wrong,
Because my dad was feeling very weak, rather than very strong;
Could my dad be able to hold on and continue to survive?
I was still at my home and the make-up I had put on was wearing off,
As I could not keep myself from crying,
I wasn’t ready to lose him, not quite yet,
Christmas was just around the corner.
“Please GOD I begged, please let my dad stay alive.”
I pleaded through the tears that continue to make my eyes sting.
I did not know what my family’s future would then bring.
I kept my phone close by
And tried to remain strong
Desperately trying not to cry;
The time seemed like hours before I learned he would be okay.
I thanked GOD for giving him another day,
Which I have been hoping will continue to always be that way.
I am not ready to lose my parent as there is so much more I need to say.
There is also so much for us to do together.
That is why I beg anyone who is at outs
With their parents who are reading this today
To make amends with their loved one(s)
Because time with them we should hold dear.
We may never get that second chance like I have been given
To tell that loved one how much we actually love them.
That is because all of our futures are unknown to us,
As they remain very unclear.
GOD is our author, our creator, the writer of our book.
HE decides on who stays and who shall remain in the lives of our storybook.
That is why we should never take anyone for granted
And let them ever become overlooked.
Written By: Diane Van Bommel
(The doctors have determined that my dad had suffered some mini strokes in the past, but not at present. They found it now had something to do with his ear that affected his balance and they are not concerned about his health. He was put on some antibiotics to help his body heal. It felt so good to hold my dad in his arms that night and exchange our loving words to each other. I am so blessed to still have my parents in my life. If you still have yours, make sure you appreciate the time you have left with them, as it should be cherished.)
The photograph at the bottom of the page is of my parents,
Jim and Margaret Carter 🙂
(The photo at the top of the page is from Office.com)
The Old Photograph
Posted on: November 16, 2014
Her wrinkled hands trembled as she picked up her old photograph.
Many years had passed since that picture had been taken,
That she could barely hold back her laugh.
Those were the days she thought
And the happy memories back then, there were quite a lot.
If only there was a time machine to take her back in time,
As it would be worth virtually every single dime;
That photograph brought her back to her younger days
Growing up in a huge family, the eldest of now 8 siblings
As two at birth had passed away;
The times back then were very tough
And at moments it was also rough
But life on the farm with her family
Was so unforgettable
Because she had so much fun with her siblings
And there was so much love to go around
That it did not matter how little they had of material things.
It was the quality of time with one another she found.
This is what made life back then extra special.
She realized then just how much things in life had changed
With all of today’s hustle and bustle;
Some people now days forget about the importance of family
And how each day or moment spent with them
That they should feel truly grateful for;
She then picked up her old photograph before heading out the door
And made that important call to her loved one,
As that picture reminded her of just how precious life truly is
And how spending time with your loved ones makes a difference,
As it enriches our lives and makes it also brightened.
Written By: Diane Van Bommel
❤ This poem is dedicated in memory of my dear Grandma Lievens (“Madeline Margaret”)
April 27, 1911- July 9, 1994 ❤
Note: My Grandma Lievens is in in the middle of the front row in the above photograph. 🙂
You are now in your last year of high school,
You may ask yourself “shall I live in residence next year
Or rather stay home and choose to car pool?”
There are so many decisions to make,
Including how many years your schooling shall take.
There is also this crunch to actually make up your mind
Leaving it hard for you to sit back and unwind
Because there is such an important decision to make,
As in which courses you should actually take
And which college or university you shall wish to attend in the fall.
These decisions feel so HUGE rather than just small.
You are coming to the realization
That you are having trouble making up your mind at all.
You may ask yourself “why didn’t I make up my mind earlier
Instead of procrastinate and just stall?”
When it comes to making decisions for our future
They are sometimes rather difficult to make.
This is when as a student you wish time to collect
Those thoughts and take a break.
The best thing you can do is to follow your heart
And listen to where your gut feeling takes you.
If you do this a brighter and happier future will be awaiting you.
Don’t make your decisions based on friends,
But rather on what will truly make you happy in the end.
You can always keep in touch with those that matter
And if you stay true to what you love to do,
Your future will become that much brighter too.
Embrace this time of your life in continuing on in your school
And whatever decision you make on which to attend,
Will be the right one for you
Because you know deep inside,
As GOD gives us those answers to apprehend
But sometimes we are not listening to that message
HE is actually trying to send.
Written By: Diane Van Bommel
(Photography is By: Bev Bieber)
❤ This poem is dedicated to my young friend, Bev Bieber.
May GOD lead you to where HE wants you to be
and may you have an amazing, bright future ahead of you.
GOD Bless!!! 🙂 ❤
Sometimes death can take us by surprise,
Especially when it comes to losing a loved one who so suddenly dies;
It leaves you with a pain in your heart that drastically intensifies.
This is because you were left in a state of sudden shock,
Causing a stinging pain from the tears of the aftershock;
It’s like when a volcano erupts,
So does your lives after death because it does disrupt.
There was no preparation that this loved one would die today.
You just assumed they would be around for many more days.
It is because you were not prepared to lose this person
Because there was no warning, as they hadn’t even been sick.
This loved one was taken away far too young and so very quick.
It doesn’t seem fair that you didn’t
Even get your chance to say your good-byes
And now you are left with so many Whys???
This is why we must not take our lives or anyone else’s for granted
We also need to realize how truly we have all been blessed,
So we need to make every second with our loved ones count,
For are days may be limited, as we do not know our amount.
Don’t put off another moment on what you can do today
Because they may not be here tomorrow, as GOD has HIS final say.
We need to keep on the right path and never forget to pray,
So that one day we shall all meet again
With our loved ones for an eternal stay.
Written By: Diane Van Bommel
❤ Dedicated in memory of my dear cousin,
“David Joseph Jude Carter” (“Dave”)
March 8, 1959- October 31, 2014 R.I.P. ❤
(This music video, “Save a Place For Me,” By: Matthew West,
is taken from YouTube.com)
(Image Source- “The Hunger Site’s Photo)
Do You Hold on to Anger?
Posted on: November 1, 2014
Anger is one of the many basic emotions that we as humans show at one time or another. Some of us have experienced this emotion many moments in our lifetime. Sometimes it is triggered because of what somebody has said or done to hurt us either emotionally or physically or maybe even both.
This could be due to a relationship that has ended badly, possibly leaving the other person who is left suffering with mental scrutiny and anguish because someone else has stepped in, taking the place in their loved ones life. Sometimes it is extremely hard to get past the anger and resentment you feel towards that person because let’s face it they stole your happiness right from beneath you, leaving you in disarray and now you are left possibly picking up the pieces.
Anger could also be caused by other reasons such as being frustrated with having being diagnosed with a sudden illness yourself or with a loved one. This anger could also be brought on if you have lost a loved one, especially if it was someone very dear to you such as a parent.
You may quietly ask yourself, “Why my loved one?” They are such a good person and they helped so many people. They don’t deserve this type of pain or suffering. It is just not fair. To be honest life doesn’t always seem fair. GOD doesn’t always give us an answer to these questions but the truth of the matter is GOD has a BIGGER plan for us.
We are not always going to be in this pain. It is sometimes in this pain or these struggles that life presents us with many blessings that come out of these situations. I for one have seen so many blessings come from GOD,
For you see I had been diagnosed with cancer on September 14th, 2012. They found 10 malignant tumours, 4 in my chest and 6 in my lymph nodes which they ended up removing them all, along with giving me a right mastectomy on October 3, 2012. Deep down at first I felt a bit angered and rather upset thinking, “Why me?” I couldn’t understand why I had to go through this emotional and physical pain. It pained me to lose my breast, making me feel less whole. I was also frightened at first that I could possibly have to leave my four young children without a mother, and my husband without a wife.
I was trying so hard to lead a good Christian life. I had volunteered in a soup kitchen, the church nursery, and driver for Scare for Hunger.
I also volunteered at the nearby nursing home and wrote inspirational writings in our local newspaper almost weekly. I even had been taking care of a 91yr woman in her home. I also spent once a week visiting my severely depressed uncle who I helped shampoo, shave, and teach how to cook. I worked at getting my uncle to open up and talk. I learned what his interests had been and tried to strike up conversations on those topics.
All the time I had been devoting had been paying off. He was not cured, as anyone who has experienced depression knows, it can be an everyday struggle but he was however showing tiny bits of improvement as he was no longer fully shutting himself off from the rest of the world.
By the time, I had spent all those weeks with him. I noticed a small improvement each week in his demeanour. He actually started attending mass again weekly which was a tremendous feat, as he was surrounding himself with several people, compared to being isolated in his bedroom 7 days a week.
I thought to myself, GOD these people all needed me and now I feel as though I am going to be deserting all of them.
After being diagnosed with my cancer I was left feeling mixed with many emotions such as: anger, frustration, pain, disappointment and fear.
My anger didn’t last long though because GOD brought me soon some inner peace. Amazingly, during this journey through my cancer I felt strength and lots and lots of love. For you see, blessings come out of even our hardest struggles, people, some of which were my closest relatives and dear friends were showing support for me and the thing was it wasn’t just them that did, but strangers as well.
This struggle made me become even stronger in my faith. It made me want to reach out to others with my writing in hopes of somehow comforting those who were faced with what I had to go through. I wanted them to realize they were not alone and that having faith can bring them hope and a chance to experience a miracle.
To be honest, if it wasn’t for my cancer, I am not sure I would have ever gotten my writing out there for the whole world to read. It probably would have stayed hidden in my computer, for only my eyes to see.
I feel I was meant to go through cancer to be able to help others that are going through it. How else would I be able truly emphasise with others, if it hadn’t been through it myself?
I must admit, cancer wasn’t something I would wish on my worst enemy, but although I had to go through a lot because of it, in some strange way, I was blessed in so many ways because of it.
I met so many dear friends and other cancer patients worldwide in which cancer actually had brought us all together, united in strength. We all had something now in common, something that made us like a huge, loving family. I feel so blessed every day that these people came into my life because maybe if it hadn’t been for my cancer these loving people I may have never met or crossed paths with them.
When we are faced with these bleak moments, or times in our lives that make us feel filled with anger and frustration we need to remember that there are blessings that will come out of these tough situations. Sometimes there is a reason that will present itself to us later in our life, like what happened to me.
Our lives all hold a purpose or meaning.
We just don’t know, as “GOD is the author of our story.”
HE is the writer of our book and so it is HE who knows how our story
Shall unfold and when it shall come to a final end.
No matter what the cause is that triggers your anger, you need to remember its okay to go through these feelings of emotion because that is a normal reaction that we as humans may have to face or deal with. The problem with anger is if we are not careful it could end up ruining our lives because if we choose to dwell with this emotion too long, it could take over any chance of ever becoming happy again.
Anger, is almost like a disease. It can eat you up inside making you feel very ill and unpleasant. It can also make you feel like you are weighed down with a ball and chain.
You need to free yourself from anger.
Anger doesn’t accomplish anything; all it does is create pain, sorrow and robs you from any chance of happiness in life.
It is not always going to be easy to let go of anger because sometimes it becomes a way of life for some people. There are some people who have been angry at someone for years, never once talking to them because they don’t think the other person is worthy of any type of forgiveness. Why should they with all they have put you through?
If this is how you are feeling, you are allowing anger to fill your heart, leaving no room for others and more importantly for GOD to be let in.
The sad reality to this is that this is happening way too often and the worst part of it is that many are not mending their relationships and before that person may know it, their love one could pass on. GOD wants us to forgive. How else can you expect GOD to forgive you for your sins, if you don’t forgive that other person for their mistakes? You are being a little irrational and a little hypocritical don’t you think?
Sometimes when we are faced with anger, we say things we don’t mean. Unfortunately, once the angered words have been said, there is no undoing it or turning back because your loved one has those words painted or embedded in their minds. This makes it hard for your loved one to forget because those words cannot be erased easily from one’s mind. Sometimes no matter how hard one tries to forget, a little voice plays in the back of their head reminding them of what was said.
That is why the next time you feel this kind of anger towards a loved one, try and take a step back and quietly count slowly in your head taking 10 deep long extended breaths. If you feel this is not enough time to regain your cool or composure, than count up to 20. The point to this exercise is to give yourself some time to relax and cool down some, so you can allow yourself some time to feel less angered about the situation or person.
Another important thing you can do is pray for GOD to give you the strength and will power to allow the other person your forgiveness.
Forgiveness, not only gives the other person happiness but it frees you from carrying that heavy ball and chain that you may have been carrying all this time. There is so much freedom, that GOD gives when you allow yourself to open up your heart in forgiving someone who may have done you wrong.
Some people deal with anger in so many different ways. There are those who lash out at any one who happens to be there at that given moment when the rage is building up inside you, feeling as though you could blow a gasket at any given moment. There are also those that are so extremely angry that they do the silent treatment, or hang up on their phones. This can really irritate the other person, causing a domino effect, as they too become angry as well.
Some people handle anger by becoming a passive person, shutting themselves out from the rest of the world. They could start becoming like a hermit because they feel this protects them from the pain and from being hurt by anyone. They build like a brick or stone wall around them, not wanting to let others in.
If you are reading this and it feels like a lot of this is pertaining to you, then let this be a little eye opener to help you change your perspective about being more open to forgiveness and spending less of your time being angry because every minute we are here on earth is valuable as we are only here on loan. It is a gift to be cherished and never to be taken for granted.
Our lives here on earth are so very precious, as we just never know when we may be called home.
Don’t live your lives with regrets because that is where your lives will be heading if you refuse to let go of this anger you are now carrying.
That is why we need to make positive changes in ourselves today. Don’t let anger keep you from fulfilling a life that has the possibilities for many chances of happiness.
You need to move on from that anger, like I mentioned earlier, it is okay to feel angry from time to time but it is not okay to dwell in that anger. This will only make you an angry and unrighteous person, who no one would even care to even want to be around.
You are the one person who is in charge of your own happiness.
How do you want to spend the rest of your days?
Do you want to spend it being angry or would you rather spend it being
happier and full of an inner peace that brings your life a more meaningful purpose?
If you are still struggling with anger issues try setting yourself up with anger management classes or counselling which can give you techniques that can be put into place in helping you to deal with life’s situations in a more appropriate and loving manner.
You need to not only do this for others but for yourself as well, because don’t you deserve to be happy too?
❤ Just think before you know it the anger you had been faced with will be replaced with peace and tranquility and a much happier person you will now have become . 🙂 ❤
Written By: Diane Van Bommel
(This music video, “Forgiveness” is by: Matthew West,
taken from YouTube.com)
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