Shannon Simone Miller - hope https://www.shannonmiller.me/tags/hope en Love is the only real thing you can leave behind Are you investing in what matters most? https://www.shannonmiller.me/2016/11/26/love-is-the-only-real-thing-you-can-leave-behind-are-you-investing-in-what-matters-most <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>There is so much to be said about love. Poets have written about it, lovers have been scorned by it and nations of people have been united and healed by it. Yet love is elusive, the definition we all connect to what it means is varied and rare. The complexities that come along with the weight of it can sometimes be stifling even when in the most truest form it should be freeing. We think love should be convenient, love should be an easy twisted pattern of words on a hallmark card to feed a longing in the human spirit that no one can truly put a finger on. Love in its most simplistic ways is a word, but love, is an action of the highest level of the soul. Love does not come with contingencies, it doesn't have expectation or hold with it a label that has a universal fit for all. Love can be confusing, difficult, epic, jolting, revealing, awakening and even painful. Love is four letters that we as humans have given to an emotion and depth we truly have no ability to explain.</p> <p> </p><div class="media-element-container media-full"> <div id="file-75" class="file file-image file-image-png"> <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/file/lovefbpng">love_FB.png</a></h2> <div class="content"> <span id="styles-1-0" class="styles file-styles large"> <img width="480" height="240" id="1" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://shannonmiller.me/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/love_FB.png?itok=lR5hWVBY" alt="" title="" /></span> </div> </div> </div> <p>Love may lift us to great heights or send us plummeting to the deepest lows. In the end, love just is. The most important thing I think we can do as people is understand that our own personal view of what love is and means is the only one that matters. No opinions of others or a diamond wedding ring commercials can change what is in our heart.</p> <p>In the end of our days we will indeed reflect upon life, one of greatest questions we may ask ourselves is if we loved fully. Love can come in a smile, a kindness toward an animal or human. Love can be a thoughtful question in the right moment to someone in need. Love too can be being present without judgment or question. Love can be pancakes in the morning for your children when you have hardly gotten a wink of sleep. Love can be sitting alone gazing at the magnificent stars realizing you are enough.</p> <p>Love isn't about being perfect, love is only about being open to the human experience without letting hurt close us to all the beauty around us and if we can start with this, we may just get the love thing right after all.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-imageblog field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.shannonmiller.me/sites/default/files/love_FB.png" width="1024" height="512" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/love" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">love</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/peace" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">peace</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/hope" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">hope</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/family" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">family</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/relationships" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">relationships</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/happiness" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">happiness</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-related-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">You may also like:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/2015/05/08/be-brave-enough-to-say-i-love-you-more-often">Be brave enough to say I love you more often</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/2015/10/09/saying-what-needs-to-be-said-now-can-remove-regrets-before-they-happen">Saying what needs to be said now can remove regrets before they happen</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/2014/06/20/five-ways-to-bring-more-creative-inspiration-into-your-life">Five ways to bring more creative inspiration into your life</a></div></div></div> Sun, 27 Nov 2016 04:39:10 +0000 Shannon 51 at https://www.shannonmiller.me https://www.shannonmiller.me/2016/11/26/love-is-the-only-real-thing-you-can-leave-behind-are-you-investing-in-what-matters-most#comments Ode To America On The Fourth Of July https://www.shannonmiller.me/2014/07/04/ode-to-america-on-the-fourth-of-july <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><span class="userContent" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}">On Independence Day this is my ode to the Nation that I adore. America you remain, still the gleaming beacon of hope to me and people the world over. You are not without soil, tears or pain and nothing beautiful enduring or strong is ever without those things.</span></p> <p><span class="userContent" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}"><br /> <div class="media-element-container media-full"> <div id="file-10" class="file file-image file-image-jpeg"> <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/file/10">americaode2.jpg</a></h2> <div class="content"> <span id="styles-1-0" class="styles file-styles large"> <img width="480" height="320" id="1" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.shannonmiller.me/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/americaode2.jpg?itok=XyXlKg8o" alt="" title="" /></span> </div> </div> </div> <p></p></span></p> <p><span class="userContent" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}"> Despite our differences, we have a magical tapestry of colors, sounds and spirits that speak to me. I love you, because we <span class="text_exposed_show">are a young country and as such, much like a young child full of falling, skinned knees and mistakes you still find time to celebrate and remain full of playfulness hope and wonder. You let me be anything I choose at any given moment. You let the dreamer and doer find each other in the perfect space of harmony and invention. You believe in sweat and you believe in reward. You ask no fee for entrance other than optimism and drive. You can pick up from a life of quiet desperation at any moment of your choosing and be anything you choose. You are a charitable lover of people, and you remind the weary that they have hope. You stand tall with a back of steel and when others count you out you do it all over again, shaking away the dust, picking up your friends and believing this dream we have will all be well again.</span></span></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/beauty" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">beauty</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/freedom" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">freedom</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/hope" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">hope</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/love" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">love</a></div></div></div> Fri, 04 Jul 2014 18:31:05 +0000 Shannon 10 at https://www.shannonmiller.me https://www.shannonmiller.me/2014/07/04/ode-to-america-on-the-fourth-of-july#comments