#27 "What We Don't Do" by Susan Pearl

In certain cases what we don't do can mean as much as what we do,
While looking into certain faces it may be of the best help
To say, "Don't be hard on yourself. Don't be hard on yourself."
For what we don't do can mean as much as what we do,
And saying, "Don't be hard on youself," can help just as much, too.
For not to be hard on oneself may just be what is needed to be done
So "Don't be hard on yourself" can be the right words to say to someone.

#26 "Long Run Of Overdone" by Susan Pearl

Foolish notions may become harmful potions,
Because anything excessively overdone,
Can have gigantic consequences,
Like Titanic consequences,
In the long run.

#25 "To Keep Receiving Gives Overflowing Joy" by Susan Pearl

To "RECEIVE" the gift God's love and to open this gift of love each day and see it in our lives brings us Peace.
To have this Peace within ourselves, a 'peace of mind' "GIVES" Joy.  To be filled with Joy overflows to others.
I wish you Love, Peace and Joy.

#24 "Ant Talk" by Susan Pearl

"I just don't know what to think," said the little red ant.
"I know what you mean," said the visiting ant.
"Are you sure you heard it right?" asked the little red ant.
"Yes," answered the visiting ant.  "According to the song you and I are suppose to be able to move a rubber tree plant."
The little red ant gave this reply, "Oh, my, oh, my, I guess I just won't know unless I give it a try."

#23 "Keepsakes" by Susan Pearl

Keepsakes keep taking a thought of mine back in time,
Keepsakes keep making me recall a special time of mine,
A time that was once a big event or occasion on a day that came and went,
Keepsakes are like blinks or twinkling winks from a sparkle of past times and somehow they are now being sent,
To catch my attention and keep me remembering a gem of a moment in life that I don't ever want to forget,
Yes, those gems of moments that time made me leave behind,
But still blink at me to remember them from time to time.

#22 "Not Any Knots Thoughts" by Susan Pearl

I finished crocheting an afghan yesterday.  As I was crocheting I studied the innerlacing of the yarn to make the afghan. Here a magnificent and beautiful large afghan is made without knots.  The yarn is looped and pulled through the loops time and time again without forming knots.

I then thought of the the times a person has said "I feel like I'm all tied up in knots".  This makes me realize I may now answer that comment by saying,  "Well, it's better than becoming all unraveled."

#21 "Purpose of Pearls Take Time Blog" by Susan Pearl

I was taught as a young child the importance of service to others.   I was taught that service to others is a duty we all share.  This concept is the motivativation foundation of my creative writing projects.  I believe these projects will benefit others and that is what makes the creative writing projects so exciting, so very meaningful and so worth while to me.  I use the writing talent that I have with the hope that my work will be of benefit to all.  To me, I am giving service to others by having this blog because I truly believe this blog will be good and useful to others.  Even a poem a person writes can share a truth that the person has discovered about life and by sharing that truth in a poem another person after reading the poem (or creative writing) may see life in a new and productive way.  This is simply being shown a change of perspective or viewing things in a new way.
I love to learn. I am grateful to those who shared their knowledge with me and that is what I like to do is pass on to others the good that was given to me.
Sharing my writings is very meaningful to me and I hope these writings will be of meaning to the reader in a special way.

Song/Poem 9 "Capable Love" by Susan Pearl

I'm on this road of life just like you,
And I've seen love and know what it can do,
It's brought me through the darkest night,
Right on into the broad day light.
It's carried my load down forgiveness road,
Gives back to me one hundred fold,
Yes, I've seen love,
and I've seen what it's capable of,
Love is the greatest power on this earth,
It has the highest value and the most worth,
That's love,
And that's what love can do, what it is capable of,
Oh, that capable love.
Love can lead us up a high mountain trail,
It can show us a path through a dark deep vale,
Love is the greatest power on this earth,
It has the highest value and the most worth,
That's love,
And that's what love can do, what it is capable of,
Oh, that capable love.
Oh, that capable love.

Song/Poem 8 "Winds of Change" by Susan Pearl

Oh, the winds of change are relentlessly blowing,
And isn't it strange the truth that they are showing,
The past is gone, no more to find,
The winds of change moving the hands of time.
When I was young I thought I could go back at any time,
And be able to find what I had left behind
But I was wrong,
The winds of change had moved me on,
Now I realize that no matter how steady or wind blown a life has been,
The winds of change will win in the end.
For we are all subjects to the winds of change,
No matter who, no matter what all are in the range,
Of these winds of change that are relentlessly blowing,
And isn't it strange the truth that they are and will be showing,
The past is gone, no more to find,
The winds of change keep on moving the hands of time.

Jan. 6- "Just In Case" By Susan Pearl (previously published- 11/29/'10)

I remember being told that to have a change of pace,
And to get out of the rat race or end a relentless chase,
I should- "Do the important things first and everything else will fall into place",
So I try to, "Do the important things first and hope everything else will fall into place",
Then I brace myself not knowing what I will face,
And have a back up plan, just in case.

#19 "Board Room Decision" by Susan Pearl

I sat at the conference talble time and time again,
With the other board members who chose not to be my friend,
A board member to my side would only argue,on my other side another would only agree,
And so the deciding vote very often came to me.

I said that there is no need for us to fight,
One doesn't have to be wrong for the other to be proven right,
One doesn't have to be right and the other one to be wrong,
All we really need to do is to try to get along.

One doesn't have to lose for the other to only then win,
I said this at the conference table time and time again,
The two extremes on each side of me started to get along,
One didn't have to be right only when the other one was wrong.

#18 "The Kansas Meeting" by Susan Pearl

They met in Kansas on life's way,
They met on the level and still stay true to that meeting to this day,
As they stood on the wide open even plain,
They chose to be open minded and within that frame to remain.

One then climbed to the lofty heights known only by a few,
The other lived a common life with hard work all through,
Both remembered their common ground, the open even plain,
Living the belief that all people are equal and we are all the same.

And so their meeting showed them to see what is true,
They carried that unique perspective as a certain point of view,
Remembering the common ground of their meeting on the open even plain,
Which taught them that on it we all stand the same.

#17 "Equality Thought" by Susan Pearl

When equality of all and for all is learned, taught and lived,
         it can correct a lot of cruelity.

#16 "Rainbows Unique Beauty" by Susan Pearl

Some things have a unique beauty all of their own,
And such beauty is very recognizable whenever it is shown.
Like the beauty of a rainbow is easy to find,
Because of its' one of a kind special design.
Not all rainbows are in the sky,
And maybe the reason why,
Is to surprise us now and then,
Like the reflecting arch of a waterfall across the bend,
Or its' appearance in the mist of the sprinklers as we go by,
Showing us its' one of a kind beauty that we recognize as it catches our eye.
Some rainbows are so very rare that they are called a phenomenon,
Rainbows can only be seen when we have our backs towards the sun.
So the reflecting light is needed to shine,
To show us a beauty that is one of a kind,
Rainbows appear and then rainbows will fade away,
Leaving us with a reflective moment that came for a while that day.
So maybe rainbows are moments of reflection for us so see,
Like a quick reflection of children runing through the sprinkler laughing so happily,
Or the moment for reflection of a time when seeing the majesty of it all,
As we viewed nature and stood in awe, a waterfall rainbow may help us recall,
And a rainbow across the sky will truly bring a moment to show,
A reflection of our thoughts about the beauties of life that come and go.
So rainbows can be moments of a one of a kind reflections that only they can give,
Rainbows may not be in the sky to catch our eye and reflect the special moments we live.

Song/Poem 7 "What You Don't Do"

When it comes to bullying what you don't do means as much as what you do,
Like today when they were bullying a person just for fun,
And that person was crying by the time they got done,
You were there and didn't say or do one thing about what this person was going through,
I think this shows something about you, too.
Because when it comes to bullying what you don't do means as much as what you do,
For it is up to each of us to choose those principles we live by and hold to be dear and true,
Believing that these principles are as important for ourselves as they are for others, too. 

#15 "Worse Before Better" /Susan Pearl

One expression that has been hard for me to understand is, "It's going to get worse before it gets better".

One day in a lumber yard a customer commented to the owner the he had learned when cutting the metal band from around the lumber bundle he had to stand back as the metal band can strike out and possibly even hurt a person.

This thought projected a picture in my mind of bundles of wood being bound up. The wood bundles are needed for building and for repairs but the potential for this good has to released from the tight holding metal band.  That time of release of pressure is a wild and uncertain time.  Which way will the flying metal band go?  A person has to stand clear and watch it happen before being able to work with the elements needed to build and accomplish what is needing to be done.

I think in life when a person is at a point when a release is needed to free and liberate that person into having a better life there can be a time of uncertainty for awhile. This is a worse time before a better time.  But once that time has passed all the components are free to work with to build a better life, to repair a broken life and to enjoy the results. 

#14 "Hard Lesson" /Susan Pearl

Mother told me not to play with the sewing machine, that I could get hurt,
But I liked the speed of the sewing machine and I knew the foot pedal was what made it work,
Mother heard my scream and came, quickly she freed my finger from the seam of an old work shirt,
It was a lesson that I had to learn the hard way,
And I didn't enjoy sewing anymore after that day.

#13 "Supicious Sounds" /Susan Pearl

When we moved to the country I was not accustomed to hearing the cyote's howl, I know that now,
For in the middle of one night I woke up my hunband because of an unusual noise I had just heard,
My heart was pounding so hard as we listened, we laid so very quiet without even a whispering word,
There came the supicious sound, my husband thanked me for waking him up to hear his stomach growl.

#12 "Creativity" / Susan Pearl

Creativity, to me, is to see and ponder the wonder of a possiblity,
Possibility, to me, brings about a without doubt believing energy,
Energy, to me, has an excitment for the possibilty of what could be.
Creativity allows me to be free to see my own possibility
With the energy and excitment of the ability for that to be.
Creativity, to me, is when we all see and be our own possibility
And become the best that we can be with excitment and energy.

#11 "No Rush"/ Susan Pearl

Some things have to be played out, no quick answers, there is no rush,
Like sitting at the dealer's table needing just that one card for a royal flush.
We have to wait and see what will or will not be.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

 Song/Poem 6    by Susan Pearl
( written in memory of those who have died as a result of domestic violence )


The thought of those who have died from domestic violence comes to mind,
As a voice is formed in their memory saying together at this time
For we are a family across this land,
And when one is hurting we all should understand,
So we speak of their hopes and dreams that should have been,
And we talk about their time that was to be shared with family and friends.
There is no way to measure the pain or the loss,
Or to know the cost
They had to pay
When their lives were taken away.
So we are their voice now, and we are their tears
To cry out for all their missing years.
And we will remember every night and every day the hushed words they had to say.
Their lives they had to live,
The love they and we had to give
And we will remember, too, it was domestic violence that has taken them away.

#10 Who Threw the Chicken Away/ Susan Pearl

We were served two containers of chicken.
With one container so quickly emptied it was now used to hold the bones.
The other container still held some delicious plump, juicy pieces of chicken
   which we were going to enjoy the next day at home.
Once home, "Where was the chicken?" My uncle went to check in his car saying,
   "I know I threw away the bones".
My husband looked in the kitchen. "I know I threw the bones away," I heard him say.
So to this day I wonder who threw the chicken away.

Commentary on the Word "Comfort" by Susan Pearl

The word "comfort" is a fascinatinting word in the English language.  If I were to hope for someone to have comfort I woud be hoping that person would have solace during sorrow.  This solace can come in the form of good memories,  the love of others and the thought that all was done that could possibly be done.  These thoughts would bring comfort.  It is like peace of mind in the midst of a very stressful time, especially in a time of great change.

Sometimes when a person is very ill the treatment is described as "comfort measures".  This would mean to assist the patient to stay within a tolerable range of being without pain.  Comfort is a managed range of tolerance and this range is maintained by monitoring adjustments to stay within that comfort range throughout the duration of the painful process.

So "comfort" is a range of tolerance.  Some people say that something is out of his or her "comfort zone". This would means that something is out of the limits of having continued peace of mind or out of the range of continuing a level of tolerance in an individual setting or circumstance.

The expression "comfort food" is interesting. This expression gives the impression that besides having peaceful thoughts, or monitored surrourndings of tolerance range, "comfort" can be felt through the five senses.  The sense of taste is for the full flavor of favorite foods and the sense of smell for enjoying the aromas of such favorites  can even bring a pleasant memory to mind.  The sense of hearing would be like that of listening to an inspirational song or the quietness of an early morning cup of coffee (taste, smell, hearing).

The sight of a beautiful scene of nature is comforting and peaceful  The lovliness of flowers and the fragrance can bring our thoughts to a gentle place.  The majesty of the mountains and the vast sight of the redwoods can bring humbling thoughts of recognizing the greatness of it all.  This can be a moment of peace and "comfort".

Sometimes, just out of the blue, a person can experience an unexpected new peace and "comfort".  This may be due to the expansion of tolerance levels or a greater range of ability to remain at peace within a certain situation. 

We can bring comfort to others by our experience of what we have been through, too. This can be of assistance for others as an individual process of "comfort" begins.

"Comfort" is a personal, spiritual and, or, emotional connection beyond our self.   There are various ways that can bring "comfort"  and continue to maintain a tolerable range by having peaceful thoughts.

I hope you have "comfort". 

#9 The Fact Track

I met a person who had stayed on track by riding the rails of true fact.
Another person I know was off of the track and was going back, wondering which way to go.
For this person did not want to be on the track of what is real,
Instead this person wants to go only with what a person can feel.
One destination is factual the other can change according to mood,
One track is steady and consistent, the other is frequently misunderstood,
One can be filled with trust, the other can be filled with fear,
"All aboard," is calling over and over again for each person to hear.

# 8 Good Manners

I sat across at a table from a person who was very ill mannered to me,
All the while that person held a fork with good manners by holding it perfectly.
I think that there is  more to good manners than holding a fork a precise way,
It comes by holding respect for the rights of others in a constant display.
There is nothing wrong with good table manners that is a fact,
But the treatment of others dignity is where true manners are at.

The Radcliff Sale

This writing is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to any person, place, name or event is coincidental.

Any reproductions, copies or performances of this poem is forbidden without exclusive written permission from Susan Pearl.  Susan Pearl is the owner of this poem legend.

# 7 Love and Time

You are like a lighthouse on life's deep ocean.
You showed I had the skills to sail the storms of my emotions.
And now it is clear to see,
   this has been what is best for me.
My heart will chart each part from this love I know
   and show me safely to where I am suppose to go.
And when in the thick fog of doubt,
   I will hear you calling out,
A call that will rise above all from only you,
   that love and time will bring me through.

#6 The Broken Chain

When we lived in the country we had a wonderful pet dog.  This dog was ideal.  Our dog was friendly to children, fun to be around, playful but very serious if anyone pulled into our driveway. It was then our dog became a guard dog and would bark at the visiting car and occupants until we would call, "It's O K".  Those words would satisy our dog concerns and once again our dog became playful and endearing even to the visitors as they would get out of their vehicle.

One day we were expecting a lot of company so we decided to chain our dog to a post for the visits to be easier with the guests coming and going throughout the day.

We were absolutely heartsick when, at the end of the day, we found that our dog had broken the chain and had run away and was nowhere to be found.  We called and called and called for our dog to come home but to no avail.  Night was starting to set in and we envisioned our dog to be caught by something somewhere and needing help. 

Even though our dog naturally felt free to run again when the chain was broken the fact of dragging part of the chain was endangering for entanglements.  By dragging part of the chain our dog could easily become snagged and become vulnerable for prey.

We looked and looked and called and called and finally our dog appeared in a field across the road from our house.  What a welcome sight!!!  What a relief!!!  Our dog was safe again.  The broken chain was totally removed.

To put this story into an inspiration and encouragement writing the reader has to recognize that the excess baggage being drug from the past can bring jeopardy to our ablility of being free without getting caught by harmful surroundings.  To truly be free a person has to be free of carrying or dragging their past around that is susceptible for getting hooked by something or hooked on something that stops the person from being free.

If a person drags around angers, fears, hurts and insecurities that person is more susceptible of getting caught by something that can hook these areas being carried.  It is to a person's best interest to not carry or drag  aspects from the past that had once ensnared that person.  Breaking free isn't always experiencing true freedom. It comes with an awareness of our circunstances each day and having the ability to move past what could hold a person from going forward and enjoying the experience of doing so.

#5 Cymbal of Symbol/ a Thought from Susan Pearl

Many different symbols in a land,
   are like many people striking cymbals in a marching band.
The unison presence of each cymbal strike shown,
   presents a striking grand symbol of it's own.
 All are in the same beat of freedom's march that does resound,
   the unity of diversity so very loud, so very proud.

March on freedom, march on,
The unity of diversity is strong,
March on freedom, march on.

Song/Poem 5 "Hope's in Motion"

Hope's in motion,
     the best ways to find.
Hope's in motion,
     keeping in step with time.

It's hard to live down
     or carry around hurts that have been done.
So today I'm not looking back to what has come and gone.
Memories can stand still in my mind,
     like a locked frame in the picture show of time.

But, hope's in motion,
     the best ways to find. 
Hope's in motion
     keeping in step with time.

If ever I see life passing me by,
I know I need to give hope a try.
Hope brings from its' eternal spring
  a far outreaching flow,
That shows when it's time to stay
     and when it's time to go.

Hope's in motion
      the best ways to find.
Hope's in motion
     keeping in step with time.

When hope is on the scene
     a better day isn't that far away,
Hope shows us if it time to to go
     or if it is time to stay.
Hope can catch my eye
     like the glimmer from a distant stream,
Helps me see sights that I have never seen,
Hope gives a dream to live
   and it can open a closed door.
Hope is in motion like never before.

Oh, shine on me "Hope",
     I want to see your light,
Shine on me "Hope",
     shine on me day and night.

Hope's in motion,
     the better ways to find.
Hope's in motion,
     keeping in step with time.

#4 Surprise Aroma

The mouse in the back of the stove is a childhood memory of dread,
There came to be a horrible aroma as mother was baking her bread.

Song/Poem 4 "Felt So Loved"

When we were kids playing outdoors was the best time of all,
Until we heard, "First come-First served", our Mom's dinner call.
And we would race for home like we had never eaten before,
And try for first place by the back kitchen door.

We had played tag and chased away all the imaginary foes,
Running in and out of the fresh, clean, hung out clothes.
In and out under the clothes line we had spent the day,
It was the only place Mom didn't want us to play.

And we didn't wear namebrands or know any videos,
Mom was a widow who sewed our clothes.
In our coats she made a heart-shaped pocket for our gloves,
And life was so good, I think it's because we felt so loved.
We felt so loved.

Our property was quite a sight to see
   with all the trees marked with "Z's".
Sword fights with lumber scraps
   over hidden treasure maps.
Next came hot rods in the yard
   taking jobs, working hard.
Seasons came and seasons went
   and our time together was well spent.

And we didn't wear namebrands or know any videos,
Mom was a widow who sewed our clothes.
In our coats she made a heart-shaped pocket for our gloves,
And life was so good, I think it's because we felt so loved.
We felt so loved.

One by one we left home and tried to keep in touch
Even, at times, if it wasn't all that much.
And life as we knew it faded away,
New life came in with our children at play.
There is one thing that we are certain of,
We want to pass on the gift of feeling so loved.

And we didn't wear namebreand or know any videos,
Mom was a widow who sewed our clothes.
In our coats she made a heart-shaped pocket for our gloves,
And life was so good, I think It's because we felt so loved.
We felt so loved.

Song/Poem 3 "Fall Memories"

Tomorrow is officially the first day of Fall.  I love the season of Fall.  I enjoy the sight of the golden shades and reddish mixtures of the spectacular colors of the leaves.  The taste of Fall to me is hot apple cider or apple slices dipped in melted caramel.  The smell of Fall are the lovely spices of cinnamon and nutmeg with an outdoor whiff of someone using their wood burning fireplace for the first time in this cooler season.  The feel of Fall is the feeling of being warm and cozy with the softness of a woolen blanket. To hear Fall I would leave the sidewalk and walk across the yard and hear the crunch, crakling of crisp leaves underfoot.

Fall was a special season as I grew up.  Our dad had built the home that I grew up in and on the North side of the house he had planted three maple trees ( a silver maple, a sugar maple and a red maple). I wrote this poem/song, "Fall Momories", to commemorate this special childhood memory of Fall.

"Fall Memories"

My dad died when I was small
I really don't remember him at all.
Mom raised four sons and me
     giving us a special Fall memory.

Each Fall I remember mom gathering clusters of leaves
  from the three maple trees by our home.
She brought them in and enjoyed their beauty,
     decorating in reds and golds.
She put a big bouquet of leaves in front of the picture window.

Beautiful maple leaves, glistening in the sunlight,
     beautiful maple leaves, rustling in the wind
     returning a loving Fall memory to me, again.

She pinned some leaves to the curtain by the sink,
     and as she washed dishes she would look at them and think
Of the day dad had planted the trees and of the house he had built
     and love for him she still felt.

Beautiful maple leaves, glistening in the sunlight,
    beautiful maple leaves, rustling in the wind
    returning a loving Fall memory to me, again.

When mom's eyesight went dim
   she still thought of him,
And when she was seventy-nine
   the porchsteps were hard for her to climb.
It had been forty years since she held dad's hand
   and the special touch he left I  grew to understand
 As she would  gather more leaves in the Fall,
   for more kind memories to recall.

Beautiful maple leaves, glistening in the sunlight,
   beautiful maple leaves rustling in the winds
   returning a loving Fall memory to me, again.

And I thank God above
  for the gift of an unending love
Shown to me by the leaves of the maple trees. 

Beautiful maple leaves
   returning a loving Fall memory to me, again.
.

#3 "Love for One's Self Brings New Strengths and Beauty"

A couple of months ago I was having therapy for some weak muscles.  The therapist kept telling me during the therapy session to be sure to tell her if I was experiencing any type of pain.  After awhile and into the therapy session, surprisingly, there came a sharp pain.  I told the therapist I was having pain on the right side.  She said that pain will always go to the weakest side.  So the therapy session showed us the right side was the weak side.  I didn't know my right side of the muscles was weaker than the left side.  I don't even know if my therapist knew it for sure but the pain showed the weakness.  Believe it or not a creative writing came out of the theraphy experience so here goes.

I thought that if pain always goes to the weak side maybe there are certain pains in my life that show me something weak about myself.  I thought about what causes me pain.  One thought was when I feel unappreciated.  Another thought was when people say something uncomplimentary about me.  These two things hurt me and make me feel a pain from the actions and words of others.  Then I thought about what weakness in me could cause me to feel this kind of pain.  I thought that if I look to others for my worth or value or self esteem I am dependent on others to feel good about myself and that would be a weakness.  If I am confident of my own worth and have good self esteem then I wouldn't be dependent on what others think of me to know I have true value.

So I decided to think this through a little further and this is what I discovered. It is out of the awareness of what is causing the pain in my life that brings to me an opportunity to do something about it in certain situations.  Out of the pain that shows to me an area of recognized weakness can come a strength of character that removes the pain of the irritation by this delvelopment of the new strength.  If the weakness is no longer there then the irritation will no longer be able to cause the same pain as before.  The hurt from others won't cause the same pain when a solid and good self esteem is in place.

I think a lot of lessons in life teach us how to love ourselves.  To love ourselves and to love others as we love ourselves.  There will be irritations throughout our life.  That is just the way life is.  But some of these irritations do not have to cause us tremendous pain if we recognize that the pain can be remedied by a development of a strength.  This strength can become a strength of character and to learn how to love ourselves will give us a rare beauty from within ourselves.

As this process of change continues our desires may change also and we truly may enjoy new surroundings.  To be around people who enjoy attacking others self esteem will not be painful but rather it will become annoying and new people who also have love for themselves will be more attracive associations.  So from the original pain can come a new internal beauty and a new external beauty to our environment and surroundings.

People who do not know their true worth, value or have good self esteem will have a weak side to them and pain always goes to the weakest side.  Maybe to have more peace of mind we should have more love for ourselves.  There is more to gain by having less pain in some circumstances.  Only an awareness of the true cause of pain can direct us to discovering a new beauty about ouselves that has been waiting for us to find.

#2 Vise Versus Vice/ a Thought from Susan Pearl

"Our thoughts should be free and not caught in a vise grip,
     otherwise, our thoughts may become gripped by vice."

#1 "Battles Won by Battles Lost"

A Creative Writing by Susan Pearl:

     This  creative writing is about the wonderful parents of a young boy who lost his battle of finding his way out of a forest.  It was a battle against time and elements and these two facotrs did beat the chances of a successful recovery.  The boy died in the forest. In the midst of their grief the boy's parents decided to give their son a special memorial without telling anyone.  They leased a plane and a good friend who was a pilot flew them to be over the area where their son had been lost.  Over the area the parents dropped over 100 compasses in memory of their son.  No one knew about this but the pilot and another close friend. Years and years passed and then one morning something happened.  On the front page of the morning newspaper was a picture of a family being reunited with their son who had been lost in the forest.  The boy had found a compass in the forest and was able to navigate his way out of the woods.  The reunion was wonderful and so happy and everyone considered it a miracle.  No one, in the newspaper report, had any idea of what someone else had gone through to help make this successful outcome possible.

We, ourselves, may have no idea what others have gone through and done for our behalf.  What provisions have been put into place for our benefit and the benefit of others.  Out of a tragic loss came a successful gain.  Out of trmendous sorrow came overwhelming happiness.  A lost battle made way for the next battle to be won.

Throughout life are personal battles.  A lost battle is not in vain if it gives direction to win the next battle.   

Song/Poem 2- " The Pearl Song"

Dad, I kept looking for you.
I think I have my whole life through.
Leaving like you did
     when I was a kid,
Oh, Dad, if you only knew,
     I kept looking for you.
But from this came
     the meaning of my name.

You see, a pearl is a gem of great value,
     but it doesn't start out that way.
It begins as a displeasure
     that has to be lived with night and day.
And like the grain of sand
     the pain at hand
     can be very hard to bear.
But with time and grace
     a change takes place
     that makes a design so fair,
A hard to find,
     a one of a kind, that's rare. 

Lately, I've been thinking it through
     knowing the name "Pearl" had great meaning to you.
A gem so rare you wanted me to wear
     each day my whole life through,
     I think it was a gift from you.
Cause for each loss there is a cost
     that may seem to have no end.
But it has to be faced
     and held in its' place for a new look to begin
     and this new look has to start from within.
Some truths in life take time to find,
     and, by looking for you, I found mine.

A pearl is a gem of great value
     but it doesn't start out that way.
It begins as a displeasure
     that has to be lived with night and day.
And like the grain of sand
     the pain at hand
     can be very hard to bear.
But with time and grace
     a change takes place
     that makes a design so fair.
A hard to find
     a one of a kind, that's rare.

The Setting for Writing "The Pearl Song"

My name, Susan Pearl, has great meaning to me.  My Dad had chosen that name even before the birth of his and Mother's first child.  After having four sons, Dad still hung on to that name.  I am the fifth and youngest child in the family and Dad got to name me Susan Pearl.  My Dad died in a car accident when I was one year old and so I did not get to know him.  But I heard the story of how he wanted his "Susan Pearl".

As time went on I was raised by my widowed mother and grew up in a single parent setting.  This was back in the 1950's and 1960's, and I was the only one in my small rural community class who did not have a dad and that is something I really missed.

When I was in my forties, I came across an explanation of the pearl.  This explanation revealed to me that a pearl is made from a self defense device of the oyster.  To stop the irritation of a grain of sand inside the oyster, a mother of pearl substance is formed to coat the grain of sand and thus the once irritation becomes a rare beauty of a gem, a one of a kind, a beautiful pearl.  I knew then the true meaning of my name.

Song/Poem-1 "Pearls Take Time"

Life has so many moments and to –”live in the moment”– as they say
It is up to us to look and find the pearl (the rare times) in each day.
It seems so good to think how far we have come,
From those early years when we started out so young.
Like a pearl our love has grown more beautiful with time,
And, like a pearl, a love like ours is hard to find.

Do you know that pearls take time?
Do you know the love for you I have in this heart of mine?
It would be so good for you to know these things are true.
And take time to find the moments of my love for you.

Sometimes pearls are set aside and kept in a jewelry chest
Only to be worn on those occasions when we dress in our best
Well, it’s a very special occasion for me to be with you,
And I treasure our time together- I really do.

Did you know that pearls take time?
Do you know the love for you I have in this heart of mine?
It would be so good for you to know these things are true.
And take time to find the moments of my love for you.

What the future holds in store for us – I don’t know what will be,
But I hope it holds more of your love in it for me,
Because I have lived long enough to know
“Under calm or stormy times beauty can grow.

Did you know that pearls take time?
Do you know the love for you I have in this heart of mine?
It would be so good for you to know these things are true.
And take time to find the moments of my love for you.

The End