"Waiting to Return Once More"

• ·         Inspired by the song … The Highwayman by “The Highwaymen”

Days flew by very quickly.  Home, here, with my relatives and family, life was magical.   With not much to do but to relish the tranquility and pristine beauty that surrounded me, the drudgeries of my last life were far gone.

I had been a mason worker.  Life had been challenging, but it had been good.  The pain and emotional toil that accompanies everybody’s life had been sometimes present and sometimes persistent, but it had vanished with the bright light that had brought me here where I am today.

When I first came across my parents and my grandparents and all of my old friends, I was overcome with emotion.  The joy I felt instantly lightened my heavy heart and brought me happiness that I had never known before.

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The many lives which had culminated to this last, had lead me closer to becoming the idealistic version of the person that I would someday be.  It was very comforting to be home with all of my friends and family, but I knew I had pressing business on Earth.

Faint recollections of my many lifetimes inundated my mind, but they only reflected a puzzle of the missing pieces of what I was meant to become.  With every life, I became closer to the realization of just that flawless person.

That was the meaning of existence; life was about the culmination of many lifetimes into the perfect individuals that we would all someday be.

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Friends and family were near and the immaculate surroundings filled my heart with the joy to which I had now become accustomed.    

God had managed to make this existence as meaningful as possible.  In addition to the bliss experienced by all in this place, the physical base of being was maintained.   With a clean and unspoiled heart, we were all able to pursue goals of our own and maintain a lifestyle that contained meaning within itself.  It was not empty joy that we all practiced; rather, our time was spent both pursuing our most ambitious goals and preparing our psyche for our next life on Earth.

After a few decades, I witnessed my close friends and family choose to return to the Earth to begin a new life.   It was with complete understanding that they would not have any memory of this past time that they had experienced.  We could look down now and witness the struggles and toil that accompany life on Earth.  However, they all were willing to choose this venue for the actuality of taking their part in creating perfection on Earth.

As I looked down, I could see my children and grandchildren living their lives’.  I did not weep for them when they were struck with hard times; I simply sent all my love to them to help them through troubles that may have, to them, seemed insurmountable. 

With love and hope, I missed my children.  Although I wished them long flourishing lives, I hoped to see them here one day.

My wife, who had died before I did, was the first person that welcomed me upon my arrival.  She had died of natural causes at a very old age as I did.   When she greeted me we were both as young as when we first met.  My love for her had never vanished. 

The two of us spent our time together as we did on Earth.  As physical beings, what was recognizably different was the feeling of nirvana that was experienced by all on this plane.  We all worked, not for money, but for the pride of accomplishment that it gave us.  We played and enjoyed entertainment, much as we would on Earth.  Every night we went to sleep and every morning we woke up; just as we did on Earth.

However, the time had come for me.   My wife was not ready, but I was.  I would return to Earth.  There was not much opportunity for decision or free will in this matter.  We could not choose who our parents would be and we could not choose any other particular sort of life when we arrived to the Earth.  I was fully aware that I would not remember any of the bliss that had become second-nature here.  However, I also was aware, although I would forget, that someday I would return to this place only to leave again. 

I discussed my decision with my wife.  I discussed with my many friends and relatives, with whom I had been reunited with here.   I discussed with them all my decision had now been made.  As we all do, I would return to Earth and do my bidding.

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I was cold.  Strange people who I had never seen before surrounded me and my mother.  I was very cold.  The strange people cleaned me in warm water and handed me to my mother.  My mother held me in her arms.

My new life was to begin.

“In Memory”

Mommy died last year.  I cried and cried, but I couldn’t bring her back.

Daddy said she went to Heaven.  I hope she did.  I loved my Mommy.

This year had been very cold.  Me and my brother played in the snow, but mommy wasn’t here to watch us. 

This was going to be my first Christmas without her.  I had played in the snow, but I was still sad.

Last year’s Christmas had been good.  Mommy was very sick, but she still wanted to make it a good Christmas for me and my brother.  She put up decorations and cooked us Christmas cookies.   On Christmas morning the cookies we left for Santa were gone.

Daddy said Mommy would always love us and that we would always love her, she just wouldn’t be with us anymore.

I had asked Daddy, “Where is Mommy going?”

He told me that she was going to Heaven.  Still, I was very sad.

Mommy died a little while after Christmas last year.  Every year we cut down a Christmas tree and decorated it.  This year was going to be no different except that Mommy wouldn’t be with us.

This morning during breakfast Daddy said to me and my brother that we were going to get a Christmas tree just like we did last year.  I love getting Christmas trees almost as much as I like the presents that Daddy and Mommy always put under the tree.

Still, I was sad.  Mommy wasn’t with us anymore.  Sometimes I still cried.

We searched the Christmas tree farm.  As we looked, Daddy had said that Mommy had gone to Heaven to be with the angels and that she would want us to go on with our lives.’  I missed Mommy, but Daddy kept telling me that she was now in a better place.

It was very cold tonight.  Daddy had us put on mittens.   When we got to the Christmas tree farm, the snow was falling; not a lot, just enough to help me feel like it really was Christmas without Mommy.

Last year Mommy had been with us. 

Some of the trees had icicles falling from them.  We looked through the trees.  We wanted a big tree, but not too big because it had to fit in the house.

I loved Christmas time.  I loved cutting down and decorating the tree.  We looked through the Christmas tree farm and found one that we wanted.  Both me and my brother were much too little to cut down the tree, but Daddy was able to for us.  The cold air felt good to me and I smiled as the tree fell down.

Christmas trees to me were almost as fun as the rest of the holiday.  After Daddy cut down the tree, we tied it down to the back of the truck and drove it home. 

The decorations and the smell of the tree made me feel like it was Christmas time.

We had special decorations for everybody.  We wrapped the tree in garland and lights.  We put the decorations on the tree.  Daddy had bought each of us a special decoration this year; he did that every year.  I almost cried again when we put up one for Mommy.  I missed her.

We sprinkled tinsel on the tree and we were done.

Daddy said to the two of us,” This is our first Christmas without your Mother.  I know it is hard for you as it is for me.  It is still time to grieve on move on, but to never forget.” 

Daddy opened up a box and said to us, “This is ornament is to top the tree.  Every year when we celebrate Christmas we will also be celebrating your Mother’s life.”  He pulled out the ornament.  It was an angel draped in white. 

He said, “Every year we will place this on top of our Christmas tree to remember all the love she gave to us.”  

Mommy was now an angel in heaven.

"Country Music Artist of the Month ... Blake Shelton"

"Country Music Artist of the Month … Blake Shelton"

Blake Shelton’s Official Homepage

Blake Shelton was born June 18, 1976.  At the age of 17 he moved to Nashville to pursue a music career.  His first release, Austin reached number 1 and stayed there for 5 straight weeks.  The follow up songs on the album did not fare as well, but the album introduced Blake Shelton into the hearts’ of country music fans across the country.

Since his career began in late 2001 he has had fifteen number one hits and counting; including 10 straight number one hits to date, tying Brad Paisley’s mark set in 2007.  Other hit songs include Ol’ Red, The Baby, She wouldn’t be gone, and Home.   He is now at the peak of his career and stands as one of the most popular contemporary country singers.  His latest album release Based on a True Story, debuted in March of 2013 number 1 on the country charts and number 3 on the pop charts.  His latest single, Mine Would be You, reached number 1 on the country charts in November of 2013.  At this point in his career he has sold over 7 million albums.

In addition to being a favorite among fans of country music, Blake Shelton has received much critical acclaim.  He has received more than 50 nominations in a variety of music awards of which he was the winner of 18.  These include Grammy Nominations, Academy ofMusic Awards, Country Music Association Awards, and nearly other award giving body associated with country music.  He has received acknowledgement for categories such as Top Male Vocalist, Entertainer of the Year, and Vocal Event of the Year.

Blake Shelton has received crossover recognition as a judge on the singing competition The Voice.  His team, as they designate, has been the winner on 3 separate occasions.  In addition, 2 contestants on his team, Cassidee Pope and Danielle Bradbery, have gone on to begin their own country music career.  The songs by Cassidee Pope, Wasting all these Years and Over You have made it high onto the country charts.  Danielle Bradbery has recently released her 1^st song onto country music radio, The Heart of Dixie, which is quickly climbing the charts.  The television show remains popular and stands to be a venue to launch the careers of other country singers.

Blake Shelton is one of the country singers noted for not only their own singing career, but also for that of their spouse.  Other country singers such as Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and, in the past, George Jones and Tammy Wynette share in this distinction.  In 2005, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert met at a Country Music Television event.  Four years later, Blake Shelton proposed and on May 11. 2011 the two were married.  Similarly to the other couples in country music, the songs of Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert have been both popular and critically acclaimed. 

These are some of my favorite songs from Blake Shelton.  He is very versatile in his singing ability, with a strong voice both in his renditions of ballads and in more upbeat party songs.  In the last few years he has become one of the top stars in country music and this list of songs demonstrates the reason for this fact.

• Austin Video Link

This debut song by Blake Shelton reached number 1 on the country music singles chart and remained there for 5 weeks.  It is a profession of a man’s undying love for a woman who thought that the relationship was over.  The song brought recognition to Blake Shelton on the country music scene.

• I’ll just hold on Video Link

This is perhaps my favorite Blake Shelton song.  The masterful lyrical styling and melodic structure serve to sooth the senses of its listeners.  The heart-wrenching mood of the song invokes the feelings of a man holding on to a relationship which he knows is not ever going to work.  Many country songs appeal to this message; this is one of the best in the genre.

• Hillbilly Bone Video Link

This song, featuring TraceAdkins, hit number 1 on the country music charts in 2009.  It exemplifies an upbeat, party song atmosphere.  This song professes the cross-over appeal of many country songs in an up-beat, party-orientated performance by these two country singers.

• The More I Drink Video Link

As Alcoholics Anonymous preaches, “the more I drink, the more I drink.”  Although not a number 1 hit, or even a top 10 hit, the song expresses the vitality and the liberation that the barroom atmosphere can bring.  It’s strong back-beat serves as a similar expression to fit the message.

• It’s all about tonight Video Link

This song reached number 1 on the US country charts for 2 weeks between August and September of 2010.  The song helped Blake Shelton cross the border from a country music singer to a perpetual country music hit maker.  The song depicts the fun, frivolity, and party atmosphere of the barroom.

I hope you enjoy this post of “Country Music Artist of the Month … Blake Shelton.”  Keep an eye open for other country music features.

Thank you.