May the Light of who I AM
Shine forth upon this World
And brighten every day
May the Joy that fills my Heart
Put a Smile on Someone’s Face
And wipe their tears away
May the Life that I now lead
Reflect the me I AM to BE
And not what others think or say
May the Love that I bestow
Lift the Spirit of one Soul
And help them find their way.
~D~
Photo: Sky over Ontario, CA ~ May 23, 2010
Copyright 2010 – Denise Gilreath ©
Laughing with flowers and giggling with their blooms; you wink as a
cloud passes by the sunshine in your eyes. 
You show us Joy.
Whispering softly on the breath of the breeze, the deep truth in your voice can be heard by all who will listen.
You show us Wisdom.
Calming the storms in the middle of the night, you hold us safely in arms of light that reach out from the moon and the stars.
You show us Peace.
Singing your songs on the wings of the birds, you touch our hearts with the beauty of life that surrounds us.
You show us Love.
In all that you do and all that you are, you show us these things. You are the reflection that looks back at us when we gaze into the mirror of our soul.
You show us who we are.
We are One…We are Beautiful…We are Love…We are ALL.
~D~
Photo: Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, AZ ~ May 2010
Copyright 2010 – Denise Gilreath ©
A Garden Grows
Deep Within
Watered with Rain
From my Eyes
During the Night
Roots of Love
Seeds of Joy
A New Day
Finally has Come
Warming my Heart
Drying my Tears
Spirit Calling
Leaves of Peace
Blooms of Light
~D~
Photo: Hedge Flowers in Our Front Yard ~ April 2010
Copyright 2010 – Denise Gilreath ©
In a dream I saw myself as a caterpillar. Everyday, I inched along, doing what caterpillars do; never getting very far above the ground. Though progress was slow, I was driven by an insatiable appetite, so I kept on going. I ingested everything in my path but it seemed nothing ever satisfied the hunger that I felt. I knew that a Caterpillar was what I was meant to be. Then one day, I noticed something was different. I was overcome by a very strong need to be still. And so I decided to build a cocoon. It was cold and dark on the inside of the cocoon. But I could feel myself begin to change from the inside out and I knew that it was meant to be. Time seemed irrelevant while I was there. A moment could have been eternity; eternity, a moment. It was all the same to me. I remained in the stillness; not understanding what was happening but believing that it should. I rested in that belief until there appeared in the cocoon a pin hole of light. I heard the light call to me, “Come.” For the first time since entering the cocoon, I began to stir.
It was a real struggle at first, but the more I moved toward the light the brighter the light became. The brighter the light became, the less I had to struggle. Then suddenly, I realized I was no longer inside the cocoon. I was still hanging on to it, but I was no longer inside it. I felt the warmth of the light as it began to wipe away the cold and the dark to which I had grown so accustomed. Hanging there, I felt a soft breeze blow across my body. I heard a voice in the light say “It’s time to let go.” As I heard these words, I found myself letting go of what remained of the confining cocoon. At first I was afraid of falling, then to my surprise, I began to fly. Yes, it was true. I was now a Butterfly. I had emerged from the cocoon with the most beautiful pair of wings. I felt such a need to fly; a need that was just as insatiable as the hunger I had felt when I was a caterpillar. The feeling of joy and freedom that overcame me was indescribable. I wanted to share it with the world. I spread my wings and I took to the sky. I danced on the wind and I kissed every flower that I saw. I knew that a Butterfly was what I was meant to be.
One morning, as I was fluttering about as Butterflies do, I looked up and saw a beautiful mountain; a big, beautiful majestic mountain. I rested on a nearby rock and gazed at the majesty before me. I knew there was something special about this mountain. I could see a type of glow radiating from it that I had never seen before. It was as if the mountain was made of light. I was in awe. Then, I heard the mountain call to me, “Come.” Down deep inside I knew that I should go, but it was so high and it was so far away. I had never flown that high or that far. Again, the mountain called, “Come.” I wondered if I could really do it. Did I have the strength? I knew I had to go. I had no idea how I would do it…but I had to go. So when I heard the mountain call once more, I took to the sky.
There was a cautious exhilaration that came in those first moments. “I’m just a Butterfly” I thought to myself. “I’m so small and my wings are so fragile.” But the mountain kept calling and I kept flying. The higher I flew the brighter the light from the mountain became. The brighter the light from the mountain became, the stronger I grew. Much to my amazement, I realized that I was once again being transformed. I no longer felt small and fragile. My wings were powerful and their span was becoming ever so wide. The eyes that I now looked thru allowed me to see so much that I could not see before. Yes, it was true. I was now an Eagle…and I wasn’t just flying…I was soaring! I soared and I soared; higher and higher. The freedom and joy that I felt as a Butterfly did not even compare to what I was now experiencing. I knew that an Eagle was what I was meant to be. As I attempted to take it all in I realized that I was at the peak of the mountain. I touched down softly and surveyed my surroundings. There was light all around. From my new vantage point, I could see beauty that I never knew existed. I felt as if I could see forever and the beauty never ended. Threads of light were all connected and interwoven creating a magical tapestry. I looked up and saw an even brighter light shining thru a white cloud laced with silver.
I heard a voice from beyond the cloud say. “You’re almost home.” I didn’t know exactly what that meant. I felt so at home where I was; surrounded by beauty and light. Surely there could be nothing better. Then I heard that familiar call, “Come.” I stood up, spread my wings and flew toward the light. As I entered the white cloud before me, I felt as if I was being lifted. I was lifted higher and higher. When I emerged from the cloud, there was nothing but light. Everywhere I looked, I saw light. I was standing beside a river of light. I looked at my reflection and I couldn’t believe what I saw. I had once again been transformed. Yes, it was true. I was a Dove…and I was made of the purest light. Freedom and joy abounded. I spread my wings and the light became even brighter. I knew that a Dove was what I was meant to be. It was then I heard a voice from the light softly whisper, “I AM Love. Welcome Home.”
When I awoke, I felt such peace. For in my heart I knew that the Caterpillar is the Butterfly is the Eagle is the Dove…and all of these is Love. I know that Love is what I am meant to be. Love is what I AM.
~D~
Copyright 2010 – Denise Gilreath ©
Continue reading The Caterpillar, The Butterfly, The Eagle and The Dove
13 Comments on The Caterpillar, The Butterfly, The Eagle and The Dove
I Resolve…
To Love and be loved more.
To Smile and be smiled at more.
To Hug and be hugged more.
To Kiss and be kissed more.
To Live and just be more.
To Sing and be sang to more.
To Dance and be danced with more.
To Laugh and be laughed with more.
To Dream and be dreamed of more.
To Believe and be believed in more.
To Shine and be shined on more.
To Fly and…yeah…to Fly!
~D~
Photo: I took this photo on my last trip to the beach this past summer. This same egret met me every day and would stand on this same rock looking out to sea as if he were lost in his dreams. Then, after a while, he would walk away to go do his morning fishing. The last day I was there, he stood on that same rock…dreaming…turned and looked at me…and then he flew away. It was beautiful. ღ
Copyright 2009 – Denise Gilreath ©
It was December 1977. My father had passed away in July of that year. I was fifteen years old. My sister was two years younger. My twenty-two year old brother had taken on the role of “man of the house” and worked to help support our family. My mother was severely depressed and stayed in bed most of the time. Being raised in a southern Christian home, celebrating Christmas was something we did every year. Though we were not “well off” by any stretch of the imagination, we did always manage to have a blessed Christmas. There were never many gifts under the tree, but there was a lot of love shared.
This particular Christmas was proving to be different, however. There was no joy in our home. It was a struggle for all of us to just make it thru the day. Though we did love one another dearly, we seemed to all be in our own little world of self-preservation. Each of us was dealing with the tragedy that had befallen our family in our own way. The pain we were experiencing was not something we talked about much at all.
I remember one day, just before Christmas, I went to my mother’s room and climbed into bed with her. I asked when we were going to decorate and put up the tree. She responded by saying that there would be no tree this year. She just could not find it within herself to celebrate…anything. Tears began to stream down my face as I once again was reminded how our lives had changed. I don’t know how long I lay there next to my mother, but I do know that not another word was spoken during that time…only silent tears from both of us.
At some point during the next few days, I got an idea. Even though it really didn’t feel like Christmas…I did want a tree. I knew there would be no gifts to put under it, but I still wanted to decorate. When I think about it now, I guess I was looking for that lost joy…for that feeling of love that always came with that time of year. I went to the garage, got my father’s old hand saw, convinced my sister to go with me and we headed for the woods. We didn’t have to go far. The woods around us were full of cedar trees. We found one that we thought we could manage and before long we were dragging our Christmas tree out of the woods and up the street to our house.
When we finally managed to get the tree into the living room, we realized that it wasn’t as big as it had seemed in the woods. It might actually have been the smallest tree we had ever had…but at least we were going to have a tree. My brother helped us put the tree in the stand and made certain that it was safely secured and standing straight. Then my sister and I went to the closets and gathered all the lights and decorations. We worked for hours. We even came up with a few “homemade” gifts to wrap and place under the tree. When we were finished…it looked like Christmas.
I can’t remember everything about that Christmas morning. I don’t know which of us kids got up first. I can’t remember opening any of the gifts. But what I do remember is that at some point during that morning, my mother got out of bed and came into the living room with us. She sat down and looked around at the lights and the decorations. She looked at our little tree and the gifts underneath… and then she smiled. She told us how beautiful everything looked. As I write this, I can once again feel the joy and love that I felt at that moment.
There have been many Christmas mornings to celebrate since that time. I have experienced the joy of seeing my own child’s eyes filled with the excitement of the season. I have felt the love that is Christmas many times as well. This year, I will even have the privilege of watching my grandson as he experiences his first Christmas. But, in my heart, none of these can compare to the love and joy that I felt as my family sat around our little tree on that Christmas morning all those many years ago.
~D~
Copyright 2009 – Denise Gilreath ©
I have been lying awake for what seems like hours…it is now early morning. Thoughts of the past few months have been running rampant in my mind, keeping me from my sleep. What a difference one little decision can make! In mid August, after many, many years of emotional struggle and pain; I decided enough is enough. I decided that I was going to be happy…period! It was as simple as that! It was MY choice. No one else could do it for me. It was up to ME. My mind was made up. No one was going to bring me down. No circumstance was going to change my mind.
I will admit that it was very difficult at first. I had lost my job as an office manager in June and had not been successful in finding work of any kind. Relationships with friends and family were strained for various reasons. Old patterns of thought and behaviors do not change easily. But I was determined. I began by submerging myself in positive thinking. I found pages and pages of positive thinking quotations and I read them every morning – sometimes again during the day and even at night before falling asleep. I refused to think negative thoughts or be caught up in negative situations. I read and re-read the book “The Secret” and anything else I could find online about the Law of Attraction. The concept seems so basic now, but at that time…just a few months ago…it was such a timely revelation for me. I set up an account with twitter and began “tweeting” positive quotes en masse everyday – with a very positive reception, I might add. I soon found that the world was full of people who were just as hungry as I was for positive change in their lives. My thinking at this point was two fold. Not only was tweeting a positive reinforcement for me, but I believed that anything positive I sent out would come back to me in some way. Soon, I began tweeting some of my own positive sayings or “snippets” as I have come to call them. This is when I knew something was happening. My thought patterns were changing and I began to believe things could be different.
Within weeks of my “one little decision”, a new way of life began to manifest for me. The “heaviness” to which I had grown so accustomed over the years was beginning to lift. I actually felt lighter physically. My thinking was much clearer. I felt happy! For the first time I could remember, I honestly felt happy…from the inside out! Then, blessings started to flow. I was presented with several opportunities to travel with friends and spend weeks at my favorite place…the beach. During this time, I began to look at the world thru different eyes. Everything and Everyone was surrounded by sunshine…even me! I remember sitting on the beach early one morning, waiting for the sun to rise. The sky was full of clouds. The tide was making its way in, but still revealed the many rocks that lined the shore. The beach held footprints from me and a few others who had just that morning made their impression in the sand. As I sat there and watched the sun rise over the ocean, it was as if it rose within me. As the sun broke thru the clouds in the sky above me, I could feel it somehow break thru the clouds within me. As the tide rose, it covered the rocks at the shoreline and I could see all the stumbling blocks in my path being swept away. Then I watched as each wave of the ocean washed away a few more footprints in the sand leaving a welcome mat for fresh new impressions. I had just experienced the dawn of a new day…both in the world and within myself. The sun and the ocean and the sand spoke to me that day. It was calling me home and I was beginning to understand.
Many wonderful things have happened since that day at the beach. I have shared much recently and I am certain that I will share more in the near future. I feel that sharing my experiences, both past and present, is what I AM to do at this point in my life. In doing so I hope to somehow make fresh new impressions on the hearts of those who have decided that they too are ready for change; that enough is enough. Oh, what a big difference “one little decision” truly can make.
Much Love and Many Blessings to each of you!
~D~
Photo: Watching the Perfect Sunrise,
Palm Coast, FL ~ August 2009
Copyright 2009 – Denise Gilreath ©
Take me to that dreaming place
where dreams are born to grow.
Where the rainbows dance
as the sunshine sings
of the things the heart does know.
Take me to that dreaming place
where I can touch the sky.
Where the tall trees smile
as the flowers blush
with each kiss of the butterfly.
Take me to that dreaming place
where we all are meant to be.
Where the light shines bright
as the Love we are
becomes dream’s reality.
~D~
Copyright 2009 – Denise Gilreath ©
From the back porch this morning I watch the snow as it quietly falls and adds to the white blanket that already covers the ground. The limbs of the trees are slightly bending with the weight of their new décor. Even this does not deter my faithful songbirds as they sing with excitement as if welcoming the unlikely visitor. The steps leading from the back porch are covered with a layer of the fluffy white powder. I descend them and feel the new season on my bare feet. At first there is a cold sting. Then, as my body adjusts, the sting is replaced by a strange warmth that begins to radiate from within. I stand at the bottom of the steps and feel the coolness of the breeze on my face. I take a deep cleansing breath, hold it for a moment and then slowly let it go. I am so awake and alive. I begin to dance in the snow just because I can. The smile I feel on the inside makes its way to the outside. Oh, how wonderful it is to be free! Oh, how wonderful it is to be me!
~D~
Photo: The Snowy Steps of My Footprints
Chattanooga, TN ~ December 2009
Copyright 2009 – Denise Gilreath ©
Awake, Awake My Beautiful Love!
These words she will not hear.
The dark of night fell long ago.
To knowing she closed her eyes.
Awake, Awake My Beautiful Love!
These words she can not hear.
Her sleep is deep and undisturbed,
As she dreams of what could be.
Awake, Awake My Beautiful Love!
These words she does not hear.
The morning sun begins to rise.
She feels the warmth of its light.
Awake, Awake My Beautiful Love!
These words she thinks she hears.
Could it be that now is really the time?
She is stirred down deep inside.
Awake, Awake My Beautiful Love!
These words she knows she hears.
The beauty of a new day is all around.
She awakens and takes her place.
Awake, Awake My Beautiful Love!
These words she must now speak.
The wind of Life has begun to blow.
Come My Love…Breathe Me in.
~D~
Copyright 2009 – Denise Gilreath ©