Happy St. Patrick's Day: Then and Now

Memories of many St. Patrick's Days float through my mind. I put aside the to-do list and concentrate on tonight's dinner party with the family. I wonder if my little grandgirls will be excited? Will the leprauchan tales be told in school? I look forward to hear about their day at school just like my mother would listen to my St. Patrick's Day stories. I want to tell my grandgirls about my childhood days. The nuns would bring us into the cafeteria to learn the Irish songs and dance the Irish jig. This day reminds me that children enjoy laughter, fun, and treats. It's time to wear the green, decorate the house, and enjoy the sunshine.

 

What makes me feel the wonder of this day? The undeniable taste of corned beef, cabbage, carrots, and Irish soda bread with yummy sweets. Today was the first time I made Irish soda bread. It was delicious, and the Irish butter on top made it more so. But beyond the food, decorations, and treats, I am eager to enjoy the closeness of family gathered together tonight.  In the image poem to the right, you will see only two little grands. Their sister was not yet born but the outfit shown is now fitting granddaughter #3. Let's hope she wears it tonight.

The doorbell rings and here they come, all dressed in green. Let the dinner party begin!

Day 17, March 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

Reflaction on Life

When I spend time reflecting on life, I get to know myself better.  I slipped out of this habit during the initial phase of grief, but I am trying to make a comeback each morning.  A reflaction is a reflection with action. It was coined by two colleagues in New Jersey. The action part of my reflaction is in the last two lines of the poem.  Father Mike on YouTube centered his Sunday sermon on this mantra. 

Before dawn has broken

I lay in quiet stillness

Waiting for flickers of light.

Outside 

            Lies an imperfect world

            In disrepair from continual

            Disharmony and egregious behavior.

Call the seamstress!

Restitch the torn, the worn.

Restore hearts broken from turmoil.

             Renew our precious land.

             Relight the darkness found.

             Revisit possible solutions.

Before the close of the day

Find rest in nature's offering.

Seek comfort in others' hands.

            Hold high the light of hope.

            Look for joy and steal it

            Every time we find it.

                                                  (c) CVarsalona, 2025

                                                 

Day 16, March 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

MARCH, a Mercurial Month

March is here with its mercurial spirit, continually changing from bitter storms to golden, sunny days. It's a month of transition for nature, from lion-like roaring to lamb-like gentleness. I march through March, a month of memories, a time to celebrate my husband's life, and honor his passing. The following poems come from my heart as I near the upcoming Year Two. 

  SUPPOSE-Then and Now  

we weaved through life 

like gentle lambs, calmer, calmer

moving through stormy weather

suppose we stretched across the sky

like billowing clouds of beauty, slowly, slowly

floating to nature's rhythm

   suppose we meet in evening dreams

like fairies whispering, circling, circling

into a magical web of forever  

(c) CVarsalona, March 2026 - based on Wendell Berry's poem, Like Snow

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Thank you to Jone MacCulloch

for her Wendell Berry-like poem

Suppose we did our work

like winter, renewing and replenishing

Readying ourselves for spring

© Jone Rush MacCulloch, 2026

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I offer my work to two writing communities

that I belong to: 

Poetry Friday

Linda Baie is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today at her blog site, TeacherDance. She offers us a few Friday the 13th superstition stories and a beautiful picture of the sky with an original poem about nature and loved ones.

 

Day 13, March 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

Connections

The sky opened in a shade of gray yesterday morning. Sunlight was not evident, so I spent time meditating and hoping for peace. As I reached for my laptop, Margaret Simon's Wednesday blog, "Photo Wants to be a Poem," popped up on my screen. 

Margaret's photo from Louisiana showed a cardinal posing in a garden of silent stillness. In addition, Margaret shared her beautiful draft poem titled "Besotted". She also added a piece of Southern lore: cardinals visit humans who have lost a loved one. Other tales say that the cardinals carry messages from a heavenly place to earth, as a spiritual sign of connection with the deceased. Lore or not, I was touched that the red cardinal, a carrier of love, offered comfort, especially during this grieving time of life. --- This was Connection #1.  

cardinal's connection

you pose in stillness

waiting to connect

offering solace, comfort-

in nature's garden

love perfumes the air

draft CVarsalona, 2026, cherita poem

Photo by Margaret Simon 

Connection #2: I am sending my poem with a link to Margaret for "This Photo Wants to be a Poem".  

Nature nurtured me yesterday morning and

continues to do so today in the darkened rain.

Day 12, March 12, 2026

12th year with Two Writing Teachers

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for offering reflective writers a meeting place.

Souls of the Heart Speak

It is nearing St. Patrick's and St. Joseph's Days, fun days in my life.

Both were parade days, different types of food days, and even prayer days. I attended an all-girls high school that was closely linked to the all-boys high school. The Irish-American and Italian-American boys shared the fun and rivalry between them during the two saints' days. The parade of cars and the wearing of the green and red jackets created a festive environment for the day's events. Even though the girls were not present, they heard of the  My family still celebrates both Saints' days in March during Lent. 

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Last week, my fellow poetry friend, Karen Eastlund, shared with us part of the Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings From the Northumbria Community on her Spiritual Journey Thursday blog.

Come swiftly, O Lord, to the dark moments when we are lost. Make us aware of Thy presence. Strengthen us to resist the urges and pulls to deeper darkness.

Our Spiritual Journal Thursday prompt, strength, was provided by slicer, writer, and educator Leigh Anne Eck. I offered my thoughts on "Strength Needed" that can be found here. Then, I found a beautiful quote from Mother Teresa:

Souls of prayer are souls of great silence. In the silence of the heart, God speaks.

I decided to blend the partial Celtic prayer with the second line of Mother Teresa's inspirational quote as an extension of my blog post on strength. Thus, the first part of my "Souls of the Heart Speak" poem is a blackout poem created from part of the Celtic Daily Prayer" and the last line is from Mother Teresa

Come swiftly, O  Lord , to the dark  moments when we are lost. Make us aware  of Thy  presence .   strengthen us to resist the Urges and pull s to deeper  darkness

Souls of the Heart Speak

Lord, moments

of presence

strengthen us.

Urges pull darkness.

In the silence of the heart, God speaks.

(c) CVarsalona, 2026

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According to AI, St. Patrick was "rooted in spiritual resilence, faith, and unwavering courage". St. Joseph's strength is "defined by 'quiet strength,' characterized by obedience, profound trust in God, and protective, humble service rather than vocal or physical force." Most people in this century understand the strength of Mother Teresa, who spread kindness and love throughout the world.

The 40-day religious season of Lent in the Christian Church brings souls of the heart together. 

Day 9, March 9, 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

Strength Needed

During my lifetime, several challenges interrupt life's balance. These occurrences take their toll on my mind, body, and spirit in different ways. Reflecting on these moments leads me to ask a series of questions.

What troubles me now? 

My past traumatic events lessened my physical strength. My husband's passing cluttered my mind and brought sorrow into my soul. I felt like I was drowning in grief.

What do I do to find comfort? 

I turn to my faith with hope in my heart. My family, close friends, and long-distance writing communities support me. 

How do I manage the grief that brings exhaustion, nightmares, and anxiety? 

Faith and hope intervene because I am in need.. I turn to scripture, The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation." (Psalm 118-14) I listen to faith-filled music, such is a new collection I found, "Songs for Comfort".

How do I build strength so I can restore my body, mind, and spirit?

I am eagerly trying to build strength through physical therapy for a fractured ankle. Nine months after my husband passed, I decided to engage in bereavement counseling. The communication between the bereavement counselor and me is one of comfort and determination to minimize grief. This is my self-help for building spiritual and emotional strength. Positivity and optimism strengthen my mind.

Each day, I wake to the song, Restore My Soul, that brings my one word into the light of day. I begin the journey to total wellness of the mind, body, and spirit. There is never a full day of strength building, but I am determined to walk the road to restoration and renewal.

I am thankful for the inspiration that comes through reading. It provides me time to pause and look out the window at nature's sunset, lighting the gray sky. Building strength is one day at a time.

Kahlil Gibran stated: “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." 

I have felt the scars of sorrow, but I must walk the spiritual journey to navigate reality. I am ready!

Strength's Journey

strength resides

inside hearts

filled with faith

inside minds

yearning for

renewal

inside me

waiting to

release grief

(c) CVarsalona, 2026

Thank you to those who understand.

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I am grateful for the following writing communities

Leigh Anne Eck

host of today's Spiritual Journey

illuminated my thoughts on her topic strength.  Please join me as I share my thoughts with  Leigh Anne and my colleagues of Spiritual Journey Thursday Community.

Click here.

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Day 5, March 5, 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

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Poetry Friday 2026 hosted by author and poet, 

Karen Edminston.

She is using a line from Arthur Sze's poem Residence on Earth to create an original poem, "One Way to Live". Click here to read Karen's poem and other blog posts.

created by Margaret Simon

GrandGirls Bring Sunshine

Regardless of gray skies, my little grandgirls bring sunshine and good cheer every time they come to visit.  Last weekend was grandma-sitting time. What a surprise to be greeted not only by two of the three little grands but also by the sun itself, with its warming touch. 

Inside the home, is a gift of love for the grandgirls and a fashion show from them to me.

Gift of Love

spring arrives

colors pop

flowers bloom

fashion trend

brings love and 

flowered joy

(c) CVarsalona@gmail.com

I found a quote by an anonymous donor that made me smile.

"Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting."

In return, the little grandgirls (8, 6, and 2 1/2), bring sunshine every day, even when the sky is gray.

Day2, March 4, 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

This slice was meant for Day 3 but I fell asleep with my laptop on my "lap". 

Navigating Reality-Then and Now

Dear Slicer Friends,

Life is full of bumps in the road that challenge the heart and cause anxiety. There have been small bumps and huge ones in my lifetime, but I weathered the traumas along the way with my husband for 48 years until last year. 

I am sharing the beginning of a lament poem that I wrote last year. A sudden illness that we thought was from weight loss with Ozempic led to a traumatic series of decline that occurred within less than a month. I felt as though I was walking on the edge of darkness. 

(c) CVarsalona, 2026

Loss and grief are difficult emotions to handle amongst the ordinary and not-so-ordinary happenings of last year. Each stage of my bereavement journey took me through dark passages and weird dreams. In the beginning, everything seemed unreal because of the unexpected diagnosis that echoed like a foghorn. My husband's body was ravaged by a rare, incurable form of cancer in the pancreas. The continuous decline and sleepless nights broke his spirit. We hardly had time to deal with the big picture with his constant infusions and falls. Then, the end drew near. The family felt the sting of what was to come. Friends in the community formed a team. Dinners were delivered. Prayers were ongoing. Family was supportive. Devoted priests and staff offered spiritual support, a lovely memorial mass, and a luncheon for all those who attended the ceremony. The beginning part of my journey was surreal.  Thankfully, writing seems to bring a sense of calmness to my mind, spirit, and body, so I write to help the sting of loss go away. 

Thank you to those in the Two Writing Teachers community who listen and comment.

Day2, March 2, 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

Navigating Reality - 2nd Year

Dear Slicer Friends,

There have been many times when my life has felt fragile and uncertain. Since last year at this time, I have walked an uneasy spiritual journey filled with bumps along the way.

 

This Slice of Life month of daily messages will be dedicated to my one word, restore. Restoring my soul and renewing my heart will be my goal through writing prose and poetry.

Bear with me as I find support and calmness along the way. 

restore what was

revive my broken heart

love never dies

 (c) CVarsalona, 2026

Day 1, March 1, 2026

12th Year of Slicing with Two Writing Teachers