I believe that people have the right to think freely.  I believe in being responsible for one’s actions and living with the consequences of one’s actions.  In other words, I think people should be honest.  And if one makes a mistake, that person should apologise and make amends.

I believe that we should be rightly judged by our actions and intentions.  That is a fundamental part of morality.  It is essential to a functioning society.  I believe in telling the truth.  I believe that lying, on purpose, to control others is morally wrong and should be punished accordingly.  That is because the truth is vitally important to the welfare of every person, regardless of wealth and/or status.

I believe that all people are worthy of respect.  Kindness and care, especially when selflessly given to those in need, is a virtue worthy of our aspirations.  It makes the world a better place in which to live.

I believe that each of us is here for a reason, even if we never find out what it is while here on earth.  I believe that seeking this purpose brings meaning to our lives.

I think that every person’s belief system guides their behavior and as long as other people are not hurt in the name of those beliefs, I can agree to disagree with them.

Most of all, I believe in love.  I believe that God is love.  I believe that God loves us wherever we are, who we love, or how we behave and understands the weaknesses of every one of us, regardless of whether or not we believe in God’s existence.  I believe in heaven.  And I believe in hell.  And I think both of them exist here on earth as well as after death.

Beliefs are important.  They have power in our lives.  What do you believe?

I remember having my hair long in high school, and it was naturally straight.  And I was so glad that was the style because I didn’t like spending time on my hair.  Girls then, were known to spend lots of time ironing out the natural curls in their hair.  Since then, my hair has been mostly different lengths of curls, thanks to perms that can last months for me.  

Hair and the way we wear it can affect the way we see ourselves and others.  But in truth, the way people judge each other determined by the hair they have, or don’t have, really is not a gauge of anything truly important.  It’s just hair.

Now I think that hair can say something about the way a person presents oneself.  But outside appearances are never an adequate indication of who a person is or what they are capable of doing.  Unfortunately, hair can matter in a job interview and in many jobs.  That is because of the expectations of employers and sometimes the safety of the employee.  But it is something most people already know by observing people in those positions.

I do find it very interesting to see the many kinds of hair and what people can create with the textures and styles of people in different cultures.  In that way I see the talent it takes to design a particular style for a particular type of hair.  Hairdressing is a skill that we often depend on.  That’s why we go to barbers and beauticians.  The right hairdo can help people feel good about their appearance and by association, themselves. 

In closing, I quote some lyrics from the musical.  “Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair. Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen! . . .Hair. . .  Grow it. Show it. . . . long as I keep growing my hair.”

Anticipation is a word that can elicit my memories of being a kid, waiting for a holiday, or an upcoming outing, even dinnertime with the family.  There is a wonderful sense of excitement that anticipation can bring.  And I think that it is sorely missing in our culture.  Instant gratification may seem to be exciting, but it fades just as quickly as it comes.

Anticipation, the waiting, and striving for a thing, an event, or an accomplishment, is what brings satisfaction and joy into our lives.  All of the things we wait for, have greater significance.  That is because of the time factor.  When a goal is achieved, the memory of effort and preparation and yearning is factored into the experience.  Anticipation makes that memory special.

Looking forward to something is especially appealing to me.  Thinking about an upcoming occasion makes it all the more delightful when it comes.  It can make a person happy just thinking about it.  That is not to say that there may be the possibility of disappointment.  But to me, it’s worth my effort.  It’s worth taking that chance.

In the years that have passed since I was growing up, I have seen instant gratification take hold.  I find it very sad.  It is more likely to cause disappointment and it takes away so much of the joy anticipation can bring.  And it cannot satisfy as much as the experience of waiting and longing for something. That expectation intensifies the satisfaction one feels when what a person is waiting for, comes to fruition.

There is an attitude of being thankful that can accompany anticipation’s goal.  And it is an exercise that builds character.  It is a quest that enriches our lives.

Remember the old English proverb that says “ all things come to those who wait,” which is sometimes said as “good things come to those who wait.”  Either way, they are positive statements that encourage patience.  Anticipation definitely  requires patience.  And these are good enough reasons for me to continue to anticipate the blessings I always find when I am willing to wait for them.

If you ever saw the musical, “Bye, Bye Birdie,” back in the ‘60’s, you will remember Dick Van Dyke singing and dancing his way through this song title.  I was in my high school’s rendition of this musical the year I graduated.  It’s a rather silly play, but it was fun to be in it.

But the phrase itself actually means to act happy even if you don’t feel that way.

It’s more like, look happy no matter what you are feeling.  Wear an acceptable mask.  It often makes me wonder how many people are wearing these happy faces that don’t mean it.

Maybe I am overthinking, but I often ponder the many different kinds of smiles there are.  And if you smile in a certain way it has a specific meaning as opposed to other smiles.  So putting on a “happy face” can be anything from a smirk to a cheesy grin, with many other versions in between.  Upon further thought, I have decided that what kind of “happy face” people choose to use in this circumstance, can tell something about their personality and the way they deal with other people.

For example, if a person is really sad, but wants to “put on a happy face” they may act in a joking sort of way with a fake laugh.  Or, if a person is sarcastic, they may use a kind of sneer.  But that is definitely not a happy face.  I like to really try to look happy even in hard times, because I believe that an attitude, (when positive), can help a person become that way.

In fact, “in the journal Experimental Psychology, research found that the physical act of smiling not only created internal positive feelings, but also caused participants to see the world around them in a more positive way, according to lead researcher Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos, PhD, a research fellow at the Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning at the University of South Australia.”  Wow!  That’s pretty cool.  And there are many other sources of this kind of information if you want to search it on your laptop.

So you see, a person really can put on a happy face.  The only thing one needs is the willingness to try faking it till you make it.  Aren’t computer searches awesome?

Belonging is the first experience of human beings.  Even at birth, a child belongs to his or her mother.  It is the first and most essential part of entering the world.  Children, in the first moments of life are inextricably connected to their mother’s womb by the umbilical cord. This is true, as nature intended.

Whatever happens next, is the essential part of belonging that carries us through life.  If our mother dies in childbirth, or is separated from us early in life, it is vitally important to bond with another human being who will love and guide us.  That is the very first encounter in a newborn’s life and it can influence the baby’s ability to connect with other people as he or she grows up.

If children do not receive this attention naturally with their parents, another person must be there to step in and satisfy the innate, deep need for belonging.  It is one of the reasons that mother’s are encouraged to have skin to skin contact bonding directly after birth.  In addition to the emotional benefits, there are many physical advantages as well.

Some of these according to Sanford Health are, just for baby:

• Better able to absorb and digest nutrients
• Better body temperature maintenance
• Cries less often
• Demonstrate improved weight gain
• Experience more stable heartbeat and breathing
• Higher blood oxygen levels
• Long-term benefits, such as improved brain development and function as well as parental attachment
• More successful at breastfeeding immediately after birth
• Spend increased time in the very important deep sleep and quiet alert states
• Thermoregulation
• Stronger immune systems

And the bonding benefits for mothers are equally important.  These are significant factors that illustrate the magnitude of belonging from the beginning of life.  If we do not have this bonding in the earliest part of our existence, then the experience of belonging is thwarted.  

There are many negative consequences to a person feeling like they do not belong.  That is why I believe it is a worthy goal of society to provide as many opportunities for others that do not have this sense of belonging in their lives to connect with others.  Feeling like you don’t belong is a lonely existence.  I believe it is important to be welcoming to other people.  It can make a difference to people who do not feel that they belong.  And I believe that is reason enough to do it, because like it or not, we are all in this together.