Catch Me Daddy

Catch Me Daddy

If You Can

Run and Run

As Fast As You Can

Find Me Daddy

If You Can

Look and Look

As Best You Can

Tickle Me Daddy

Again and Again

Make Me Laugh

As Much As You Can

- Adam & Sofia Stuart, Dec 2007

(Dad, age 40 ~ Sofia, age 5)

*Although we're up North in the cold, Sofia and I found these pictures on my laptop from a few months ago in Florida, and came up with this poem. As I look at her sleeping next to me now, I realize that no matter where we are, true love keeps us warm.....

Time Together ~ A Father/Daughter Thanksgiving Collaboration

lying here with you

on the floor
by the door

doing nothing

but lying in the sun

how can it be,

this much fun?

~ Dad





lying on the floor
by the door

I wish my time
with you was more

~ Bella (age 9 - who also came up with the poem's title)

It truly is not the amount of moments we're given, but the amount we give to the moments we have.

I give thanks for the moments I have with my children, and have created a year-round Happy Thanksgiving in "our" home.

My children and I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving...one that lasts all year long and for each moment you give yourself to.

Dream My Little Angel

Dream my little angel, dream

Dream of everything you can be


Close your eyes

See with your mind

Feel the possibilities

Grow inside


One day you will open those eyes,

....to your dream world, that was once just inside

- Adam Stuart (October, 2007)

The Things You Leave For Me 2 See

I love the messages you leave

for me to see after you go

And I appreciate the special ways

You tell me you love me so


I see the cover of Gone With the Wind

we left by the TV

I see the mess we made of my bed

dancin' to Singin' in the Rain




But I see something else that one of you left

and I know it wasn't left by me

Don't try and blame Gene Kelly

or tell me it was Clark Gable


Just how in the world did one you leave jelly

underneath and smack dab in the middle of the dining room glass table????

My Darling Cristina....A Treasure so Very Rare

My darling Cristina

Today you've become a young lady

You're becoming a woman

Here on your 13th birthday


I want you to know

That the beauty I see in you

Is that beauty that is IN you

And I love so much about you


What's on the outside will never compare

To the treasure so very rare

Of the person radiating their inner beauty

And brightening the world by allowing it to shine out freely


We all have great inner beauty, honey, including you. I love you for yours, now and forever. And I promise to always see you as your most beautiful self.

- Love Dad




From: Odyssey Spirit ~~Chris tina~~
Date: Sep 18, 2007 5:37 AM


BEAUTIFUL

Each one of us has certain measurements to beauty. Each one of perceives beauty in a different way according to your values and according to your beliefs. Some people value looks and think it is what gives beauty to a person. Others think its morals which makes a person beautiful. Others will argue that beauty is in wisdom and they might be right too. Yet real beauty is inner beauty. It is your inside that counts not your outside. Have u ever met someone who you thought was super hot or very attractive but after a couple of times where you had to communicate with that person you no longer found them attractive or they lost the charisma they had in the beginning? It is because you got to know a bit of the real person in front of you. Their inner self that is not as attractive as how they look. On the other hand have you ever met someone who you thought was ugly when you saw them but after getting to know them you found they were truly attractive and beautiful? This is because the inner beauty of this person is shining out covering their flaws that might have made you think they were ugly earlier. When judging beauty look inside. Not everyone can see inner beauty and that is why you should always wait and make the right judgment. Most beautiful things in the world are unseen. This is why we always have our eyes closed when we dream when we cry when we kiss and when we imagine! All these beautiful things come from WITHIN...Inner beauty is the only beauty that exists and outer beauty is just something that helps and sometimes misleads. So look within and you'll discover beauty you never knew before...


chowk

posted by odyssey spirit~have a wonderful day~hugs

IN.....with you

I am IN with you son
Whenever you are near
IN a place of total peace
And as happy as I've ever been

Nothing else matters
When I hold you IN my arms
All our troubles are vanished
And we are IN zen

I am IN with you son
For the rest of all time
I am here for you forever
And with you I am IN love

- for my beautiful son Brosden, from his beautiful feeling father, Adam


Love rules the court,
the camp,
the grove,

And men below,
and saints above:

For love is heaven,
and heaven is love.

Sir Walter Scott
(1771-1832)

I'm not so sure that heaven is a place "up there" we need to try to get to.

It exists in my home as we dance in the mornings to Sinatra and go to bed with Harry Connick, Jr.

There might not even be a God "out there" putting plusses and minuses in his laptop to see if we get into heaven.




Maybe, just maybe, heaven exists in the moments of our lives when we are IN love.

And I know I see God in the faces of my children and hear angels sing in the sounds of their laughter.

Perhaps God and heaven are right here, already with us, if we can just open our hearts and see it.

Tell Me

Now that class is over
And it's time for you to go

Tell me what you learned today
And tell me how you've grown

Tell me that I did my job
And gave you wings for flight

Tell me that you'll fly so high
In your dreams tonight

- Adam Stuart
(just another peaceful warrior with just another young dreamer - Amanda)

Honey, I Love You

From a friend of a friend,
this is imperatively true,

not just for me and you,
of the truths below penned,

that in the end of the end,
the very end of our days,

will our children say the last thing they heard whispered,
from our lips to their ears,

Was "Honey, I love you."

*Just last night I watched Sofia dance, and took her in my arms, telling her I love her not just because she's my daughter, but for who she is as a person, already amazing in my eyes at just 5 years old. She turned to look at me dead in the face, her eyes absorbing every word I was saying.

Even my grandmother, the last grandparent I have still living, says, "Adam, I love you" before we hang up.

Love just creates more love, and the love we are giving our children will allow them to give more to their own worlds in the future. And the future DOES get better, when we better the NOW.

You can't tell me the world is not a good place. It's not perfect by any means, yet there is so much perfection in the emotion of love itself. It CAN conquer darkness, and CAN overcome overwhelming pain.

Great lovers CAN be great fighters, fighting for what they love in life! And those you express your love for often will express theirs for you right back!

When we are young

And covered in love

We completely believe

We are gifts from above

- Adam Stuart


From: Odyssey Spirit ~~Chris tina~~
Date: Aug 25, 2007 4:39 PM


EXPRESSINGS OF LOVE


Nancy Devlin
Newhouse News Service



Some parents find it difficult to express love for their children in outward displays affection. They assume their children know they love them even when they do not say it in words.

These parents reason that the children see how hard they work to feed, clothe and educate them. They assume their children understand that these sacrifices are made because they are loved.

Parents may not see the need to put their feelings into words like "I love you very much and care about you," or to give a big hug and kiss when they see the children.

It is unwise to assume that children are secure in the knowledge that you love them. Parents who make such assumptions are in danger of being totally overwhelmed when in later years their child says, "I never knew how much you cared. You never told me. All of those years growing up, I felt you did not love me." Or, even worse, "I never felt loved."

Children need to experience affection directly. They cannot guess at your motives – that is too abstract a concept.

Expressing love to children in words, hugs and kisses is difficult for some people not only because of their temperaments but also because they were brought up without these things. They have no model for outward expressions of love and do not know where to begin.

Start with Words

You can begin by saying encouraging words to your children when you interact with them. Make a conscious effort to communicate something positive: "You look nice this morning, Jane. That's a good color for you," or "We really enjoyed being with you today." This is particularly valuable when parents and child have engaged in some pleasant activity. Let your children know that you are aware of them and concerned about how they feel.

If you do not give hugs easily, you might begin by just putting your hand on your child's shoulder or gently rubbing his back. Some people are afraid of rejection and hold back. Try to overcome this feeling and work up to little and then bigger hugs.

Children might initially say "ugh" and hold back, but most like it and will come to look forward to a show of affection from family members.

Eventually, you may be able to add words like "I love you very much" or "You're a great kid, and I'm glad I'm your dad [or mom] to the hug.

Another way to work up to spoken words is to begin with writing. Some parents put notes in their children's lunch boxes that express affection or encouragement. When your child goes away to camp or visits a relative, write notes telling her how much she is loved.

Another opportunity not to be missed is when children go away to college. You can send hugs by mail. There are wonderful cards that express emotions you may not be able to. Every time you go by a card store, look around; you'll find cards that express how you feel. Send the cards often for no particular occasion. Your children will get the message of love.

You do not need to wait until Valentine's Day to show your children affection. That comes around only once a year.


— Nancy Devlin, Ph.D., is a practicing child psychologist.

post by : Odyssey Spirit ~~Chris tina~~

Feeling It More and More

Baby Kaleb's condition got me, so I got my kids. It's funny how this mysterious thing called love is capable of so much. I seem to understand it less and less, and feel it more and more. It's like zen. You can't really define it, only experience it. (Brosden reading to me last night)

All I know is that I tried to study and couldn't concentrate. I lifted weights until my muscles shook from fatigue but felt no release. (Sofia sleeping upstairs right now)

I drove around Orlando trying to track down my kids and felt frustrated. I called my sister and just listened to her tell me how my godson Jack (the inspiration for the "My Name is Jack" books ) is wearing big-boy pants for the first time today......and I felt better, just listening to her voice. (Bella is the best of all of us - always falling asleep first)

I met Sofia at a gas station whom I could hear yell "Daddy!" as I pulled up beside her car, and I felt the world around me changing. We picked up Brosden and Bella and I felt harmony, hope and happiness. (Brosden is usually the last - no shut-off switch, just like me)

I don't know what love is, but I do know how it feels. And it feels good.

When we are older
And surrounded by love,

We realize the gifts right before us,
Are what we're most grateful of.

- Adam Stuart

Sofia telling me she's "going to work"

Explaining to me that she's an artist

Showing me her artwork
Acting crazy (can't imagine where she gets that from :-)

Art on her face. Kisses on her lips.

We went to visit our neighbor's turtles.

Science learning happening naturally and playfully

Their smiles light up my world (always smiling these kids - what's wrong with them :-)

We missed Cristina, so we sent her messages on MySpace (holding a crab we found at the beach last week)

Hi stina, we miss u and we hope u can come again - BROSDEN

Come back sometime soon. We miss u - BELLA

We love u. Brosden n bella n Sofia we love u. We love u. I wish we could go back to the beach n hotel again n all the time. Good times. Good times. Dad you're slouching. - SOFIA (they get money every time they catch me slouching)

My spirit renewed, I send out resounding inner strength to Baby Kaleb and all of you. Today is a new day. Today is the day we create our lives anew. It is Groundhog Day (see this movie if you haven't already. See it again if you're not saying "That's right. It is Groundhog Day!"

The Look of Love

Use one thumb or two
I can out thumb wrestle you

Be you from Salem, Seattle
or Sala-MaLaLa-DaLaLa-Lou


You can't get my thumb
No matter how hard you try

Be you a samurai's rabbi with the FBI
named Popeye from Paraguay


I'm the thumb wrestling champ
in these here parts

You will never have my thumb
But you will always have my heart


Bella, you won that part of me
on the day you were born

Love, Dad


Game Night Slide Show


Copyright © 2007 by Adam Stuart

In Your Presence

"The time we spend together
is very special to me

The time of these last four days
has been in laughter and worry-free..."


This was a poem I was writing to my children after they left. I wanted them to know how much I........how much I truly enjoyed our time together. How much I truly enjoyed them; the love I feel inside when they're around.

I am in zen, present with life in all its abundance when in their presence, and fully connected to the only real time that we have, the NOW.

I wanted them to know I am truly wealthy in their presence. I have the riches of the richest king. I have true love. And real love is more real, and wonderful, and long-lasting than anything else; money, possessions, titles, and professions.

They have real love for me; a real love that sees the best in me, and treats me with respect even when they're angry or upset or sad.

This is the test of love. How someone who says they love you treats you when they're upset, stressed-out, tired, afraid, confused, etc.







"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.





Love never fails."
-1 Corinthians 13

This real love is the greatest treasure of all. And I am fortunate to have it for and from my children. With them life is very good.

But I had to leave for an appointment before I could finish their poem telling them this. I told myself I would finish the poem later. That later, this later, almost never came. On my way back home I nearly lost my life by a driver looking down at what they were eating instead of the crossing traffic.

My life didn't flash before my eyes, how to save it did. Just before I was about to get run over, I dropped my bike and turned it sideways with my body, stopping just short from the front wheels of the SUV.

I didn't break any bones this time, but have spent the last two days stiff as a board, disinfecting my cuts with alcohol, throwing up, and sleeping a lot. I feel better now, and grateful to have been given one more day to walk again along the imaginary longitude and latitude lines of our planet.

None of us know how much time we have left.

According to a study done in 2000, someone in the world dies every 1.84 seconds.

110 people die every minute

6,611 people die every hour

159 thousand people die every day

58 million people die every year

And in each of our lifetimes (on average 70 years), 4.05 billion people will have died before us.

...About 110 just did.

Maybe it's people like me who shorten the average. I talk to my grandmother on the phone almost every night and she's 88 and in good health. So between the two of us it just might average out. And I know I can just as easily die in a car crash or crossing the street as I can riding a motorcycle. I also know that every time I wake up I have been given at least one more day to live, and that day needs to be appreciated for what it is: THE GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE!

I've faced death many times in many different ways (slipping over the edge of the Grand Canyon, trapped by a mountain lion, scaling down sheer cliffs, attempted muggings and street gangs, etc). I don't know if death is teasing me or if I'm teasing death. But I have learned not to be afraid of it. And I have been able to live more fully because of it.

These intense experiences have forced me into a deeper appreciation of the now. Instead of being afraid of failing I use the now to succeed. Instead of being afraid of what people might think of me I use the now to think about what I think about myself.

I run my own show. As Frank Sinatra said in his 1957 film, "Pal Joey", "Nobody owns Joey but Joey".

We are all here to run our own show, to control our minds instead of letting our minds control us. Only in this way can we fully overcome our fears and allow the magnificent life inside of us to create the magnificent life outside of us.

What fears are still really holding you back? And what is it holding you back from? Mine is losing those I love. I've "lost" the everyday experience with my children through divorce. The great amount of pain I feel from that makes it hard for me to allow new love in my life, for fear of losing that too.

This fear takes me out of the present, the now, the only moment I have any real power to change my thinking, and change my life. I am working on it, just as I hope you are working on becoming more conscious of your own fears that are causing you to have limited thinking and a limited life.

There are very few fully conscious people in this world. But the fact that I am writing about it and working on it and that you are reading it is a sign that this number is growing. We are all together in this molecular dance of life. We are all one.

So in this moment of "now", I want to finish telling my children just how much they mean to me. I want them to know how much I feel one with them. I want them to be able to see it and have it for all time. Now is the only time I have to do this. The now is the only time we really have.

In Your Presence

"The time we spend together,

is very special to me.

The time of these last four days,

has been in laughter and worry-free.

I am myself with you,

and the goodness in me you always see.

I am myself with you,

and I am happy and wonderfully free.


No shouting or long-lasting arguments,

even when we disagree.

No angry accusations and hateful words are spoken,

real love allows for patience, trust and imperfections to be overseen.


No fears force us into a worrisome future,

instead we learn about the bee and flea and deep blue sea.

No pain or troubles keep us locked in the past,

instead we dance and play and sing off-key.


We are fully in the present moment,

writing about the great things in us we see.

We are fully in the present together,

reading about how much more we can be.


I treasure the time we have together,

like making us tomato soup and toasted cheese.

Our time together is my greatest treasure,

because it can be taken away so easily.


I want you all to know that in your presence,

I am fully present, my best self, my best me.

I want you to know that in your presence,

I AM ME.





**Ironically, Michael Stribling's "Seven Faces of Home" from the "Out of The Darkness Into the Light" album is playing on the SOUNDSCAPE TV channel. "The signs, the signs are everywhere." (great line from the movie "Fools Rush In")




Copyright © 2007 by Adam Stuart