Musings of the Muzicdiva

THE EAGLE STANDS ALONE

2006-08-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

Patience is a virtue, and I believe that the U.S. has been more than patient in its dealing with Iraq, the Al Queda, and especially in the aftermath of 9/11. Recently the U.S. has faced ridicule and hatred over taking a stand against ALL terrorism. What is new? How often has America stood alone? How often have we been sent in to clean up other's messes, or to be the police for a country that can handle its own problems? How often has the U.S. had to play Superman and save others from destruction? Most of this world owes their freedom to the military brilliance, and the compassion of the United States of America. Are they grateful? Some, but it seems more and more that these other countries are jealous and hold their envy against us. I'm proud to be an American. I'm proud to be a citizen of a country that mentions its dependence on God to give it the strength and power it has. In honor of my country, I want to share this poem with you and hope you will share it with your friends.

THE EAGLE STANDS ALONE

In times of desperate measure,
In times of greatest threat,
The Eagle stands alone
Soaring brave, with no regret. For those who know the story
Of freedom in this land
For those who've watched thru history
Know we're not afraid to take a stand.
The Eagle stands alone
With strength and honor
The Eagle roams
When no one else will stand and fight
America will do what's right
Even if it means...
The Eagle stands alone. The heart of the patriot
Stands free and true
With strength and might
Our freedom to renew. With arrows and an olive branch
Seeking peace throughout the world
Not afraid to stand and fight
With our flag free and unfurled. The Eagle will uphold
The hope of freedom everywhere,
Even when others falter
America is always there. The Eagle stands alone
With strength and honor
The Eagle roams
When no one else will stand and fight
Face their fears,
Or spread Freedom's light,
America will do what's right,
Even if it means...
The Eagle stands alone.

Written by: Bonita L. Crum Copyright February, 2003

THE PRIDE OF AMERICA

2006-08-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

THE PRIDE OF AMERICA

He stands up firm and regal.
With pride he takes a stand.
He's like a lion in battle,
First to defend our native land.

He goes the extra mile,
To give aid where need is known.
As a soldier he serves our nation,
Though he's often left unknown.

He gives his best with honor.
He stands, a human shield.
He gives all for God and country,
With the knowledge he might be killed.

Facing bullet, bomb, and bayonet,
With peace first in his heart,
He leaves country, home and loved ones,
Knowing he must do his part.

He's the pride of all America.
There's no other like this man.
Fighting tall for right and freedom,
In the air, on sea or land.

He comes in many colors,
But unites under red, white and blue.
The Pride of all America
Is someone like me and you.

He deserves more than we give him,
In wealth, respect, or fame,
And often he's forgotten,
Left with loneliness and shame.

With no benefits to help him,
When he must face his waning years.
This legacy we give him,
After freeing us from fear.

He's the Pride of all America,
Standing firm, and strong, and brave,
Facing war on foreign soil,
We know the sacrifice he gave.

We should give the honor due him,
Everyday, and let him know,
That we stand behind him proudly
Where e're on earth he goes.

Written by: Bonita L. Ledzius
Copyright...February, 2003

LEGACY'S CANDLE

2006-08-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

LEGACY’S CANDLE

The light of Legacy's candle
Is flickering desperately low,
Because we have forgotten the past
Which keeps our candle aglow.

The light of Legacy's candle
Flickers with lessons from history's past,
Passed to us from those before
In hopes that for generations would last.

The light of Legacy's candle
Glows bright for those who will share,
Their hurts and joys, and life's lessons
For the children to stay aware.

The light of Legacy's candle
Flame's high as we overcome,
But dims and flickers out
From the ill will and shame we have done.

The light of Legacy's candle
Is passed to our children to know.
Will we keep the candle glowing bright
Or extinguish its warmth, and its glow?

The Legacy's candle passed to me
Was filled with anger and grief,
But I have relit the candle with love,
And given my children belief.

The Legacy's candle I pass on to them,
Is one filled with warmth in its glow.
It burns with the love I have for them,
And the joy I want them to know.

©Feb. 7, 2006 Bonita L. Ledzius

THE DARKNESS OF THE SOUL

2006-08-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

The following poem was published in "The International Who's Who In Poetry" for 2006, where I was presented as a feature poet. For those who find rainy weather depressing you will understand the imagery in this poem. It was dedicated to my family, who have seen me on rainy days.

THE DARKNESS OF THE SOUL

The darkness of the sky
Reflects the inner me,
Beyond the smiling face
Where no one else can see.
With each drop of rain that falls,
With every thundercloud that roars,
The darkness spreads the Earth,
Hiding the sun forevermore.
The aching heart cries out
For freedom and for hope,
But the storms of life
Keep things bound by painful ropes.
I long for the peace
Of a sunny summer day,
Praying that the wind
Will blow storms and pain away.
I want to feel the breeze,
And the warmth of rays of sun,
Clearing out the sadness
And the weeping I have done.

Copyright 2006...Bonita Ledzius

A BRIEF HISTORY LESSON

2006-02-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

There is no doubt that I am a conservative. I find that liberalism is nothing more than sin disguised as humanism. My sister-in-law sent me the following email, and I loved it and decided I would blog it. I know many would not agree with the premise of it, but frankly, I don't care. Mainly because those who wouldn't are probably liberals, who are the part of society that are trying to drag this country into infinite destruction. For those who read it and enjoy it, glad to call you friends and family!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A BRIEF HISTORY LESSON

Humans existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunter/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer & would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in winter. The 2 most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into 2 distinct subgroups: Liberals and Conservatives. Once beer was discovered it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early human ancestors were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed. Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as "the Conservative movement." Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement. Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as 'girliemen.' Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy and group hugs and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided. Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass. Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime> added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their> beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting revolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't "fair" to make the pitcher also bat . Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, Paratroopers, Marines, athletes and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living. Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to "govern" the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tame and created a business of trying to get MORE for nothing. Here ends today's lesson in world history: It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to respond to the above before simply laughing and forwarding it. A Conservative will be> so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately.
-Anonymous-

POLITICAL INCORRECTNESS

2006-02-12T15:51:00.000-08:00

I'm so tired of hearing the words, "Political Correctness." Just because the government or society think a lifestyle or certain thing are alright, that doesn't mean it is correct. Many of the things society is beginning to accept are biblically wrong, and many are even against family values.
Even family values have changed over the years. Movements like women's rights and equal rights, although having good reasoning behind them, have spawned movements that have denigrated the family system. Everyone seems to be yelling, "I want my rights as I see them, despite how they might affect society as a whole, or the children of our nation. They are learning early that the more they whine, the more they get their way. They also are learning that the only important thing in the world is selfishness. Any lifestyle or choice is acceptable in the site of society and can be flaunted for all to see. We glamorize the gay lifestyle despite the outcome of aids, and in some cases child molestation. We glamorize drug use and drinking although they lead to physical abuse, aids, reckless driving, and other vices. We talk about drug abuse, gangs, violence, and yet we don't realize they all have societal causes. We glorify professional athletes and pop, rock, and rap stars, making them the heroes of our children, when we should be honoring our police personnel, fire personnel, and military men and women, who face death every day to give us our freedoms and keep us safe. We allow people to break the law in the name of equal rights, despite the fact that many of our ancestors set forth those laws to protect us.
We complain about terrorism, even fear it, yet put up every obstacle we can to stop the fight against it. We use political correctness to allow others religious freedom, while oppressing the faith of our countries founders. We allow illegal aliens, and those living in this country on a visa to use their freedom of speech, while telling our own citizens of the Christian faith that when they express their opinions whether personal or based on the Bible, they should keep it to themselves or it is considered a hate crime. We, as a country, are losing our standing in the world because we have become cowards to political correctness. The other countries that form the United Nations can snap their fingers, and whine and we come running to do their dirty work. Those who chose to end innocent lives can whine, bully and basically lie to have their way, and we give in for fear that we might offend them, or take away their rights, without considering the rights of the unborn, but living embryo. Those who chose to live alternate lifestyles, whine, bully, and basically yell injustice and we give in to them, for fear of offending them, despite the fact that it is morally wrong, and a matter of choice not officially genetics. We allow the media to flaunt these things in front of our society, and our children, and when someone stands up against them, we allow the others to call them hatemongers and bigots. We allow them to mudsling at the conservative right, the Christians, and those with moral values, and no one stops to defend the right, no one calls what they are doing hatefilled or bigoted. Everyone wants to look at history from their viewpoint, not from the total truth. Every race has done their share of time in slavery. Every race has been downtrodden at one time in history or another. Every race and nationality has faced oppression, starvation, and bigotry; as has every religion. Why is it then that each race only wants to claim true history is only what has been done to them? Being politically correct seems to include seeing history in the minority viewpoint while ignoring the total truth.
It is almost a joke that we call ourselves the United States anymore, since we have been far from united about anything since the Vietnam War. We have lost all since of moral value. We have lost all sense of what our country was founded on. When one lone atheist can stand in the media or in our court system and whine about something he doesn't like that has been in our pledge or on our money for decades or centuries, and is able to get his way over the majority rule, then we have lost our sense of democracy and justice. What is left that we can claim we have? Political correctness, is all. Well, if being politically correct makes a person right, then I'd rather be wrong. As for me, I would much rather be politically incorrect, but biblically correct. I would rather be right in the eyes of Jesus Christ, then right in the eyes of society. I would rather stand for what is moral and of value to my children, than teach them that wrong things are right. That's how I feel, like it or not!

Musings of the Muzicdiva: True Love

2006-01-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

Musings of the Muzicdiva: True Love

Musings of the Muzicdiva: Beginning Of The Decline

2006-01-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

Musings of the Muzicdiva: Beginning Of The Decline

Musings of the Muzicdiva: The Heartbeat of the House

2006-01-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

Musings of the Muzicdiva: The Heartbeat of the House

Musings of the Muzicdiva: What the Future Holds

2006-01-12T20:20:00.000-08:00

Musings of the Muzicdiva: What the Future Holds

Musings of the Muzicdiva: Running Free

2006-01-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Musings of the Muzicdiva: Running Free

Musings of the Muzicdiva: Service At An End

2006-01-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

Musings of the Muzicdiva: Service At An End

Musings of the Muzicdiva: What God Sees

2006-01-12T20:17:00.000-08:00

Musings of the Muzicdiva: What God Sees

Musings of the Muzicdiva: Mischief Maker

2006-01-12T20:16:00.000-08:00

Musings of the Muzicdiva: Mischief Maker

Musings of the Muzicdiva: He Can Heal My Heart

2006-01-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

Musings of the Muzicdiva: He Can Heal My Heart

Musings of the Muzicdiva: The White Knight

2006-01-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

Musings of the Muzicdiva: The White Knight

Musings of the Muzicdiva: The Love I Longed For

2006-01-12T20:11:00.000-08:00

Musings of the Muzicdiva: The Love I Longed For

The Love I Longed For

2006-01-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

In the mist of morning
A new light shines on me
A Love I longed for
Has taken form you see
A man, who now possess
All the qualities I need,
Has stepped thru Heaven's door
And new emotions freed.
His spiritual aura shines
Through the choices that he makes.
His mental state is stable
Shown in strength no one can shake.
Emotionally, he's loving
Thank God, it falls on me.
Physically he shows it
Free and lovingly.
A man that God has blessed
With a balance never seen.
And now the love I longed for
Has finally come to me.

Bonita Ledzius
Copyright ©2006

Another one written about and dedicated to
my soulmate and husband, Don.

The White Knight

2006-01-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

In the Castle Heart he drew near.
On a steed of white with golden gear,
Sat the white knight of love, so dear.
Drawing sword, he cut the vines of pain,
Freeing the occupant to love again.
Inside she sat, alone and chained
To past love that left her scarred and stained.
Gently he freed the damsel faire,
And softly he brushed back her golden hair.
Placing a kiss on her tear-stained face,
The White Knight lifted her from her place.
The chains that held her in their bond,
Fell to the ground, and vanished, were gone.
The hurt and pain that etched her face,
Were now replaced with joy and grace.
He carried her to his trusty steed,
And with each touch her love he freed.
He held her close as they rode away,
Free to love another day.

Bonita Ledzius
Copyright ©2006

Another poem written for and dedicated to
my darling husband, Don

He Can Heal My Heart

2006-01-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

If He can control the wind and the waves,
He can change my life.
If He can make the blind see and lame walk,
He can heal my heart.
If Christ can resurrect the dead,
Feed the multitude with bread,
If Christ can overcome Satan's darts,
He can heal my heart.
If He can face the cross alone,
He can see my fear.
If He can face the cold, dark tomb,
He can hold me near.
If Christ can overcome the grave,
Do it all our souls to save,
He can heal my heart where no one else can see.
He can change my life and heal the doubts in me.
Of all the miracles our mighty God can do,
If you let Him, He can heal you too.

Bonita Ledzius
Copyright ©2006

Mischief Maker

2006-01-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

She is truly good at heart
Tho' she bubbles over with fun.
She loves to make-believe,
Drawing attention to her, number one.
She wiggles and giggles with glee,
As she sits on the edge of your knee.
Not only sugar and spice,
Filled with snakes and snails at a price.
Her eyes glisten and gleam,
So watch her close, if you know what I mean.
A little mischief maker, she is 'tis true,
Waiting to pull her mischief on you.
From one moment to the next it seems,
Her mood changes to the extreme.
With a smile, a giggle, a kiss,
You know this is a time you'll miss,
When she has grown up, married and gone.
You will hope these gifts will pass on,
To another, her own, one day,
Who'll show her love this very same way.

Copyright ©2006 Bonita Ledzius

This poem was written and dedicated to my
youngest daughter.

What God Sees

2006-01-12T19:07:00.000-08:00

Every morning when I rise
I greet the morning sun
Then I look into the mirror
To see what time has done.
For each heartache, pain and trial,
That in my life I've faced,
On the pallet of my skin,
A line or wrinkle's traced.
How thrilled I am God can see,
Not the lines of age and pain,
But what's deep in the heart of me,
And the joy that life would drain.
He sees the love I have for Him,
As in my heart it glows.
He doesn't see the ugliness,
That life has dealt with blows.
God sees the peace my heart now feels,
Because I am His own.
He sees what's deep inside of me,
And sees love's seeds He's sown.

Copyright ©2006 Bonita Ledzius

Service At An End

2006-01-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

He spent over twenty years
Giving to this land
He fought and suffered greatly
As a military man
Now his time is up
His service is at an end
He's waiting for the future
The rest of life to begin.
He worries about the future
What will life hold for him?
Will normal life show respect
For a man who's free again?
Will they recognize his service?
Will they know his sacrifice?
Will the outside world honor him
Or turn a shoulder hard with ice?
Now I, who shares his daily life,
Could never be more proud
Of this man who served his country
I'll proclaim my pride aloud.

Copyright ©2006 Bonita Louise Ledzius

This poem was written and dedicated to my
wonderful husband, Don

Running Free

2006-01-12T18:59:00.000-08:00

The wind blows through her raven hair
Her silky skin so smooth and bare
Reflects the sunlight as she runs
Her beauty's as breathless
As the moon's eclipse
Sweat trickles down her raven hips
No beauty on Earth is quite so fair
This wild passion they would not dare
To run, in sunlight, without feeling shame
With the wind down your back
Without bridle or tack
Her mane so wild and so free
Her beauty there for all to see
Remains uncaptured and untamed
So adds to the feeling
She gives with force
As she gallops across the field,
A beautiful horse.

Copyright ©2006 Bonita Ledzius

What the Future Holds

2006-01-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

We never know today
What tomorrow may bring
Whether sunshine or sorrow
Whether happiness or rain
Many seek the answer
Through fortunes or palm
I choose to pray to God
The one who keeps me calm
I see life as an adventure
Knowing what's next
Takes out the fun
And I'm thankful when it's over
God saw me through 'til I was done
I don't know what in the future
I don't know what tomorrow brings
I'm just thankful that my Savior
Will see me through anything.

Copyright ©2006 Bonita Ledzius

The Heartbeat of the House

2006-01-12T18:45:00.000-08:00

Every house has a heartbeat
That makes the house a home,
And how the heart does beat
Creates warmth or cold stone.
The occupants are who decide
How their heart will beat,
By how they treat each other,
And everyone they meet.
Each human heart gives forth
A message to the home,
Of how the heart should beat,
Like a ticking metronome.
Will it tick softly,
With a calming sense of peace?
Or will its heartbeat race,
As the tension inside does increase?
Every house has a heartbeat,
but does yours make the house a home?
Each occupant's behavior
Will decide the heartbeat's tone.

Copyright ©2006 Bonita Ledzius

Beginning Of The Decline

2006-01-12T17:44:00.000-08:00

Pollution, noise and politics,
Society's first cough, now it's sick.
Sexual depravity, Homosexuality,
Violence on the T.V. set,
Children in gangs, don't forget.
Mothers working, fathers are gone,
Children left all alone.
No one cares, and no one tries
Society is bound to die.
Responsibility is all but gone,
And no one sees anything wrong.
We call for help from God above,
We just don't look at Him with love.
Remove His name from our midst,
And wonder why this world is sick.
If we speak up in His defense,
We're told we don't make any sense.
So quietly watch as this world dies
Because of Satan's worldly lies, That this world justifies.

Copyright ©2006 Bonita Ledzius

To see more of my poetry click on the following link...http://www.poetry.com/publications/search.asp

True Love

2006-01-09T21:33:00.000-08:00

TRUE LOVE

It seems everyone is looking for love. It's the most sought after thing in this world.

More people look for love than they do power or fame. The problem is so many don't know what they are looking for in love and where to look. After 48 years I think I finally figured it out.

First there are different kinds of love. These are...

1. Spiritual love...That you will only truly find in God.

2. Physical love...The kind of love that you will find with a mate...and truly is not complete unless that person is your soul mate. It is also the kind of love you get through hugs and such from your loved ones...like parents, friends, spouses, and children.

3. Mental love...Love that comes from being challenged mentally. Some find this in their education, some find this in their hobbies, some in challenges they complete, and still others in the conversations of the people in their lives.

4. Emotional love...This kind comes from those who support you, listen to you, and are there for you through thick and thin.

After 2 failed marriages, and a lifetime of abuse, physical and emotional, from a father and husbands and a daughter, I can say I almost gave up on having any of these types of love from any human on earth. The one thing I was sure of was that I could have the spiritual love from God, because He promised it in the Bible, if I believed in Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of my sins. This I believed, and had received Christ into my life. But without understanding anything about true love, I knew that I would not find it here on Earth with any human. I had to know what love was and how to share it before I could receive it.

After my second marriage failed, I went through a series of bad relationships. Seems noone knew all the aspects of love anymore than I did. So after so many hurts, I set myself down and wrote about what I was looking for in a relationship. I knew that the only one who could make me happy would have to meet me on four plateaus of love. These are spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional. Yep the same ones listed above, and I would except nothing less. I knew that the person who met these would know my needs in a relationship and be able to offer the love I needed.

I had a system of red flags, and a list of questions for anyone who approached me for a relationship. I'm often asked what those questions were, so I'm going to list a few here.

1. Are you spiritually sound? (This question was a big one for me, because usually it would lead me to either a conversation about Christ and a chance to witness, or it would cause the non-believer to flee, never to darken my doorstep again. What I really wanted was someone who shared my faith in Christ, but also someone who I could speak to about spiritual matters.)

2. What is the difference between having sex and making love? (Now I know some people say that this is not a question that a Christian should approach, but they are wrong. In this day and age, too many people don't know the difference and that is what leads into failed relationships. This was a big question for me too, since I had an ex-husband who was quite good at having sex with every other woman he came into contact with, and another ex-husband who didn't even care enough about me to make love. Do you want to know the answer I was looking for? Having sex is an act that is usually momentary, and empty, with no commitment involved? It leaves you empty on many levels. Making love is something that only happens when you and the other person are committed to each other and have a connection on 4 levels. You guessed it, spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental. This form of sex leaves you felling satisfied on all of those levels.)

3. How do you feel about children, especially those in your life? (A person who knows how to treat children and talk to them, who handles them as God would, is going to be caring to everyone in their life, whether parents, family, and spouses. I had 2 natural daughters and 3 adopted daughters, so this was especially important to me. Even more so, since my ex-husbands were terrible father images for my girls.)

4. Tell me about your family; father, mother, siblings, children, exwives, aunts, uncles, grandparents, in fact the whole clan. (To me, when a person talks about their families you can see a whole lot about them. You can tell if they are angry with them, emotionally connected or disconnected to them, and if they know how to love and forgive.)

5. What are your interests?

6. What kind of books and magazines do you read?

7. Tell me about your education.

(These were all important to find out what their intellectual level was. I had married one man who didn't finish high school and another who finished one year of college. To hold any intellectual conversations with either one was non-existant. One basically talked sex, drugs and rock-n-roll, the other talked basketball, basketball, and more basketball. Neither could or would talk to me about God, much less music, geology, religion, or family subjects. They didn't read anything except on the subjects I spoke of them liking. I needed someone who could challenge my intelligence, while being able to respect me enough to know when I was right about something, or that I knew anything at all.)

8. Tell me about your idea of a dream date with the woman you love. ( I'm sure I don't have to get into why this was important. A woman needs to feel that she is important, beautiful and loved, and I'm sure men do too even if they don't often admit it.)

9. Is time important to you in a relationship and why? (Probably one of the most important questions I asked. I was starved for someone's attention. I am a high maintenance woman where time is concerned. Why? Because I had lived in the shadows from childhood. Being the 7th of 9 children, I rarely got praise, or love, and really no time at all. Also in both my marriages other things took precedence over time with me. My exes lived to stay away from home, honing their basketball skills or their harem of women. I needed someone who wanted to be there for me through thick and thin, for better or worse...etc.)

10. What kind of relationship are you looking for? (Obviously, if they were not looking for a long term, committed, monogamous relationship, they were not the one for me.)

11. What are your thoughts on soulmates?

12. Is it possible to have one, and how do you know that someone is your soulmate?

( These two questions went together, because I needed someone who really understood that God did give us someone special, who could reach into our souls and pull the best out of us, while loving us despite the worst in us. I'm sure to most people they have their own way of telling who their soul mate is, but there are many who don't even know what a soul mate is. I did, and I wanted someone who understood it too.)

Well, now you have my 12 disciple questions of love. Each one missed brought up a red flag. Three missed and you didn't have a chance with me.

There were other redflags though, like cleanliness, laziness, and such.

I know, you think I was looking for the perfect man. Truth is, I wasn't. Only one perfect man ever walked this earth and that was Jesus Christ. What I wanted was the perfect man for me, not for my sisters, or my mother, my friends, or my daughters....just for me.

Now you ask, did I find him? Yes, when I had almost given up hope. I met Don in a music country music chatroom, while I talked to musicians, and he was busy telling 3 women about his travels around the world in the navy. He caught my eye, because he was in the military, and my father spent 35 years in the military. Needless to say we began to talk, first about the military, his experience in it, and about my father's experiences. Then we talked about our lives, our exes, our children, our hopes and dreams. Along the way, Don answered all my questions without me even asking them outright to him. I don't think he ever thought about it like I had, he just knew what he was longing for as much as I did. It was weaks before we met in person, but from that night on, we talked on the phone and on instant message every night. There is more to the story that has to do with my stubborness and distrust of people, and my not wanting to get hurt or embarrassment over a daughter's uncontrollable violent temper. But God kept Don right there in my life, and helped him to build my trust once again. Well, Don and I finally tied the knot, and this coming March 21st, we will be married 4 years, and each year feels like the first. I have my soulmate, my one love, my white knight, and the man who loves me on 4 levels; spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental. Not one of these is lacking, and he constantly surprises me with his ability to let each of these grow in both of us.

I hope for all my loved ones, friends, and anyone else reading this, the same kind of love.