poems'n'prose, + quotes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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from children ( off springs ) of democrats who were assassinated

What a beautiful statement by the children of Melissa and Mark Hortman who were assassinated by a domestic terrorist:

“We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can’t believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much.

We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family’s privacy as we grieve.

Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents’ home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad.

Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them.

If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following:

Plant a tree.

Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail.

Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.

Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.

Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.

Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.

Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.

Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents’ memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.”

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"Dad's Lie"

(This is a beautiful poem by an unknown Vietnamese poet. I tried my best to translate to English. Clearly, the original author did a far better job, and I hope his work circulates and lives on. I love this poem because I, too, have my own personal “fish head” story.

Happy Father’s Day to the fathers who, like my Grandfather during dangerous wartimes, slept every night on a hammock by himself at the entrance of the house with a pistol strapped by his side, so his wife and children could sleep peacefully in the back.
Or, like my Dad, who still found the time to read me a bedtime story and lullaby me to sleep after teaching nonstop from 6:00am to 9:00pm.)
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"Dad's Lie"

Đến bây giờ gần quá nửa cuộc đời
(Up to now, almost half a lifetime has passed)

Mới nhận ra Cha cũng từng nói dối
(I just realized Dad used to lie)

Bữa cơm ngày xưa đơn sơ mỗi tối
(Every night, every humble family meal)

Con cá gầy Cha chỉ chọn đầu thôi.
(The skinny fish, Dad only chose the head)

Mấy đứa con lại thắc mắc liên hồi
(Us kids were curious and asked)

Sao Cha ăn đầu, nhiều xương dễ hóc
(Dad, why do you eat the bony fish head?)

Cha bảo, già rồi ...ăn đầu ...bổ óc
(Dad said “Fish head is good for my old brain”)

Ăn đầu nhiều sẽ cứng cáp xương hơn!
(“The bony head will make my bones stronger!”)

Cha còn bảo Ông Bà nội các con
(Then dad said “Your grandparents)

Ngày xưa cho Cha ăn toàn thịt cá
(Used to let me eat all the fish meat”)

Nghe lời Cha nhưng mà con thấy lạ
(As we listened, we were curious)

Cha bảo ăn nhiều sao cứ gầy nhom?
(Dad said he ate well, but why he was so frail?)

Rồi con lớn lên Cha thì già thêm
(Then I grew up and Dad grew older)

Con hiểu ... nhường con ... nên cha nói dối
(I understood…dad lied for us)

Rồi quên nhanh, bởi tuổi thơ nông nổi
(Then we forgot quickly, as childhood passed by)

Chẳng vui buồn nào, nhớ được lâu đâu!
(The grief, the joy, the memories faded!)

Chúng con trưởng thành Cha bỏ đi đâu
(We’re grown up now, where did you go?)

Ngày giỗ Cha con nhìn vào di ảnh
(Your Memorial Day, I look at your photo)

Cha vẫn gầy nhưng nụ cười lấp lánh
(You’re still frail, but your smile so bright)

Đôi mắt hiền vẫn tỏa ánh yêu thương.
(Your kind eyes still exude love.)

Mâm cỗ vợ con làm để dâng hương
(The memorial platter my wife cooked)

Có con cá to đùng chiên béo ngậy
(Has a fat fry fish for you)

Nhớ đầu cá Cha thường ăn ngày ấy
(I remember the fish head Dad used to eat)

Mắt nhạt nhòa con thổn thức... Cha ơi.
(With teary eyes I sobbed…Oh Dad.”

Qua làn khói hương nghi ngút chơi vơi!
(Through the incense smoke I contemplate)

Con thấy hiện lên dáng Cha xiêu vẹo
(I see your figure appearing so frail)

Mỗi buổi tối ra bờ sông lạnh lẽo
(Each night I come to the cold river bank)

Kiếm vài con cá ít thịt, nhiều xương.
(To find a fish with less meat, more bones.)

Bữa cơm ngày giỗ, nhớ Cha lạ thường
(Every memorial meal, I miss Dad strangely)

Con chọn cái đầu như Cha ngày trước
(I choose the fish head just like you used to do)

Thằng Út bảo, đầu sao Ba ăn được?
(My son asks, why do you eat the fish head?”

Con bảo rằng cho bổ óc, Út ơi!
(I said “it’s good for my brain, dear son!”

Con cố ngăn giọt nước mắt tuôn rơi
(I try to hold back my tears from flowing)

Không muốn vợ, con thấy mình rơi lệ
(So my wife and son don’t see me cry)

Sao bát cơm này bỗng dưng mặn thế!
(Why is this rice bowl so suddenly salty!)

Ước cha vẫn ngồi, nói dối như xưa.
(Wish you were sitting here, lying like you did before.)

I will share more of my grandfather’s and father’s stories below

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 Aging is not for the faint of heart.

One day, you wake up and realize — youth has quietly slipped away.

But it didn’t leave alone.

It took with it your insecurities, your rush to please, your fear of not being enough.

And in its place?

It left you with something stronger:

A slower pace, but a steadier step.

The wisdom to say goodbye without fear.

The grace to cherish those who choose to stay.

The power to be you, unapologetically.

Aging isn’t about losing — it’s about letting go.

It’s about learning to accept, to release, and to truly see:

That beauty was never just in the mirror…

It lived in every story, scar, and silent strength we carried within.

Aging is a gift. Wear it with dignity.

~ Meryl Streep

 Take for instance a man driven to incessant work by a sense of deep insecurity and loneliness; or another one driven by ambition, or greed for money. In all these cases the person is the slave of a passion, and his activity is in reality a "passivity" because he is driven; he is the sufferer, not the "actor." On the other hand a man sitting quiet and contemplating, with no purpose or aim except that of experiencing himself and his oneness with the world, is considered to be "passive", because he is not "doing" anything. In reality, this attitude of concentrated meditation is the highest activity there is, an activity of the soul, which is possible only under the condition of inner freedom and independence. ~Erich Fromm

Book: The Art of Loving

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As I was combining today, I was unloading into the auger cart and I saw a vehicle go by a couple times slowly and then pull over and stop. I had a minor repair to make and the vehicle stayed... I was a little concerned until I happened to catch 3 little sets of eyes looking out windows.

I went over and they rolled down the window and I asked if they needed anything and the lady explained their grandchildren were visiting from Florida and had never seen "farmer stuff" up close. There were 2 boys and a little girl.. I'd assume they were between the ages of 6 and 9. The two boys were all giddy but the little girl, while sweet and excited was pretty quiet.

I also happen to notice that she kept turning away from me and there was a scar or a birthmark or something on her face... And I felt really bad trying to figure out what it was because I was feeling like I'm staring at her..

The grandmother and her husband thanked me for stopping and saying hi and said they would get going because they knew farmers were busy this time of the year... And I said be careful and have a good trip...

It was then that one of the boys said are you going to be going soon cuz we would like to see what that machine does... the grandmother quickly quieted them and I said would it be okay if I took them for a ride...

She then said No we're sure your way too busy for that and I said no I'm by myself for now I've got time so she asked the two boys if they wanted to go and of course they did but the little girl stayed back.

I asked her again if she wanted to go and she said no thank you and so the boys and I went and got in the combine and we made one round and came back... While in the combine I said why didn't your sister want to come... they said shes shy. I then, because of curiosity, asked them about her face... And they told me it was a birthmark and that she gets picked on about it a lot.

After their ride I walked them back over to their grandparents car and I said to the little girl How come you didn't want to go for a ride? And she said well the boys always say that that kind of stuff is just for boys not for girls...

I laughed and said You know, there are girl farmers AND I even had a young girl in that cab just yesterday. Would you like a ride? She looked at her Grandma and she said go ahead if you want.

I then asked the grandmother if she had a smartphone and knew how to video... She laughed and said I have grandchildren of course I know how to video... So I told her have your phone ready and when you see me turn on the yellow flashing lights video the combine.

The little girl and I got in the cab and I turned the machine around and went back into the field at the end of it and came back facing her grandparents vehicle. I then said to her...here.. you can turn the steering wheel... she first looked at me like I was on crack cocaine... But I finally convinced her and I told her not everybody gets to do this but people that are part of the special face Club definitely get to...but its a secret reason why you get to drive so you cant tell anyone. We even pinky swore on it...

The smile she had made this old tired grumpy mans heart soft and there must have been some Bean dust in the cab because my allergies started acting up just a little bit... So I let her "steer" and turned on the yellow lights on the way back so her Grandma could video tape her "driving by".

We got out of the combine and she still had a huge smile on her face and ran over to her grandma and was a little Chatterbox did you see me did you see me I got to drive I got to drive... Her brothers were obviously a little miffed... And ask her why she got to drive... I was afraid she was going to tell them why... But with all the sass of a little brunette girl with her hair in a pony she looked at them both matter-of-factly and said Because girls CAN farm.

My allergies started acting up a little bit again as she came back running over to me and gave me a huge hug and told me thank you... The grandfather came over and patted me on the shoulder shook my hand said I don't know what you said to her...but that's the biggest smile we've seen on her this vacation so far... the boys shook my hand and thanked me and got back into the vehicle and drove away... Leaving me to my thoughts

And all I could think of was if one of the combines hadnt broke down yesterday, I wouldn't have been in that field this morning, and I wouldnt have been by myself and we would have been really pushed wherever we were at to keep up with everything...and it proved to me once again everything happens for a reason...

All three of their faces were on my mind the rest of the day but mostly hers... not because of her birthmark, because of her genuine smile in the confidence that she showed when she got to get out of that combine and "brag" a little to the boys.

My gramps told me long ago to always be patient with children and people you come in contact with. I remember the countless times that he would let me "drive" the tractor... and the exhilaration and happiness that I felt during that time... And I swore that I was going to make other people feel that way when I got older... and I've definitely failed at that numerous times.. but I'm trying..

But, Im kind of thinking maybe that's what I did today or maybe that little girl made me feel like that little boy with his Gramps all those years ago.

30 minutes out of 24 hours... I need to do that more often....

Today was a good day... and one I shall not soon forget.

Credit: Jeff Ditzenberger

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