U is for Unity

I was watching the news, and a reporter pointed out the wisdom of the late Fred Rogers. He was the host of the long-running program on the Public Broadcasting System in the United States called Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. The reporter was thinking of the sad events in Manchester, England, but it could also applicable to other tragedies, personal or collective.

Mr. Rogers said:

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'"

From Vox:

"Though Rogers was deeply religious, he never attempted to argue that tragedy was part of God's plan for the world or anything similar. Instead, he aimed to keep our eyes turned toward the good things humanity is capable of, which are often in much greater evidence than the bad."

In the midst of the bad, we need to stick together for the good.

ABC Wednesday 20U

1. Rajesh	2. ♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫	3. Ramblin with Roger: U is for unsub	4. FRANKLY MY DEAR: ABC Wednesday: U	5. Indrani	6. photowannabe	7. daybyday: Ukulele Part 2
8. A Creative Harbor ~ 86	9. Embracing June in Utah - Jesh StG	10. Joy, Raft of Apples: Unwind	11. USA and US	12. YOU and I cuckoo's call	13. Joy @ joysweb	14. UPS Mac | ZONGRIK
15. Kołobrzeg County Photo : U for Under Control	16. Bibi	17. Best Places in Europe in Summer - U for Underway	18. Gattina	19. University	20. U is for Used (Books) - Greensboro Daily Photo	21. alexa/U=Uffizi
22. Murthy's Photo Blog: U for Udagamandalam Trip	23. hapzydeco	24. Day One Photography: Utilities	25. Namaki U is for UP	26. UAKARI	27. tin and sparkle: Uncommon Valor	28. The View from the Top of the Ladder
29. U is for Sir Thomas Urquhart	30. ann chin	31. Medicine Warli Buddha	32. Bev, Canada

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T is for TRUST

Trust is the intersection of the past and the future.  It takes evidence from the past and analyzes it into the future.  Then you apply the facts within the context of risk.  To trust a human being is to be able to anticipate generally how they'll behave in most of the future situations in which you might encounter them, and to feel comfort in taking an (often emotional) risk based on that.  If you trust someone, it means you're willing to deliberately put yourself in a situation where that person could hurt you by doing the "wrong" thing. Trust is a balance. Trusting people too much makes you vulnerable, but on the flipside, not trusting people enough makes cooperation difficult or impossible and also severely harms your odds of building meaningful relationships.

Have any of you ever had trust issues? Has a friend betrayed your trust by gossiping about a "secret" you have divulged? Have your children betrayed your trust by disobeying or flagrantly ignoring your expectations of them?  Has your spouse betrayed your trust through lying, cheating, or abusing you or your family's finances?  Has your employer betrayed your trust by prioritizing their personal interests and needs above the team? 

I'm sure we've all experienced the loss of trust in a marriage, a job, or a friend.  There are ways to rebuild that trust, but usually the relationship dies a miserable and irreversible death.  You try to move on, but just as you think you've succeeded, along come bitter and vengeful thoughts.  Trust me! I've been there!  In the space of three years, trust in a spouse, a +20-year friendship, and a family member have been totally annihilated. 

Do you go grovelling back to them?  Never!  Once it's done, it's done and there's no going back.  You move on, move forward, move to channelling your thoughts to what is right in your mind.  Let go of the hideous memories, forgive yourself for either being part of the problem or being blind to someone's character.  Remember that song from Disney's "Frozen"?  "Let it go!"

One thing in which I am placing my trust is the new (and maybe improved) form of ABC Wednesday, which will be administered by our trusty Melody.  She has already lined up two assistant administrators and a group of excited current ABCWers to help her with keeping up with commenting on the participants' contributions.  So TRUST IN THIS!  Let's keep ABCW going!  Only a little over 6 weeks until the new ABCW begins so stay tuned.

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ABC Wednesday 20T

1. Melody	2. Rajesh	3. Dina, Israel	4. Ramblin with Roger: T is for The Twist	5. TULIPS	6. FRANKLY MY DEAR: ABC WEDNESDAY: T	7. Joy, Raft of Apples: Trees
8. tin and sparkle: Trees	9. A Yankee-in-Belgrade: ABC WEDNESDAY--"T" is for "t	10. A Creative Harbor ~ 85	11. T is for George Francis Train	12. Island Rambles	13. ann chin	14. my thoughts, stories and articles: abc Letter T fo
15. T is for TRACK star	16. Gattina	17. Lea's Menagerie: Thistles	18. Kołobrzeg County Photo : T for Trees	19. YOU and I sky tales	20. Transnational	21. T is for Taco Tuesday - Greensboro Daily Photo
22. Up Too Late, As Usual ...: Turning point?	23. THE TIGER	24. TALLINN, ESTONIA	25. Day One Photography: Train	26. alexa	27. A Fairytale - Jesh StG	28. hapzydeco
29. daybyday: Tripping in the garden..d	30. a spirit of simplicity: Tunes for a Tuesday	31. Bev, Canada	32. bettyl - NZ

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20-S = Signal

Hello and good morning, -afternoon, -evening, dear people who all participate is this wonderful photo-meme, which is a joy to me, week after week, after week.
I’m always curious to what you come up with!

 The challenging letter of this week is S and I've chosen for the word: Signal

 Not as dangerous as the one on the photo but still a signal is what I want to give all of you

 In 8 weeks from today ABC_Wednesday will be moved to another url and I sincerely hope to may welcome you all at ABC-Wednesday in its new home.

 I am very much looking forward to the move and to may keep on visiting all of you to see what you have posted for the individual letter prompts.

 Thanking Mrs. Nesbitt for the first rounds and her team of course because without her, without them we would never know on and other and would also have missed out on lots and lots of beautiful entries during the 20 rounds we almost have completed!

 

Have a nice ABC-Wednesday-day / - week ~
♫ M e l o d y ♫ (ABC-W-team)
(preview Round
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ABC Wednesday 20S

1. M e l o d y	2. The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.	3. SLAVERY MUSEUM	4. Trubes/Silver Linings.	5. FRANKLY MY DEAR: ABC WEDNESDAY: S	6. Shamlaji	7. photowannabe
8. Ramblin with Roger: S is for Sikhism	9. A Creative Harbor ~ 84	10. All about Amazon Kindle, reading & Kindle Unlimite	11. Gattina	12. daybyday	13. Stunning sunsets by sea	14. Shy spring
15. Joy, Raft of Apples: Sizergh Castle	16. Spectacular - Jesh StG	17. Island Rambles: Birds, Butterflies	18. A Yankee-in-Belgrade: ABC WEDNESDAY--"S" is for "S	19. Dina, Israel	20. S is for Thomas Sopwith	21. Namaki : S is for Sky
22. YOU and I Some more blooms	23. S is for Sioux	24. Kołobrzeg County Photo : S for Sea and...	25. Visiting Barcelona: Sunset on Barceloneta Beach	26. Lea's Menagerie: Starlings	27. S for Skateboarding - Greensboro Daily Photo, NC	28. a spirit of simplicity: 17 May
29. alexa in nyc, usa	30. Visual St. Paul: Sage Advice-The Nook	31. THE SNAKE	32. tin and sparkle: Sewing Chest	33. Day One Photography: Sunset Over A Vineyard	34. hapzydeco	35. Margy BC, Canada
36. Stonehenge	37. Bev, Canada	38. Up Too Late, As Usual ...: So much...	39. Budhia Singh At Nepal - Day 2	40. Junk Boat Travels

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R IS FOR REFLECTION

As I ponder what to write  about,  I'm sitting here reflecting on the last few weeks/months/years and thinking about the wild  rollercoaster  that has been my life.

They say that the windshield is so much bigger than the rear view mirror, because it is more important to look ahead, but my truck has one windshield and 7 mirrors, so I guess it's important for me to know where I have been as well.

Remember, when you drive into the dark night, the sun cannot rise in front of you, until after it has set behind you

 And the longer the rain falls, the brighter the rainbow appears when it is all over.

I like to look back from time to time, but it's important not to get so caught up in the reflection that you forget to look ahead.

I'm looking forward to seeing which way everyone else is looking.

Keep your eyes on the road, your hands on the wheel, and a song in your heart.

ROLL ON!

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ABC Wednesday 20R

1. The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.	2. Trubes/robbie burns	3. Rhythm and Rhyme	4. Ramblin with Roger: R is for Rheingold Beer Jingle	5. Rumtek	6. Bev, Canada	7. FRANKLY MY DEAR: ABC WEDNESDAY: R
8. Melody	9. valokuvia - φωτογραφία: Rough roads	10. photowannabe	11. Indrani	12. Rocks and Reflect - Jesh StG	13. Joy, Raft of Apples: Recycled	14. Namaki : R is for Rainbow
15. A Creative Harbor ~ 83	16. tin and sparkle: Yellow Brick Road	17. Portrait of Ryuzen | ZONGRIK	18. daybyday: R for Rubaiyat	19. A Yankee-in-Belgrade: ABC WEDNESDAY--Reading....or	20. Kołobrzeg County Photo : R for Radar	21. Lea's Menagerie
22. River	23. Roof	24. Reflections	25. VISITING BARCELONA, Mersad (R for Reflection)	26. R is for Irina Rakobolskaya	27. Revision Vintage - Greensboro Daily Photo	28. ann
29. alexa	30. R ture tales and camera trails: R is for Rose-brea	31. R is for Relaxing – Travel with Intent	32. RABBITS & RATS	33. hapzydeco	34. REFLECTIONS	35. RIVER IN ROME
36. ROSE	37. Day One Photography: Reflection In The Raindrops	38. YOU and I Flowering Trees	39. Island Rambles: Birds Today	40. Coloring Outside the Lines	41. Lumbini To Mount Everest Peace Run 2017	42. chris raun
43. Up Too Late, As Usual ...: Recovering? ... slowly

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Q = Qualify

Hello and good morning, -afternoon, -evening, dear people who all participate is this wonderful photo-meme, which is a joy to me, week after week, after week. I’m always curious to what you come up with!

 The challenging letter of this week is Q and I've chosen for the word: Qualify

Trying to live as 'mindful' as possible I regularIy find myself wondering about what exactly is it that qualifies my life to be 'good', good enough to be able to call myself a happy person, or at least a content one.

Like every other person I have wonderful things to talk about and lesser nice things. We all live the 'game of life' and have to deal with the 'cards' that that 'game' has handed out to us.

 What qualifies my life?
Thinking about this question I can not come up with many answers because all the answers that do come up can be categorized under the denominator Love.
Love for life with all its wonderful things in it.
Also, however difficult that is sometimes, love for the miserable things, because they have taught me so much.  Being surrounded by people I love, nature, animals. Doing things I love. Enjoying wonderful moments, however short they are. Keeping that all in mind and pulling it to the front of my feelings and thoughts, to get courage and strength from at the non-desired moments which force me to put up a fight and not give up.

Quality of life... is, to me at least, not dependent of the numbers which tell me how much money I (don't) have. Ofcourse, I sometimes wish to have some more, but don't we all wish for that every now and then? I love people, animals, nature, blogging, music, photographing, reading and movies; scifi, horror, crime and fantasy being my favorites. I love going out with my camera but at the same time I love to be a couchpotato , whatever that certain moment requires.

 Do I long for an 'excellent' life as the image suggests? No I don't. I am quit content with "Good".
It is good enough for me. Some days are 'average', 'poor' and 'very poor', although we don't want moments like that, they should be experienced because they show us the true value of 'good' and teach us to appreciate the 'good' much more.  To never reach 'excellent' means, at least to me it does, never stop dreaming, never stop reaching for new goals, never give up to try to make things (life... your life....) better.

 How about you?

 Have a nice ABC-Wednesday-day / - week ~
♫ M e l o d y ♫ (ABC-W-team)
(preview Round 21)
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ABC Wednesday 20Q

1. FRANKLY MY DEAR: ABC WEDNESDAY: Q	2. QUINOA	3. Rajesh	4. 20 – Q | Melody Music	5. Ramblin with Roger: Q is for Quisp, Quake cereal	6. Trubes/Quiet.	7. photowannabe
8. Bev, Canada	9. Indrani	10. Quality Peaches - Jesh StG	11. Joy, Raft of Apples: Quaint	12. Namaki: Q is for quietude	13. A Creative Harbor :Q quixotic	14. Queen Mandukhai the Wise
15. Portrait of SparrowRayne | ZONGRIK	16. daybyday:	17. valokuvia - φωτογραφία: Q is for Quirky	18. alexa	19. A Yankee-in-Belgrade: ABC WEDNESDAY--Q is for Quit	20. Lea's Menagerie: Quiscalus	21. Q is for Quaker Village - Greensboro Daily Photo
22. Kołobrzeg County Photo : Q for Quantity	23. hapzydeco	24. QUOKKA & QUOLL	25. QUINCES	26. Melbourne Fresh Daily: QUESTIONS AT THE LIBRARY	27. Day One Photography: Queen Anne's Lace	28. tin and sparkle: Quarter
29. ann	30. Jackie Junk Boat Travels	31. Margy BC, Canada	32. Does Everything Grow Better in My Neighbor's Yard?	33. Up Too Late, As Usual ...: Quite Annoyed...

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