A loving smile from Inspiration from a Blind...and you know the rest, but here goes anyway: brought to you monthly by www.ShirleyCheng.com!
When you look out your window, what do you see? I remember seeing the green foliage of trees, their greenness shimmering under the loving, ardent kiss of the sun, and how the leaves danced when the winds whistled through them. I remember admiring the birds hovering overhead and swanning so gracefully. I have very fond memories of these lovely scenes of nature, of life. I continue to enjoy life as I savor every sound I hear, every fragrance I smell, and every exquisite touch of something soft or delicate.
Feeling life through my senses, I am in awe of it all. And I ask myself how everything and everyone are in existence, and have come into existence, without having being created? How could such things, from the tiniest atom to the gigantic universe, come to be by themselves? No, there has to be a power that created all these beauties, these miracles. This power is God, the energy of Love.
Life is beautiful, a sheer work of love. God created life with love. But how could there be darkness, pain, and suffering when God has used pure love to create everything? Well, let me ask you this—would you, as a mere creation, be able to understand your Creator fully and completely? Right now, we do not have that power to know everything, so there are many unanswered questions like the one above. I believe we have a purpose in life, though we may not know what it is. I do know that it is our duty in life to be good and do good. That's the most important aspect of life; and once you achieve goodness, you will accept your fate, your destiny and purpose more easily.
Though I have lost my eyesight and the ability to walk, I do not scorn life; I am not mad at God for taking away my power to see and the gift of full mobility. He works under mysterious plans, so I am content with what I have, so I use my time on Earth to enjoy life to the fullest.
So next time when you see a butterfly fluttering among wildflowers or hear a songbird's song, smile. You have the privilege to be in this life. There are millions of less unfortunate souls, and think of those infinite souls that have never been born to know this, to experience all this... I know I am one darn lucky gal!
I have two speaking engagements and book signings coming up in this month...
The president of Pine Plains Lions Club has invited me to be their motivational speaker at their April 9 membership cocktail party and dinner, so needless to say, I am absolutely honored and excited. I will be motivating the Lions to continue to bring good to the society by providing aid and supplies to those who will greatly benefit from their care. In conjunction with my speech, I will hold a signing where I will sign several of my books.
On April 15 at 3:00 p.m., I will be participating in the grand opening of a new bookstore in Manhattan by giving an inspirational speech and signing my autobiography, The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials & Tribulations. So if you are from New York City or planning to visit there, please drop me a note to receive more details. I'd love for you to join me! The store, New Voices Bookstore, is located at 424 E. 9th Street.
My March 16 book signing at Borders was postponed due to inclement weather. One day, we were in the 60s degrees, and the next day, we got several inches of snow (it was perhaps our biggest snowstorm for the winter). So the new book signing date and time is Friday, June 15 at 7:30 p.m. I will be sending out personal invitations as the date nears.
I kept forgetting to share some good news with you—I have given the translation rights to a non-profit publishing house in Vietnam to translate and publish a Vietnamese language edition of my book, Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells. I am very excited to know that my words of inspiration and hope will reach low-income families and schools to empower them in their everyday living. I can hardly wait to hold a Vietnamese edition of my book in my hands! So, if you can read Vietnamese or know someone who does, let them know about it. I'll make it available from my site when the edition comes out. Stay tuned! The translator is a very nice lady, who has overcome severe physical disabilities as well. She told me that my book is beautiful and powerful, and she's enjoying translating it.
From 'Dance with Your Heart' in prose to 'Midnight Dancers' poetic offering the mood of the book is set. Haiku, Verse, and poetic tale follow one after the other. I particularly enjoyed reading of nightingales 'Nightingale in Air' and 'Nightingale's Melodies' offer tender thoughts. Flowers and birds are recurring themes. 'Dove Love Story' and 'Dance of Frozen Flowers' speak of love and dance. 'White Wings' and 'Black Capes' tell of bats and wings flapping to a cloudless sky. Even the lowly dandelion becomes a thing of joy in 'Blooming Dandelions.' Chuckling Hyenas, Woodpeckers, Willows, Frog and Lions are all elevated in the joyous haiku written by poet Cheng.
Writer Cheng offers a glimpse into her life 'I'm Not Disabled - I'm Ultra Abled' and 'Those Unforgettable 180 Days' provide the reader a little biographical background into the life of this extraordinary woman.
Shirley Cheng presents stirring medley of brief individual composition, haiku, lyrical offering and discourse. Well written, adeptly fashioned this poet presents keenly focused love of life, sentiment and enthusiasm. Cheng's work is sure to entrance readers who love poetry as well as captivate those who do not care so much for lyrical form. Waking Spirit is filled with passion, happiness and joy of life as bard Cheng sets down her feelings and feeling for the life she cannot see around her. As we read the writers lovely words we are drawn into her world of joy and happiness and forget that she is wheelchair bound and not able to see what we can run and touch and view.
Without sounding preachy Cheng points out that we are each the creator of our own sunshine or storm.
Waking Spirit is a work for all who want something to read and re read. Because the work is not a 'story book' it is nice to carry in the car for the odd moment to have a quick read as you wait for the kid's dental appointment to end, or the train to pass. Waking Spirit will make a nice addition to the home library, high school classroom book shelf and the gift 'tuck in' for Mom, favorite aunty or birthday girl sister.
Reviewed by: Molly Martin
www.angelfire.com/ok4/mollymartin>
http://www.AuthorsDen.com/mjhollingshead
20+ years California classroom teacher
Learn more about Waking Spirit and my other books at http://www.shirleycheng.com
Well, before I end this issue, I'd just like to add one more thing. Today being April Fools Day, one of my favorite days of the year, I can't help but to play a trick on you. I told you something false in this issue. Yes, I told a little white lie! Care to guess what's my fib? Why don't you e-mail me and tell me your guess. I dare you to unveil this liar! (Trust me, I've only lied this once in the history of my newsletter, which was born 3.5 years ago, I must proudly add.) In the next issue, I'll post my lie. Now, how more honest can you get than this?
Now I'm going back to enjoy life and receive its love. But I won't keep all this love to myself; I'm going to share it with others around me. Why don't you pass along the energy of love, too?
