it could be a lunch at our favorite café it could be a chat, laughter, and stroll through the mall it could be sharing a morning coffee with a stunning sunrise it could be gossip on the patio it could be a Sunday dinner it could be a weekend away for mom and daughter…
but it can’t for now as long as geography gets in our way as long as circumstances dictate so I’ll continue missing her, comforting my hurting heart until the next trip in the air.
i thought i’d get used to it i thought time would heal well, time has done diddly-squat so, if i allow the distance to take up residence in my thoughts, i’ll just add one more ache to my medical records.
While I was away from blogging, three more 5-star reviews gently flowed in for my book, Ever So Gently. These beautiful reviews added light to the initial reason for my break. And the true reward is learning how my poems resonate with others. So for me, the stars align. ⭐️ Thank you again to Colleen,Robbie, and Miriam. I appreciate you all! ❤️🙏🏻
Another tidbit to share is that my son was recently visiting Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, relaxing by Bear Lake at 9,500 feet elevation after a good hike while reading my book. You may remember that he painted the cover for me on canvas and also helped in the tedious formatting process. But he hadn’t read the poems. And my family is honest, so if there’s something they don’t like, they’ll tell me without hesitation (lovingly, of course). 🙂 Well, he absolutely loved the nature poems, and is currently reading the rest of the book. Fingers crossed, he feels the same way about part 2 and 3. Anyway, I love this photo he sent meand am grateful that my 28-year-old son is taking the time to read ‘his mom’s’ book. ❤️
And now for the wonderful reviews…
From Robbie:
Ever So Gently: A collection of poems is a beautiful memoir of the poet’s life and experiences, mellowed by experience and understanding, and told through carefully selected words. The poems are a mixture of freestyle and syllabic and share some vivid and delightful imagery that celebrates important moments in the poet’s life.
For me, the emphasis with this collection is on the softening of the poet’s attitude towards, and views, on life gained through experience and living. This message, reflected in the title “Ever So Gently” and the beautiful and peaceful cover, is wonderful and absorbing. Its subtle repetition throughout this book is like slipping into a warm bubble bath. It evokes the same delightful sense of peace and calm. My words must not be misunderstood to mean that none of the poems demonstrate moments of anguish and angst, as that is not the case. Those moments, that are so catastrophic and devastating to the poet at the time of occurrence are there, but their harshness is lessened through acceptance and understanding gained over the passage of time.
A few verses that I particularly enjoyed:
“A lone sailboat glides by pausing for the unfolding. With hair the color of an egret, an older man leans against a stump.” From The Sun Knows
“raindrops vacillate layers hold their own secrets delicate delight” From The Peach Rose
“Each purl stitch was interwoven with love from her gentle touch. She, the teacher, me, the student, as our bodies sank into the sofa checkered in a 70’s palette. From The Old Afghan
The two poems that I related to the most were The Mess and Young Campers, both about the poets children. This book is a celebration of life, the good and the less good.
From Colleen:
“Ever So Gently” asks us to accompany the author on a profound journey into the human condition seen through her own experiences. Scott has a way of making the mundane things in life a positive poetic event. That upbeat theme lasts throughout the book.
She split the book into three sections: The Wisdom of Nature; The Noise, the Laughter, the Chaos, the Loved Ones; and Lost in Thought. The author explores nature and how she relates to those quiet times when nature calls her name. The next section deals with the love in her life. The last section deals with the author’s deeper nature as she explores her feelings in greater detail.
I was surprised to see an excellent collection of haiku and other forms of syllabic poetry in the book. It was easy to connect with the variety of poems and themes. I enjoyed all of them!
I had two favorite poems. One was called “The Sign” and the other, “Ever So Gently.” Both poems are contemplative in nature, but filled with hope for the good things in life to enrich our lives.
From Miriam:
Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poems by Lauren Scott is a cozy and delightful read. I love the pastel color scheme of the cover. It conveys a soft feeling like the fluffy feathers caressing my skin. Her son Michael painted the cover on canvas. The title and the cover join in a beautiful harmony.
Even though this was an autumn evening, I snuggled in front of my fireplace, let the flames warm my face, and let Scott’s words warm my heart. By looking at the content, I knew gems were waiting to be found. This collection is divided into three parts. The first part touches on nature, the second part on relationships and loved ones, and the third part on thoughts in life.
Scott painted nature with her soft strokes. “Cottony clouds drift by. We want to move into them, feel their softness enfold us.” “Tiny threads of peace weave into the marrow of our souls mending any fretting that stirred.” “I wonder if pine needles wiggle in delight until they float to the earth…” The vivid imagery invited my presence in her natural world with the hummingbird, the sunflower, the peach rose, the lantana, the rocks, and the shiny shells.
Scott shared her joyous moments of meeting her husband and their newfound love. “Life has blossomed into delight and wonder in every part of its glowing greatness.” She missed her son and daughter, who were grown and gone. She would leave her son’s room messy to remind her of his presence. The days when the children were little were greatly missed. She reminisced about the younger days when her parents moved from place to place and she missed old friends. The old Afghan reminded her of the memory and wisdom of her mom. One Sunday afternoon, she had the last conversation with her dad. “His voice offers no response, silent for eternity, his body, a shell.” Scott’s memorable moments reminded me of my own with my husband, my daughter, and my parents.
The poem “Things I Know, Believe and Imagine” posted a valuable question. “I believe Love should remain the center of all humankind, but since hate continues to linger on the street, here’s a question to ponder… what should we do differently?” A Two-Wheel Getaway told a cheerful story of meeting biking strangers who became instant friends. The star poem Ever So Gently conveyed the message of hope.
“Its [star’s] glow will grow ever so gently Into a bright beacon of hope Rising with the golden sun Bringing clarity to our vision.”
Thank you for visiting today, and I hope these touching reviews entice you into reading my collection.
I look at the frail man lying in the hospice bed whose body is slowly giving up. My eyes close.
Is he my father? The pillar in my life?
It’s tough to accept because my father stands next to me in the 8×10 frame on the peak of San Gorgonio mountain, highest in Southern California.
At 65, he hiked up and down that mountain, 18 miles round trip. Sun hat, t-shirt, long pants, smile, heart full of adventure, this man, so full of life.
The end of his trail draws near. Grief will find its way, no doubt. and I will surrender, then I will shout to the universe in celebration of the incredible man he used to be.
Until that time, I look at his face, I bend down to kiss him on the forehead. I focus on his good eye, and I see my wonderful father who stood beside me on that mountain top.
With every new miracle of life answers aren’t scripted in the stars, but I knew since your very first breath my life would become yours.
Through innocent eyes and curious touch each new discovery you shared, your smile grew bigger than the sun, your heart’s elation declared.
You stowed dreams in the clouds, imaginings rose higher than the heavens. Cuddling you in that first euphoric light made me fall in love with you in seconds.
Life has blossomed into delight and wonder in every part of its glowing greatness, and with each ounce of my being, my enduring love for you is ageless.
During the contraction, I held my Mt. Everest stomach and scrunched up my face as the pain made its way to the end. Matt felt helpless as he watched my face contort, wanting to do anything to alleviate my discomfort. But just having him near was support enough and he knew it. It’s Tuesday, the day after Labor Day, so what better timing to have a baby? Aside from contractions, the soft pastel blues in my hospital room relaxed me. The young nurse on my shift wore her long auburn hair in a soft ponytail and she had the warmest smile. Her voice was as rich and soothing as chocolate. She didn’t make me feel like another cow in line, ready to be forced out the door when all was done.
It’s amazing how calm I was on this day, considering how jumpy my nerves were when we first found out the news nine months earlier. I had a hunch I might be pregnant, so when I saw the ballet-slipper shade of pink, it may as well have been a bright bouquet of fuchsias. Mixed feelings swirled around in my mind. I was happy and scared to death at the same time. For some reason, I’ve always felt I had a low tolerance to pain. So, when the pink shined at me like a beacon for my future, I thought to myself, can I really do this?
Matt and I had talked about starting a family, so the timing was perfect. And despite my fear of pain, I chose to have natural childbirth. I wanted to feel each contraction and any agony that paralleled the miracle of giving birth. I needed to remember what it took to bring a little human being into our family of two, making it three. We found a method to help manage the contractions called Lamaze, so we signed up for a nearby course right away. There were several couples in the class, and it was special knowing we would all soon experience the same miracle of bringing new life into this world. Matt sat behind me, giving hugs every now and then as reassurance of his presence. This class was good for us to bond as parents-to-be.
Baby shower time!
Here comes another contraction as beads of sweat form on my forehead. I slowly inhaled, then exhaled, and repeated for as long as the drum beat of the pain continued. I didn’t morph into “Linda Blair,” although Matt’s story may vary. “Don’t do that!” I yelled, as he laid a cold compress on my forehead. His hand jerked back, and at that moment, we both learned I didn’t want to be touched when the pain ran full steam ahead. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out like I learned in Lamaze, but I focused on breathing slowly. The last thing I needed to do was hyperventilate. He waited until the agitated Lauren vanished and the kind Lauren returned. My blue hospital gown became drenched, and I prayed our baby wouldn’t delay its arrival. But whatever the time-frame, I had no choice except to stay on this wild ride and hold on with a firm grip.
It appeared that time passed like pouring molasses into a mixing bowl. Six and a half hours later, we welcomed our baby girl, and I couldn’t believe I made it through without any medication! One detail Matt and I agreed upon was wanting the element of surprise, so in the beginning, we didn’t know what the gender was going to be. All we were concerned about was having a healthy baby and we couldn’t wait to count those ten little fingers and ten tiny toes. But when we heard her vocals strong enough to make any singer jealous, it was like we had transported into the land of joy. Our family of two grew to three twenty-nine years ago.
Baby Stephanie
Our daughter’s birth came at a surreal time in our lives. My mother-in-law, Diane, was ill and passed away earlier that year, soon after we told her she was going to become a grandma for the first time. She was elated with this knowledge and it comforted her in those last days. But the fact that she would never hold her granddaughter or have the chance to spoil her like grandmas should do was heartbreaking. Even with the healing magic of time, we still feel cheated as though multiple chapters were ripped from our family novel. Because of this sadness, Matt had hoped for a baby girl. Too soon in life, he lost his mom,but he gained a daughterand she had a sweet way of softening the grieving stages.
When I first held our little girl, I was on a high that I had never experienced before, unsure if my feet were still on the ground. Steph had beautiful little rosebud lips and the softest skin. I instantly felt the bond between us. The pain I so vehemently dreaded in the beginning faded into no man’s land. As a result, when we decided to have another child, I didn’t have second thoughts. I was ready for deep breathing, for sweating, and to face that pain head on with boxing gloves because I knew the reward would be worth it.
We repeated our plans with the element of surprise, so it was euphoria again when our baby boy was born. After an even shorter labor of two and a half hours, I can’t deny being lucky. When I held our son for the first time, looking at his precious little face, my heart melted into a puddle of love. We named him Michael, a popular name but a favorite of ours, and he completed our family almost four years later.
Baby Michael
I recall the varied emotions from becoming a parent almost thirty years ago…the joy, the fear, the uncertainty, the second-guessing of whether I’d be a good mom or not. Experiences I can’t touch again, but memories and details I can hold forever. Becoming a mother was the first career I wanted; no other vocation equaled my longing. Parenthood turned out to be a lot of things…rewarding, thankless, fulfilling, and frustrating. Although challenges are unavoidable, those become overshadowed from the joy that manifests itself like finding the pot of gold. I’m grateful for the positive pink that even in its muted shade, shined brightly, changing my life twofold in the most worthwhile ways.
Seems like just yesterday 🙂
Since my daughter recently celebrated her birthday, I thought it was perfect timing to share my memories of becoming a mom. As the years pass, some details fade, but others stay vivid in my heart and mind. 💗
This past Tuesday, my husband and I watched our daughter and fiance exchange personally written vows before saying, “I do.” Their words were eloquent and brought tears to our eyes. The uniqueness of this ceremony was the Zoom factor! They have been together for 9 years and engaged for almost 2. Then came Covid-19 to disrupt everything. Original plans had to be canceled, and they decided to wait for when large gatherings could resume again.
After 3 months and many conversations, they reached the same conclusion: they just wanted to be married. So, pressing pause for months or even another year seemed senseless.
With the blessings of family and friends, they pulled off a Zoom wedding from Tennessee! The ceremony was beautiful and we joined in from California with no technological glitches. We couldn’t be happier. Was it ideal? No, but they are now Mr. & Mrs. and that’s what matters most.
When we get the green light to throw a party, there will be a big reception and replay of their wedding vows. So we can’t wait for that exciting event!
It was refreshing to celebrate such a joyful occasion that gave us reason to “clink our glasses” and something positive to smile about.
Congratulations, Steph and Ryan! We love you!
“To be fully seen by somebody and be loved anyhow – this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert
JUST MARRIED! ❤❤❤
Wishing you all something bright and sunshiny to celebrate in these times of uncertainty. ~Lauren 💗💗💗
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author 