Daily Celebrations

"Life is not a spectator sport. . .  If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life." ~ Jackie Robinson Baseball pioneer and hero Jack Roosevelt Robinson (1919-1972) was born on this day in Cairo, Georgia.  The extraordinary African American was a four-sport athlete at UCLA and is best known for breaking the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. "I believe in the goodness of a free society. And I believe that society can remain good only as long as we are willing to fight for it-- and to fight against whatever imperfections may exist," he said. On the field, the courageous 2nd baseman endured racial name-calling and cruelty from fans and players. With pride and calm, he let his magnificent hitting, base running, and fielding speak for who he was--a man of great decency and talent. Of the abuse, he said, "I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me...

Mother, you died years ago. At first, I felt shards of pain so deep I couldn't breathe, then numbness so complete the sun could not break the clouds. Then there was just stillness like the sweetness of gardenias in the crystal vase on your yellow kitchen table. fragrant, strong. Today the tradewinds blow your voice to my ear reminding... a pleasant mantra of tenderness: magic words that move my palms, your palms, together we mold, help, create. your gift, my gift Now. In the mirror I see your eyes, Beautiful brown circles looking back,  radiant. "Don't forget me," you whispered that morning your heart stopped forever I won't forget.

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt The 32nd president of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) was born on this day on his family's Springwood estate in Hyde Park, New York. Rich and handsome, he collected birds and loved the outdoors. Wed to Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1905), he was elected Senator (1910) then Governor (1928) of New York City before entering the White House. He once said, "Remember you are just an extra in everyone else's play." FDR was the only president to be elected to four terms of office (1933-1945). The Democrat served at the depth of the Great Depression and became a champion of the working class with the creation of landmark New Deal programs. "Above all," he said, "try something." Committed to the fight for freedom, he built and commanded America's Army to the brink of World War II victory. "More than an end to war, we want an end to the ...

"We shall find peace. We shall hear the angels, we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds." ~ Anton Chekhov Literature's great dramatist and short story writer, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904) was born on this day in the port town of Taganrog, in southern Russia. He grew up working in his father's grocery store. He once said, "Man is what he believes." Attending medical school on a scholarship, Chekhov began writing to support his family and continued writing while practicing medicine. He eventually gave up medicine to write full-time, structuring a new style where major plot events take place off-stage. "Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be," he said. His stories explored characters more than plot, capturing intense emotions with almost clinical objectivity. His narrative voice, a study in calm realism, was electrifying.  "Don...

"Be happy. It is a way of being wise."   ~ Colette Born on this day in the village of Saint-Saveur-en Puisaye, Burgundy, French writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954) wrote with extraordinary insight, sensitivity, and sensuality. Best known for her novel Gigi (1944), she "discovered" actress Audrey Hepburn on the Riviera and pushed for her casting of Gigi on Broadway. "Writing only leads to more writing," Colette said, a leader in avant-garde Paris artistic circles.  She created lyrical prose, and was a journalist and actress. Her lifestyle celebrated the magic of love, chocolates, and champagne. She became a one-name enigma before Marilyn, Elvis, and Madonna. "For years I had a mass of notes in my diary, but I never would have dared to think them readable," she said. Intriguing and unconventional, Colette lived a colorful life, full of drama, passion, and experimentation. A bold woman way before her time. About the positiv...

"Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius." ~ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was born on this day in Salzburg, Austria. The child prodigy played the violin at age four, wrote his first minuet at five, and first symphony at nine. By the age of 12, he had written sonatas, concertos, and symphonies. Three of his best-known compositions are the short work for orchestra Eine Kleine Nachtmusik ( A Little Night Music , 1787), Don Giovanni (1787), and the Marriage of Figaro (1785) In his short life, Mozart created over 600 masterpieces. Because he was  like Michelangelo,  peerless in his accomplishments, many in his time claimed his treasured music to be divinely inspired, the voice of God. "People make a mistake who think that my art has come easily to me," he once said. "Nobody has devoted so much ti...

"The trick of living is to slip on and off the planet with the least fuss you can muster."  ~ Paul Newman Superstar actor, director, and philanthropist Paul Leonard Newman (1925-2008) was born on this day in Cleveland, Ohio and served as a Navy radioman in World War II before turning to film-making. He made his acting debut in 1953 and rose to fame with skill, good looks, and extraordinary blue eyes. "Acting is a question of absorbing other people’s personalities and adding some of your own experiences," he said. "I think make-believe rubs off. I think bravery can rub off. I think humor can rub off." His film career was astounding. The talented actor performed brilliantly in The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1959), Cool Hand Luke (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), and so many more... Newman finally won an Oscar in 1986 for The Color of Money as pool hustler Eddie Felson who would "never kid about ...

"Life is a luminous halo, a semi-transparent envelope surrounding us from the beginning." ~ Virginia Woolf Passionate diary keeper Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was born on this day in London. The sensitive artist wrote her novels and essays in celebration of women and the flow of ordinary experience. "Arrange whatever pieces come your way," she once said. Instead of building on plot, her poetic style explored a character's inner consciousness, giving voice to thoughts and feelings. "The history of most women is hidden either by silence, or by flourishes and ornaments that amount to silence," she explained. The brilliant colors of Woolf's stream-of-consciousness technique shine in her two novels, Mrs Dalloway (1925) and To the Lighthouse (1927). With experimental imagery and metaphor, her new voice captured the inner life, transforming ordinary events into extraordinary insights and discovering secret passions. "Each sentence mus...

"Life is either always a tightrope or a feather bed. Give me the tight rope." ~ Edith Wharton Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was born Edith Newbold Jones on this day in New York City, to a privileged family. She spent summers in Rhode Island and traveled throughout Europe. "The only way not to think about money is to have a great deal of it," she said. Faced with an unhappy marriage, Wharton took up writing, what she described as "an irresistible call," to deal with her heartache and stress. She lived in Paris and had a close relationship with novelist Henry James, a fellow American expatriate. She said, "There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Wharton's first major work, The House of Mirth (1905), told the story of ill-fated Lily Bart, 29, and her tragic quest for marriage and wealth. "The only thing to do." she said, "is to hug one's f...

"It is not easy to be a pioneer -- but oh, it is fascinating! I would not trade one moment, even the worst moment, for all the riches in the world." ~ Elizabeth Blackwell On this day in 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910) graduated first in her class at Geneva, New York's Medical Institution, becoming the first woman to graduate from medical school and the modern era's first woman doctor. In her journal, Blackwell described this day of firsts as, "bright and beautiful and very gratifying." Turned down by all the major medical schools in the nation because she was a woman, she overcame the adversity from students and faculty with determination. "If society will not admit a woman's free development, then society must be remodeled," she said. Born in Bristol, England, Blackwell inherited her resolve from her parents. Both campaigned for reform against slavery and in support of the women's movement. "Methods and conclusions...

"Adversity is the first path of truth." ~ Lord Byron A celebration of truth, Romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824) was born George Gordon Byron on this day in Dover, England. His mother was a Scottish heiress, his father was the scurrilous Captain John "Mad Jack" Byron. With a passion for books, he translated the works of Horace at age six and annotated the Hebrew Bible by eight. He inherited his title at age 10. In the midst of the French Revolution era, his life was as tumultuous as his grand poem, Don Juan (1823), which some have called the greatest of its time. "I am blood, bone, marrow, passion, feeling" he wrote, yet mocked enthusiasm, calling it "entusymusy." An adventurer, a legend, and a loyal friend to Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron once said, "Friendship is Love without his wings."  His poetry celebrated beauty and freedom. Known for love affairs and controversies that would rival Casanova, the ...

"Make one person happy each day and in 40 years you will have made 14,600 human beings happy for a little time at least." ~ Charley Willey Thank you, Charley Willey for doing the math.  Caring and kindness count. Just making one person happy each day will add up to thousands of happy people in a lifetime. The enlightened spiritual teacher Buddha (623-543 B.C.) said, "Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others." For those following Buddha's teachings, spreading metta , goodwill and loving kindness, is one of the 10 paramis , the qualities of perfection developed over many lifetimes. "Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds," Buddha said. The best way to spread happiness is to show genuine concern for others. Put yourself in their shoes, try to understand where they're coming from. Every person has a point of view. Listen for a change. Understand and validate others. “Real u...

"When in doubt, wear red." ~ Bill Blass Yes, I love the color red. And I am not alone. "I love red so much," said artist Alexander Calder, "I almost want to paint everything red." More than just a primary color, red is bold, powerful, passionate. A beacon of strong feelings. Love and devotion. "Red is associated with assertiveness, courage, passion, sexuality and willpower," explained writer Dorothy Randall Gray. "Red keeps us alert, enhances activity energizes the body and encourages self-confidence." Communism or revolution, red evokes change, danger: Stop, look, listen. Red. Symbolizing sincerity, bravery, good fortune, and happiness. Strawberries. Tomatoes. Ruby and garnet. Lava... poppies... hearts... Life! "For (people who love) red, winning isn't everything, it's the only thing," observed psychologist Taylor Hartman. (I seem to remember Vince Lombardi saying that as well.)  Reds seek power, disl...

"Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door! Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'" ~ Edgar Allan Poe A poet, short story writer, and journalist, tormented genius Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), was the master of the macabre. He described poetry as being opposed to a work of science because its immediate object is "pleasure, not truth." His "pleasure" poetry included The Raven (1845) and The Bells (1849). A foremost literary critic, he also invented the murder mystery genre with The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) in which his detective Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin uses ratiocination (the process of exact thinking) to solve the crime. Born on this day in Boston, Poe celebrated the cryptic. More of his remarkable horror classics included The Masque of the Red Death (1842), The Pit and the Pendulum (1842), The Tell-Tale Heart (1843), and Black Cat (1843). "I have great faith in fools; self-confidence, my friends call...

"After all, what are birthdays? Here today and gone tomorrow."   ~ A. A. Milne Writer Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956) was born on this day in London, England and was the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, the most famous bear in the world. According to the BBC News, Pooh first appeared in a story called The Wrong Sort of Bees , written for the London Evening News on Christmas Eve 1925. Milne wrote Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh (1928), the charming tales of Pooh bear and his friends, Tigger (the original "Yahoo"), Piglet (a forever friend), Rabbit (always rushing) and Eeyore (delightful Mr. Negative). Milne's words about life in the Hundred Acre Woods, written for his only son, Christopher Robin, were brought to life by the line drawings of Ernest H. Shepard. He debuted as a Disney cartoon character in the 1966. Pooh is more popular today than ever before. In April 2006, the beloved bear received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of ...

"To try and fail is at least to learn. To fail to try is to suffer the loss of what might have been. " ~ Benjamin Franklin A man who continued to try, inventor and statesman Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was born on this day in Boston. He was the only person to sign the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Treaty of Paris. The inventor of bifocals and the lightning rod, among his many accomplishments, Franklin also published the annual Poor Richard's Almanac under the pseudonym Richard Saunders.  The proverb-filled piece sold as many as 10,000 copies and featured Franklin's keen wit and straightforward prose.  "Constant complaint is the poorest sort of pay for all the comforts we enjoy," he wrote. His Almanac was a guide to weather forecasts, recipes, jokes, and clever aphorisms such as: "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise;" "Snug as a bug in a rug;" and "Health is the way t...

"The body says what words cannot." ~ Martha Graham Martha Graham (1894-1991) was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania and was first inspired to dance by pioneer Ruth Saint-Denis' exotic Epytia performance. "Miss Ruth opened a door for me and I saw into life," Graham explained. A dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Graham gained world acclaim with her company, the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance , which opened in 1927. One of her most important works, Letter to the World , an interpretation of Emily Dickinson's poetry, examined the inner life of the famous poet and celebrated feelings beyond Dickinson's gentle words, "Judge Tenderly--of Me." Graham was inspired by ancient ritual and myth and believed dance was "the hidden language of the soul of the body." As she brought drama to modern dance from the female point of view, she boldly contradicted classical dance rules. Her creation of powerful movement lasted over 7...

"The time is always right to do what is right." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. Born on this date in Atlanta, Georgia, Baptist minister Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) fused the Christian philosophy of love with Mahatma Gandhi's teachings of nonviolent protest to lead the American civil rights movement in the name of freedom and equality. "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend," King believed. On August 28, 1963, King marched Washington D.C. in favor of equality legislation and gave his speech of a lifetime on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In front of a sea of 200,000 faces, King's inspirational words looked to a bright future of racial harmony. "I have a dream today," he declared passionately. "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.'" At age 35, King wa...

"One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity." ~ Albert Schweitzer Philosopher and missionary surgeon Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) was a man who rekindled the human spirit of others. Born on this day in Upper Alsace, Germany, he fulfilled his vow at age 30 to dedicate his life to helping mankind. He became an international symbol of humanitarianism, his name synonymous with altruism. "Do something for somebody every day for which you do not get paid," he said. Schweitzer, an accomplished organist and Bach scholar, founded a hospital in Lambaréné, Africa to fight malaria and leprosy, then donated the prize money from his 1952 Nobel Peace Award to build a leper colony. Natives came from hundreds of miles away for treatment. "I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know, the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve,...