Greetings...
Happy December to you and your loved ones. I wish you the very best as you carry on determinedly to promote 'peace on earth and good will towards all people.'


DETERMINATION
 
Courage and resourcefulness keep saying to me:
You can grasp the surrounding chaos and darkness
Then holily make something beautiful thereof
 
David McAdam
©2025
www.davidmcadam.ca
 


#resilience  #willpower  #tenacity

Greetings...
Last Wednesday, I was honoured to attend City Hall for the 2025 Order of Vaughan Investiture Ceremony to celebrate a friend who was among the nine awardees. In our brief post-presentation conversation, the topic of ‘presence’ surfaced, and helped to spark the composition below. A plus to being at the ceremony was bumping into a former student whom I had not seen for thirty years.  What a night!

PERSONAL PRESENCE
 
Personal presence
Is a commitment
A basic discipline 
It’s about showing up, and being real
 
In so doing, we are privileged to affirm fellow sojourners in profound ways. 
It may be through greeting or otherwise acknowledging those we encounter 
Whether during a rejuvenating walk
Or while making a spontaneous purchase
Or some other occasion on which paths cross.
There is potency in simply addressing others by name
So too, a smile, a nod, a handshake, a pat, a hug, or a high-five
Is impactful in its own way
 
We reciprocate kindness
Whether in silence or in speech
Making sure, as we tell our stories
To listen actively, deeply, and attentively to the stories being told to us
So, we can learn with, from, about, and on behalf of each other.
Only then will we see one another as we actually are
And that our greatest growth occurs mutually, in community 
 
By our language
Including our countenance
We express interest and intent
 
Through wisdom, we come to realize
That the spirit of cheerful generosity
Is grounded in empathy and compassion.
Herein is a certain mindfulness
That must pervade all that we do, and are 
 
In this discerning, patient posture 
We become more attuned to prompts from our inner voice 
And we move on with noble purpose.
Even in the trenches with “the least of these” or the lowliest among us 
We necessarily nurture this thinking
In the name of authenticity 
 
Our attention and time are deemed most worthwhile.
The value of these resources appreciates
As they are dedicated to others
 
Verily, we see heaven’s goodness shaping earth 
As we create spaces of welcome and warmheartedness
Where the ‘show-up spirit’ is cultivated and sustained
 
All told, personal presence is a commissioned course.
To be present 
To give firsthand out of sincere love, with no strings attached
Is to really live fully
 
David McAdam - ©2025
www.davidmcadam.ca
www.youtube.com/@d.a.mcadam3538
​
#presence  #reunion  #fellowship  #time  #community #care

Happy day! I trust you are well. This brief Blog presents some questions and verses that I have crafted for joint consideration.

QUESTIONS
1a. As the year draws to a seemingly speedy close, what's one thought that stands out in your pondering? To what end?
1b. Might the subject (of this thought) warrant a response on your part?
1c. If so, what might be necessary to get this done?
2. How are you celebrating your wins of 2025?

REFLECTIVE VERSES
Which of these assorted items resonates most with you?

A. Dry seasons, though trying
Make the soil of our hearts more receptive to new wellsprings
And to the nurturance of more generous blooms

B. Through history we learn to appreciate our heritage
And informedly launch our own legacy

C. Our actions should be predicated on what is just, timely, and right
And be reflective of who we wish we are becoming 

D. In choosing to love unconditionally
We are moved beyond past mistakes
To the realm of wonderment

Kind regards...
©️2025 - www.davidmcadam.ca


#thoughts  #reflections  #wellbeing  #health

Happy day. Here's hoping you are doing fine. Personal health, in all dimensions, is of utmost importance. The piece below focuses on mental health.  Keep courage in cultivating your mindset, the best you can.


WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND
 
As we near the end of another year
We take stock for the time that is pending
And ponder resolutions that we’ve made 
Then review ones that are still outstanding
 
Friend, in all this rests a major query
As you grapple with points of varied kinds 
What presently preoccupies your thoughts? 
Or what is it you most have on your mind?
 
What’s your comfort level, being questioned?
How at ease are you facing your feelings?
Likely this poem will assist in some way
Through honest and transparent reflecting 
 
Perhaps you are simply inundated
With lots to do, but not enough leeway
Or you are sensing a lack of balance
Feeling you’re in overdrive every day
 
Maybe there’s a sense of self-estrangement
Or some losses that will take time to heal
Some regret from a relation gone sour 
A habit or challenge with which you deal 
 
It could be that you’re filled with emotions
Per an action that you’ve been protracting
An appointment that has brought only dread
Or one you might be anticipating 
 
As you make plans, hold things in perspective
Not every hill in sight is worth the climb
Not every battle is yours to contest 
There are integers that take extra time 
 
So too, there’s no use sweating the small stuff
Or incidents beyond your influence 
Therefore, ensure that you are focusing
On what is of lasting significance 
 
Barring distractions, it’s conventional
That we devote our time and attention 
To what is most relevant and valued
And do thusly with noble intention
 
Henceforth stay fixed on truth, while giving thanks
That you have the wherewithal to complete
The mission that’s specifically yours
As you lean on trusted friends for each feat
 
Take pause to celebrate the gift of life
Let not worry dominate your thinking
Declutter your mind and let peace conduct
Its faithful guarding and wise directing
 
Moving forward, implement one thing
And thereafter take one step at a time
Then with gladness and gratitude you’ll see
Successes that defy reason and rhyme 
 
In all of this, everyday life proceeds 
With some things more easily said than done 
Keep your mind open to ongoing change
Never forgetting the gains you have won
 
David McAdam
© 2025 , www.davidmcadam.ca
 www.youtube.com/@d.a.mcadam3538
​
#mentalhealth  #thoughtlife  #wellness
 
 

Hello and happy day…
Remembrance Day (or Veterans’ Day, or Armistice Day) is just around the corner. We honour the heroism of all who have given sacrificially to secure and promote freedom in its fulness. In light of the current socio-political climate, I thought last evening, to compose a poem on ‘memories.’ Here is the initial draft.  I hope you will pause to jot down some of your thoughts on the topic.
Cheers... 
P.S.: Looking ahead, I am reminded of the need to invest mindfully in our youth - not via schooling, but sound education.


THE MEMORIES WE ARE MAKING
 
Throughout this season of remembrance
It is instructive to contemplate 
Not just recollections from old times
But the memories we now create
 
What will future generations think
About how we have chosen to live?
What will be the most distinct features
Whether positive or negative?
 
See, our world, full of great potential
Seems challenged in learning from the past
And regarding the present juncture
By and large, the ‘good guys’ finish last 
 
In this era of complexity
There’s great confusion all around 
With scant regard for differences
Bitter isms and schisms astound
 
Lo, falsity has intensified
And is limiting freedom through fear 
And threats initialized in pockets
Are becoming common everywhere
 
We have cast aside sound reasoning
And normalized nefarious ways
Here, as truth is weighed in the balance
One wonders what this history says
 
In spite of ourselves, we must unite
To nurture a world that will endure
Where memories we make show fairness
In how we treat the weak, and the poor
 
While we honour heroes of times past
Who gave all in the ultimate test
It is vital that we seize the day
And though hard, try to render our best
 
See, the memories we’re bequeathing
Must show our efforts were unbending 
Yes, in this struggle, we can’t forget 
The fight for freedom is unending 
 
David McAdam
© 2025 - davidmcadam.ca
www.youtube.com/@d.a.mcadam3538

#remembranceday   #armistice   #memories

Greetings…
To say the times are unusually challenging is perhaps an understatement. The storm of the century, Melissa, is crossing the Caribbean, having just passed over Jamaica. Our hearts go out to those who have suffered damage or loss of any sort. Congratulations to leaders, in all contexts, for coordinating efforts in preparation for the hurricane, and to civilians and first-responders for following through. 

As a point of reflection, challenges or crises of a personal or societal nature, though potentially devastating, are opportunities for growth. They reveal our strengths and supports, as well as our vulnerabilities and needs. In the aftermath of Melissa, there is an urgent requirement for assistance with recovery. Thanks, in advance, to everyone who will be involved in offering any kind of aid or relief.

Going forward, it is instructive to:
- stay positive, hopeful, and grateful as we learn from each experience;
- take care of ourselves and others, with neighbourly kindness, and not take life or others for granted;
- remember that unity is our strength;
- assume responsibility only for things within our control; and
- ensure that we emerge better, stronger, fairer, and more just - as we express the best of humanity for the present and the future. 

May the petition expressed in this verse of Jamaica’s National Anthem be realized at this trying hour:
"Teach us true respect for all,
Stir response to duty’s call,
Strengthen us the weak to cherish,
Give us vision lest we perish.
Knowledge send us Heavenly Father,
Grant true wisdom from above.
Justice, Truth be ours forever,
Jamaica, land we love."


#Jamaica  #Melissa  #hurricane

Greetings…
Here’s hoping that you are abounding in joy. 
In writing, some compositions are completed in one sitting, perhaps swiftly or as slowly as molasses flows. Others may take significantly longer - with break after break, and repeated edits. I began working on the following poem in the summer of 2023, and arrived at this draft last evening. I trust you will find it meaningful. Take care…


KISSED BY JOY

Alone and dreaming in a trying state
Waiting agonizingly for a shift
Then you made your near presence visible
Through wholehearted embrace, there came a lift

You kissed my soul, like the warm morning sun
Now I’m feeling as cheerful as can be
And in spite of the roads that I travel
You have helped me tremendously to see
That as I’m grounded in eternal truth
Nothing of ill or sorrow can destroy
The hope that guarantees a bright future
In the name of indescribable joy

Joy, you’re my delight, my sorrow unmasked
And I’m learning profoundly through the rounds
In you, there’s power and blessing, so vast
That I can never step outside your bounds

Here, as I strive to think and act rightly
In quiet confidence, I am made strong
And you help me to sing songs of gladness
Throughout darkest night and all the day long

Indwelling me, you dry my weeping eyes
Your timely gestures are never amiss
You temper the spell of mourning and grief
Replacing it with unshakable bliss

My thanks to you for making space and time
To appreciate the way that I feel
As you fill the channels gouged by sorrow
With a sense of contentment that is real

My peace, well-being, and security
No occurrence of this world shall alloy
For I’m made whole, and even when alone
I can exult because I’m kissed by joy

David McAdam
© 2025 - davidmcadam.ca
www.youtube.com/@d.a.mcadam3538

#joy  #harmony  #health

Good day to you…

As King Solomon famously expressed: to everything, there is a season; and for every season, there is a reason. Admittedly, we are more likely to find greater peace, settledness, or resolve when we understand the rationale for occurrences in our lives. And when we can’t quite decipher the purpose or true end, or the answers just don’t seem to make sense in the natural, it is crucial for us to muster the strength to learn to lean on hope, trusting that, as we continually pursue truth, everything will work together for good - not necessarily per our finite thinking, or limited definition. Hope that is rightly placed or focused will never bring disappointment. 

So it is with relationships. People enter our lives for a reason and for a season - some of extended length. In the context of lives intersecting or crossing paths, we give of ourselves with gratitude, while respecting the power of charity, mutuality, and reciprocity (and the perennial notion of things working together ‘for good’).

With an open mindset, we more readily embrace life’s changes, and experience heightened peace and fulfilment while the seasons last. 

All the best as you navigate each season...
David


#change  #seasons  #resilience

Greetings…
Here in the northern climes, Thanksgiving celebrations are just around the corner... And with grateful hearts, we count our blessings. So, for what might you be thankful, presently? How are you thinking to express your gratitude? 
In giving thanks, our perspective never fails to incorporate contentment and joy. Good cheers as you make the best of the season. Happy Thanksgiving!


BRIGHT SONGS

Come, let us dazzle the cloudless night skies
Singing songs of starry gladness
Yes, songs of deliverance 
Songs of praise and thanksgiving 
Till our hearts are no more restless 
 
David McAdam
© 2025 - www.davidmcadam.ca

#thanksgiving  #goodness  #gratitude

Hello...
There is so much that is wrong with the world, that often seems to drown out the tremendous good that exists. By the same token, there are times when past misgivings or injustice may taint our vision, and slow or hinder our progress; hence honesty, mercy, and forgiveness prove critical to our personal and societal healing and health. This is where related efforts such as Canada’s Day of Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) are to be applauded and upheld. 
Healing is highly unlikely, if we persist in holding the past against others and ourselves. Among all of us, may there be continued courage and understanding in the pursuit of what’s truthful and right. 


TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
 
Truth and reconciliation are inseparable
For truth absolute is the gateway to genuine freedom
Which encompasses the gracious righting of all wrongs
 
David McAdam
© 2025 - www.davidmcadam.ca
 

#truthandreconciliation  #justice