A child’s heart – Saturday Soul with Sandy Hibbard

Living in Radical Amazement

Sandy Hibbard — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 15:20:00 +0000

Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement… get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.

~ Abraham Joshua Heschel

I could not have said it any better. This is living in the moment. This is having a childlike heart. It is not a mystical or religious thing, it is turning our minds toward a different gaze, one of infinite possibilities and the miracle of life.

XOXOXO Have an amazing Day!

Sandy

The Unstoppable Human Spirit

Sandy Hibbard — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 18:44:45 +0000

“No matter what you go through, if you have a will to survive, you can and you will.”

I had the chance to travel to #Cambodia to photograph children for a documentary. They were beautiful and beyond their years, looking into their eyes was like looking into old souls. Such beauty and perseverance of spirit! One HUGE thing I learned while there was that the human spirit is unstoppable! No matter what you go through, if you have a will to survive, you can and you will. And joy? It seems to come from a secret place, from the heart of a child!
Love and Peace!

Photo ©Sandy Hibbard from “People of Cambodia” series by Sandy Hibbard at Lensqueen.com.

That All Can Be Free and Safe…

Sandy Hibbard — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 18:29:51 +0000

“And let us never harm or put in harms way one hair on the head of one of the “least of these…”

I’ve been thinking about what a small/large world it is. It is SMALL in that we humans are so similar and what we need for survival in this world is pretty much the same – food, clean water, shelter, education, love, self esteem, good health…the freedom to be fully human and to know we are safe. It is LARGE in that there is a great separation between those who have and those who have not.
Here in America let us never take these things for granted as we fight to uphold the right for all peoples to be free. And let us never harm or put in harms way one hair on the head of one of the “least of these” for they are our hopeful future living in the midst of us now.

Love and peace!

Photo ©Sandy Hibbard from “People of Cambodia” series by Sandy Hibbard at Lensqueen.com.

Believe in a world where anything is possible

Sandy Hibbard — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 00:40:59 +0000

Embracing a childlike heart is where the magic is in our day, in our life. It is that hope within us that believes anything is possible! I have been intrigued by the concept of a “childlike” heart my whole life. To love, give, laugh, forgive, understand and be in wonderment of the world around us – no matter what age or what you’ve gone through. Basically, it’s keeping the bitterness out and hurdling over disappointment as though it were a small obstacle. Sometimes it’s hard, hell most of the time it almost buries us! You know the resting bitch face? The frowning old-persons face? I’m not being mean, but I’ve always wondered what is up with that upside down mouth that pulls the face down toward the ground. Life is difficult and I have seen its effect, not only in my life, but in the lives of my friends and family, and the people I love. I understand how that over time the things we experience can create a constant frown that comes from worry, heartache and disappointment. We all feel it. We’ve all been there.
I miss that little girl in me and I do my best to awaken her heart and allow her to guide me and remind me of who I really am. She is the one who dreams without barriers and who believes in magic and that she can do anything. The one that trusts that love is true and that people are wonderful. She is grownup and smart, so she gets it and knows that life is not all rosy. When things get tough, she just lays down the law and simply calls bullshit on it with a tender spark of understanding… treating it like a unique challenge that she must creatively find a way through. She pushes her way past all the clutter and noise, just like a bull in a china closet, just like a determined little kid, and raises her head to laugh and play and live LOUD. And I will let her because I choose joy and life over all else, and that is what she represents to me.

It’s not always that easy though, is it? But here is what I learn – everyday: Lift up your head, put a spring in your step (literally, get a little sassy). Swing your arms, look at the sun and think about the universe. Walk like a super model, like you have a million bucks in your bank account, put a flirty look in your eye, give a dollar to a homeless or street person, make eye contact with a few people giving them a smile when you do – and BOOM BOOM BAM! you will feel an immediate lift in your spirit right in that moment. You will begin to feel your power surge up. Do it every time you feel your gaze has turned downward. You see, much of what we feel is due to what we are dwelling on and even in our body language, so make a pose and tell your body to tell your brain it’s all going to be just fine. Keep your wonder and explore like you were a curious 5 year old, and anything will be possible!
Love and hugs!
Sandy

Little Girl of Mine

Sandy Hibbard — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 14:03:52 +0000

Life happens and sometimes it happens rough…

It’s like being out on the sea when a storm blows up and there is no where you can go or hide. You simply have to batten down the hatches and ride out the storm. Life is like that.

Many years ago I went through a terrible divorce that tore my family apart. And like any divorce where children are involved, my beautiful babies suffered for the mistakes of their grownup parents.

My daughter was only 10 at the time and my son was a young 13 year old. We were ripped apart. The pain was nearly unbearable for all of us, but we made it through the storm. We endured and grew closer together and more intimate than we ever could have imagined.

Sometimes those wounds surface though, and bring to each of us reminders of the pain, and that hurt can be as real as if it were happening now. Life is like that too. But year by year, moment by moment, just like you, we push through the pain and gain understanding, strength, and compassion for ourselves and others on a deeper level. We learn to live this life in love and without judgement.

I wanted to share a poem that was written many years ago for her as we were weathering the violent storm that struck our lives. May it remind her of her beauty and the love that has always surrounded her while she was growing into a beautiful young lady. I celebrate her on this day and every day, as the beautiful daughter she has always been, and the amazing woman she has become. She will always be my princess!

Love and hugs forever,
Sandy (momma)

Little Girl of Mine

Little girl of mine
rosy pink and soft
our little princess
you were always the boss
Funny little turned-up nose
lips unfolded like a rose
tender gentle heart
full of love and grace
strong and determined
while reaching out for mom’s embrace
I was always there
never left you for a minute
time and circumstance were cruel
but my love was with you in it
Beautiful young lady
tall and lean and graceful
never doubt your heart of love
it will teach you what you need to know
Soon you’ll find your own place
when mother’s not enough
you will grow to understand
and lean on thankfulness
Little lady of mine
a princess so refined
know this one important thing
and never give up on your dream
…you were born to sing!

For My Son

Sandy Hibbard — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 13:55:36 +0000

Sons are the one original love of a mother’s life. You fall in love with them before they’re even born and the love that develops through the years is a magical bond stronger than steel and sweeter than honey. I know that’s how I feel about my son. Here is a beautiful poem written by my dear friend (and poet) about her little guy, Noah. Noah is my godson and is no “little guy” anymore but a beautiful, talented and compassionate teenager. I wanted to share this for both our sons. Thanks Kelli for sharing it with me! XOXO

For My Son

These big man hands were once
Creating crafts of clay
With little fingerprints left in
Little cracks, little dents
This once small heart,
Afraid of the dark
Now is large and knows
Real fear, real sorrow
Once tears for scrapped knees
And broken things
Now knows the angst of a broken
Heart that must keep beating
That little head once framed by
Dark curls while the world unsullied
Slipped by,
Now tosses and turns to the music
Of lost hope’s time
Those little feet that danced in joy
For no other reason than they could
Now trips over the shroud
Of meant-to-bes and shoulds
Once swaddled by dreams, soft smiles, little lashes
Trembling in sweet sleep
Now knows the terror of waking
To a heart breaking
Knowledge has given you wings
But reality has its sting
And now your tears will know
Why they’re cried-
You will go on
Your heart will be stronger for the battering
And your soul will be whole despite the tatters
You will find your song in the promise
Of the broken wings that still can fly
You will be free, you will be free
For there is still music and joy
And beauty and this is the way of the world
A circle of beginnings and endings,
Of joy and sorrow, of tears and laughter
Of music and silence
Of dancing and stillness
Love will come and go
But it is always here, an indestructible force
That just lies dormant waiting for you to uncover it
Or it will surprise you with an ecstasy unconfined,
Deep, like ancient wine
You will weep, but you will sing
You will walk in darkness, you will fly in light
You will dash your heart across the stones
But you will hold it to the fire
You will love, desire and fight
You’ll gain the day and own the night
You’ll hold the river’s flow
You are stronger than you know
© Kelli Geopfert
Photos by Alain Laboile

Watch the Dance, it is Everywhere

Sandy Hibbard — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 13:38:01 +0000

Watch a butterfly dance.

Watch the fireflies dance.

Watch the lights on the water dance.

Let your heart dance with them.

~ Yoko Ono