[Tracir]

I got to spend the weekend with my cousin that I have seen literally 4 times in the last 22 years! I am almost 31. He is my "Alabama" cousin- I am in Georgia- he is gorgeous- thus the "Alabama" ( the whole inbred cousin comment- yes we joke about it in the South) - no one take offense- just the cousin that is SO INCREDIBLY good looking. We talked for 4 hours tonight and I giddy. I am just trying to say that I have a very good looking cousin and I am so happy to be in touch with him again after literally 22 years!

We have had a hard road both of us and realized that we have so much in common. We are trying to build a relationship and I have been on cloud nine that we are talking.

He's into poetry and gave me some of the most incredible poetry that I have ever read. We both spent some time young in a gold mining town in North Georgia and I wrote him my very first poem.

I am posting it. Tell me what you think.

Panning For Gold

What a weird concept
Sit out in a creek and scoop up the dirt.
Sift through it and hope
You find gold.
Few did and they were rewarded
Others tried forever and found nothing.
But they believed their efforts would find fortune
And they tried again and again.
Life is like a creek and it rushes by
So fast and you have to keep scooping.
We learn that most of the time you just find dirt.
And how defeating it is, with hopes so high
To just find dirt.
After trying for a long time, many quit
They were tired of just finding dirt.
You have to go through the dirt to find the gold.

If you are a good gold digger, you have to define the dirt.
You have to decide if you can accept the dirt.
And have the will and hope to scoop again.
You have to believe you are a great gold digger
And one day you will find your gold.
You also have to know that when you find some gold
You are grateful.
And know you may never find any more again.
But when you sleep at night
You have to proud of your scooping and pleased with your results.

How do you know you are a good gold digger?
First of all, you have to make sure you are in the right creek
And you have the best intentions.
You have to know you have the best equipment
But truly know that your hope is what will find the results.
You have to start the day knowing you may be disappointed
But be happy if you find some jewels along the way
Even if you didn’t find gold.

Panning for gold describes life
You want the ultimate dream.
And you quickly learn that it’s a slow or impossible process
And there is a lot of dirt.
You might not find gold but there are jewels along the way.
Those jewels are rewards and you should be grateful for them
Even if they aren’t gold.

Other gold diggers don’t want you to find the gold
Or even jewels.
They will point you in the wrong direction
On purpose to better their chances.
But you have to trust yourself and your hope
That you are in the right creek.

You may start out panning for gold with others
And quickly learn they aren’t helping you to find the gold.
But again, you have to sleep that night
Knowing you did your best.
So you go off on your own and scoop as hard as you can.
While the others in the camp are watching and criticizing your plan
Hoping you don’t make it.
Or maybe telling you they found it when they really didn’t.
Those people can’t sleep at night
Or maybe they can if they have convinced themselves they found gold.
You have to find the right creek
And one day you will find the right people to search for that gold with
In the right creek.