To Russell With Love

I wrote this poem almost a year ago at the time I realized that I had fallen in love with Russell...

To Russell With Love

To love someone deeply gives you strength.
Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.
~ Lao-Tzu

Miles apart and strangers to each other,
we set our goals for the coming year-
so often writing on the same page
without ever touching once,
even though we'd held these dreams dear
for far longer than the time
when the year, once more, became new.

How did it take so long
for our paths to finally cross?
How did the tiny spark
of our first encounter
grow so rapidly
into a full-blown fire
that both roared with passion
and gently warmed...
that both blazed
and gave a mellow glow?

Sometime
during the scheme of things
while we were preoccupied
with the business-as-usual
of turning the world upside down
and setting it on fire,
our hearts reached out to hug each other
forever.

Because of this,
we are braver, stronger, better
together
than we ever were
before the crossing of our paths
on that page of common dreams.

Miles apart,
we dream our dreams
-similar, alike, and different-
on separate pillows
in different time zones
while magically sleeping
heart-to-heart
because of our special love.

(February 26,2007)

Ainsley Jo Phillips

Letter About A Very Special Friend!

Hi, Everybody!

I'm writing to let you know that I've recently met a very special person named Russell Hartsaw! He's totally-amazing, and I want to tell everybody about him! Now don't go getting any ideas and start listening for wedding bells, but I'll have to say that Russell is definitely an answer to my prayers! We have wonderful chemistry when it comes to both being friends and being supportive of each others' dreams. While we might not agree on every single thing, we still share many of the same dreams!

We both believe that 2007 is going to be a very good year for us, and we're thankful to be sharing it together!

A few days ago, I began writing a review of a rather grumpy piece about Valentine's Day that I'd come across--and found that it was quickly becoming a blog-entry. At that time, I felt inspired to turn it into a special piece of writing that would celebrate Russell and what we mean to each other in a very special way.

It then became a piece of writing that was almost like a mini-website, and it went along with Russell's and my special dream of building other people up and getting them "out there"--along with getting ourselves "out there," as well.

Russell hasn't yet seen what I've written, because he had a website he was building for an artist who goes by Professor Cool up at the time and couldn't escape out of there without losing a lot of hard work. I told him that I hope he'll like it, and he told me that he had the feeling that he was going to like it a lot.

Russell has such a beautiful and sensitive soul--and he's truly a one-of-a-kind person!

Before I share the link of what I've written about him, I'd like to make a special announcement:

If your first name is one of the following, pay special attention, because it just might be that you have a role in this piece of writing (after you click on the hyperlink) that will promote your businesses/websites/etc. in some way...

Megan

Michelle

Kimberly

Candice

Russell (duh?)

Roger

Jacqui

Other very important names have been mentioned as well--and I hope that you'll pay extra-special attention to one of those names: Teresa

Now--without further ado--here's what I wrote:

I Hope He Says "Yes!"