Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Shower the People (James Taylor)

Given my devastation at J's passing, I was sure I would have a wallow week - in fact, I'd almost planned it, feeling as if I could choose to embrace my inconsolable sadness until I had could cry/tremble/shatter no more. Of course I realize emotions aren't light switches, to be turned off and on at will - despite my grief at the achingly-empty cubicle next to mine, life has crept back in. Always one to seek the silver lining, I've vowed to turn J's neglect of his own body into an even more conscious attention toward my own - I keep making, and breaking, promises to myself... but this time somehow feels different. I was furious with J for allowing his decline, depriving his friends and family of his company and comfort - I'm attempting the path of moderation again... with the incentive of health, inner and outer, to stay on track.

It's also a wake-up call to "be here now", telling the people you love, often and with feeling, how much you love them - make the moments count, because they are all we have...

SONG: Shower the People by James Taylor

BOOK: Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings by Rob Brezsny

POEM: The Perfect Day ~ Alice N. Persons

You wake with
no aches
in the arms
of your beloved
to the smell of fresh coffee
you eat a giant breakfast
with no thought
of carbs
there is time to read
with a purring cat on your lap
later you walk by the ocean
with your dog
on this cut crystal day
your favorite music and the sun
fill the house
a short delicious nap
under a fleece throw
comes later
and the phone doesn't ring
at dusk you roast a chicken,
bake bread, make an exquisite
chocolate cake
for some friends
you've been missing
someone brings you an
unexpected present
and the wine is just right with the food
after a wonderful party
you sink into sleep
in a clean nightgown
in fresh sheets
your sweetheart doesn't snore
and in your dreams
an old piece of sadness
lifts away

QUOTE: "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~ Melody Beattie

3 comments:

  1. Beautiful poem, Susan! Doesn't that just sum it up?

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  2. Hey, Mairi ~

    Thanks for taking the time to stop in and leave such a kind comment - hard to believe it's been over a year since J's death (and I still miss him... <3 )

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