Brighter Day (Forest Sun)

Feels to me, at least in our family, that the pandemic, despite the fact there is much tragedy surrounding, has provided each of us with many opportunities for personal growth:  mindfulness, compassion, patience, awareness, self-care, gratitude, listening skills, thoughtfulness.  We actually talk about it often, and we are noticing each other's progress.  Sweet.

The poem and quote below appeared on my radar at the same time, albeit from two different sources, and the rest fell into place, all magical gifts from The Universe... 💖

SONG:  Brighter Day by Forest Sun

BOOK:  Make Someone Happy: Favorite Postings by Elizabeth Berg

POEM:  the windows of Liberty, Maine by Maya Stein

for Kate

Which is another way of saying, What will you do when the chips are down,

or How will you make a life that beats the odds, or Where does your mind go

when the enemy recedes, or Have you ever loved a place you haven’t been,

or Who do you think you are…no, really? or, What is it that feels the most

impossible, or Why walk when you can run, or What do you call that moment

when the light changes for good, or Who is holding the stopwatch, or Where

does it say that broken isn’t beautiful, or How many times are you willing

to break, or What do you get when you cross the road without

the f***ing chicken, or Which language is the one you want to be speaking, or

What is the sound of one window opening, and another, and another?

QUOTE:  “Admit it. You aren’t like them. You’re not even close. You may occasionally dress yourself up as one of them, watch the same mindless television shows as they do, maybe even eat the same fast food sometimes. But it seems that the more you try to fit in, the more you feel like an outsider, watching the “normal people” as they go about their automatic existences. For every time you say club passwords like “Have a nice day” and “Weather’s awful today, eh?”, you yearn inside to say forbidden things like “Tell me something that makes you cry” or “What do you think deja vu is for?”. Face it, you even want to talk to that girl in the elevator. But what if that girl in the elevator (and the balding man who walks past your cubicle at work) are thinking the same thing? Who knows what you might learn from taking a chance on conversation with a stranger? Everyone carries a piece of the puzzle. Nobody comes into your life by mere coincidence. Trust your instincts. Do the unexpected. Find the others…” ~ Timothy Leary

No Place Like Om (Troubadours of Divine Bliss)

". . . love your solitude and try to sing out with the pain it causes you. for those who are near you are far away, you write, and this shows that the space around you is beginning to grow vast. And if what is near you is far away, then your vastness is already among the stars and is very great; be happy about your growth, in which of course you can't take anyone with you, and be gentle with those who stay behind; be confident and calm in front of them and don't torment them with your doubts and don't frighten them with your faith or joy, which they wouldn't be able to comprehend.

Seek out some simple and true feeling of what you have in common with them, which doesn't necessarily have to alter when you yourself change again and again; when you see them, love life in a form that is not your own and be indulgent toward those who are growing old, who are afraid of the aloneness that you trust. . . . Don't ask for any advice from them and don't expect any understanding; but believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it." ~ Ranier Maria Rilke "Letters to a Young Poet"

I read the above on a grace-full blog (thanks, Shannon)... and had to include in mine - this is exactly how I'm feeling on the cusp of going back home (home!) for two weeks... after having been with my ailing/aging mom for the last two months. I posted the following to Mom's CaringBridge website over the last few days - this now, more later... of course... :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At this point, mom seems to have stabilized enough such that (goddess willing) I'm making plans to go to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, a summer staple for me - this will be my 11th year!

I will be away a total of two weeks... flying from Atlanta to Ft. Lauderdale this Thursday July 16, up to Boston Tuesday July 21 (to meet up with a music friend, whereupon we will drive to the festival in upstate New York), back to Ft. Lauderdale after the festival Monday July 27 and return to Atlanta Thursday July 30.

Mari will be holding down the proverbial fort in my absence - I am beyond grateful. I also know she will need help, breaks and support... on the weekends so she can get out of the house for a few hours... and even during the week as she's working from mom's house and might need someone to sit with mom while Mari's having a particularly busy or phone-centric day. Any offer much appreciated and seriously considered - thanks in advance!

I cannot wait to see my husband, my children, my dog, my friends... and my house (my bed, my jacuzzi... even my kitchen) - it's been entirely too long (two months). It's hard not to feel twinges of guilt and/or selfishness for the getaway - however, I know I *wouldn't* even consider it, much less follow through, if mom wasn't at this plateau... and I know she is in such capable hands with Mari. We've been tag-teaming for the last few months and I am fully confident she is up to the exhausting but rewarding task - Brad is also fully on board to do whatever he can to help and support. It does take a village - we are lucky ours is so loving and far-reaching...

Thanks again to all for continued thoughts/prayers/skyward intentions/purple candles and, most importantly, your love and support - it means much... <3>

SONG: No Place Like Om by Troubadours of Divine Bliss (I can't find the lyrics online so this YouTube video of Over the Rainbow will have to do!)

BOOK: Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg

POEM: What I Believe by Michael Blumenthal

I believe there is no justice,

but that cottongrass and bunchberry

grow on the mountain.

I believe that a scorpion's sting

will kill a man,

but that his wife will remarry.

I believe that, the older we get,

the weaker the body,

but the stronger the soul.

I believe that if you roll over at night

in an empty bed,

the air consoles you.

I believe that no one is spared

the darkness,

and no one gets all of it.

I believe we all drown eventually
in a sea of our making,
but that the land belongs to someone else.

I believe in destiny.

And I believe in free will.

I believe that, when all

the clocks break,
time goes on without them.

And I believe that whatever

pulls us under,
will do so gently.

so as not to disturb anyone,

so as not to interfere

with what we believe in.

QUOTE: "It began in mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lies in between." ~ Diane Ackerman

Mary and Joe (Darryl Purpose)

SONG: Mary and Joe by Darryl Purpose

BOOK: The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg







POEM: Joseph by Geoffrey Philp

He could feel the cold coming on:

flurries of snow melted on his beard.
First his toes, fingers, climbing up his head,
numbness branched across his shoulders,
sagging under the burden.

How many years would he be given with his son
to see the lilies of Capernaum bud, flower, wither,
die and be reborn under the unrelenting sun,
the steady flame by which his life had burned?

He snapped dry twigs under his feet,
turned to his young bride, asleep on the floor--
after all the struggles, so beautiful by the hearth.

Calmly, he stoked the coals, and the embers
greeted his hands, his prayer with a promise
that this warmth, like peace, would live as long as his desire.

QUOTE: "The message of Christmas is that the visible material world is bound to the invisible spiritual world." ~ Author Unknown

Talk to Me (Joni Mitchell)

My friend M was nominated for the following award, and tagged me (below) - I told her it was both a hoot and an honor and I'd graciously accept... and it even comes in silver, my favorite color... of hair *and* jewelry... :-)

" schmooze (shmz) Slang v. intr. To converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.

Now, it is my turn to share the wealth and pass along the honor to 5 worthy bloggers. But, which ones? There are so many lovely schmoozing ladies and gents out there! Ok, using the definition of schmooze above, I nominate:

My dear friend Susan at Optimistic Voices because she is lovely and southern and is the best schmoozer I have ever met! This woman never, ever takes no for an answer and you find yourself groveling at her Birkenstock-clad feet and thanking her for it.

So, here are the Schmoozer Rules:

1. If you are the recipient of The Power of Schmooze Award, write a post with links to 5 blogs that have schmoozed you into submission.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the award.

3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Power of Schmooze Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote (there is an alternative silver version if gold doesn’t fit your blog). "

So... I guess I earned this award honestly as M, who's known me over a decade, can attest - I'm one of those people that can talk to anybody... but what I've come to think that *really* means is that I *listen* to everybody. Whether it's the doctor's waiting room or in line at Target or in a group of friends, I just seem to have one of those faces that invites conversation - when I'm with someone, I'm paying attention and giving them my whole self. I am genuinely interested in other people and their stories, stories - I am fascinated by the life experiences of others...

My persuasive powers do tend along the lines of Roslyn Carter's steel magnolia reputation, as I grew up in Atlanta and still maintain a Southern drawl (one friend refers to my voice as mellifluous) - I'm easy-going and have a high tolerance for frustration, which makes some people (mistakenly) think doormat. I go out of my way to avoid conflict and attempt to accommodate everyone's way of thinking/doing... but when push comes to metaphorical shove, if I feel strongly about something, I have no trouble expressing my opinions and preferences - I believe this behavior traces back to growing up in an alcoholic household, where my father "accused" my mother of controlling everything/everyone. I didn't/don't want to be that so I lay low if the choice is immaterial to me - however, I *will* make a decision if no one else steps up!

Back to the power of schmoozing... I've always been a people person and, whether coordinating our elementary school PTA Cultural Arts Fair or organizing a crossing-state-lines-for-a-favorite-musical-artist road trip or booking a monthly concert series, I do believe I have the gift of encouraging people to "sign up" - I'd like to think it's not that I'm trying to sell the proverbial bridge or swampland, but because I'm enthusiastic about my passions... and how in the world could anyone resist and not be thrilled about being involved as well?!?

Come on, Just Do It - you know you want to (and the first one's free... :-)

P.S. My book choice not only fits the theme, but is also perfect because M turned me on to Elizabeth Berg's writing when we first met... <3

SONG: Talk to Me by Joni Mitchell

BOOK: Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg

POEM: What I Like and Don't Like by Philip Schultz

I like to say hello and goodbye.
I like to hug but not shake hands.
I prefer to wave or nod. I enjoy
the company of strangers pushed
together in elevators or subways.
I like talking to cab drivers
but not receptionists. I like
not knowing what to say.
I like talking to people I know
but care nothing about. I like
inviting anyone anywhere.
I like hearing my opinions
tumble out of my mouth
like toddlers tied together
while crossing the street,
trusting they won't be squashed
by fate. I like greeting-card clichés
but not dressing up or down.
I like being appropriate
but not all the time.
I could continue with more examples
but I'd rather give too few
than too many. The thought
of no one listening anymore—
I like that least of all.

QUOTE: "When we talk about understanding, surely it takes place only when the mind listens completely - the mind being your heart, your nerves, your ears - when you give your whole attention to it." ~ J. Krishnamutri