Out There

Out there
you'll see it all.
The floating ends
will meet and mend,
and you will be yourself;
your fully-formed,
though always changing,
self of selves.
Every clumsy backward look
will pay for itself.
Every tear you've cried,
or wanted to cry,
will set your broken bones.
The rips in your heart
will no longer
need to be guarded
by steel girders,
banyan trees,
or even rice paper.
Not so much as a
dragonfly's wing
will you need
to cover the bludgeoned place,
to protect the private you
you love so much
and hope to save intact
from what has seemed years
of relentless pummeling.

Go and live and love
in peace, my friend,
for surely there is love
to enfold you,
and life to be feasted upon:
your portion is boundless.
Love will be the more
you've wanted.
You will know it
when you see it.
You will love yourself
as no lover
has ever had the courage
to love;
and the warmth you've wanted
will line your pillowcases,
dance upon your windowsill,
and hide
at the ends of your socks
awaiting your toes.

-Deborah Mears

Living Simply

I have saved this for years - always aspiring to live up to it - often falling far short to parts of it. It was written by William Ellery Channing:

MY SYMPHONY

To live content with small means;
To seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
To be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not rich;
To study hard, think quietly,
talk gently, act frankly;
To listen to stars and birds, to babes
and sages, with open heart;
To bear all cheerfully, do all bravely,
await occasion, hurry never;
In a word, to let the spiritual,
unbidden and unconscious, grow up
through the common ....
this is to be my symphony.

Rules Of Everyday Living

I was going through some papers the other day and came across the "Girl Guide Laws" that were left behind by my niece from when she stayed with me.

I couldn't help thinking how much better the world would be if we all incorporated these concepts into our "rules of everyday living":

BE HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY

USE MY RESOURCES WISELY

RECOGNIZE AND USE MY TALENTS AND ABILITIES

PROTECT OUR COMMON ENVIRONMENT

LIVE WITH COURAGE AND STRENGTH

SHARE IN THE SISTERHOOD OF GUIDING

Everyone on board with me?

Empowerment

There is not one of us whose has not felt powerless at one time or another - both in our own lives and in witnessing the lives of others.

Wollf, over at www.howlsatmoon.blogspot.com introduced me to Irena Sendler today. What an affirmation for what one person can do to change a hopeless situation.

In researching her story a little further, I came across this quote by a rabbi (they didn't name him though and I wasn't able to track him down) but wanted to pass on these encouraging words: "For darkness to take over, it must completely fill a room. But one little flicker of light, a single lit match, can bring light to the whole room."

All of us are not called to such acts of heroism as Irena Sendler was (thank God). But let us not back down when it comes our turn to light a match in a small way - as it will, without a doubt, in each of our lives.