“All God wants of man is a peaceful heart.”
Meister Eckhart
-
-
The Gift of Knowing You
I read of a man who stood to speak
The Dash Poem (By Linda Ellis)
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning…to the end
He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years
For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth
For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering this special dash
Might only last a little while
So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash…
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent YOUR dash?This poem was read at the Celebration of Life yesterday for our friend and loved one, Antonella (Toni). The poem does call us to think about how we want to live out all of our years in between those two significant dates of birth and death. I remember her smile, that grin which sometimes had that mischievous look. I am grateful to have received the gift of knowing you. You will be missed, my friend! 😢
Here is a link to a recording of the author reading the poem.
-
Sometimes You Hear a Voice
Sometimes you hear a voice
Rumi
through the door calling you.
as fish out of water
hear the waves,
or a hunting falcon
hears the drums
Come back. Come back.
This turning toward
what you deeply love saves you.
Read the book of your life,
which has been given you.
A voice comes to your soul saying,
Lift your foot. Cross over.
Move into emptiness
of question and answer and question. -
Maybe Tomorrow
Another early morning at the Pineridge Natural Area with coffee and journal. It is always a great way for me to start my day. My topic of interest in my journaling was my tendency for sloth in several areas of my life. Thought I better post something before I forget how or put it off any longer. May need to post a blog on this and get your feedback. But not now, maybe tomorrow.
After time at the nature area I met my youngest daughter for breakfast, my first time to sit down and eat in a restaurant. They only allowed us to use every other table and we could take our mask off to eat, which was convenient. Now on my porch to write this post while being annoyed by a rather loud leaf blower. Can you tell I’m beginning to hate them! Anyway, have a great weekend.
-
Blue Flax
Blue Flax near the parking lot of the Cathy Fromme Nature Area.