Today, I was blessed with two of them. The first was when a friend gave me a Christmas present. We had not seen each other for a while and I was touched that she thought of me over the Holiday. It is a book entitled, "Furry Logic A Guide to Life's Little Challenges." My friend remembering me and telling me that if there is anything she can do to help, is a reminder for me to remember in truth, no man is an island.
John Donne(1572-1631) Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII: Nunc Lento Sonitu Dicunt, Morieris:
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee."
"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
"Perchance he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that."
My second reminder came from a phone call I had later in the afternoon, from a friend from my youth. Facebook has enabled me to reconnect with people from my childhood and it is truly a gift in this respect. I shared that I summon the courage to do some (most really) of what I do for two reasons. The first is the realization that writing this blog, and my activism, are not about me and my son. The activism is a direct result of the experiences of the past 18 years; I know that I must share our story, and what I have learned, because it is about ALL of us. Knowing that it is for ALL of us is what enables me to continue.
The second reason, I learned from my Dad, to speak up when something needs to be said, even if you are the only one; to participate when things need to be done. I won't claim to do either of these perfectly; but hopefully, what I lack in execution, will be overlooked, and the Grace of my Creator will allow my intent to be what is noticed. I miss my Dad. When I was talking to my friend, it was a blessing that he remembered my Dad taking one of my brothers and 3 other boys to Olympia the Capital of Washington State. My friend remarked that we need more guys like my Dad, that men like him are not so common any more. I have to say I agree.
The gift in our conversation was not just sharing what is and memories of my Dad, but that my friend reminded me that it is important for me to remember the blessings, and to not focus too much on the burdens. This is definitely a reminder I need regularly; and it seems I always get it right on time.
Today was the best day my son has had, since being illegally committed at the end of July, this is the cherry on the cake of my day. It is one thing to have faith that he will recover, it is another to see the evidence of it occurring. To see him smile, made my week.
picture credit
No comments:
Post a Comment