THE ELASTICITY OF THE HEART

 Ali, our daughter, is also moving to the mountains…although she loves the water 

to be close and to be a part of the life of her grand-daughter.

So we’ve all been on a kind of goodbye tour…a tour that’s about to end

as we’ve been taking time to say goodbye to family and friends.

Yesterday we attended a party for Ali…where we saw many people hug

and many people cry

knowing this might be the final time before she moves…

they had to say goodbye.

And even though we all know this goodbye is not permanent…

we will see each other again…we will find a way…

as we say hello a new adventure…

it is goodbye to the life we knew yesterday.

But we’ve ll had friends and family move away…and have found when we’re apart

the resiliency of our souls…and the elasticity of our hearts.

We find that once our hearts and souls connect with family and friends….

we are forever linked with a connection that never ends.

That connection, once attached, strengthened through joys and sorrow

through all the tears and smiles…

does not fall apart or break…but stretches across the miles.

This explains how even when people move away…across miles that are vast…

as they head off to a new future…they’re still connected to their past.

And when they meet again…when their lives cross or intersect

it explains how easily their hearts and souls so quickly reconnect.

As I watched Ali and her friends in this midst of their goodbyes 

watched the way they held onto hugs a little longer and how tears filled up their eyes.

Not knowing the next time they will see each other…the next time they will meet

I realized what makes saying goodbye…so difficult…so bittersweet

The bitterness goes from knowing we are about to be apart…

The sweetness because we understand the elasticity of the heart.

CALI

 “Let’s walk a different way this morning.” Deborah happily exclaimed.

Which proved to be serendipitous  

because we met a man and his golden retriever…Cali was her name.

Cali immediately reminded us of Whitman, our golden..thus…

we were elated when she ran right up to us. 

As we loved on Cali at the beginning of this beautiful day

so many memories of Whitman…chose to come out and play. 

As we petted her and she dog-smiled

we witnessed her companion’s pride and jubilation.

Then we shared some memories of Whitman…

and a little conversation.

As they walked away from us when the conversation was through

We remembered things about Whitman that, today, we find ring true.

We remember fondly how this adopted dog found his way into our hearts

a little more and more each day

how our life was changed for the better…

how cancer gradually took him away. 

He reminded us life is short an when it was his time to leave,

he taught us about sorrow…he taught us how to grieve.

He taught us how life must go on…and that once we bid adieu…

how grieving is not something we get over…

it’s something we try to muddle through.

He taught us to imagine heaven differently

at least the heaven we prefer…

how some of the angels up in heaven…

have wings made out of fur.

As we turned and watched them walking down the lane…

we thought of how Whitman’s lessons continue to be far-reaching

and we smiled as we imagined all the lessons…

Cali will be teaching.

255

 

Some interesting statistics that have to do with birth:

Every minute of the day 255 babies are born upon this Earth.

255 babies with different nationalities, different colors…different names

but every one of those 255 babies are humans…all the same.

255 babies a mother, father and a family welcome and hold dear. 

That’s 363,000 babies born each day and 133 million born each year.

Every minute 255 families who, as this new life they perceive,

begin to enjoy this amazing creation…begin to marvel…to believe.

Every minute 255 families are excited…to hold a life so new

that includes, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles…

grandparents and great-grandparents too.

Every minute 255 families have found a reason for their smile to beam

255 families filled with wonder…filled with wishes, hopes and dreams.

255 families finding reasons to enjoy this moment of happiness 

to think of all the happiness they have in store…

and to marvel at how every minute…the world is welcoming 255 more.

Every minute when we look around the world at all the people trying to survive…

and we see the the poverty, war and prejudice we’ve produced

we should think of these 255.

and wonder how many of our babies born each minute to a family that’s elated

will survive beyond their childhood…in the world we have created.

It should be our duty…from the minute of their birth…

to make all 255 babies feel safe and happy to have been born upon this Earth.

And if they don’t…if the world we have created makes some scared…

makes some of those families and babies sob…

then isn’t it our duty…

to do a better job.

FRIENDSHIP IN A BAG

 

Our move has been postponed a week which means, if you’ve been keeping track,

we are faced with living around and out of all the boxes we’ve already packed…

Living in this manner, at times, if you’ve ever done it…can be a drag…

but yesterday two friends of ours helped out

they brought us lunch…in a grocery bag. 

On the guise of stopping over to say goodbye…

which in itself would have been enough

they handed us a grocery bag…filled with luncheon stuff.

Home made egg salad, 4 slices of bread,

one tomato waiting to be cut,

one bag of Ruffles potato chips, 

and two fresh muffins…banana nut.

What wasn’t visible to the naked eye…but we certainly could tell

was the friendship they had packed into that grocery bag as well.

We thanked them for their generosity…then sat and chatted for a while

and they left us with their friendship, our lunch, some hugs a wave and a smile.

Having friends makes life wonderful…good friends make life complete…

The love we share is precisely what makes leaving bittersweet.

What is wonderful about friendship however…is the feeling that it brings…

How it shows up when you least expect it…sometimes in the little things.

Like the way two friends stopping by can fill your heart with joy and pride

when they leave behind a grocery bag with their friendship packed inside.

We’ve eaten many wonderful lunches in our life together…

and I don’t mean to brag…

but we can’t remember any lunch tasting better

than this one…served in a grocer bag.

BACK IN '63

 

 I know this sounds naive but still I hope and pray

that in my lifetime I will see

A world that comes together to live in peace and harmony.

It certainly hasn’t happened often…(and lately not much at all)

but when it does it is a beautiful thing…and the whole world is enthralled.

July 26, 1963…at the height of the Cold War…

when most of the world was split into two camps (similar to today)

a 6.1 earthquake struck the city of Skopje, Macedonia

reducing much of the city to rubble and clay.

Skopje did not participate in the Cold War…they did not align with either side

which allowed, for a little while at least, the whole world to be allied.

Countries on both side of the Cold War no longer concerned with anger or fear

sent money, doctors, construction workers…materials and engineers.

Enemies put their grievances aside…tabled their animosities and greed

and united to help a fellow country of this Earth in its time of need.

It was an exciting and inspiring moment in our planet’s history…

as 78 countries united in their concern and caring for Skopje’s recovery.

Sadly this spirit of giving by which the world, for a little while, was guided

faded…the Cold War resumed…and we are once again a world divided.

But the fact that 78 countries were able to put their bitterness and hostilities to rest…and act together as one

proves it is possible…confirms it can be done.

I do believe we can all come together…

that we don’t need a global tragedy…

that we can be kind and generous to everyone…every day

like we were once…back in 1963.