Yesterday, I did not sew. I cleaned my son's room. I took myself out for lunch. I went for coffee with a friend and had a long chat and a warm hug. I finished the book on grief and then researched prolonged grief and the stages of grief and how to overcome grief. I watched this video on grief which led to downloading Barbara Johnson's book Stick A Geranium In Your Hat And Be Happy. The first chapter is called Pain Is Inevitable But Misery is Optional. So true. Why do we forget? The chapter ends with these lines...
Life is about 10 percent what you make it... And 90 percent how you take it.
... and this poem from an unkown source...
Choose to love - rather than hate.
Choose to smile - rather than frown.
Choose to build - rather than destroy.
Choose to persevere - rather than quit.
Choose to praise - rather than gossip.
Choose to heal - rather than wound.
Choose to give - rather than grasp.
Choose to act - rather than delay.
Choose to forgive - rather than curse.
Choose to pray - rather than despair.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - it's all been done before - everything is connected
I read Jack Layton's final letter the other day - and the sentiments in it were very similar to that poem.
ReplyDeleteI found it very moving that he took the time to communicate such a wonderful message at a time when it would have been perfectly acceptable (and even expected) that he would be just focused on himself and his immediate family.
I loved the Joan Didion book. She's SUCH a great writer and she connects on a very visceral level. Or did for me, as I was moving through some grief at the time. I will admit, though, that the book scared me. Losing my husband is something that I don't want to think about, but as we age... one of us will go first, in all likelihood.
ReplyDeleteDespite that... loved that book! I like the poem, too. Not great lit maybe, but a good way to live.
JoyceP in WI
It's funny how things appear when you need to hear them. Four of my friends died last weekend and I have just moved to the other end of the country to take up a new job. Being alone at a time like this is hard, but I'm keeping busy and exploring my new home. Thank you for the inspiration.
ReplyDelete