Poet, Author, Composer....
Empowering Blessing
352. Empowering Blessing
I love the blessing that the Unity Church uses. Here are the words (sorry I can’t put in the singing).
—
God is my source, God is my power,
God gives me everything I need.
So I give thanks for all my blessings.
God gives me everything I need.
—
Actually when I’ve been at Unity when they sing it, they start out slowly with a solo for the first two lines. One time, my granddaughter sang the solo lines. It was so very impressive. Then everyone joins in and they cook it, and include claps and it just builds and builds and builds.
I find it empowering because it says so – God is my power! And certainly it is true that God gives me everything I need.
Be Bold
351. Be Bold
A good friend of mine had her husband of many years die. Early in her grieving she had spent time with her daughter. But the time came when she went home to deal with living in a house alone instead of with him. As the daughter left her she said, “Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.”
When she told me that, it brought tears to my eyes. But even hearing it, I squared my shoulders and sat straighter and felt stronger myself. Later I looked it up and found it was a quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), a German writer, artist and politician.
But the power is not in the knowing who said it, who wrote it, and who they were. The power is in the words themselves, given as a gift of encouragement to a loved one who is walking alone. I’m tucking it in my memory bank to pull out when I need access to some mighty forces so that I can be spurred to be bold.
Thanks Goethe!
The Small Squirrel
350. The Small Squirrel
—
she was a small squirrel
and the road was lightly traveled
she ran to the middle
then saw me and stopped
—
I slowed my car
grateful for no traffic
she darted farther across
then spun around
and headed back
toward the safer side
where she had started
—
I stopped the car
she froze
in the middle of the road
shaking in confusion
—
she pulled herself together
as squirrels will do
looked once at me
then turned and
resolutely walked
ahead of me down the road
in the middle of my lane
—
I smiled and let her
slowly lead the way
and thought how often
I have ached to do the same
—
let go the choosing
and walk the center line
Three Stages of Old
349. Three Stages of Old
I read the other day that gerontologists say that there are three stages of old in our society. The young-old are sixty-five to seventy-four years old. The old-old are seventy-five to eighty-four. The oldest-old are eighty-five and older.
So I am still in the middle group and will be there for four more years. I am old old. And amazingly that is o.k.
I went to annual conference yesterday just to attend a special luncheon where one of my friends was getting an award. Annual Conference is the three or four-day meeting of the United Methodist Church in Greater New Jersey. Four years ago I gave up going as a delegate and yesterday confirmed to me that that was a good decision.
I also just happened to come upon my journal entry for that day and it said: And my last annual conference begins. In the opening worship service there was the line “And in this moment we imagine and honor all those who will come after us, who have no name in this moment but will one day take our places and embody our hope… That prayer released me from the need to feel indispensable and to let go.
It is a good reminder to me when I get to feeling indispensable. In those moments it’s helpful to trust that someone else will take my place and embody my hope. I don’t want to drop out of everything, but it is clear that I can drop out of some things and know that either the work will continue, or perhaps that it is time for that particular work not to continue.
I am halfway through the second stage of oldness. Way to go Ann.
That Aging Thing
348. That Aging Thing
Back in #205 I wrote about my philosophy of aging—and I wrote it in an “Aging Rap.” Here it is again in a Zachariah story.
We were in the grocery, and in the checkout line. Zachariah said in a loud voice, “Now! I am four and you are 60.” I said, “Right,” as several people turned to look.
Then Zach said “When I am five, you will be 61.” Again I said, “Right.”
Zach asked, “When I am 10, how old will you be?” I said, “Sixty-six.”
People were still looking, and even more were smiling.
Zach was quiet for a minute as he thought and then he said, “When I am 51, how old will you be?” I grin, and say victoriously, “One hundred and seven!”
—–
Peacemakers
346. Peacemakers
I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and as a child and young person Memorial Day on each May 30th meant little to me except that it was the day of the Indianapolis 500—the big auto race.
But in these four or five days of posts about Memorial Day and its subjects, I want to share with you a hymn I wrote years ago about peace. I have now come to believe that wars do not accomplish peace. In Zinn’s book (posted yesterday), he quotes A. J. Muste, the pacifist, who said in 1941, “The problem after a war is with the victor. He thinks he has just proved that war and violence pay. Who will now teach him a lesson?”
The Gospels tell me that the peacemakers are blessed and shall be called the children of God. My hope is that I can do small things, persistent things, and perhaps prophetic things to make peace. Even that I write a song that encourages persons to be peacemakers.
—
Peacemakers
—
Where is the hope in the midst of the conflict,
Turmoil surrounds us, Tensions increase,
Trust has vanished,
People despair and feel helpless, hopeless,
There is a whisper:
Blessed are those who make peace
For they shall be called the children of God,
May I be one of them.
—
Deep in each person the spirit lies waiting,
Dormant, yet ready, Waiting for life.
Flames rekindled
Bring forth a birthing of goodness, caring,
There is a shouting:
Blessed are those who make peace
For they shall be called the children of God,
May I be one of them.
—
Move toward the vision of peace now created,
Stand in its center, Move toward the dream,
Touch the stranger,
Banish the fear and feel wholeness, healing,
There is a singing:
Blessed are those who make peace
For they shall be called the children of God,
May I be one of them.
—
© Copyright 1982 by Ann Freeman Price
Cemetery Wandering
345. Cemetery Wandering
I wandered our local cemetery today to stand beside a few of the many graves that were marked with flags. I am anti-war, and pro-veteran. Just the other day I saw on the internet a short documentary about veterans, and health care, and what our country does or doesn’t do in terms of veterans. Part of the time I am ashamed at what goes on.
I was also reading that many veterans would like the observance of Memorial Day to return to May 30th, regardless of what day of the week it falls on. Because then it is really about Memorial Day, and it isn’t about a three-day weekend, and a convenience to people.
I honor those who serve now, those who served in the past, those who died. I also honor those who died in whatever country we were fighting. I honor the children, the women, the old ones, the innocents. I also honor those service people from that country. All of these people have had their lives trampled, no matter what country they are from.
Somehow, sometime we need to learn the art of peace.
“A People’s History of the United States”
344. ”A People’s History of the United States”
I have just this moment finished reading A People’s History of the United States—1492 – Present by Howard Zinn. It is not a fast read. It is a fascinating read. It tells history from the viewpoint of the oppressed and consequently is different from some of the history books young people study in school. I recommend the reading of this book.
I have never been good about knowing and/or understanding history. I still am not. But one of the things this book convinced me of, is that the current reality of division of people in this country into very rich, fairly rich, middle class, very poor is nothing new. That has been with us since our beginnings.
However, I think that Howard Zinn believed strongly that the middle class and the poor could turn the tables and accomplish the ideals. He ends the book with a quote from the poet Shelley and says that it was recited by “women garment workers in New York to one another at the start of the twentieth century.
—
Rise like lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number!
Shake your chains to earth, like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you—
Ye are many; they are few!
—
Howard Zinn encourages me to not despair, to not give up, to not say “there is nothing I can do.” But rather Zinn says over and over again that it is possible to turn this country and its leadership around—not easy—possible.
Read the book.
Upanishads
343. Upanishads
—
Lead us from death to life,
from falsehood to truth,
from despair to hope,
from fear to trust.
—
Lead us from hate to love,
from war to peace;
Let peace fill our hearts,
let peace fill our world,
let peace fill our universe. Amen.
—
These words are a paraphrase of a verse from the Upanishads, the most ancient scriptures of Hinduism. Since its introduction at a service in Westminster Abbey on Hiroshima Day, August 6, 1981, the prayer has been translated into numerous languages and circulated around the world.
In these days around Memorial Day, it seems fitting to think on these ancient words. If we want to, we can apply them.
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