Thursday, June 28, 2007

A quote that moved and challenged me

"The only dream worth having is to dream
that you will live while you are alive,
and die only when you are dead.
To love, to be loved.
To never forget your own insignificance.
To never get used to the unspeakable violence
and vulgar disparity of the life around you.
To seek joy in the saddest places.
To pursue beauty to its lair.
To never simplify what is complicated
or complicate what is simple.
To respect strength, never power.
Above all to watch.
To try and understand.
To never look away.
And never, never to forget."
- Arundhati Roy

So many thoughts and responses come to mind as I ponder this quote.

I am determined to live every day of my life fully.

To love openly, deeply, and unreservedly.

To never forget how small I am in the universe, but also never forget that my presence in this world is not an accident. I must fulfill the role I was created to fill.

To remember that there are things I can do, prayers I can raise, money I can donate, letters I can write, calls I can make, conversations I can start and continue that can make a difference in the despairing, violent, painful lives that so many people live.

I am determined to seek peace, joy, beauty, and love every day - and pursue them.

To stop denying and belittling and apologizing for how deeply I feel about the people I care for in this life. Life is too short for all these games.

To keep it simple, all of it. Dinner. Travel. Conversations. Love. Writing. Reading. Faith. Communication. Keep it simple.

To watch, listen, touch, and be touched.

To sympathize, encourage, and cheer from the sidelines.

To look both strangers and friends in the eye. To smile with and at them.

To not turn away when someone is crying, but to hold their gaze and assure them that it is okay to cry. It is not necessary to apologize for their tears. And above all, it is not necessary to laugh when they cry.

I am determined to feel what I feel.
Love the one I love.
Laugh when I laugh.
Cry when I cry.
Live. Breathe. Rejoice.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! Good for you! What a great proclamation for today! Thank you for sharing that great quote with us. Indeed, it has so much meaning. How much better off the world would be if more of us adhered to these truths each day.

"I am determined to feel what I feel"...this is such a powerful statement. I am quite guilty of squelching my feelings and not honoring them. Over time, this creates emotional and physical pain/illness. Thank you for reminding me that the arduous task of feeling our feelings and loving what we love without explanation is really being true to ourselves.

I will print this post and keep it in my journal. Something this strong cannot be digested in just one or two reads. I will refer back to it again and again for inspiration and confirmation. Blessings to you, Gail :-)

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Lisa, for your thoughtful comment. Being true to ourselves, to yourself, to myself - if we don't do it, who will? I think I will print out your comment and post it in my journal. Thanks again for your encouragement and support. Peace to you on your journey, Gail