a few weeks ago, I joined a nature walk with a Celtic spirituality group at the invitation of my friend Eamon Ó Sé. As we walked in silence through an old growth forest in Connecticut, I felt wonder, joy, presence and calm. I felt deep connection with the plants and people around me. I wanted it to last forever. I immediately thought to myself, "I NEED to come back here as soon as possible and as often as possible." Then a wise voice in my head started singing this song to me, reminding me that this, right here, right now is enough, no matter how much I want to hold on. Even if I returned over and over again, this experience would never come again. So it is in life.
The following week, Fatima Abbasi and I went to the ocean to say goodbye to a local establishment closing down. As we sat, looking at the water, I asked if I could share this song, and she said yes. We got very emotional, singing it together by the water, reflecting on the year that has passed and the end of our program that is nearing. She insisted we record an "unplugged" rendition by the water. Here it is.
When I feel a deep sense of connection to a place, person or experience, my immediate urge is to want to return to it over and over again. Whether it is the coffee shop I had one great experience at, a dish I cooked and it worked, a route I walked, or a person I met and loved --when I feel connected, I want to be able to replicate that experience, to keep coming back. The comfort of feeling rooted and returning feels like a guarantee. But it is not. Nothing is. Everything is moving, changing, transforming.
May we all have the continued strength to say the little goodbyes that happen in each moment, and to face the big ones as we traverse through an ever-changing life. May this song provide comfort to you when it is hard to reconcile that something you love very very much is fleeting and remind you that you have the strength to hold it as it is, be present with it and then say hello what is next.
Image Description: Person wrapped in a scarf with dark hair and white skin, stands in front of ocean and sings.
12 сен 2024
