“In the time of my confession…” I identify with these words, after all the Dostoevsky, Dante, Solzhenitsyn, Cervantes, Becquer and others I have dabbled in these last 6 months.
At the sunset of my life, I find a need to hurry and catch up with what I have missed because of all the excuses I have ever had in front of me: lack of time, busy at home and at work, demands of others, acedia, inertia, melancholy, whatever!
And in hurrying to catch up I discovered that “I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea; sometimes I turn, there’s someone there, other times it’s only me…”
But serendipity is my companion, and I discover something new each day that gives me clarity of purpose, clarity of vision, clarity of understanding.
Like yesterday, when I was researching about Chorales and sacred music and trying to pin the correct biblical passages to the words. This is how my mind works.
And where did I land in this cacophony of beautiful music and lyrics? On a lamentation I had never heard of, sung by Bob Dylan, in that raspy voice that I have never quite liked! (I know, I know, unbelievable, right? Laugh. It’s true.) But today, I finally learnt to appreciate the poignancy of his voice.
Last night, I looked up to a black sky, peppered with stars, and one just fell down not too far from my horizon. It was a long and vivid wishing star, and I was thankful for:
– my living family,
– my long departed family,
– old loyal, trustworthy, real and compassionate friends,
– gentle and kind and empathetic new friends,
– a young car mechanic who spent time helping me just because, pro bono,
– a young professional who didn’t know me from Adam but reached out to guide me,
– an old man with tears in his eyes who gave me his shaking shoulder to lean on,
– a little boy who presented me with his dearest friend, Curly the Tarantula,
– a teenager who gave me her advice on affairs of the heart,
– my two loyal pups who have never ever failed me, Milly and Thibault,
– my “rock of Gibraltar” and best buddy who helps me decipher life’s labyrinths.
So much to be grateful for… Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. May you so be blessed as well.
Dum Spiro Spero 