Friday, July 13, 2007

Mama Says Om - Honesty

It's looking at myself in the mirror in the morning and accepting this old hen in her silvery hair, sags, furrows and creases, her aging metabolism, her temper, her crustiness (oftentimes as prickly as a thistle) and her idiosyncrasies - accepting that she is no longer lithe and vibrant and bound for glory. There are only a few roses still to bloom on this antique shrub, and it has wicked thorns in abundance, but that is quite all right.

It's watching as benighted empires shudder and collide and fall into dust, leaving oceans of residual pain and vast heaps of reeking non-biodegradable detritus.

It's loving this beautiful world and embracing its suffering without reservation, trying to do something to halt the destruction of our earth, our abuses of each other and our slow march into oblivion.

It's realizing that we are one vast breathing organism and not just a collection of solitary entities bumbling along and mucking things up royally, that although my quotidian efforts are small (in the greater scheme of things), I am not alone in making them and together we are strong - we can change things.

It's embracing existence in all its shapes, colors and intensities, just as it is, finding a place to stand in truth and becoming truly fierce with reality.

Written for the honest mamas at Mama Says Om.

4 comments:

Rowan said...

What we see in the mirror isn't all there is though - inside is still the lovely young girl on the sidebar. As for the lemming like rush to self-destruction that the human race seems to be bent on - I find comfort in the knowledge that even if we manage to destroy ourselves entirely, the Earth Mother will survive it all in the long run. She will simply take a deep breath and begin again. Her powers of recovery are beyond our imagination I think. We may not be around to see it and it may take a while - but recover she will.

Anonymous said...

I wondered what you would write for this theme Cate...and your perspective doesn't come with the wrinkles, it comes from the wisdom of simply living...it's wonderful to be a witness, thank you.

Lil

Anonymous said...

now dear, come on, forget wrinkles and age( sorry, but you make me laugh!!!) and come to this place...
Chetu's blog is just fascinating...
just click on Mousie
love from Peaceful

mandaroo63 said...

Such an honest, beautifully written post. You still "bloom" through your writing and through your captures of beauty on film. I really enjoy your blog.