This is my fourth day home from Moloka'i. I am happy to be home and, already, I miss it. It's a strange and beautiful place with a strange and beautiful hold over me. There's no question that my time there changes me; knowing that is one thing, understanding or articulating it is another.
That said, I do realize that I've come home knowing it's time for some much needed restructuring of my life. It's time to stop pissing away my moments and days, and start committing myself to the things that I say constantly I want. Things like art. And writing. And movement. And meditating (or really, just stopping long enough to smell the roses). The things that bring me back home to myself. I want to stop wasting time on the internet. I want to stop driving all over three counties to see friends. Not that I no longer want to see friends, I just want to stop using being social as a distraction from myself, to somehow prove to myself that I am likable, even friend-worthy, to reassure myself that if I died today, there might be more than just a handful of people at my memorial; I want to start being more discerning, I want to create the space to bring the discipline back into my life that was there for the year and a half that I wrote daily - and produced a three hundred and fifty page manuscript. I want to burn sage and candles, listen to chanting and Loreena McKennitt, do a simple yoga pose or two, stretch, eat well, get back into my body, and be. From there I want to create an alive and beautiful work space, somewhere that I long to come each morning, that will feed my soul and nurture my spirit; where being - and its offspring creating - will flow naturally and spontaneously ~ just like I want to believe it is supposed to.
Maybe it's safe to say I've come home with a renewed sense of purpose. Which is ironic, because purpose is something I have struggled painfully with over the past few years; its seeming lack the source of great despair; then yesterday, sitting in satsang with Bentinho Massaro, hearing him say that our only purpose is to be who we are. I don't even really know what those words mean but I do know that something inside me let go, breathed a huge sigh of relief, and relaxed.
Nothing more is necessary than to be yourself. Wow. Simple. Profound. A no-brainer, really. And since I'm never quite sure what or who that is, I can reduce it to even simpler terms. Nothing more is necessary than to be... And here we are... full circle. Creating not just the intention, but the space, literally and figuratively, to help me just be.
This is a lovely post my dearest Debby, with so much wisdom in it. I am learning myself to live like this, and although it's a process of trial and error, I really like the journey. Maybe we could become buddies on this one too? Warm hug from far away, but in thoughts, I am with you!
ReplyDeletePS: recently ordered 'Writing down the bones ...'. Thanks for the suggestion. Looking forward to having something like this to read ... and hope to start writing again soon myself. We could accompany each other, making our dreams come true? 'cause I am convinced you ARE an artist and you ARE a writer! And you ARE ... a wonderful and inspiring woman! Thanks for being there, I am so grateful for having met you thanks to Raining Umbrellas :) Wishing you a happy day!
Wow, Elke, what an amazing comment to wake up to this morning. Thank you so much. I would be honored to be your buddy on many of these life paths that feel so important and profound and sacred. I, too, am so grateful to have met you in Raining Umbrellas. And I know the same to be true of you, that you are an amazing, creative woman, with so much to offer, and that your path is truly an inspiring one. Big Hug.
ReplyDeletewow, what an uplifting post! just what I needed first thing this morning. I love your clear intention. I'm wishing you all the best with your renewed sense of purpose Debby. happy day to you.
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