“All through your life, the most precious experiences seem to vanish.
You look behind and see no sign even of a yesterday that was so intense.
Yet in truth nothing was lost…
This is the art of the soul:
to harvest your deeper life
from all your seasons of experience.”
— warm words from John O’Donahue.
As we move forward from this pandemic experience, O’Donahue’s words make me wonder what I may have learned and wish to take with me, into the future.
Sure, we’ll likely be better prepared for times of isolation. We’ll be able to make bread, have better hygiene habits, grow our own vegetables, and likely keep our pantry stocked. Some may even realize they can bike instead of drive. Will we continue to make noise or support efforts for shopping locally and supporting independent businesses and farmers markets? Will we demand far better care for our elderly and those requiring assistance in care homes? Will we spend more time away from social media so we can bond more closely with our loved ones?
Life throbs on. The earth and the sea breathe giving us life. The sky illuminates so that we may see where we are going and allows us to focus on what we have — are fortunate to have. A baby cries but it also crawls and reaches for your hand. Someone weeps for a life they have lost and then one day begins to laugh at silly things said. Even a forest ravaged by fire comes alive after the first rains. Once again there will be weddings and birthday celebrations and proper wakes and memorials. We shall meet in coffee shops, movie theatres, places of worship, and we shall dance and sing. But what will we have learned? What will we have harvested from this experience to take forward with us?
I will be thinking of O’Donohue’s words,
This is the art of the soul:
to harvest your deeper life
from all your seasons of experience.
= = = = = =
Special note. This post was written and scheduled for today nearly a week prior to my previous post about racism and fear. It may not ‘fit’ with the current atmosphere but I chose to publish it despite the terror, riots, and brutality occurring in the States right now. It no longer seems to have nearly the levity it did when I wrote it, but perhaps it may serve as a distraction. The only thing I can say is that I wish for the ugliness to end and may we all proceed with kind hearts, today and always.
wow, on your top photograph. it’s breath-taking and the tones of the flowers in your kitchen area are stunning.
(call me negative nellie for bringing this up, but my husband and i are noticing a great divide with animosity over people who wear a face mask into a grocery store and those who don’t. those who don’t are seemingly antagonistic and looking for a fight. things are escalating here.)