Today on my autumn walk, I was listening to “The Ballet” written by David Foster and the brilliant composer/orchestrator, Jeremy Lubbock. This beautiful composition moves me deeply. I worked with Jeremy on a number of projects, and it was just last year that he passed on.
I began thinking about him and other friends and family that I’ve lost. And in these musical moments of reminisce, my mind drifted off to these precious ones, and our seasons together. They spun my thoughts to the beauty of life, and the incredible gift of being able to take my next breath, the loveliness of things like ballet and birds in flight, winter fires, tears of joy, the sound of happy children’s voices, hugging someone and stuff like that. As I listened to the music, it gave me a sense of hope for what can be.
I find myself contending in this world of the here and now, aswim in the great philosophical divide and turmoil of international conflict, economic sufferings of the poor, weather disasters and fires, nuclear threat and what will be a very cold Ukrainian winter. In this season of elections, I’m reminded of this one thing.
When I had my cancer surgery, I never thought about Republicans Democrats are independents caring for me on the operating table or preparing me for surgery…But they were. When I was holding Pam‘s hand in the recovery room after finding out that the operation was successful, I was so thankful for each one who had helped bring me back to wellness.
So I pray for a heart that desires to listen more than impune, that sees past political disagreement, and holds to a humility of spirit and action as I encounter and coexist in this country as well the planet. I want it to be my perspective…because when I lose touch of that…I begin to die a little, and everything around me seems to die as well.
As I try to keep my balance with Grand jeté and pirouette, in this the ballet of life… let me be graceful in the dance…and let me be grateful again today…let me be grateful again tomorrow…and again the next day…and again the day after that…and the next.