Lovendures,
This is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Lovendures, lovely, haunting. Resonates. Thank you.
I’m really enjoying everyone's contributions to this forum. My higher angels speak to me often through music. Aaron Copeland’s powerful and uplifting “Appalachian Springs” (which I was fortunate to see Copeland perform live, 40 years ago), anything by the Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye’s soulful and timely “What’s Going On,” Leonard Bernstein’s “Hallelujah,” and other artists too numerous to mention have soothed and consoled, inspired, and energized me throughout my life. So it’s fitting that music would again play a part during this holiday season, especially since I’ve been feeling old, anxious and sad.
Yesterday I had a doctor’s appointment and afterwards, still feeling blue, decided to take myself out to lunch to one of my favorite restaurants. The place was packed and loud with holiday lunch goers, so I couldn’t hear what music was playing – until I went into the ladies’ room. As I entered one of the stalls and situated myself, I began hearing Rare Earth’s 1970’s “I Just Want to Celebrate” – and then was surprised by another voice emanating from an occupied stall, happily singing along. I laughed and joined in, singing,
I just want to celebrate another day of living, I just want to celebrate another day of life …
We exited our stalls at the same time, as we both continued
Well I can’t be bothered with sorrow, and I can’t be bothered with hate, no no, I’m using up the time by feeling fine, every day…
We then turned to each other and burst out laughing! Here was a kindred spirit, a woman of my generation who could share with me that moment in history, when life was tumultuous but hope was alive. We got through it then, and we can get through it now. To quote Rare Earth:
Don't let it all get you down, no, no … don't let it turn you around and around and around …
And to think this all transpired in a ladies restroom. Some of my higher angels clearly have a sense of humor.
Thanks to all of you for being there and sharing so much of yourselves. May your 2019 be a daily celebration of life!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9aCAneCSPg
Have to add "Love Alive" from Heart....
Dee-too, you made my day with your Ladies restroom story. I'm pumped now. And love Celebrate.
Doc, loved Love Alive. Subtle at first then explosive. Loved it.
Jeanne - I'm happy that my story made your day. Messages sometimes come to us in the strangest ways.
Doc - yes! I love Heart and "Love Alive". I had forgotten about that song. It sends chills down my spine every time. Thanks!
I am laughing so hard that I may need a stall of my own.
Whenever anyone is down and out, imagine all of us in a row singing at the top of our lungs. I'll be the one who is dancing, too
Michele, Now you've got me laughing hard! I can just picture it. And I'll be dancing with you.
Thanks.
I enjoy Celebrate as well. Tho Michele, you wouldn't want me joining in the singing. I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.
As for the song I Heard The Bells On Christmas Morning, it's old. Like really old. The first time it was recorded was in the 60's by Burl Ives. I remember hearing it when I was very young.
As for the lyrics, they are historic. Believe it or not they were not lyrics, but a poem written by Longfellow. He was lamenting the loss of his wife in a house fire two years prior, and the wounding of his son that year in the Civil War. The poem was written on Christmas Day in 1863.
Ironic how the song now resonates with some, given the similarities in the times.
Oh, Cindy. I need you in my chorus line and you can join hands, hum, play a kazoo and join in the energy no matter what.
You need a break from care giving ????
Yes, Michele, the care giving takes quite a lot. I've started having dreams indicating the folks are not long for this world. Get the same feeling when I use the cards & their cards come up instead of the cards representing what I've been asking about. I typically don't have "bad" dreams that I remember. What is bothersome is that we never have a time frame, so while I get these messages, they could mean something's coming just around the corner, or next year. Sigh.
Since we're on the topic of music, I'd like to point out that lyrics or the melody of a song need't be the only thing that might make it uplifting. There are a number of songs that I have come to feel are songs that let me know that Monica is around. I've heard two of the most infrequently played of those songs on the radio in the last week- Wind Beneath My Wings, and Tears in Heaven.
People shouldn't forget that when we ask our passed loved ones, the Universe, or our Guides for guidance, it comes in many forms. One of which can be the simple task of playing a song on the radio, tv, or even over a store PA system, that gives that guidance. We just have to learn to recognize it for what it is. If you hear a song repeatedly in a short time frame, pay attention. If you have recently been asking for guidance and a song resonates, but you're not sure if it's an answer, take note of what you feel at the time, and then look up the lyrics and find out. I gave an example of this when we were taking about the Kavanaugh hearings, and the MeToo movement.
I had a nephew who was killed by a train in GA a number of years ago (suicide). He was young, just 26. Not long after the funeral I was at work (care giver for a dementia patient at the time), and while my charge was showering, I was wondering about my nephew and how my sister & other nephew were coping. I clearly heard "Well, they won't be playing "Midnight Train To Georgia" any time soon." I laughed out loud. It was so in line with his dark sense of humor it had to have been my nephew.
I struggled with whether or not to tell my grieving sister about the incident for obvious reasons. My younger sister-the one who made a living as a psychic said no-it would cause too much pain and was too inappropriate. However the next time I was on the phone with my older sister, the overwhelming push from beyond made me spill.
My older sister laughed and said she knew it was him-and she's not a believer in such things. She then went on to tell me that besides being his sense of humor, the two of them had an inside joke about that song based on an old Flip Wilson skit they had seen where the Pips appeared on the show without Gladys Knight, and this song was performed-without Gladys' portion of the song being performed. Now when I hear the song, I know it's him just saying hello.
Thank you, Cindy for sharing another beautiful and filled with wise words post.
Know that those of us that are still here and know your story and that of your precious now angel daughter, Monica, appreciate your gifts and you being here, more than you know.
I have a personal archive of illuminating videos and essays that I stumbled across while trawling through the web in the disorienting days following the 2016 presidential election (side note: I also found out about this gem of a community in those days as well). One of my favorites is an essay by the British writer Charlotte Du Cann via an artists' collective named the Dark Mountain Project. It's a somewhat long read (15-20 minutes), but I think it might resonate for some of you.
By the way, hello everyone! As I mentioned, I've been haunting this site for the past two years, but I've just created an account for commenting. Looking forward to some thought-provoking conversations.
CoyoteJ,
What am amazing site! I googled The Dark Mountain Project to learn more about it and just the opening immediately connected me to wanting to read their articles!
"We intend to challenge the stories which underpin our civilisation: the myth of progress, the myth of human centrality, and the myth of our separation from ‘nature’."
What a beautiful way to pinpoint the duality and separation we all feel in these times!
Many articles of such a variety of interesting topics!
Here's a link about the two journalists/activists who met online and founded the site:
https://dark-mountain.net/about/origins/
Very, very interesting site! Thanks for leading us to it!
Hi Michele
I'm a writer myself, and I've been following the work going on at Dark Mountain for several years. I like how they go beyond instant opinion and try to understand how the events of today fit into a much bigger story of global transition. For whatever reason I am having difficulty posting links in my comments, so Jeanne is going to post the link to the essay I wanted to share.
Coyotej,
I could tell you were a writer as well as a lovely and introspective reader. I haven't had time to read more than the beginning articles in Dark Mountain's introduction to the site and hope Jeanne can fix the glitch. If not, I'll just dig deeper and read more once I figure out its navigation, myself.
Our world needs more sharing among us not less in any formats we find that work for us! And this site is certainly one of the more unique and diverse ones!
It's so very nice to have you join in as a new voice. I look forward to hearing more from you and I'm sure we would all love your take on the many varied discussions among all of us.
We have much to learn from one another and from each other's take on not only the harmony of connection as well as our roles in helping one another and the healing of our planet with so many issues and woes.
Welcome and I hope you join in more of our discussions.
Thank you for the warm welcomes, Michele. Jeanne fixed the glitch, and the link to the essay is in my original post. Happy reading.
Oh, Unk P, please share more of these!
A 45 and one of the most beautiful instrumentals ever to come out in the 60s. So deeply sad, even haunting, but its beauty and what it gave in return was so much more than the pain of loss.
I was graduating from high school leaving home and going away to a college I'd never seen, in a state we'd only driven through. Oh, the memories!
Loved it then, fills up my heart to bursting with its beauty even now!
What a marvelous sound system and record collection you must have!
Here's a poem: Let America Be America Again /Let it be the dream it used to be.
by Langston Hughes
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed—
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
O, yes, I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath—
America will be!
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain—
All, all the stretch of these great green states—
And make America again!
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri, born in Joplin, MO in 1902 and died in NYC 1967.