Joy
Posted on | November 18, 2006 |
I talked tonight with a writer who was also my advisor throughout college. We haven’t talked in five years, and when I emailed her, I didn’t know what to expect. But there, suddenly on the phone was her soft southern drawl, her kindness, her wisdom traveling over the wires to me, and afterwards I just lay back on my bed and grinned. It feels so good to talk with someone you admire.
She said, “As I’ve lived I’ve learned that it’s all about asking good questions. Ask what you can learn from this situation. Ask what is good about this situation. Ask how you can learn.”
And she said, “You will learn something from this that you can’t learn any other way.”
And she is right.
**
I open the door and joy rushes in,
an unexpected guest, a urchin with a clever grin.
Nothing to do but to bow down now,
and place alms in the bowl of gratitude.
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3 Responses to “Joy”
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November 18th, 2006 @ 2:55 am
Wow. Wonderful timing. Wonderful wisdom. She is right. And I feel joy for you…
Enjoy your weekend and soak up all the goodness.
November 18th, 2006 @ 7:34 am
The other night during a televised school board meeting I heard someone talk about a “teaching moment.” And it reminded me once again that every moment is one of those…every moment can bring learning…even when it’s learning we don’t feel ready for. Thanks for another reminder…because there’s always learning, even in the darkest moments.
November 18th, 2006 @ 4:02 pm
Amazing. The fact that y’all haven’t talked in years, and here she is in your moment of need, with her wisdom. What a lady! And I really want to commend you, Christina, for being open during this time, as not everyone could be so open and willing to accept the lesson and grace that painful events bring.
Your poem is lovely. “An urchin with a clever grin.”