'Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven, can I do better?'
Reading corner
I worried
by Mary Oliver
I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth turn
as it was taught, and if not how shall
I correct it?
Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,
can I do better?
Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows
can do it and I am, well,
hopeless.
Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,
am I going to get rheumatism,
lockjaw, dementia?
Finally I saw that worrying had come to nothing.
And gave it up. And took my old body
and went out into the morning,
and sang.
Healing notes
As I heard of Mary Oliver's passing, I sat with many of her words, her particularly famous ones - 'What do you plan to do with your one wild, and precious life?'
It didn't make me sad like some words can. It filled me with wonder, awe and beauty for this huge world. It made me think about the many wonderful things I have done. It made me imagine sitting next to her and chatting about everything from crabs on the beach to the way my cat chases yarn. It made me feel warm and fuzzy.
I often say to myself that I need to slow down and enjoy the little things about this world. I had noticed earlier last year, that I only slowed down on vacation. After telling myself things would be different, I took a break with a lot of slow moments. I began to notice little things. Like the way my cat curls her paw when she naps. Or the way the sun feels on my skin during winter days. As I get busier again, I hope to not forget the wonder in all these little things. Both in life and on vacation.
Sometimes, I worry a lot and then end up ruining the moment. Sometimes, the voices outside are stronger than my inner one who wants a break and for me to slow down more. When everything gets quiet, when there is stillness, what does your voice tell you?
Do you have anything you take away from the wonderful Mary Oliver? You can listen to her magnificent convo with Krista Tippett here: Listening to the world. I hope I continue slowing down, continue listening to the beats of my heart, to the purrs of my cats. <3
Food experiments
Sweet potato soup
250 gms of sweet potatoes
A teaspoon of besan
Jeera
Salt
Pepper
Mirchi powder
Lemon
Boil sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker for about 4 whistles.
Then mash them after peeling them.
Then cook them in a little water in a pan.
Add the besan, jeera, mirchi powder, pepper, salt and lemon!
I was generous with the mirchi powder and lemon. Gave it a nice tangy taste!
DONE! :) Happy souping!
Dear you,
Hope your days have been great. As I mourn Mary Oliver's death and
rejoice her one wild and precious life, hope you read her poetry too. <3
Love, kindness and warmth,
Nidsitis
'I’ve been circling for thousands of years and I still don’t know: Am I a falcon, a storm, or a great song?' - Rainer Maria Rilke