A dot of glitter paint glimmers on Tal’s cheek. “I lll-lll-lllluhhhv it!”
“Try again?” Nią wiggles her sweat beaded brows.
“Yes…” Cal wipes her hands on her pants, then flexes her fingers. “We can do better… we want to do better…”
Thalia bites into a buttercream frosted cupcake. “Ahhhhh! In the sweeeeeeeet spot of the arena —”
“… where the contradiction of quenched and thirsty…”
“— lights our fire.”
Courage is almost a contradiction in terms.
It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.
~Gilbert K. Chesterton
Love the butterfly! 💚
Energy from the Universe, I see. The quote in particular accompanied by the Muses’ strivings, remind me of “The Impossible Dream,” from The Man of La Mancha.
I’ve shared references to my time in the rooms of AA. I’d like to share one experience therefrom.
Every year a fellow came to celebrate his AA birthday. To do so, he always sang “The Impossible Dream” in a strong, on-key singing voice. The first time, folks jaws dropped! Usually, celebrants follow a basic theme: What I used to be like (as an active alcoholic); What happened (how they got sober); And what I’m like today.
Mr Impossible, I believe, safely assumed those in the room likewise had tough days in a bottle. Further, being no dummy, he also granted that folks all had had their “moment of clarity,” and had come to AA. His wonderful singing on his birthday was as much to say, “This is what I am like now.”
Today’s Loveletter speaks to a common theme: our searches for becoming a better person. Much wider than just recovery from an addiction. Poor self esteem. Lack of life goals. Fear of figures of authority. Fear of public speaking. All easy to cite as they describe “what it was like” for this person. And, at times, still am.
Bucked off by a “spirited horse?” (Me again🙃) Get back on. “Hold on loosely, but don’t let go. Cause if you cling too tightly, you’re gonna lose control!” 38 Special. From about 42 years ago...
Reaching a stage in our lives when we greet each new day with delight, not dread, aligns with Chesterton’s quote. “A readiness to die,” aligns with what I learned from reading Pëma Chodron, Buddhist nun and prolific writer. In “Comfortable With Uncertainty,” she dispassionately offers that coming to see and accept our own mortality frees our lives/hearts from all the niggling worries we have. (Don’t sweat the small stuff, and remember, it’s all small stuff.)
Loveletterist, thanks for shaping this LoveLetter that allowed for recalling and sharing these flashbacks! 🙏🏽