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| Both illustrations by Wolf Erlbruch. |
To apply one's self to the care of. To watch over.
How do we see to one another, not allow any of us to disappear beneath the waves of ordinary misfortune? That, I believe, is our Work.
My list of Those Most Dear leans toward the simultaneously blessed and cursed whose minds and works reveal them to be angels, possibly gods in human form to whom sorrow is no stranger.
Poets, musicians, writers, painters, performers, shamans, samaritans, cooks, teachers, healers, fliers at all altitudes, entrepreneurs, intuitives, we are all richer for what you bring to our days. That your own days have been, and frequently continue to be filled with illness, loss, trauma, lack, terror, pain and bewilderment has not stopped you, has rarely slowed you down.
My tending, if such were possible, would be a continual disbursement of care packages filled with everything you need most: health, peace, strength, optimism, guarantee of a desired outcome, the meeting of every possible physical, material and spiritual need, humor and music and beauty and light and love. My tending would bring, to the outer edge of anyone's ability, safety. The unknown will always be part of this existence but it would not be the lurking, crouching thing-behind-the-door that it has become. A margin of security is not too much to ask.
I would walk you in your fishbowl, groom and stroke your dear warty head, smooth your collar and see that your necktie was properly knotted. I would send what is warm (or cool) and bright, lend my own solid arm to lean upon, install elevators where needed and employ reliable, skilled craftspeople to fix whatever required mending. Going without would no longer be the only option.
My life is continually blessed and illuminated by those who tend to me. One profound reminder of such tending hangs on my bedroom wall, an assemblage that proclaims, "I get by with a little help from my friends." So do we all. xo
10 comments:
So nice. Every time I read one of your Words of the Week, I think they should be put in book form and sold. I understand it may be difficult to get the rights for all the photos, but it would make such a lovely book.
Kass - Thank you. What an endorsement! I do think about it and think of doing my own illustrations - no clear idea what that might look like - to avoid the complications, which would make publishing impossible. So happy to have you in my corner. xo
This made me good cry. I am so glad you are part of my flight crew.
Love
Rebecca
Rebecca - I'm glad, too. And I like good crying, do it as often as possible. Monday love back, xo
Tend. Attend. Intend. Words that somehow have 'mend' and 'amend' embedded in them. . .
Life and living as a healing process.
Holy is the process of whole-making.
Thank you, dear Marylinn.
Kass, I agree with you.
Rebecca, this made me cry, too.
Love to you all xo
Claire - Thank you, and for how you unearth new layers for me to examine in my own work. Love back as we go about our holy work of seeing to one another
'Tend and befriend'
Tara Brach names this as the 4th coping mechanism, next to fight, flight and freeze.
Elsewhere - Thank you, that puts me in good company. I will look into some of her meditations. xo
I live this. I think of our mutual friend, R. It is beautiful. Thank you.♥️
Joanne - Thank you. I cannot believe there is any other way to live, really. We bring what we have and, miraculously, it becomes enough. xo
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