The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” ― Alan Wilson Watts
dance
Christmas Eve ~ A Poem by Eugene Field
Christmas Eve
Eugene Field
Oh, hush thee, little Dear-my-Soul,
The evening shades are falling,–
Hush thee, my dear, dost thou not hear
The voice of the Master calling?
Deep lies the snow upon the earth,
But all the sky is ringing
With joyous song, and all night long
The stars shall dance, with singing.
Oh, hush thee, little Dear-my-Soul,
And close thine eyes in dreaming,
And angels fair shall lead thee where
The singing stars are beaming.
A shepherd calls his little lambs,
And he longeth to caress them;
He bids them rest upon his breast,
That his tender love may bless them.
So, hush thee, little Dear-my-Soul,
Whilst evening shades are falling,
And above the song of the heavenly throng
Thou shalt hear the Master calling.
Dancing with Grief – Learning to Live with Loss and Love Again – Episode 94
In Episode 94 of “Journey from Grief to Healing,” Dr. Ray Calabrese reflects on the complex journey of grieving and healing, inspired by the profound insights of Carl Jung and Stephen King. Dr. Ray shares personal stories of navigating life’s unpredictable paths alongside the enduring memory of a beloved partner, drawing parallels between the unpredictable twists of life and the individual nature of grief. The narrative explores the idea that grief, much like a favorite food we try to give up, always lingers, ready to reappear just when we think we’ve moved past it. The episode delves into the notion of “dancing with grief,” a metaphor for engaging with our sorrow in a way that acknowledges its presence while also embracing life. Dr. Ray illustrates this concept using the serenity prayer, emphasizing acceptance, courage, and wisdom as tools to handle the unchangeable reality of loss. Through this journey, Dr. Ray suggests that grieving is not just a process of loss, but also an opportunity for profound personal growth and self-discovery, teaching us compassion, humility, and the true value of life beyond material success.
You can listen to Episode 94 on your favorite podcasting app or click here for Episode 94
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I Cannot Dance ~ A Poem by Mechthild of Magdeburg
I Cannot Dance
Mechthild of Magdeburg
I cannot dance, Lord, unless you lead me.
If you want me to leap with abandon,
You must intone the song.
Then I shall leap into love,
From love into knowledge,
From knowledge into enjoyment,
And from enjoyment beyond all human sensations.
There I want to remain, yet want also to circle higher still.
Thinking Out Loud: The Dance of Love
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Boris Pasternack’s work, Dr. Zhivago.
“Their love was great. Most people experience love without becoming aware of the extraordinary nature of this emotion. But to them—and this made them exceptional—the moments when passion visited their doomed human existence like a breath of eternity were moments of revelation, of continually new discoveries about themselves and life.”
Note: A deep, passionate love continuously breathes new life into a relationship. The parties to the relationship lose themselves in each other. They maintain their individuality and simultaneously surrender themselves completely to the other. Observing them is like watching two great dancers. The individuals become absorbed into the dance of love. With each beat of music they capture another glimpse of the other and fall deeper into love.
Dance Me To The End Of Love by Leonard Cohen
Dance Me To The End Of Love
Leonard Cohen
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic ’til I’m gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Oh let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We’re both of us beneath our love, we’re both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I’m gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
“The Night Dance” A Poem by Thomas Moore
The Night Dance
Thomas Moore
Strike the gay harp! see the moon is on high,
And, as true to her beam as the tides of the ocean,
Young hearts, when they feel the soft light of her eye,
Obey the mute call, and heave into motion.
Then, sound notes — the gayest, the lightest,
That ever took wing, when heaven look’d brightest
Again! Again!
Oh! could such heart-stirring music be heard
In that City of Statues described by romancers,
So wakening its spell, even stone would be stirr’d,
And statues themselves all start into dancers!
Why then delay, with such sounds in our ears,
And the flower of Beauty’s own garden before us —
While stars overhead leave the song of their spheres,
And, listening to ours, hang wondering o’er us?
Again, that strain! — to hear it thus sounding
Might set even Death’s cold pulses bounding —
Again! Again!
Oh, what delight when the youthful and gay
Each with eye like a sunbeam and foot like a feather,
Thus dance, like the Hours to the music of May,
And mingle sweet song and sunshine together.
Thinking Out Loud ~ It’s Time to Sing and Dance
Saint-Exupéry in writes in The Little Prince, “So I had, in my lifetime, a lot of contacts with a lot of serious people. I’ve lived a lot at the house of grown-ups. I saw them very closely. It has not improved my opinion very much.
NOTE: Oh, the serious people that surround us. They walk around as if the world depended entirely on them. They glue themselves to the news. They fret over things they have no control over. And, they try to recruit others to their fear ladened parade. As for me, I’ll let their parade pass on by. I’d rather sing and dance and enjoy the adventure of living. I’ll keep my eyes open for the rainbow down the road and keep on believing that it will be a good day.
Feel Good Tip for Today ~ Getting Rid of the Blues
We’re all subject to the blues. We can have the blues, but the blues don’t have to have us. Singer Neil Diamond’s song, Song Sung Blue expresses a simple way to rid ourselves of the blues. In one verse he sings, “Me and you are subject to the blues now and then / But when you take the blues and make a song / You sing them out again.” The formula is simple, act happy, sing, dance, and jump for joy, even if you don’t feel like it and when we do, we sing the blues out again.
Photo of the Day ~ Dance On
Every Great Relationship is a dance.
Where the dancers think only of each other.
Gliding gracefully through life.
