Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The Encouragement of Light

This morning I woke up happy. Really happy. I can't say why. It is a gentle happiness, like a butterfly landing on my finger, poised to flit away at any sudden move, but available to me at the moment.

This morning, Michael and I had breakfast with my brother, Levi, his wife, Adrienne, and their three children. They have twin 3-year-old girls, Indigo and Jaden, and a 6-month-old boy, River. River is a beautiful baby with a wide, easy smile that reminds me of Levi when he was little. He is intrigued by Michael, always staring at him and grinning. Indigo and Jaden are truly gorgeous blonde imps, bright and sweet. I feel glad to be around children, and I look forward to being back at work at the Relief Nursery.

To brighten your day, here is one of my very favorite poems by the Sufi poet Hafiz.

It Felt Love

How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
All its
Beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light
Against its
Being.

Otherwise,
We all remain
Too
Frightened.

2 comments:

Kelly L-G said...

Hi Jess,

Its wonderful to hear that you are having a positive day. I am looking forward to spending time with you again when you get back in town. Let me know when you know what date you will return. I am touched to hear about your daily experiences. You have been in my thoughts everyday. I e-mailed photos to you a while ago, please let me know if you do not receive them. Take care. Love,

Kelly

Anonymous said...

Jesse,
I have been following your comments and have been thinking of you and your family so much during this time. You impress me each day with your grace, beauty and insightfulness on this very tragic event. You are a reminder, for those of us who hold onto the little moments in life that are upsetting, that we are lucky to have those moments. I hope you are surprised with the gift of happiness more and more and that you embrace those times. You truly are so inspiring. We are here for you through your pain, grief and happiness. You are so very supported by everyone at the Nursery and we can not wait to have you back to give that love and support in person. Love and Light, Gretchen