epiphanies

So CollegeGrrrl calls me out of the blue and says,"I've had an epiphany." Epiphany she said, my hand to God. I said, "Yes...?" and waited and she proceeded to tell me how she had thought about things, her life mostly, and how it had come to her in a flash of light, the way truthiness generally appears, that I had been right all along "about everything" and she was going to change some things. She was going to put school first and look for some new friends.

I admit I've been worried sick about her, watching her life swerve toward the side of the road where it's easy to fall through the cracks. I've been praying and I even moved the statue of the Virgin Mary closer to the Grrrrl's picture on the bookshelf. Was hoping for some insight, was not expecting an epiphany. I'm grateful, to say the least, for even a day's change of heart.

Today is HoneyHaired's last day of school. She is slowly jogging over that finish line. Can't say I blame her much. She's had a lot of homework most every evening and studies constantly. I believe she's cooked and fried with the whole shebang. The new job has not helped in the short run--she's surprised how tired she is after working. Who knew???

That then officially makes it summer in the Distracted household, especially since school starts again August 11. Obscene isn't it? One week of recital performances and then we're talking ROAD TRIPS to visit colleges and horse country and Waffle Houses. HoneyHaired's promised to explain the mysterious workings of our camera and with luck I'll be able to post a photo or two. The sun is out, the breeze is cool, I've got some perennials to plant, and a stack of unread books next to the couch. Life is indeed good today. Make that this morning. Don't want to anger the gods and assume anything more than that...




For What Binds Us
by Jane Hirshfield

There are names for what binds us:
strong forces, weak forces.
Look around, you can see them:
the skin that forms in a half-empty cup,
nails rusting into the places they join,
joints dovetailed on their own weight.
The way things stay so solidly
wherever they've been set down --
and gravity, scientists say, is weak.

And see how the flesh grows back
across a wound, with a great vehemence,
more strong
than the simple, untested surface before.
There's a name for it on horses,
when it comes back darker and raised: proud flesh,

as all flesh
is proud of its wounds, wears them
as honors given out after battle,
small triumphs pinned to the chest --

And when two people have loved each other
see how it is like a
scar between their bodies,
stronger, darker, and proud;
how the black cord makes of them a single fabric
that nothing can tear or mend.

please note: photo is from epiphany - a world built from three disciplines - dance, aerial and theatre, grew from the seedling of an idea when Janine Ayres, Paschal Daantos Berry, Ben Watts and five dancers collaborated in 2005.