“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
…..T.S. Eliot “Little Gidding”

On my daughter’s Twitter feed she had #oneword for last year, and so did her circle of work friends. I thought it was kind a cool and wondered if I had a word that would sum up my plans, wishes, intentions for a new year. Her word for this coming 2016 year is “light”. I immediately thought of a blogger I really enjoy and envy for his dedication and insight. He regularly blogs on themes and one is:
“It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.”
…….Aldous Huxley
I will pass it on to my daughter. I tried to think of a word that might inspire my intentions for the coming year and after two nights of restless sleeping it occurred to me that I have been violating the “11 commandment” of Rev. Paul Dimitoff for a significant time. RELAX
It is hard for me to do. I can’t think the action ‘relax”. In just writing this post my mind sent me careening all over the universe. Starting out looking for the quote from Elliot on “light”, to realizing how much I love reading the Little Gidding which took to me to
“Not known, because not looked for
But heard, half-heard, in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea.
Quick now, here, now, always–
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well”
and Julian of Norwich my favourite mystic and then to
“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
making me remember Love after Love from Derek Walcott
I have always feared relaxing, to me the word spoke of no action. So for the actions of #relax I will work on balance and equanimity; using #relax to gain back my balance and core strengths, and most of all my time.
I have put my painting of Paul above my desk to remind me!