| Life's Lyrics. A strange title ? Not if
you really think about it. Consider life as a musical or symphony where
you are the maestro. Some of the notes are soft and gentle and seem to
float in the air caressing the senses while others may well create such
a raucous cacophony of sound that they will, if of prolonged duration,
be most unwelcome to the ear of the audience.
The symphony of life is much like that.
Life is for living and experiencing every emotion which fate may present
as we travel from childhood onward and the sounds of the journey
may at different times be comforting or quite jarring. Nevertheless, the
journey as a whole is a wonderful experience. Much like a beautiful symphony.
From overture to finale not one note should be missed if one is to truly
understand and appreciate the magnificence of the music.
If the composition lacks diversity
one cannot truly delight in the quiet times or the peace and tranquility
of the softer more pleasant interludes. One's appreciation is heightened
for having experienced the cacophony with a heightened awareness of quieter
times to come. For they always, most assuredly, do come. Not even a beautiful
symphony can sustain a constant level of harsh clamour. Perhaps it
may seem at times that the upset or worry of life will never end but eventually
even the troubled days reach their zenith and like the tide will
ebb and flow to a soft quieter wave meeting the shoreline with a gentle
touch caressing the senses with loving kindness.
One needs only to learn to appreciate
the quiet gentle times to gain strength to face the rancour, worry,
and pain with which we all must deal as we journey through the years from
childhood, to puberty, to adulthood, to those years euphemistically
characterized as the "Golden Years". Golden they may well be but they also
come with their share of heart ache. If we have gained sufficient wisdom
through the years we will cherish each gentle note knowing always that
the harsher notes will continue to reverberate on occasion and we will
need the sustenance of those gentle moments with which we have been blessed.
I find taking a few moments just
for me to perhaps do nothing more than allow my mind to wander amongst
memories of happy moments or those I have cared for through the years,
as I listen to well loved music, always a welcome respite which is
comforting and mood altering. I never fail to find my state
of mind improved immeasurably after such an interlude. Just sitting
quietly, listening, thinking and evoking memories, allowing nothing to
intrude, can be quite restorative even at times of great distress. The
solitude and quiet harmony never fails to find me ready to once again cope
with the clamour once the intermission has run it's course. The lyrics
of life ... indeed.
If you take nothing else away from my site
please do take away the suggestion that you allow yourself the same indulgence.
Perhaps the memories will be of when you, or your children, were
young. Or perhaps when you were beginning your journey and first
ventured forth on the adventure we call life. Perhaps of a first young
love. Or old friends or loved family members who have moved beyond
your sphere. Some memories may evoke feelings of sadness but time will
have coloured the images with a soft mellow light which will warm your
heart as you once again relive time spent with those dear ones.
Or even more recent memories of a beautiful flower, the antics of a butterfly,
the songbirds serenading you in your yard, or hours spent in your garden
with someone you love simply enjoying the bounty of nature. Whatever the
thought ... embrace it and allow the music to enfold you. I promise you
that you will find it as soul satisfying and healing as I do.
In this present day world we all
make the mistake far too often of rushing through our days never taking
time to savour the good fortune with which we have been blessed. Often
we fail to recognize that we have indeed been fortunate even though our
fair share of adversity has been a very real part of our lives as well.
Too often we allow the adversity to overshadow the good. This is why so
many of us tend to forget the happy days and dwell only on the difficult
times. If only we would give the same amount of time to recalling the positives
as we do to the negatives we would all realize that life hasn't been so
bad after all. Perspective ... a commodity we would all be so much better
for having cultivated.
The finale is yet to come. Do enjoy the
symphony to it's final curtain missing not a single note of the recital.
Life is a one time performance and should be fully and completely
embraced. Each and every note of the piece is well worth the time and effort
expended in really, really listening.
"It
requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience
is deaf."
-Walter Lippman
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