I was curious on your motivation from the Herakles quote, Susan, and what the message stood for, originally.
Words have a way of transforming our river of thought, and this short quote is no exception. Our values, our best, what we do in the struggle.
I believe they all are part of the same thread, and how we branch the thread with our own experience, presence and consciousness can weave new and beautiful fabrics.
And the beauty of it all is, that we all come from the same core. Love, connection.
I remember what Brené Brown says that vulnerability and courage, that they're both sides of the same coin. When we are really courageous and powerful, love will genuinely come through.
Made me think of how one day we will be ‘the ancient ones.’ Reminds me to focus on love and living, in spite of tears - or because of. Thank you Susan for this powerful peaceful pause.
This was such a nice little birthday gift for me yesterday. I felt for the moment that the souls of ancient worlds were communing with me. In such spare wording, I felt the private intimacy of the thought and the vulnerability of the moment.
Oh many thanks for these beautiful words to read upon waking this morning. The crisp fall air brought in by the Autumnal Equinox is metaphorical in ways. As I begin to prepare for what’s to come with the days growing shorter I look to my kitchen for ways to return to my roots, and here it’s written; “we must return to traditional values”. I’m struck with how true this in so many ways. Have a beautiful day everyone.
Thank you. I am a 'has to write' type person. It's like oxygen for me.
Well, I hope you have saved your letters somewhere.
I'm sure they are works of art. Works of a strong mind with profound thoughts and understandings. And, anyone lucky enough to be a recipient of your words, would be very blessed.
I'm glad you still read for pleasure. I taught small children for 20 years. Once they learned the mechanics of reading and writing, I graced them with enriching picture books. I endowed every one with a love of reading or tried my hardest to anyone.
When you can read for pleasure you can go anywhere and inhabit other worlds and times and lives.
It is an incredible joy that seems waning now with short form online writing.
Though I believe stories kept the human race alive through cold, hungry winters in caves, and the modern world will never entirely stop delving into the world of new fiction for long. It's stories that enrich our lives, after all, nomatter what form.
Since you love to read, I know for sure you have really lived, and lived well.
I surrounded my children with books from when they were born. It made them smart. I have 8 large bookcases in my house and even a whole wall of books in a small library.
I look forward to reading more of your replies here.
A beautiful bittersweet truth, one that seems most poignant in this autumn season. A time of longing as the daylight lessens. Yes, I find my heart re-awakening to those long-ago loves, the dear ones lost over the decades -- people, pets, places too, that knew me best and loved me back. In my heart, they still do; it's still a sharing! Around this Solstice-time, they're appearing in my sleep-dreams as well as in my thoughts.
The beautiful truth is that -- even though the corporeal form of each lost love is 'gone', each is yet as close as breath and will be whilst I myself last. As novelist Elizabeth Bowen, who knew a lot about these things, put it, "The story of one's past is an intricate web, woven of a thousand threads. Some threads shine brightly, while others remain hidden in the shadows." ... "Love is not something that you can possess, it is something that possesses you." and "The past is never dead. It's not even past."
Time expresses life's treasures through each of us, whoever we may be, keeping all our hearts beating all together in any given moment, weaving us into its great tapestry that dissolves into the vibrant impermanence of all things, ourselves included. No wonder gratitude and longing weave together!
Thanks, Therese, for your kind words -- attributed quoting always fine.
As a responsive rather than a creative writer, I never 'have anything to say' in order to write for publication. Maybe 'next lifetime' I'll be granted the kind of soul that simply "has to" write creatively. Meantime, in this lifetime, I stick to writing letters, and comments, and to reading for pleasure. Best wishes to you for your own writing endeavours.
what a beautiful poem! and, to my rough poetic ear, the half-rhyme progression at the ends of the first three lines – well, each line if you count ‘helpless[...]’ 😉 – is near perfection. it is subtle, but it adds a wonderful, sonorous quality to your meditation.
Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people. Be brave enough to make your own decisions that work for you & your situation, not because it work for some old guy years/decades/centuries ago. That's weakness of character.
And who would ever think that Euripides would trigger the reality of my longing for someone lost but not lost?
I was curious on your motivation from the Herakles quote, Susan, and what the message stood for, originally.
Words have a way of transforming our river of thought, and this short quote is no exception. Our values, our best, what we do in the struggle.
I believe they all are part of the same thread, and how we branch the thread with our own experience, presence and consciousness can weave new and beautiful fabrics.
And the beauty of it all is, that we all come from the same core. Love, connection.
I remember what Brené Brown says that vulnerability and courage, that they're both sides of the same coin. When we are really courageous and powerful, love will genuinely come through.
Made me think of how one day we will be ‘the ancient ones.’ Reminds me to focus on love and living, in spite of tears - or because of. Thank you Susan for this powerful peaceful pause.
such an interesting idea - I actually hadn't thought of that, Leia.
always inspired by yours <3
This was such a nice little birthday gift for me yesterday. I felt for the moment that the souls of ancient worlds were communing with me. In such spare wording, I felt the private intimacy of the thought and the vulnerability of the moment.
Oh many thanks for these beautiful words to read upon waking this morning. The crisp fall air brought in by the Autumnal Equinox is metaphorical in ways. As I begin to prepare for what’s to come with the days growing shorter I look to my kitchen for ways to return to my roots, and here it’s written; “we must return to traditional values”. I’m struck with how true this in so many ways. Have a beautiful day everyone.
Thank you. I am a 'has to write' type person. It's like oxygen for me.
Well, I hope you have saved your letters somewhere.
I'm sure they are works of art. Works of a strong mind with profound thoughts and understandings. And, anyone lucky enough to be a recipient of your words, would be very blessed.
I'm glad you still read for pleasure. I taught small children for 20 years. Once they learned the mechanics of reading and writing, I graced them with enriching picture books. I endowed every one with a love of reading or tried my hardest to anyone.
When you can read for pleasure you can go anywhere and inhabit other worlds and times and lives.
It is an incredible joy that seems waning now with short form online writing.
Though I believe stories kept the human race alive through cold, hungry winters in caves, and the modern world will never entirely stop delving into the world of new fiction for long. It's stories that enrich our lives, after all, nomatter what form.
Since you love to read, I know for sure you have really lived, and lived well.
I surrounded my children with books from when they were born. It made them smart. I have 8 large bookcases in my house and even a whole wall of books in a small library.
I look forward to reading more of your replies here.
I genuinely hope to have that pleasure.
Thanks for sharing, Susan
"~ At Our Best ~
O, humans.
The ancients were just like us.
Blood, sweat, but also tears.
At our best, we love so helplessly, and well.
-S.C."
A beautiful bittersweet truth, one that seems most poignant in this autumn season. A time of longing as the daylight lessens. Yes, I find my heart re-awakening to those long-ago loves, the dear ones lost over the decades -- people, pets, places too, that knew me best and loved me back. In my heart, they still do; it's still a sharing! Around this Solstice-time, they're appearing in my sleep-dreams as well as in my thoughts.
The beautiful truth is that -- even though the corporeal form of each lost love is 'gone', each is yet as close as breath and will be whilst I myself last. As novelist Elizabeth Bowen, who knew a lot about these things, put it, "The story of one's past is an intricate web, woven of a thousand threads. Some threads shine brightly, while others remain hidden in the shadows." ... "Love is not something that you can possess, it is something that possesses you." and "The past is never dead. It's not even past."
Time expresses life's treasures through each of us, whoever we may be, keeping all our hearts beating all together in any given moment, weaving us into its great tapestry that dissolves into the vibrant impermanence of all things, ourselves included. No wonder gratitude and longing weave together!
Thanks for this so-generative prompt today.
I am stunned by your beautiful words.
They moved me.
"No wonder gratitude and longing weave together."
What an amazing thought.
Your wisdom shines through, like sft candlelight.
I love your words, you speak so powerfully.
I am writing a book of quotes for next year.
I would like to quote both you, and Elizabeth Bowen as well.
May I quote your words, attributed to you.
I need to search Substack for other wise words you have written, and I'm excited by the promise of that.
I always felt love and the longing for more of it went hand in hand, now that concept has expanded in my thoughts.
That is a real gift.
So, I thank you fully and honestly for it.
I feel like I've unearthed a real treasure in you and your writing.
It speaks to me powerfully.
My impression of you overall is that you have had nearly 8 decades to soak up the world's best literature, and it has been sunk into your bloodstream.
I follow others, but your words have had a profound effect.
I wonder, have you written any academic books, or novels?
Your way with words is smooth as butter left out on the bench.
Thank you again.
Thanks, Therese, for your kind words -- attributed quoting always fine.
As a responsive rather than a creative writer, I never 'have anything to say' in order to write for publication. Maybe 'next lifetime' I'll be granted the kind of soul that simply "has to" write creatively. Meantime, in this lifetime, I stick to writing letters, and comments, and to reading for pleasure. Best wishes to you for your own writing endeavours.
what a beautiful poem! and, to my rough poetic ear, the half-rhyme progression at the ends of the first three lines – well, each line if you count ‘helpless[...]’ 😉 – is near perfection. it is subtle, but it adds a wonderful, sonorous quality to your meditation.
Wonderfully put, your words are subtle and sonorous as well.
Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people. Be brave enough to make your own decisions that work for you & your situation, not because it work for some old guy years/decades/centuries ago. That's weakness of character.
“We love so helplessly and well”. Love can be soothing and not change circumstance. Thank you Susan.
This is melancholy and only who loses someone, he can that. It is only dream, hope and wish.
Sorry he can say and feel that
Short but sharp. Thank you for sharing, Susan.
you're welcome, Mahdi.