What to do when you feel despair or anxiety
or, for that matter, when you're calm and peaceful
Wendell Berry knew what to do,
and here he tells you,
in this gorgeous poem:
The Peace of Wild Things
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
I wish you a free and graceful weekend.
xo Susan
P.S. You can read more Wendell Berry here.
P.P.S. For Quiet Life paid and scholarship subscribers, here is the video replay of last Sunday’s fabulous Candlelight Chat, in which we hosted Lisa Marchiano, Deborah Stewart, and Joseph Lee, the authors, therapists and co-hosts of the popular podcast, This Jungian Life (almost 14 million downloads). Before we went live on the Chat, I told Lisa, Deborah, and Joseph that “these are your people” - and I was right.:) This Chat had an incredible chemistry and a really fascinating discussion about our guests’ forthcoming book, Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams, a practical guide to dream interpretation.
(Note: this Chat will also be available, any time you want, via TheQuietLife.net, under the “Candlelight Video” tab.)