Monday, November 30, 2015

"... in the grace of the world..." (and the close of the #MiracleTour)

Of course Wendell had to be a dog lover. Of course.

In the spirit of this month's gratitude zeitgeist, here is a tiny beauty from poet Wendell Berry:

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.

"... in the grace of the world..." That line gives me goosebumps. There is so much gorgeousness around us, so much to be grateful for, and so much of it we miss because we're too busy with larger concerns, with the big picture, worried about things that will never happen, things we can't control—and, yet, things that would never be a concern if we all devoted our time to "the peace of wild things".

This year has taught me a lot, far beyond what I expected, what I even imagined. Today is the close of the MIRACLE tour, and awesome friend and blogger Damyanti Biswas is hosting me on her blog to talk about these unexpected lessons—of which perhaps the greatest is precisely this: Gratitude. To you.

Thank you. You've made an enormous difference in my life. From now on, every day, no matter where I am or what I'm doing, you'll be in my thoughts. Because you cared, because you had a kind word for me, because you went above and beyond (even though you may not realize you did... even though you didn't really know me).

I will never forget that.



18 comments :

  1. Such a lovely way to look at things today, especially today! Thank you!

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    1. Glad you liked it, Yolanda. This is a poem to keep on a wall or a fridge, somewhere where it'll catch our eye on a regular basis :)

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  2. Hi Guilie - what a lovely poem ... I enjoyed reading it so much - it's great we can learn from other bloggers. Your Miracle of Small Things tour has been fascinating to share along with you .. and now I must off to Damyanti ... cheers Hilary

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    1. And it's been fabulous to have you along for the ride, Hilary! This tour has been a revelation in many ways... but mostly in friends like you, who've offered encouragement every bit of the way. Thank you!

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  3. Hi Guilie! I've loved the posts I've caught, not enough due to my hectic jet-setting life of the moment. Love that poem. Nature is a healer if we allow her to fill the empty spaces. Reminds me of the Walt Whitman poem, I Sit and Look Out, but this one is far more positive. It'll keep me company while I'm in the air soon and while I reconnect with Melbourne, a beautiful cultural city which I haven't visited for years. :-)

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    1. Aw, Denise, you've been amazing in the support and enthusiasm you've provided! Thank you so, so much! Besides, those posts aren't going anywhere... The links will stay up on the Tour page, for you to visit whenever you can :) I'm so glad you're taking a few days off in Melbourne; we'll be looking forward to hearing all about it. And yes, this does have a bit of a Whitmanian feel to it, doesn't it? Though, as you say, more positive (at least overtly). Glad you enjoyed it :)

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  4. what a beautiful poem, enjoyed reading your post; thanks for sharing !

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  5. what a beautiful poem, enjoyed reading your post; thanks for sharing !

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  6. How beautiful, not only the poem, but what you wrote. It reminds me of something I have hanging in my office that my mom gave to me one Christmas, "Don't be upset the roses have thorns but be thankful the thorns have roses."

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    1. That's a lovely quote, Birgit... Indeed, why focus on the negative in the good when you can focus on the positive in the bad, right? Though it's, of course, easier said than done. Still, I believe it's a worthy exercise. Thank you so much for coming by!

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  7. What a beautiful poem and photo too. Congratulations on such a successful tour! I'm grateful I met up with you and got to be part of it.

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    1. Julie, it was my pleasure—and my good fortune!—to be hosted at your place! I'm so, so grateful for your generosity, and I look forward to many more shared blog-ventures ;)

      Thanks for coming by!

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  8. One of my favorite poems that I've seen around a bit this autumn. It seems forever timely in our world. Peace.

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    1. It really has been making the rounds, hasn't it? Three different people—and unrelated, as in they don't know each other—posted or mentioned or talked about it in just as many days, and I thought... Zeitgeist. "Forever timely"... Yes. Exactly.

      I so appreciate you coming by. Loved your blog, and will be back often.

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  9. Thanks for this poem, Guilie, really needed to read it today!

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  10. It is such a beautiful poem thank you Guilie. Someone posted it on my last blog and it lifted my spirits immediately. Wendell Berry is still alive I believe.

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  11. A fitting conclusion to the close of your book tour.
    I didn't get to visit all the tour stops, but I have the book on my Kindle, waiting to be read!

    Something about Berry's poem reminds me of Wordsworth's poem, The World Is Too Much With Us. Thanks for the reminder that we shouldn't only focus on the bigger picture...there are miracles waiting to be unearthed in the smaller things...

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