A Poem "Sweet Darkness"

Dear All

I'm currently reading a book entitled "Fish! For Life".

I have not completed it yet. It's a relatively thin book. It's about making your present life situation whether at work or at home better. It's basically about relationship.

As I was reading, I, and I believe, most of us, experience similar situations as the author....the sandwiched generation....having schooling kids, aging parents who most likely do not live with you, work or home demands on you. You are juggling so many things at the same time that you forget to take stock of where has all the fun of living gone.

From what I have gathered, FISH is basically 4 ingredients:

- play

- make their day

- be there

- choose your attitude

However, those 4 magic ingredients can't be just put in without commitment and journeying with the people you care about. It's not like instant noodles, just pop it into boiling water and presto, hot noodles!

Anyway, I'm still discovering more about this. What I want to share with you is this poem entitled "Sweet Darkness" by David Whyte, which was quoted in the book. It basically sums up so well what I feel at times, when I am so stressed with my numerous commitments, the kids studies (or rather non-studies!!), spending time with grandparents, rushing to ferry the kids for their various activities that sometimes we spouses don't have time for each other!

SWEET DARKNESS - by David Whyte

When your eyes are tired

the world is tired also.

When your vision has gone

no part of the world can find you.

Time to go into the dark

where the night has eyes

to recognise its own.

There you can be sure

you are not beyond love.

The dark will be your womb

tonight.

The night will give you a horizon

further than you can see.

You must learn one thing.

The world was made to be free in.

Give up all the other worlds

except the one to which you belong.

Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet

confinement of your aloneness

to learn

anything or anyone

that doesn't bring you alive

is too small for you.

For me, the poem tells me to stop my mindless activity, like a hamster, running on the treadmill but going no where. Go into the "darkness" or reflection, of stock-taking. Cuss out what's my priority in life. If an activity does not add any value or "give me life", then it's time to drop it. Move on to something else that is more meaningful to me. Midst our daily activities, we mustn't forget the human touch, the human relationship, especially with the ones we love. Someone recently told me that the saying it's not the quantity but the quality of time that is important, is not completely true. To build that quality, we need to spend a quantity of time too.

Love Theresa