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| Afternoon light |
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?
* * *
But what will these next years be filled with? I am hoping to make sure that it will be a life of service that will create good and inclusion, rather than of closing up and diminishment. Ah, but what of Death, the leaving behind of all the love and joy I feel today?
What of that? I am determined to make a friend of Death, because I know that since I cannot stop for him, he will kindly stop for me. My wild and precious life is almost full and finished. And that's just right.
DJan Stewart, 5 October 2015And here are the others:
Deb Shucka
Jann Rayner Tresham
Sally French Wessely
Linda Granholm Myers
Sandi Pemberton Babbitt
I loved getting to read this. Such a powerful statement from a woman of power. As always, you inspire.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see Sally there earlier. That is just so cool! So I guess I know three of you now. Sounds like you all had a very wonderful and productive get-together. Your writing to the prompt is beautiful, DJan. You have certainly held your life precious and made use of it to enjoy it to its fullest.
ReplyDeleteHuge smiles.
ReplyDeleteI love that you acknowledge that Death will come, and come as a friend.
Hooray for you, and your attitude.
Oh DJan, that last paragraph is absolutely amazing! I love your clear vision, and hope for the future, and acceptance of the inevitable. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteSame words as the ones I heard on Monday night, but much more powerful the second time around, and reading.
ReplyDeletemy, my... you are so wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYou of all my blog buddies have really made your life count. You never let caution or fear stop you. You are impressive, Keep being so as to inspire the less adventurous of us.
ReplyDeleteLove it!!
ReplyDeleteI think I will print this one out and save it. You have so much to give, to teach, and you always inspire. Thank you for being my writing partner on the couch, for taking my arm and walking with me, for all the hugs, and for being the woman you are. Remember how I told you that you remind me of pure gold because you have been refined to a treasure through the life you have lived? I meant it.
ReplyDeleteI like what you did where you had to consider what you have lived before you consider what you're going to do. I did go back and read all the other pieces.
ReplyDelete"Create good and inclusion, rather than of closing up and diminishment..." words to live by.
ReplyDeleteWow...just wow. Very well written. I hope I can do as much with my life as you've done with yours. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSuch a diverse group of gals! I read them all ...thank you for sharing:)
ReplyDeleteWonderful and full of hope and acceptance!
ReplyDeleteI have now read all six of the Vashonista's responses to this prompt. You are the only one who brings in death, but then you have lived longer than they, and i have lived almost as long as you. We have achieved much, and we hope we still have some of those days of wild and precious life.
ReplyDeleteYour responses leave me wondering what I would have written.
It was a gift of heart to be allowed to read those. Mary Oliver always inspired me. Maybe later today I will see what I would have written.
ReplyDeleteI read them all and signed up to follow by email the couple who had that option. What a wonderful group of ladies!! Each has ther own special and unique view. This was a treat for all of you to share with us. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are such an inspiration, Jan. Past, present, future.
ReplyDeleteJan, You said it so beautifully. In my 74 (almost) years I have experienced more that any person deserves. Yet, when I hear talk about how old a person my age must be, I can only think that I have only begun. I suppose I will feel that way on the day death stops for me.
ReplyDeleteBe well. Greetings from Earl and Barbara Torris.
b+
I like the fact that you recognize and celebrate your accomplishments and are committed to remaining open and inclusive. As I read I identified with those things. But I felt myself pull back from making a friend of death...and then I recognized that you have been thinking about this for a while, and that your brave sense of adventure is a good model for me to consider. I read Being Mortal on your recommendation, and it changed how I felt about "life-saving" medical decisions. Time to look at some other aspects of the end of life. Thank you for sharing this post.
ReplyDeleteI am going to save that prompt for later. Good one. D'Jan, I have always admired how you live life to the fullest. I do not fear death, for it is but a passing into eternity. But I plan to make the most of the life I have on this side.
ReplyDelete