Your Place in the Family of Things
from Wild Geese
… the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things. (Mary Oliver)
It has been almost a year since I left New York City for the small seaside town of Asbury Park, NJ. I have come to feel a part of this landscape, but at times I have also felt like a lone ship on the sea. I love to see the broad expanse of the ocean every day, but I sometimes miss the dazzling nightscape of New York. However, I do manage to get back to New York fairly often to visit art museums, the theater, and my favorite independent bookstores.
I still grapple with my writing, trying to steer a steady course while remaining open to new ideas. I write about “places” that I see out of my imagination as well as my life. One of the first things I began to do after I unpacked was attend Trinity Episcopal Church. I now sing in the choir. You can find me most Sundays in “the chancel” with the sopranos. I love early music, hymns and the classical pieces that we sing. Recently we sang Mozart’s Requiem and it was such an accomplishment for me to learn this extraordinary work. Singing has lifted my spirit and focused my mind in a positive way.
Gregory also knows this part of New Jersey and visits me often. This weekend he brought some of his childhood books for me to pass on to young children. In the small stack was The Rainbow Fish. It is a story of a beautiful fish with silvery scales. When smaller fish ask for one of his beautiful scales, the rainbow fish refuses. Soon the rainbow fish has become lonely, without any friends, so he visits the wise octopus in a deep cave. The octopus tells him that in order to be happy he must be willing to share his silver scales. After much inner struggle he decides to do this. Watching the “shimmer” from his silver scales on the other fish gives him great joy. At the end, he has one silver scale left and that is enough.
At this time on the third Sunday of Advent, when all of the vestments change from purple to rose, the time of penitence gives way to the time of joy. May our joy lead to generosity, and help us all put a “shimmer”in the lives of others.
Wishing you a Holy and joy-filled Christmas season.
With love, Linda & Gregory (Tabitha, Little Beatrice & Jasmine, our cats)
