A Normal Day

Dear All,

Here’s a poem Sita sent me last week.

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.

-Mary Jean Iron in the essay, “Let Me Hold You While I May”, in the book, “Yes, World. A Mosaic of Meditation”, published in 1970 by Richard Baron Publishing.


Shinshu’s comment: This is part of a larger meditation on the end of a “normal day.” This sentiment could be, should be applied to every ephemeral thing: the birds, flowers, a conversation, our health. “A normal day” is all the things we take for granted. How often do we wish for a more exciting life and in this way miss the wonder that is right under our noses? The last line is that reminder or prescience of the inevitable difficulties that we cannot avoid. Deep wonder and appreciation for “just this” give us a foundation for the difficult days that inevitably will arise.

One comment

  1. Thank you for sharing this. It’s important to remember how great a normal day is.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Napa Valley web design and development