"Immortal Love"

Immortal love, forever full, forever flowing free,

Forever shared, forever whole, a never ending sea!

Our outward lips confess the name all other names above.

But love alone knows whence it came and comprehendeth love.

Blow, winds of love, awake and blow the mists of hate away.

Sing out, O Truth divine, and tell how wide and far we stray.

The letter fails, the systems fall, and every symbol wanes.

The Spirit overseeing all, Eternal Love, remains.

text by John Greenleaf Whitier, tune: traditional Irish

My birthday is this Saturday, and although I'd certainly love to be showered with all sorts of gifts (my wishlist is on Amazon), the things that I want the most are more simple and more complex to obtain. I want time to do the top twenty or so things that I want to be doing every day (dance-drum-sing-sew-knit-run-yoga-write-learn-learn-learn). And there isn't time for it all, though I make my valiant effort.

I've planned a birthday weekend for myself that includes three days of lovely things: pedicure, lunch with friend, picnic dinner with more friends, canoeing with my daughter, potluck party with even more friends, yard saling, symphony, dinner again with friends. And I again make the pledge to try to do one of my list-items a day, at least; to not despair for the lack of time, but to do what I can in the interests of my own dreams.

Last weekend, very fully in this spirit, I went to church on Sunday to hear my friend, Julie, sing and play with her band. I love our nearby Unitarian church, especially since I've discovered that I can sit still when I have handwork to keep my fingers busy. As in the church of my youth I love the singing. Love these songs so very much, and all the more for having words that I can wholeheartedly sign on to. When Julie and the band sang 'What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding' I cried and cried, tears falling soundlessly into my yarn filled hands.