Ash Wednesday

I spent a few minutes stamping with acrylic paint on some fabric I had. This particular fabric was dyed and over-dyed with procion dyes, stitched, stamped and splattered with blobs of acrylic paint several years ago. Tomorrow I'll use some of this fabric for my weekly piece.


Where I much prefer the lighter works of Thomas Stearns Eliot, especially Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, the following is much more appropriate for today (although I'm only including the very end of a long poem... I've always like the phrase - This is the time of tension between dying and birth.)

Ash Wednesday by T.S.Eliot (the whole poem here)

...
This is the time of tension between dying and birth
The place of solitude where three dreams cross
Between blue rocks
But when the voices shaken from the yew-tree drift away
Let the other yew be shaken and reply.

Blessèd sister, holy mother, spirit of the fountain, spirit
of the garden,
Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood
Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still
Even among these rocks,
Our peace in His will
And even among these rocks
Sister, mother
And spirit of the river, spirit of the sea,
Suffer me not to be separated

And let my cry come unto Thee.
...

Living consciously...

I think one of the hardest things in life is to accept yourself for who you are. Not just in a cavalier way but in a down to the core, no holds barred, strike me dead if I'm lying kind of way. I'm getting closer. Just when I think I've "found" my authentic self, I struck by something that reminds me I have a little bit further to travel. The TIFC asks What are you old enough to remember? and I think of personal history I don't want to remember... a true sign that I'm not quite where I thought I was. In my reading today I came across the following: "... claim yourself (warts and all) and make peace with yourself and your personal history."

Isn't it funny how the universe opens up and hands you a lesson just when you need it?

I've tried today to be calm, filled with well-being and reflecting on the fact that with every moment I choose commitment or complacency.