In her late 80’s, my mother, having not only survived two massive strokes but also defied all odds by negating the prediction that she would never be restored to being a recognizeable verison of herself in language or limb usage, would sit and say “I am of no use! I must be of use!” I listened and comforted her but now?
These words slide together with Salman Rushdie’s words “When you’re young, you fake wisdom, when you’re old, you fake energy” and I am befuddled.
How? How? How? Can I keep up with my inner dreams and aliveness when my body wants to sit like a beached seal?
And then this…somewhere in my so-called mind, these words:
May we learn to walk upon the earth with confidence and clear eyed stillness, so that our minds might be baptised in the name of the wind and the light and the rain.
Yes. This seal must find a spot by the sea to be baptised on and sigh with the utter beauty of life itself.