Golden Silence

Silence
Gliding faster than the sun's beams
Driving back shadows of pain and grief
Captured within a moment of time
Golden.

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Immortals

I have had my commonplace book for quite a long time now, and I love finding common themes among the quotes. Here are some of my favorites...

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"How small and frail seemed the life in that cottage, as contrasted with the rich pulsing world of the woods and hills and their serene continuance. But it was they that were the shadows in God's sight. The immortal thing was the broken human heart that could say in its frailty that its Redeemer liveth."
John Buchan, Witch Wood

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"Men whose lives glided on like rivers that water the woodlands,
Darkened by shadows of earth, but reflecting an image of heaven."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline

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"There are two occasions when the sacred beauty of Creation becomes dazzling apparent, and they occur together. One is when we feel our mortal insufficiency to the world, and the other is when we feel the world's mortal insufficiency for us."
Marilynne Robinson, Gilead

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"We see but dimly through the mists and vapors;
Amid these earthly damps.
What seem to us but sad, funereal tapers
May be heaven's distant lamps."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Resignation

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"We mere mortals are not simple either. We are pitiful, yet we have mighty passions. We are weak, yet we dream of doing wonders. We are transient, but eternity is written on our hearts." John Piper, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ

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"What you will find in your heart is not heaven but a picture of heaven, a silhouette of heaven, a heaven-shaped shadow, a longing unsatisfiable by anything on earth."
Peter Kreeft, Heaven

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One short sleepe past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
John Donne, Death Be Not Proude

"We all know something is eternal. And it ain't houses and it ain't names, and it ain't earth, and it ain't even the stars... everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has got to do with human beings. There's something way down deep that's eternal about every human being."
Thornton Wilder, Our Town

And my favorite...

"You have never talked to a mere mortal. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendours."
CS Lewis, Weight of Glory

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The Rhythm of Life

I woke up today and saw the sun shining through the window onto the peaceful sleeping faces of my sisters. It was one of those moments when time just stands still. And I felt the piercings of joy. It was beautiful.

A week ago, Allison has an absolutely beautiful post on Lent and the metaphysics of catching light. And I've been thinking about it a lot. I can see and thank God for the light that falls into my lap, like this morning, but when light seems far off, I do not go actively seeking it. But I am going to try and do so.

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A portrait of my evening.


We all lounge around the living room. I play a quiet melody on the piano. I love sitting there playing and watching life go on, like having a soundtrack for life. I could see Jazz doing homework, Jacqueline just sitting happily, Leo quietly reading aloud. Well, as quiet as he gets. It's after four, and I'm surprisingly not tired. Thankfully not tired.

Dad comes home, and the family is complete. I segue into another song, a jazzy Gershwin piece. Dad loves jazz pieces. My cousin comes over and visits while I play through Clementi sonatas and play Jason Mraz by ear. Mom asks if I'm too tired to do chores, and I'm not. I love sweeping... it's the only chore I like, heh, but still. I'm glad I'm awake and have the strength to help around the house.

I'm coming to love this spontaneous rhythm of life. It's different for me, very different, I used to plan out every minute of the day. But my illness leaves no room for any type of plans. And so I spend my days like this, listening to laughter, watching memories unfold before me, sharing joys with my family ... and catching light.

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