April 25, 2011

Gifts~

My mother gifted me a beautiful book of poetry on my 30th birthday entitled The Enlightened Heart,  An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, edited by Stephen Mitchell.

The absence of my mother on my 50th birthday celebration is acute. I know, somewhere within her heart and mind, she is attuned to the fact that her olderst daughter turned 50. I feel her love. Were she not ravaged by the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease, I know she would be here.
 
I often turn to this sacred book of poetry and want to share a poem with you and my mother this evening.

Effortlessly,
Love flows from God into man,
Like a bird
Who rivers the air
Without moving her wings.
Thus we move in His world
One in body and soul,
Though outwardly separate in form.
As the Source strikes the note,
Humanity sings-
The Holy Spirit is our harpist,
And all strings
Which are touched in Love
Must sound.

     Mechthild of Magdeburg~

Thank you mom for the many gifts and blessings you have given me~