My View

I know the picture is crooked, but this is the view from where I lay. This is what I see. Much of my day happens here, what I call, "my corner on the couch." There are better views of the TV in this room and my couches are huge and empty, but my purpose is not to watch TV. This is where I read, write, spend time on my laptop, make my jewelry and talk on the phone. This is where I rest, laugh, cry, think, meditate, study and conduct my very personal spiritual conversations.

My TV is quietly on in the background (often muted) because it is my connection to the world. It is some noise breaking the silence in this big house other than the sounds I make myself, the turning of a page, the clicks of my computer keys, the clashing of one bead against another and the snap of my metal cutters. My hubby often stops by at the lunch hour and asks me what I am watching, "I don't know" is my typical response and usually, I really don't.

What I do pay attention to, is a news interruption because something critical has happened somewhere in the world. The volume automatically raises a few decibels and the intro musical tones alert me to pay attention. As you already know, yesterdays tragedy was the shootings that took place at Virginia Tech University here in the United States. I sat there and listened, cried and felt such grief for that community. Then I quickly posted the candle in their memory and later on, right before I went to bed, checked it to see if all was in working order.

Right there, below my candle post, was "My Rant" that I shared with all of you. My mind reeled as I thought about Mark and the miracle of his life. I thought about my daughter, who had just called to say goodnight and I love you. I thought about how angry and in pain I was when I wrote that post, feeling compelled to use the word 'Freedom' in the title.

I hung my head and said aloud, "and now all those poor murdered people had their freedoms ripped away and their families are burdened, bound with pain and grief."

We have the right to rant out loud and be heard, but in my life...it always seems that as soon as I have had my moment, I am quickly made aware of just how lucky I am and that I have so much to be thankful for...

and in that moment, my rantings sound quite pitiful, indeed.