Walt Whitman: “This is what you shall do: love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone who asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unkown.”
I love this quote. It frees me from the shackles of anger. I get so mad at people who want to restrict the rights of others. I get so mad when people think everyone should be just like themselves, when people value money over family, when they want to protect their own little insular world and all others be damned.
It’s so confusing to me. In my world, family comes first, before money, before career, before religion. Family is my religion. In my world, the laughter of children is treasured over a clean home. My favorite kitchen is covered in flour and tiny chocolate fingerprints.I feel so lovely sitting on the white sands of Lambert’s Cove, watching my little mermaid frolic in the gentle waves, watching my little buster stand in water up to his chubby ankles with his boogie board strapped to his wrist, while he watches his board go in and out with the tide, fascinated. I love the soft pink of the sky as the sun sets and the ocean turns an extraordinary lavendar, glowing at magic hour. I love sitting on the bench at Annabelle’s drama camp, amidst the thick grove of trees, watching the dancers, listening to the opera singers, watching them walk among the trees in their rich gorgeous costumes, their voices pouring through the air and washing over me and Henry as he balances on the rock wall. And now my mermaid comes to me to ask for a bedtime snack…
Similar Posts
Warm Up the Car, Baby!It’s Cold Outside!
When I was 16, and it was winter, my Dad would go out to the garage every single morning and start my car for me to warm it up before I got in it. Every single morning. I don’t remember getting into a cold car once. I can still smell the gas, the oil, the heat, and hear the put-put-put of the car waiting for me to get in. We had a 1974 orange VW Bug that my parents gave…
Riches of the Mind: Bookshop at The Plaza
Like falling onto an exquisite velvet cushion and finding a treasure trove of diamond, I stumbled upon a magical place in New York City last weekend. It’s the bookshop at The Plaza. I didn’t know The Plaza had a bookshop! A friend and I took our daughters to Manhattan for a spur-of-the-moment theater trip. They are twelve: that stunning age full of bravado and sassiness but steeped in childish wonder. We had tea at…
- Hope | Humor | Inspiration
Rainbow Unicorn Bumper Sticker
My new bumper sticker arrived today! It’s a unicorn prancing in front of a rainbow. Part of my brain said, “You can’t put that on your car. Everyone will think a twelve-year-old is driving.” Then I thought, “Who cares what other people think? If I like it, that’s all that matters.” Then I had a whole conversation with the stern and somber judge in my brain that doesn’t like people to have fun. Don’t worry—she’s very small and plain and…
