Soul Wisdom
A Winter Romp — photo by Susan Izard
Dear Soul Friends,
The other day at CVS I looked for Valentine’s Day cards for my grandchildren. There were so many to choose from that I turned around and walked out. I needed to find a store with a different kind of card— the simple artistic kind.
When I was a child, I loved making Valentine’s Day cards for family and friends. My mother provided red construction paper, doilies, glue and crayons, and I would get to work. I remember trying to cut out perfect hearts to place on the doilies with Happy Valentine’s Day greetings.
As I left CVS, it occurred to me I could make rather than buy Valentine’s Day cards for my grandchildren. But it felt dispiriting. Valentine’s Day is complicated for me.
As a child I had fun helping with the party at school, and happily my uncle’s birthday fell on Valentine’s Day. My sisters and I celebrated by decorating his cake with candy valentines saying I Love You.
But in 2002, after a long illness our father died in the hospital on Valentine’s Day. We had arisen at two in the morning to rush over and be with him during his last hours. When we returned home, we were astonished to find a box of long stem white roses by the front door. My father had arranged for these gorgeous roses to be delivered to our mother on Valentine’s Day. We were deeply moved by this final show of love for our mother. Then coincidentally, twenty years later my mother’s brother also died on Valentine’s Day. Now every Valentine’s Day is both joyful and sad.
Soul understands the struggle of contrasting emotions. That is where soul wisdom dwells. It is where we encounter soul energy.
One of the best known passages of scripture memorialized this way of knowing in Ecclesiastes chapter three.
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven.
A time to be born, and a time to die.
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.
A time to tear down and a time to build,
A time to weep and a time to laugh,
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
Last Sunday after listening to a sermon on love, I received a text from my daughter who was at church with her children. “Henry (two years old) just shouted ‘I DON’T WANT TO BE NICE’ right in the middle of the sermon!” It made me laugh. I had been reflecting on the empowering energy of holy love while Henry was clearly fed up with sitting still.
Sometimes we just don’t feel like being nice. Life is often hard and dispiriting. But soul wisdom reminds us not to dwell in anger or frustration. Soul encourages us to choose joy, love, kindness, tenderness and delight. Our emotions are all a part of the dance of life.
May the blessing of light illumine your darkness. May the blessing of peace soften your struggles. May the blessing of love cushion your grief.
Deep peace to you,
Susan
