Filed under: God, mind, music, spirituality | Tags: Faith, God, Religion, spirituality
“Many people go to their graves with their music still in them.” –
Oliver Wendall Holmes
This quote from the great Supreme Court jurist Oliver Wendall Holmes has been the subject of many discussions both written and spoken. (It is a favorite of many school commencement speakers over the years.) At its heart, it has caused much debate. What did Justice Holmes mean? Was it a positive or negative statement about mankind?
It could be interpreted negatively. Did Justice Holmes mean that many people don’t find their true calling in life and thus go to their graves unfulfilled?
If so, how sad. Pray with me to God: don’t let that happen to me!
Though I think Justice Holmes statement is a positive view.
First, Justice Holmes didn’t literally mean music. I think he meant by “music”, a gift, a calling, an achievement, a mission, a passion that drives us throughout our lives from birth until death. We all have this internal music and it plays out of in many different ways. We find our passions (I say passions because we can have more than one and it can change throughout our life), and then we work each and every day to achieve, to deliver, to succeed.
I have faith in myself and in mankind! Some days are better than others, but then we are just humans.
And at the end, we still will have our music in us. To lose it, is death. So we must and do keep it out entire lives. We never want to be without it. That drive, that passion, that calling is always with us. We can always do a little more despite our age, our aliments, our problems.
So as far as I am concerned, Justice Holmes was making a very positive statement. The drive never ends regardless of when you go to your grave, old or young or somewhere in-between. We want to keep that passion throughout our lives. We never want to give up! Only those who leave in despair might go to their graves with their music gone.
I don’t want my internal music to ever go out. Let the flame burn in me forever. God, please keep life filled with internal music until I descend to be withyou.
What do you think? Do you agree?
Filed under: God, friendship, spirituality | Tags: freindship, God, Poetry, Religion, spirituality
My father passed away last December after a five year battle with ALS. His illness and death changed my life. I wrote three poems during his battle that summarize my thoughts. See the link to my poetry blog. All that emotion, pain, change and joy were evident in a letter I wrote to a childhood minister and his wife. I wanted to share it. It is very personal. But It helped me to write and I hope it can help others by sharing.
Dear Reverend and Mrs. Brown:
This letter is somewhat a voice from the past and is being written to say thanks. So “Thank You!” It is thanks long overdue; but one that God held until the time was right. I believe that “right” time is now.
Let me explain. My name is Jim Yoakum. I am the son of Dick and Jerry Lou Yoakum. Along with my parents, my two sisters (Lynn and Joann) and my two brothers (John and Randy), we attended Maize Manor United Methodist church during the 1960’s. (P.S. My Mother is still a member there.) Up until the time you left Maize Manor to minister elsewhere, you were the only minister that my sisters, my brothers and I had known. Besides normal ministering, you were instrumental in counseling my Mother regarding severe issues with her mother and stepfather. That was needed for her to be the wonderful Mother she is, Among other things, you helped me earn the Boy Scout of America God and Country award and metal. You significantly touched our lives and continue to do so up to this day.
We have often thought of you and your family and the spirituality and faith we learned from you. Most of those thoughts came during times of crisis when we most needed God. Remembering what you taught us and instilled in us during our days at Maize Manor, somehow made it easier to weather each crisis. While there have been many times our faith held steadfast and got us through due to what we had learned from you, the three most significant for me were my Mother’s stepfather’s suicide in 1978; my own divorce in 1998, and my Father’s illness beginning in 2003 ending with his eventual death at the end of 2007. Each time we needed God the most, you were there helping hold together the rock of our religious and spiritual foundation.
Over the years our family has often talked about you and wondered where life had taken you. On a couple of occasions, I made half-hearted attempts to locate you. We had asked some other old members of Maize Manor if they knew of your whereabouts, but we never could locate you. So many years have passed without being able to communicate our gratitude. But as I said above, I don’t think God wanted that “thanks” to be said just yet. But then miraculously upon my father’s death, God sent a sign and I knew it was time for this long ovedue word of gratitude to be sent.
My Father was diagnosed with ALS-Amyotrophic Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2003. The five ensuing years were difficult, especially for my Mother. At the beginning we questioned God as to “why”. But we soon realized that my Father got ALS for reasons unbeknown to us and that it was not to punish him or anyone else. Our faith in God allowed us to approach this as a blessing. In the end we were all better and stronger as individuals and as a family. Consequently, despite his significant medical needs we were able to grant Father’s wish and let him die peacefully, at home, which he did three days after Christmas on December 28, 2007.
One of the people who ministered to my Dad close to the end was Elaine Clinger Sturtz. God sent her to my Mom and Dad a couple of months before his death. By that point he had been completely bed ridden for several months. I met Elaine for the first time just days before his death. She had come to their home to pray for him. We sat with him and prayed. He was basically at that point incoherent and unable to communicate much. We said a prayer together and then after words she told me she was a United Methodist Elder. Casually, I asked her if she knew George Brown. Was I shocked when she said yes. We then chatted for several minutes about how you were part of our family’s lives. Then I asked her if she remembered Mrs. Brown’s name. She was thinking when my father mouthed “Carole”. Recognize this was the first word he had said in a while. We we all amazed;and I viewed it as a sign from God.
As I reflected upon this later, I realized that you and Carole were with my Father at his time of greatest need. God does work in mysterious ways, but is always there with blessings. You were one of the many blessings God sent to us time and time again, and again at the end of my Father’s life. I genuinely believe your teachings and early friendship made me the person I am today.
I also realized that God brought Elaine to us to provide the means to contact you. It is at last the time to say thanks. Our religious and spiritual rock was tested many times during my Father’s bout was ALS, but we held steadfast in part to you. So here is that long over and heart felt “Thank You”.
On a lighter note, I have to tell you that you did spoil things a bit for me. Over the years I have attended many churches as I moved around the country. (Currently I live in New Jersey about 25 miles outside New York City.) Any minister I have encountered paled on comparison to my memories of you.
God Bless you and your family. I hope you and your family have been blessed as we have. With heart filled love, a final thank you.
Sincerely yours,
On behalf of Richard Yoakum’s family
Jim Yoakum.
Be aware every morning that you may not last the day
And every evening that you may not last the night.
--Engraved Plaque in the Catacombs of ParisI
I received a note from a good friend telling me she was helping to plan her 70th high school graduation party. Whoa!
Do you live each day to the fullest?
When you time comes can you say you live each day as it might be your last?
I try though I don’t always succeed. Some days I dwell too much on the past. Other days I worry too much about the future. My motto, my goal is to live in the now. Oh you can plan, you can relish in old memories. But don’t let those be your life. Let your life be today, be now! Live each day as it is your last and when you reach your 70th graduation party you won’t have any regrets and may be the youngest there.
Get It?
I have been reading the book A New Earth, Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, by Eckhart Tolle. And I have been participating in the Oprah Winfrey web seminar on the book every week for the past seven weeks. I also just finished the book Way of the Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman. A New Earth is the textbook version, while The Peaceful Warrior is the everyday application of the teachings of being in the now or present. I thoroughly enjoyed both books and believe I am more at peace and happy than at anytime in my life. I commend both books to your reading. Interesting, A New Earth was published in 2006 and The Peaceful Warrior was published in 1980 and released as a movie in 2000.
. . . from Way of the Peaceful Warrior
A saintly woman was walking along the edge of a cliff. Several hundred feet below her, she saw a dead mother lion, surrounded by her crying cubs. Without hesitation, she leaped off the cliff so that they would have something to eat.
What do you think?
Today’s thought is dedicated to a dear friend on her 88th birthday. She’s a sharp as a bird and spry as a cat, as they say. If 80 is the new 60; she’s it! I came to know this individual about the time my father was diagnosed was a terminal, untreatable illness. Our friendship developed while I nursed my father. She taught me so much about life, how valuable it is, how to enjoy and to never give up. She made those trying times a little easier. Now that my Dad has passed on, our friendship continues; we have become family. Thank God for my friend. Happy Birthday!
from Walking With the Savior:
. . . Do what is right this week, whatever it is, whatever comes down the path, whatever problems and dilemmas you face — just do what’s right. Maybe no one else is doing what’s right, but you do what’s right. You be honest. You take a stand. You be true. . . .
Right on. I try to live my life by this though it is hard and I admit I doesn’t always live up to this expectation–Do the right thing. With our declining morals, ethics and values, this standard is hard to live up to. But we must! We should and must demand this as an absolute from our children, our family, our friends, our leaders, etc.. Otherwise we are on path of destruction. Or maybe we are on that path. . . just look at our three presidential candidates. Look at the performers, musicians, actors we idolize. Look at our press and what they publicize as important. Look at our music, our movies. I hope it is not too late.
What do you think?
from the Applause of Heaven:
Antonio Stradivari was a seventeenth-century violin maker whose name in its Latin form, Stradivarius, has become synonymous with excellence. He once said that to make a violin less than his best would be to rob God, who could not make Antonio Stradivari’s violins without Antonio.
He was right. God could not make Stradivarius violins without Antonio Stradivari. Certain gifts were given to that craftsman that no other violin maker possessed.
In the same vein, there are certain things you can do that no one else can. Perhaps it is parenting, or constructing houses, or encouraging the discouraged. There are things that only you can do, and you are alive to do them. In the great orchestra we call life, you have an instrument and a song, and you owe to God (and to yourself) to play them both sublimely.
Huh? What do you think? My thoughts soon!
I posted five new pictures of my cat Huey on his MySpace page this morning. See the link to Huey’s MySpace page. He is such a joy. And then I think how cruel we are to dogs and cats. Do you see the Oprah Winfrey show on puppy mills this past week. It was how we breed for profit. And the breeding is extremely cruel. Dogs never allowed out of cages. Overbreed to they are ill. No medical attention. And when they can no longer breed, they are shot and killed. What is wrong with us. Whether you like dogs or cats or not, how can we tolerate this cruelty? All for profit. What is wrong with America? With the world? Granted there are more pressing issues and concerns facing the world. But if we as a society can tolerate the inhumane treatment of animals. . .it says a lot about us as human beings. And it is not something to be proud of. Fixing this is simple. Outlaw puppy mills. Outlaw the killing of cats and dogs. (Killing is permitted on many states, so when the breeding ability ends, the dogs are just killed.) And stop buying pets from puppy mills. Cruelty to animals must stop. Step up! Don’t tolerate! It’s that simple! What do you think?
A few thoughts ago, I wrote about death of the body, the vessel that holds you inter consciousness or “soul”. My father died this past December after a five year long illness. We had a lot of time to think about and plan for his death. As we did, I came to believe that only his vessel would die; his soul would live on. In his case, he souls lives in heaven. I truly saw his soul pass into the light three days after his death.
What happens after the body dies; how long does it take for the soul to go elsewhere albeit to heaven or to another vessel. Some souls still have a purpose on Earth and are reincarnated into another body or vessel. Others are ready to enter the ultimate peace, the light, heaven.
How long does that take? How does it happen? Only those who have experienced know. Though many have expressed their thoughts in words and music. Three of my favorites are the book “The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud”, by Ben Sherwood; and two songs: “Cold Water” from Damien Rice and “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyd.
In “The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud” Charlie dies at a young age and believes his younger brother needs him to remain. Charlie does for years but and he and his brother learn that for life to continue as it should or should have, Charlie must pass on. The lesson is we who remain behind need to give permission to those who pass to move on. We had to do that with my father in his final days. The family gathered when we know it was time and gave permission to go. I think that permission was why in just three days he passed into the light. God Bless. In “The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud” Ben Sherwood writes of many who pass much more quickly than Charlie. Many don’t realize they have died at first, but when they do and realize they have permission, they pass on. Permission — give it to your loves one.
In the song “Cold Water” Damien Rice tells the story of death (which he describes) as cold water. After feeling surrounded by cold water, the soul struggles. He can’t let go at first and prays to the Lord to “hear me now”. He wants to pass into the light. By the end of he song he does and the music at the end is so surreal and peaceful. It makes you realize how wonder passing on is. Death is not unpleasurable for the soul; it is a opportunity for peace at the hand of God.
Finally, “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyd. I think this is one of the greatest songs of all time. Listen to the live version; it is 15 minutes of pure heaven. I don’t know if Lynyrd Skynrd intended the song to be about death and passing, but I think it is. He is leaving–death of the vessel. He is free as a bird now–the birds are his path to the light. He speaks of not being able to change and accepts responsibility–God accepts sinners into heaven. And he speaks he has to go–he can’t stay behind; the soul has to move on.
I don’t think that death and what happens after words is all that unclear. I saw that with my father and knowing made accepting easy. It is all about believing and faith. What do you think?
Do you know of other writing and songs?
You all know I like animals. I haven’t had a pet for years. Last year my kids talked me into a getting a cat. He–Huey–is a rescued cat from Kentucky. He lives here with me in New Jersey. Huey is a joy and provides so much inter peace that I speak of. Get to know Huey. Check out his MySpace site under the link Huey Yoakum.
