It’s mid-August and the living ain’t easy. Lots of the news has shaken us up lately. Sometimes it makes it difficult to focus on the good stuff in the world.
I’m going take a little break from posting for a week or two, a staycation. So I’ll see you in September, so to speak, but before I go, I wanted to share with you a lovely poem I’ve long admired by Fran Podulka (Guest Post). Next time you go to a wedding, you’ll think of this poem when you see the father of the bride.
Glimpse of Solace has some pics of mine that feature the color yellow and some tricks of light. I’m hoping the lace in the one photo will make you think of Fran’s poem. One big news story this week was the death of Robin Williams. In some ways I can connect Robin Williams’ death with J. D. Salinger’s Seymour Glass.
Mention the color yellow and this quote (from Salinger’s Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters) comes to my mind:
It is from Seymour’s diary,
“If or when I do start going to an analyst, I hope to God he has the foresight to let a dermatologist sit in on the consultation. A hand specialist. I have scars on my hands from touching certain people… Certain heads, certain colors and textures of human hair leave permanent marks on me. Other things, too. Charlotte once ran away from me, outside the studio, and I grabbed her dress to stop her, to keep her near me. A yellow cotton dress I loved because it was too long for her. I still have a lemon-yellow mark on the palm of my right hand. Oh God, if I’m anything by a clinical name, I’m a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.”
I hope someone is conspiring to make you happy, but in the real sense of the word. And, that in turn you seek to bring happiness to someone too. And try not to be like Seymour, don’t be too happy, try not to be so happy that you’re overwhelmed. Be kind to yourself; know you are deserving.
Let’s all be good to ourselves and each other.
Peace, love, and solace
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