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| Singing along with my husand's awesome band with 3 of my dearest friends (since I was 16 years old) at my 60th.... "Mustang Sally... think you better slow your mustang down" I guess I thought the morning I "woke up 60" was going to be the day my body parts were going to dry up and fall off. That didn't happen. What did happen since I've turned 60 - each day is more precious than ever before. The light is brighter, the colors are richer and each day that I'm lucky enough to have has become something never to waste.
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My husband Henry, my daughter Emily, her husband Jeremy, my son Ben and his wife Marta and my nephew Carrie - along with others that helped cook, set up and take down came to celebrate turning 60. Friends from high school, the neighborhood, work, book club, my husband's office folks, family, grandkids - all singing and dancing, eating and enjoying good beers and wine - all celebrating. I felt so completely lucky and full of life and love. Thank you all you precious people. |
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| Our daughter Emily and sister-in-law Susan singing along with the band |
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Every day I get up in the dark and greet sunrise while practicing Qi gong. At the end of my practice I give heartfelt thanks to my parents for all the gifts they have given me and to their parents and to the ones before them. Then I give thanks to my Qi gong teacher Lee Holden and to his teacher Mantak Chia and to his teacher White Cloud Hermit and then..... to my dear husband who is my soul mate, lover and friend on this life journey we are on.
Our journey is easy compared to others (but sometimes even this journey seems so very complicated - people we know and deeply love that are struggling, a beautiful planet that needs thoughtful care now, politicians that seem to refuse to see the big picture, guns killing people, childhood obesity).
And then there's Henry...
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| Dancing while he plays "When A Man Loves A Woman" |
Thank you Henry for the fun birthday party and for all the love and goodness.
So, we dance some days and spend time every morning drinking tea after Qi gong and hold hands and talk about all these things and declare solutions that seems so obvious..... And my heart often goes back to John Lennon's Imagine.
So, we dance some days and spend time every morning drinking tea after Qi gong and hold hands and talk about all these things and declare solutions that seems so obvious..... And my heart often goes back to John Lennon's Imagine.
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
One thing I've learned in my 60 years is that there is really nothing more important than love and affection. Giving and receiving love and affection are more important for your heart (probably even more important than good cholesterol and not smoking, etc. ) and for our planet and children and for our old people - for all people and animals and leaves, than anything else.
I've known so much love in my life. Love my Mother shined on me when we gathered needed clothing to bring to the black woman who nursed her in Georgia when she was born prematurely. My Mom was kept in a crate by the warm stove in the kitchen and this woman's milk full of good vitamins from the collards she ate that grew in my grandparents fields where Crow (her real name) picked them back in 1923 - was carefully and lovingly dropped into my Mom's mouth with a medicine dropper until she was strong enough to suckle. Love from my Father when we sat in church on Sunday mornings holding hands and I could feel his deep breath slowly come and go as the minister talked about a loving God. And I knew she had to be a loving God because here I was with this noble man who was my darling Father who would stand and sing in the most beautiful voice, one that was distinguished far above the rest in its richness and goodness..... and who taught me so many important things.
Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know;
Spirit, breathing from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so.
Oh, this full and perfect peace!
Oh, this transport all divine!
In a love which cannot cease.
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If you could do it over again would you have children? Someone asked me the other day. I had to think about it for a minute. Not because I was trying to decide but.....it made me think about all the things my children have taught me. Patience is probably first on the list. Having and knowing my children has over the years made me a better person.
If I were to die today I would surely die in love.
So, turning 60 really ain't so bad.
This is the final blog post for What's On My Mind At 59. Thanks for joining me on this adventure.
Much love always,
Donna Rae
p.s. What's the most important date in history?
Answer: TODAY
