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David Whyte's avatar

A very appropriate post by Angela in my office, given we have all just returned from Ireland. I can't remember the book I was reading on the plane, heading west, as I looked out over the Irish coastline stretching to the north, but I had just witnessed the image of the older man walking the narrow lane above Bantry and touching the red hanging Fuscia with his stick, just a few days before. Book and memory combined to open me up and out of nowhere source the tears that began to fall. I do believe that one of the great tasks in life is to overcome our natural defences against previous hurt, in all its forms, and feel things to the depths again. This poem chronicles one of those threshold moments in the subtle and not so subtle transitions from being defensively numb to being vulnerably alive again. DW

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The Alchemy of Undoing's avatar

“I do believe that one of the great tasks in life is to overcome our natural defences against previous hurt, in all its forms, and feel things to the depths again”

This resonates so damn deeply right now - thank you ❤️

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Georgena Felicia LPCC's avatar

Sublime.

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Bonnie Ryan-Fisher's avatar

Now it seems after years of walking

the homecoming happened in a single step.

Moments of deep knowing or so often like this. Captured perfectly here in the single tear.

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Kristin Hasselblad's avatar

The fuchsia-lined roads were such a lovely surprise. As if Ireland had planned a parade just for me. Absolutely enchanting.

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Stuart Lyman's avatar

I find I drop a tear at the drop of a hat when I see or hear of certain interactions between people or even animals. I don’t feel ashamed of that but having just finished your 3 Sundays in Sept I want to Commit to understanding where that comes from and respond (submit)to the invitation that the tear is inviting me to. It’s probably an invitation to come home?

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