I love the MS community that I speak to each day for their strength, courage and unconditional commitment to support one another. They have taught me so much. Our bond has become stronger lately as we deal with the most serious of issues, more than I can say. The only way I know how to process the hand that's been dealt is through writing, so I wrote this piece of poetry for myself. I now share it with you.
Time is fleeting.
In a mind's eye I clearly see myself swimming back,
back upstream when the change of seasons was seamless,
the hours in a day were long,
and loved ones seemed immortal.
Skipping rope and slumber parties,
quickly changed,
when I gently closed my eyes, then opened them,
to see a new pink Princess phone,
bell bottomed jeans,
and books about teenage angst.
Days flow into years,
and years swiftly pass.
I try hard to hold on to the light,
to the peaceful places I love,
and the love and warmth that envelops me,
but still the night calls.
Time is transient,
and life is momentary.
So I close my eyes less,
to make each day longer,
and linger over every second,
as if it were my last.
I cherish the now,
Of you, of me and of us,
until we must say good-bye.
You have a permanent place in my heart.
Forever.
I love the idea of slowing down to cherish the now, Cathy. It's a good reminder. Blessings to you and all in your community.
Beautifully written Cathy. It's so hard to be in the now sometimes. But such an important thing to work on doing.
Cathy, thank you so much for this. The concept of "a permanent place in my heart" is both beautiful and powerful. And it brings such hope.
Thank you for this. I received some upsetting health news yesterday, so the timing is perfect.
So beautiful Cathy. I think we can all relate to this.
Your words are beautiful. We travel with you to an easier place and time, and find that love was with us and still surrounds us.
What a comfort writing is, isn't it?
You have such a lovely spirit Cathy, and it shows in everything you write. This was wonderful.
Such beautiful words, Cathy, filled with both sadness and hope. Your gifts to the MS community -- and to the community as a whole -- are suffused with your giving and generous spirit. Love to you.
Cathy, This poem is very moving and beautiful. I especially liked the lines: So I close my eyes less to make every day longer, and linger over every second as if it were my last.
It's certainly how I feel navigating my fifties... The horizon doesn't seem as limitless as it did when I was younger, so I want to really savor and appreciate what's left.
Thanks for a lovely piece!
I wrote a post about cherishing time as well. Days do flow into years...we all need to remember that each day we wake up and remember our blessings.
Beautiful! xox
I loved this piece but I loved a comment you made above even more • writing slows down the now and is cathartic.... What a spectacular statement about how you approach challenges and makes me appreciate you even more...if that was even possible.... Thank you for the inspiration!!!!
Having been blessed with MS I can so relate to your poem. Thank you.
Cathy, this is gorgeous. Living in the now is what we have, yes? And to linger over it...essential. Truly a lovely piece--like you!
Hi Cathy! Not only are you a writer--you're a poet too! This is lovely and such a great reminder to ALL OF us:
"Time is transient, and life is momentary."
Let's make the most of it! ~Kathy
This is lovely, Cathy. A beautiful reminder to, indeed, "cherish the now."
I'm sorry such sadness surrounds the MS community. But you've made something lovely of it.
You put your heart into words so beautifully, Cathy. Thank you for sharing this with us.
"I cherish the now,
Of you, of me and of us,"
Cathy Chester
I'm going to write this out on a 3x5 card and keep it on my desk. love it.
That was absolutely beautiful Cathy! I pinned it so that I would never forget.
This was amazing and just what my spirit needed tonight. Thank you for this and for sharing your heart. <3
So beautiful, Cathy, and such a powerful reminder of how precious and fleeting every moment is. All we can do is "cherish the now." I hope your words are as comforting to you as they are to all of us.
i think that you more than a lot of people know that it's not so much the years in your life as the life in those years. This poem captured that perfectly. It really is beautiful.