Song Memory: Sunshine On My Shoulders

I think I am going to blog occasionally about something I'll call song memory. I know much has been written about sense memory and even scent memory. That would be the concepts of how our own senses and emotional responses are linked to the circumstances of certain memories. For example, the smells of certain things, trigger in us the remembrance of a certain person, place or time. Sometimes songs do that for me. Music profoundly affects me, and I know that to be true for many folks.



I associate Sunshine on My Shoulders by John Denver with a distinct day from my childhood. Every time I hear it, my first response is that I recall a little fragment of an actual of a day in my life. I am about 7 or 8 and with my oldest dearest friend, J. We are in rural Pennsylvania, walking down a narrow, slightly overgrown woodsy path that runs alongside a small lake. Sunlight is glistening on the water and on the leaves of the trees and shrubs. The path leads to a small dam, and being brave and young we always have to walk across it. It takes a bit of fearlessness and balance. J. is so much more coordinated than I am, she leads even though she's younger than me. It was a great way to spend a summer.

Love Hurts - God Heals part 2

Have you ever poured out your heart and soul into a friendship with someone and they betrayed you? Or maybe they just weren't there for you when you really needed it? It makes you feel so hurt and sad. Maybe angry too. You question why you wasted so much time and energy on someone that proved to be so unworthy. Sometimes this makes you hesitant about befriending other people in the future. At least it's been that way for me. It seems like the past few years have seen a few of these situations in my family and it hurts like heck. I keep hoping there will be some sort of reconciliation and healing change. But it just hasn't happened (yet?). Perhaps it never will. So, I mourn the passing of friendships.

I have been thinking lately about these types of things. And I think I have concluded this: I don't think love is ever wasted, even if it's not appreciated or reciprocated. I think when we stand before the Lord at judgment, we'll have been relieved to say that we loved lavishly even if our hearts are broken to shreds. After all, that's what He did. And then we should just keep on loving and doing our best to be an open-hearted person.

The thing is, sometimes with some people, you have to love them from afar. We can be like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son. He was already looking down the road when his estranged son was coming home. We can determine from that, he had been looking for, hoping and anticipating his son's return. I believe we should have a heart that is open, welcoming and ready for reconciliation. The other person has to be on that same road as well. It has to be mutual. Just as the father was looking for the son, the son was ready to leave his "wild living" and return home. The son couldn't have it both ways at his home. He had to leave the destructive behaviour behind to enjoy the full benefits of a close relationship. Until that time, the father had his eyes on the horizon and a heart that seemed to be free of anger, accusations, and all the other things he probably felt over his child living wild and wasting his inheritance. He was ready when his child was ready, not with a lecture, but with open arms.

That's the lesson for me. Don't get hung up on bitter feelings over everything that has passed. Let it go and be healed and free from it. Be ready for restoration of the relationship, if and when it comes. In the mean time L-O-V-E from afar, as opposed to stewing or wallowing!




Image from Barry's Clip Art.

FaceBook

I resisted it for so long. After all, I only joined myspace this past summer. I am about 4+ years late on that trend. I joked that I would join facebook in a few years, to keep in line with my habitual tardiness. Well, I gave in this morning, and now I'm hooked.

My baby brother has moved all the way to Oregon, and he sent me a facebook e-vite this morning. How could I resist? Last week my Auntie and Sister-in-Law had also sent invitations. My brother's was the proverbial straw.

Facebook is like myspace but for adults. There is no pimping of your profile, at least not that I have noticed. It's just a basic way of staying in touch with family, friends and colleagues, both near and far. AND you can reconnect with of high school, college and even in some cases elementary school pals! I'm loving that so far. I also love, that since I'm using a glitchy old laptop (we'll shall call her sLola) I don't get all frozen up on facebook the way I do on myspace, what with every one's unique graphics and soundtracks loading.

So, I could have written something relevant and timely about the Inauguration, but alas, this be my online journal and I was feeling thusly, and a little piratey, too.

If you want a good Inauguration piece, check out PreacherPen's blog, he's listed over there on the right. Or this article from the Australian, or this article from Real Clear Politics, which I will quote:

He [Obama] also seems to want policies that are not just politically popular, or satisfy a political constituency, but also work. And therein lies the hope.

Anyway, I was moved by the Inauguration Ceremony, the prayers, and such. I was proud that our nation has overcome so many obstacles, yet I hope that will not keep our minds and hearts off of the real work that needs to be done to get this nation back on track. I must admit to a hopefulness, and I hope it isn't naive.


We must pray hard for our nation and its leaders.