It's true.
That is why the poem we sang (Afternoon on a Hill) speaks to me so much. Read the poem in its entirety:
AFTERNOON ON A HILL
I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.
I will look at cliffs and clouds
With quiet eyes,
Watch the wind bow down the grass
And the grass rise.
And when the lights begin to show
Up from the town
I will mark which must be mine
And then start down!
~Edna St. Vincent Millay
It embodies optimism. And contentment. And observation (the kind that you CANNOT have when you are busy texting while walking!). Reverance. Awe. And gratitude.
Since I'm big on "transfer" (in other words...everything relates to everything), I was thinking about this song that we rehearsed today and I immediately flipped through my itunes library to find a 1972 song by the late Dan Fogelberg. I happened to LOVE him "back in the day". So, I played TO THE MORNING and realized that it had the same kind of optimism that draws me to the Millay poem. The lyrics, although much more simplistic, were accompanied by a lovely, haunting melody (go sample it for yourself.) I wrote out the lyrics for you below:
TO THE MORNING
Watching the sun,
Watching it come~watching it come up over the rooftops.
Cloudy and warm, maybe a storm
You can never quite tell from the morning
And it’s going to be a day, there is really no way to say no to the morning.
Yes, it’s going to be a day, there is really nothin’ left to say but “come on, morning!”
Waiting for mail, maybe a tale from an old friend, or even a lover.
Some days there’s none, but we have fun thinking of all who might have written.
And it’s going to be a day, there is really no way to say no to the morning.
Yes, it’s going to be a day, there is really nothin’ left to say but “come on, morning!”
And maybe there are seasons, and maybe they change.
And maybe to love is not so strange.
The suns of the day, now they hurry away
Now they are gone until tomorrow
One day will break, and you will wake and you will rake your hands across your eyes and realize
That it’s going to be a day, there is really no way to say no to the morning
Yes, it’s going to be a day, there is really nothin’ left to say, but “come on, morning!”
And maybe there are seasons, and maybe they change.
And maybe to love is not so strange.
~Dan Fogelberg
So remember, amidst all your collegiate dramas and life angst...morning always comes. And we can approach each day with gratitude. Or not.
I choose "I will be the gladdest thing under the sun". Hope you do, too!
This post made my day because it's been something that has been on my mind for a while. It seems to be common in people of all types in our age group to be constantly worried and strung out on the stresses of the day. I feel constantly like I'm being rushed to live life by preconception, because as students it seems like it is implied that before you really start living you need to be out of college with a "stable environment" (job, house, significant other, etc.). Apparently this implies balance, and achieving something so that you can sit back and say, "Wow here I am; I finally made it." But when you get to that point, will you regret not taking the time to REALLY live up to it? You've got to find as much joy in the journey as in the destination.
ReplyDeleteOne of my absolute favorite experiences is to stare out at the ocean at night while reflecting upon myself and how far I've come, and in a positive way. It's relaxing and healing, and you take in the beauty of a life on this earth. I only find this joyful and rejuvenating feeling in one other thing, and that's music. Whether it's a beautiful poetic song from choir, a deep and emotional Aria in my solo repertoire, or something contemporary with lyrics I can relate to my own life experience, It makes my soul smile to hear and sing a wonderful melody, and in that I find my optimism. I know in my heart that another day means another song to sing, and another chance to connect on a certain level with myself, my heart, and what it means to be alive. When the harmonies of your soul vibrate with the same frequency of those in the song you are singing it's enough to move mountains within your heart.
So my dear friends, Dr. O. is right. Take the time to really enjoy what you do everyday; to really enjoy the ride, and the optimism in your life will find it's way into the music you make, and your heart will be a little lighter.