In a world that constantly tells us to get over it, stay positive and snap out of it, I was so enchanted to discover that longing was not just something weird about the way I am. Just like she brought to light the power of introverted people, Susan Cain sets in front of us these days the notion of longing for “we know not what,” and invites us to allow ourselves to be carried towards the creative spirit that it awakens in us.
Most of my creative moments are born out of longing – for a past that cannot come back, for one that could have been, for a person, gesture, for time, … for something I cannot define even to myself. Many were the times when I wondered and even felt ashamed: I love my life, what am I longing for? I must admit though, I never asked this out of curiosity – it was always with a raised eyebrow and a judging mind. I loved Susan’s invitation for us to let ourselves be guided by our longing. What are you longing for could be a question that brings so much more than what are you thinking about. It seems to me the first one invites us to reach much deeper into the chambers of our soul. And what wonders are always to be found there, if only we are willing to look!
Love Dogs
One night a man was crying,
“Allah, Allah!”
His lips grew sweet with the praising,
until a cynic said,
“So! I have heard you
calling out, but have you ever
gotten any response?”
The man had no answer for that.
He quit praying and fell into a confused sleep.
He dreamed he saw Khidr, the guide of souls,
in a thick, green foliage,
“Why did you stop praising?”
“Because I’ve never heard anything back.”
“This longing you express
is the return message.”
The grief you cry out from
draws you toward union.
Your pure sadness that wants help
is the secret cup.
Listen to the moan of a dog for its master.
That whining is the connection.
There are love dogs no one knows the names of.
Give your life to be one of them.
Rumi
Photo by Jackson Simmer on Unsplash
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I really connect with what you wrote about longing for the past. I have a wonderful life and it is important to live in the present 🙂
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