Permission to Live

I was sitting and watching TV (a rerun in fact, how lame is that?) and a young girl was being interviewed about her talents and when asked how many songs she had composed she said "47 - It's easy!!" (I remember writing as being easy but I just haven't tried for a while). Then as I flipped the channel a young woman with cancer was talking about her life and she said "we all live in a terminal condition" but that having cancer gave her the "permission to live". So here is a little musing from that.

Permission to Live

"We all live in a terminal condition" she said

and yet, I squander the precious moments

I whine and peruse the dark cloud above my head

And if it doesn't rumble and sprinkle a little rain on me

I proceed to make my own and shed a few tears

(in order to justify my continued attentive care)

I dwell in my cloud alone, lonely with my daydreams

of what I will do --someday--when this or that occurs

But nothing happens so I go from day to day ineffectively

imitating life. Wanting more, but unwilling to change.

Unwilling to open my umbrella and boldly stroll out

into--what? A deluge?- or - sunshine and rainbows!

"Give yourself permission to live" she said

"But what about___?" I whine. "I can't do that!" I protest

"I have that anchor chained to me, more than one in fact!"

"Well then, you need to row a little harder don't you!"

"You'll never know if the next stroke of the oar would

be the one to set you free if you don't try!"

"A person should be the leading lady in her own life"

says the movie. So give up that supporting actor role--

that "who am I to think I could be a star?" mindset

As Nelson Mandela said--"WHO ARE YOU NOT TO BE?"

Give yourself permission to live! And not only to live

But to soar and laugh and lift and serve joyously