What is it like to be an antique? You'll find out, if you're as fortunate as I am to become one. My granddaughter gave me a small decorative satin pillow with embroidered words on it. They say, "Grandmothers are antique little girls." The sentiment fits me. I feel like a little girl inside and look like an antique on the outside, (albeit, a rather well-preserved one, if I do say so.)
History was never my strong subject in school but now that I've lived through a goodly portion of it I find it more interesting. I'll read of something, say in the mid-20's of the last century, and think, Where was I then? Well, I was being born. Soon after that event someone took a picture of me, just the face. I wore a quizzical look common to newborns. Under the picture Mother wrote, "What is the little one thinking about? Very wonderful things, no doubt!"
I can't recall those "wonderful things," but I suspect they were carry-overs from my prior life. Perhaps I was trying to connect them with that new life in which I'd been so rudely catapulted. Maybe I'd been through a transition as drastic as the tree's when it turned into a table. Well, that didn't happen by itself. Something, someone, or many someones, made it happen. In the case of the tree, it was the logger and the craftsman. In my case, parents and their forebears had a lot to do with it. But there you have it. It happened, either by intent or accident. Take your pick. I choose the former.
Now, the mind or minds that brought about that change? That's a whole other story. And going back eons before the mid-20's, Who and What brought about the birth of the stars from which we're said to come? Could these changes have happened all by themselves, or did a grand Creator think them up? From stardust to an antique little girl, Who had a hand in all of this? And what drastic changes went on between then and now? Even more unfathomable is the question, What next? or what of the eons hence?
I'm still not a history student, but as the little girl I once was, resting on a blanket out on the lawn on a hot summer's night, looking up at the stars and wondering what it's all about, so here am I, still wondering. Incidentally, no matter if you're a little great grand-baby inside your mommy's womb, you're thinking about something. What, I don't know, but you are, and when you're born you'll need to get busy and think some more! "Very wonderful things, no doubt!"
Beautiful and thought provoking piece! It brings to mind two songs. One is a beautiful piece for violin and solo voice by Laurie Lewis, called "The Maple's Lament." A tree some of whose boughs have been made into a violin sings of the days when it was alive and remembers how the sunlight sang on its leaves...beautiful. Here's the link and the lyrics. Toggle to and highlight the "Maple's Lament" and click play with your sound up.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.laurielewis.com/featured/maple.html
The other tune is a hymn written by John Greenleaf Whittier, (so think of the times in which he lived) if you have a Christian Science Hymnal (or also in the new Supplement) you can enjoy the tune as well as the lyrics which I will provide forthwith, and with thanks and love for your Blog today!
"O, sometimes gleams upon our sight,
Through present wrong, th'eternal right;
And step by step, since time began,
We see the steady gain of man.
For all of good the past hath had
Remains to make our own time glad,
Our common, daily life divine,
And every land a Palestine.
Through the harsh noises of our day,
A low sweet prelude finds its way;
Through clouds of doubt and creeds of fear
A light is breaking, calm and clear.
Henceforth my heart shall sigh no more
For olden time and holier shore:
God's love and blessing, then and there,
Are now and here and everywhere."
Dear Wally,
ReplyDeleteDid I thank you for this answer? Well, I do now. You have the best feed-backs!
Your lovin' Mom
Hi Grandma,
ReplyDeleteI found this entry in your blog to be unexpected. Because we come from the same faith, "tradition," it's not so surprising that we both believe in the idea of Life after death. And I know that with the recent arrival of Kingston Cole, who's soon to be joined by two other cousin-lings, it interesting to think about what they'll be like. But I have to ask, "do you really suspect there was Life before birth?"
In part, it does make sense that eternal life has no beginning or end. But especially after I finished that year that comes after 39 (which shall remain nameless :~)) I have speculated about, as you said, 'what comes next?' and the life beyond.
Were we the same person in past lives that we became in this life? Do we enter life to learn great lessons, to be accepted either, 'here or hereafter.' Or are we shaped anew each time, taking on traits that we otherwise would not have taken in another setting?
It is interesting to me, though, for instance, how different Sammie is from my sister in what would be called personality. Sammie is definately a girls' girl, whereas Kim kind of grew up as kind of a Tom-boy. Which really tells me that while children are born to parents, they really are their own people. Almost like they're on loan from God.
Anyway, it's all speculation, but I thought I would respond to what was, for me, an unexpected thought.
Love,
Jordan