The last of these neighborhood roses and these words:
“Here is the medicine:
That though the heart is breaking, happiness can exist in a moment, also. And because the moment in which we live is all the time there really is, we can keep going. It may be true, and often is, that every person we hold dear is taken from us. Still. From moment to moment, we watch our beans and our watermelons grow. We plant. We hoe. We harvest. We share with neighbors. If a young anthropologist appears with two hams and gives us one, we look forward to enjoying it.
Life, inexhaustible, goes on. And we do too. Carrying our wounds and our medicines as we go.”
From Alice Walker’s introduction to Zora Neale Hurston’s Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo.
13 Comments
Thx for sharing!
Ohhhhh- this is painful, it’s so good. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Erin. It was like I needed this and didn’t even know it. XO
How beautiful is that! Thank you for sharing. I’m really looking forward to reading that book. Heard the story about it on NPR – how fascinating.
Oh, this resonates so deeply for me this week. Teaching a summer institute for peacebuilding. This is my people, and my students too. I will read this in class.
Thank you for sharing. Ekosani.
Beautiful words, chosen at the right time. But then again, it’s always the right time to believe in hope.
I echo Mickey: perfect words, at the perfect time. Thank you so much for sharing!
I live this daily. I feel this deeply. We lost our 32 year old daughter nearly four years ago. Still hurts so much. But we have our faith, our son and grandchildren and each other. And we still do experience joy. She would want us to do that. She sends us beautiful reminders all the time and for this we are grateful.
Sending much love your way.
This is absolutely beautiful. Thank you.
I needed this.
Such a beautiful perspective on grief and hope. Resonates deeply as I lost my beautiful sister three weeks ago. These words will stay with me, thanks for sharing them.
Thank you for those borrowed word Erin!
My stepmother is dying from cancer (she’s one step from palliative care, but all treatment is withheld as she’s too week to handle them) and this was a comforting and emotional read. We carry our medicine with us.
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