How Can I Write What My Heart Sings?
How can I put into words what sings in my heart?
I cannot.
But words are what I have, so I’ll use them as best I can to optimize the chances of your catching a phrase or two of the music.
In 1971, Landmark School opened its doors in Prides Crossing, MA, to its first students and teachers. In the next few years, I and many others found ourselves fresh out of college, most of us not trained formally for teaching but nonetheless wholehearted, lively, bright, eager, energetic, committed to finding the keys that would open doors to successful learning for the dyslexic youngsters in our charge, and actively participating in the exciting grassroots challenge of getting a school up and running.
This past weekend, a half-century+ down the road, a baker’s dozen of us—eleven founding Landmark teachers plus two spouses who became “in-laws” in the Landmark family—gathered in downeast Maine, dubbing our four-day get-together a Landmark Old Folks Expedition (LOFE) and referring to ourselves as LOFERS.
The teacher in me wants to pause here to offer up a quick lesson on chronos and kairos, in case you’re not familiar with those expressions. In simplest terms, my personal understanding is that chronos refers to clock time—time that can be measured, e.g. minutes, hours, days, and years. Kairos has a spiritual sense to it, referring to time that is lifted out of the ordinary business of life. It denotes small moments in a person’s life that are ripe, full, and perfect.
We LOFERS stepped right out of chronos and robustly into kairos last weekend. Huge gift, that!
We left clock time and our usual daily rhythms and responsibilities behind and intuitively co-created a sacred space in which 50 years were as nothing, in which we were alive again as our 20-something selves and simultaneously alive to the here-and-now laughter, hiking, cooking, eating, singing, deep conversation, and profound connection of the weekend at hand.
Our shared experience was ripe.
Full.
Perfect.
Can you hear the song in my heart?
2.5 x 8″; acrylic, ink, and collage (thanks for collage fodder, Lola!) on paper
abstract
2024
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16 responses to “How Can I Write What My Heart Sings?”
Ann, thank you! I worked hard to find words that might come close to capturing the experience.
All of us who gathered together last weekend came away so touched. SUCH a wonderful reunion—it was a self-generated event, all of us wanting something other than the institutional anniversary celebration two summers ago.
I am feeling your Joy from here, Dotty! This bouncy post was perfect harmony.
So glad for you to have such a spectacular reunion.These page was wonderful, mysterious. I can’t decipher how they were made. But I love that glowing, magical blue. That speaks to me of healing waters. Visits to hot springs, swims in the ocean, cooling down in a creek. Beautiful, Dotty!
Ooo, I love your perceiving healing waters, visits to hot springs, swims in the ocean, cooling down in a creek—all in this tiny two-page spread : )
Thanks for sharing those impressions as well as your feedback on the glowing, magical blue.
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Hmm, I’m thinking I might soon see what you’ve been up to for the 2nd half of September. Can’t wait!
Carol! Hello! Great to hear from you!
Thanks for commenting—I had fun here with both the asemic writing (fluid, spontaneous, carefree) and the post writing (engaging, intentional, drafted, revised, revised some more, revised again).
Oh good grief, I wonder why you haven’t received updates when I’ve published.
Have YOU been posting your art? I haven’t received an update in ages and ages.
Wow and kudos to you for small daily sketches and 100 day challenge! Wow to your traveling to Ireland again this year!
I lost heart for posting on IG months ago and barely visit anymore. Changes changes.
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