Four Figs
  • Home
  • My Why
  • Four Figs – the story
  • Meet Shea
  • Contact

Four Figs

  • Home
  • My Why
  • Four Figs – the story
  • Meet Shea
  • Contact
Category:

Poetry

Abiding Love
FamilyLifeParentsPoetry

Abiding Love

How Do I Love Thee

“How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach when feeling out of sight
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, -I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!-and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.”

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

Today I write about abiding love – the love of a parent for their child, no matter the calamity, no matter their age – the love for a spouse that has gone cranky because of life’s challenges and is almost impossible to live with – the love that keeps the cookie jar full of homemade low sugar molasses and oatmeal cranberry cookies, and rubs cream on swollen testicles. Abiding love is the foundation of a meaningful life.  It can be relied on.
 
At my mother’s 70th birthday celebration, almost 20 years ago, my Dad appeared at the entry to the living room resting an old leather bound volume open on his left hand. The room was crowded with friends and loved ones who sat spellbound as he asked our permission to have the floor.

He cast his eyes first to his beloved then down to the page and began reading in a deep, husky voice, each word delivered with the gravity of a wedding vow. It was as if they were alone. 
 
Dad’s dedication was also demonstrated to his family as he mowed the lawn, seeded the garden, washed the windows, built a driftwood teeter totter,  or fixed the broken toilet.  He showed it as he stood with his toothy grin barbecuing salmon for the throngs that would gather, sometimes spontaneously, to enjoy the spirit of the family home.
 
Our Dad was a wholehearted guy in everything he undertook, and he was not an idle man. Besides being a dedicated to his family, he was also a keen writer, poet and philosopher, and his wife was his Queen. He knew how lucky he was she said yes those many years ago when he wooed her with poetry, roses, and those Paul Newman eyes of his.

This is the love that Creation intended. It gives life to life, and offers peace by asking nothing. It’s generous. Love shared and showered upon those we care for, provides the anchor for our dear ones to grow. In this space it’s possible to cast aside a frantic world where speed and perfectionism block true connection, and the romantic love of earlier years is emboldened, becoming deep affection.

 
It takes small but continuous effort to nourish the gift of a loving relationship, and it doesn’t have to be expensive or grandiose.  Carefully chosen words encourage, a smile sends light into darkness, and a small gesture of kindness provides much needed solace.

Freely given and received, love is the ultimate expression of grace, and abiding love is the glue that provides meaning and longevity. It`s perfectly imperfect.

About 10 years after this event I was inspired to write a poem for my Dad in recollection of that evening, as well as other times I witnessed his passion spontaneously ignite a room. An old boyfriend once told me he remembers an evening, while enjoying a meal together with the family, when Dad leapt out of his chair and burst out into verse. Yes, Dad’s passion made memories.
 
Although Dad and I are quite different people, we share a love of writing, especially poetry, and when “Passion” fell out onto the page it made me realize Dad and I were perhaps more alike than I thought. What I am sure of is our family understands what it means to live with abiding love.

Passion

Tonight he quoted
Shakespeare on the
phone with me
during an everyday
conversation,
just thrown in
as if normal
that an 80 year old
would remember
wise words
relevant 400 years
later.
 
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
read aloud at
the celebration of his
beloved’s birthday.
In awe and breathless
at this public declaration
of pure love
we weep openly
and strengthen silently
 
I am renewed and
grateful for the depth
of love that birthed me
supports me
encourages me
and steadfastly stands
behind me.
It is all about love
truly,
at the bottom. 



Be well, friends. I hope abiding love is somewhere in your lives, with your partner, a parent or sibling, or a dear friend.

Please scroll to the bottom if you would like to comment.

10 comments
2 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
What’s It All About?
LifePoetrySpiritual

What’s It All About?

What’s It All About, Alfie. Thank you Larry David, Burt Bacharach and Cilla Black

1966

As only a passionate 12 year old girl can, I sat at the piano playing Alfie over and over, hot tears splashing down onto the keys, wondering why I was so darn miserable. I had no idea what life was all about, but I longed to know and I could feel something big ahead.

Little did I realize it would be decades before I started to figure it out, or just how much living had to be accomplished before it all started to make sense.

Pages: 1 2

9 comments
3 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

MEET SHEA

MEET SHEA

Author
If I was going to describe myself in one word, I would say creative. I love to write poetry and stories, garden, bead, draw, and study spiritual philosophy. If I keep these in my life, my inner artist and the seeker in me just hum. Only my kids and grandkids fill my heart more, and for that, there are really no words.

NEVER MISS A POST

Four Figs on Instagram

fourfigsblog

I’m beyond excited. Just bought a Safe Step wal I’m beyond excited.  Just bought a Safe Step walk-in spa tub!
Too bad I was out of mushrooms. No not! #arugala Too bad I was out of mushrooms.  No not!
 #arugala #figs #shallots #greenpepper #creamcheese #bluecheese #pecorino #spices #artichokes #greekoregano
Pause in nature and prepare to be amazed. #mothern Pause in nature and prepare to be amazed. #mothernature #lupins #forestbathing #redwoodpark
This beautiful girl is born! Happy birthday to my This beautiful girl is born!  Happy birthday to my girl who is fierce, intrepid, loving, and the brightest spark I could ever wish to call my daughter.
Mother Nature booted me out of bed this morning. Mother Nature booted me out of bed this morning.  I’ll take it. #mothernature  #wakeup #grateful #dogdays #solucky
It feels like life should be much simpler, like wh It feels like life should be much simpler, like when @megsmccord and I survived on baguettes, cheese, and red wine (don’t forget the mars bars) trekking around Europe let’s see, oh yeah, 50 years ago.  But have the intervening years made it impossible to recapture?  Time to stop and refit the last third of my life.  Why not? #refit #shed #live . And surround yourself with folks who feel the same way.
Big love and thanks for building such a beautiful Big love and thanks for building such a beautiful life and sharing your family. Happy anniversary dear ones. #weddinganniversary #dearones
Had a great session at @live.well.exercise.clinic Had a great session at @live.well.exercise.clinic today even tho my pants were on inside out and backwards!  Nobody said anything. Maybe they could relate.  But really big win today @megsmccord @laurenlaing22  my left shoulder has loosened up enough to extend my arm 5 more inches! #success #awin #thereshope #gottalaugh
My loves. #family #grandkids #photographypractice My loves. #family #grandkids #photographypractice #solucky #sweetgirls
It’s a jungle out there. Find a spot under cover It’s a jungle out there. Find a spot under cover and just breathe. The cool moist air delivers peace. #patiogarden #breathe #peace #rainydays
She asked me to lay on her bed with her, and when She asked me to lay on her bed with her, and when I looked up, I was absolutely delighted. There peering down at me was a big eyed happy caterpillar. Using a toilet paper roll, Clo suspended the little roll from the peak of her gauzy canopy, then slid Sparkle in so it would be company for sleeping. After all she had her own bedroom now. All she had to do was look up and her adorable caterpillar would be there with a ready smile. Ingenuity. Who needs toys when you have toilet paper rolls and string.  #inventions #creativity #vision #loveit #solucky
Teaching the next generation to sew. How to sketch Teaching the next generation to sew. How to sketch the design, thread the needle, pin, place the stitch, and knot it off. This jamma was in her element, and GG was smiling down on us. Her #americangirldoll will have a fine new frock.  #sew #handstitched #create from scratch.
The Christopherson Steps out here in White Rock/so The Christopherson Steps out here in White Rock/so Surrey offer 172 steps down, and likely feels like 500 steps back.  I’m working up to it.  At the bottom off to the right is a lovely swimming beach, and to the left, a nude beach.  As I stood at the top contemplating my next move, lovely men of various ages scurried past. If I went down I wud have needed to be medivacced back! #christophersonsteps #privateswimminghole #iceland @malekith86 @azaria.khan
The queen is free. The queen is free.
Some days you just have to stop and make daisy cha Some days you just have to stop and make daisy chains #daisychain #summertime #flowers
A moment of awe yesterday. Flowers from my sister A moment of awe yesterday.  Flowers from my sister’s garden, so much joy for mom. #flowers #gardenbouquet #roses #poppies #hostas
Hiding in the garden patch, a newborn., only 3 inc Hiding in the garden patch, a newborn., only 3 inches long, waiting for morning grazing.  Not cute!  #rabbits #nothingsafe .
A sage story. Add kale blossoms, and a soft warm A sage story.  Add kale blossoms, and a soft warm breeze, and Mother Nature made me feel that chicken broth was brewing. With the sweet tweets of song birds bliss was achieved. #sage #kale #bouquets #mothernature  #sweetaromas
Why not go for a swim with our clothes on? Besides Why not go for a swim with our clothes on? Besides, nature called! It was a glorious beach sit and dunk before dinner #thormanbyisland #smoothseas #solucky #justdoit
Another spectacular day on Thormanby. And we actua Another spectacular day on Thormanby. And we actually got a few hands of bridge in. #thormanbyisland #peace
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Archives

Categories

Recent posts

  • Molly’s Healing Touch
  • Greta’s Cosmic Dream
  • Inspired Art ~ not just fun
  • To Live – To Laugh – To Celebrate Love
  • Lily and the Whispering Cedar – a fantasy forest adventure
  • Lily’s New Friend the Beast
  • 7 Love Stories ~ from my heart to yours
  • An Angel’s Christmas Wish
  • Above and Beyond
  • CHEF JAM ~ and the culinary caper

SEARCH

Popular Posts

  • What’s It All About?

    January 21, 2019
  • A Remarkable Year

    January 1, 2019
  • Lined Up

    February 25, 2019

Recent Posts

  • Molly’s Healing Touch

    March 23, 2022
  • Greta’s Cosmic Dream

    March 7, 2022
  • Inspired Art ~ not just fun

    October 5, 2021
  • To Live – To Laugh – To Celebrate Love

    August 28, 2021
  • Lily and the Whispering Cedar – a fantasy forest adventure

    April 29, 2021
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

© 2018 Four Figs


Back To Top