Langston Hughes, Equanimity, and Curtis Mayfield
My heart is with yours,
The burden of grief and disbelief in reflecting on recent events defies words. How could we, the living, honor those that have left this world ahead of us? Langston Hughes offers us a path.
“Life is for the living.
Death is for the dead.
Let life be like music.
And death a note unsaid.”
― Langston Hughes
The only option for us, ever, is to continue participate in this world, for as long as we are able to. Our capacity to show up, and potentially be of service to others, demands for us to embrace life as it is - temporary, rich with possibility, and mysterious. We are only able to effectively meet the joys and sorrows of this world when we are able to respond with presence, grace, dignity, and compassion. When we are reactive, we are sapped from our capacity to choose, to feel, and to remain connected to the larger context of life. Cultivating the practice of equanimity allows us to respond rather than react.
Here are some more thoughts on equanimity:
Inspired by Curtis Mayfield - Right On For The Darkness