Brutal Editing

 

I enjoy taking other people’s words and making poems out of them. This poem was using the words of a new friend when I first moved to Virginia

BRUTAL EDITING

 (Cathy’s words)

There is too much stuff
Cluttering my life—
Angry Thoughts,
Words I’ve yelled and wish I could
Take back
Deeds I’ve left undone.
I need to do some brutal editing
And leave some room for sunshine.

Cathy was very busy with church callings, work and family. Life can get stressful. From our talks and from her words I could feel that stress, and that she was looking for ways to edit it out of her life if she could. I go back to this poem a lot when I let myself get under stress to contemplate ways to edit it out of my life. It is good to have some stress in my life to help me get things done, like deadlines. But often I let things slide more than I should, and put myself into unnecessary stress.

I tend to get angry when someone tries to bully my husband and children into doing something they don’t have the equipment or capability to do. As we get older, I tend to get more protective. Anger is another emotion I need to edit from my life.

Apathy also is a word I wish I could edit. With this “Stay at Home” encouragement we are going through right now because of our pandemic, I just don’t have the energy or desire to do anything but read or watch TV. We have enjoyed watching old movies and call it our Saturday night date, which is fun. Sometimes we even make popcorn. And I’ve read a hundred books in the last three months! Some of them are educational, some are spiritual, some are puzzles to solve (aka mysteries). But I don’t really feel that I’m accomplishing anything.

My daughter tells me to add more music to my life to bring in some sunshine. I’ve started playing my piano every day and it feels wonderful. I can only play the melody line but then I only had eight weeks of lessons when I was eight. She bought a used accordion and is having a ball.

Service—now there is a word that is a good replacement for apathy, and anger, and stress.

So, I am off to make more masks and quilts!

One of my favorite hymns is

Have I Done Any Good?

1. Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone's burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

Text and music: Will L. Thompson, 1847-1909, alt.

What words do you need to replace in your life?