Saturday, April 7, 2012

Simply Eartha: Don't Panic

As my mother neared the end of her life, it often amazed me how she would frequently state that she had no regrets. She had lived a truly incredible life, always followed her gut, stayed true to herself and relished every second of the journey. She felt she was complete. Had done what she wanted. How many people can really say that? How many of us live our lives to the fullest? How, does a person live that way, without getting bogged down and often stuck, in the daily annoyances?

My mother would wake up every day and thank the Gods or her Ancestors (depending on her mood), for giving her ability to see, hear and feel the beauty around her. She would watch the birds as they took their morning exercise. She would admire the leaves, as they blew the sun as it sparkled, the flowers as they bloomed and even the insects as they crawled. She loved how every thing had a purpose and all in nature knew what their purpose was. "Humans," she would say "were the ones who were confused..." never really understanding where they fit in the puzzle of life. "Humans, made their lives complicated. Unnecessarily so."

She would often state, "Don't panic. God may not be there when you want him, but he's always on time." To my mother, panic, was a waste of energy. It didn't change the situation, didn't make you feel any better, and frequently made it difficult to think clearly to see what lies ahead. She was never hasty, even when she knew exactly what she wanted. She would take a beat, feel, and listen to her gut, before responding. Even if that pause was only momentary, it was there. Many times, I remember wanting to shake her to get her to react. But, Re- Acting, was not how my mother functioned. She was a leader, not a follower, even if it meant she walked the path alone. And, many times, she did. She liked to say that she used all the shit that was thrown at her as manure, to fertilize her life. Of course, she didn't use the word 'shit', instead she would substitute the french word 'merde', because it sounded more polite.

My mother wasn't fearless. Many times, she was terrified. But, she felt the fear and did it anyway. Always having faith that everything happens exactly the way it's supposed to. In some ways, I think that's what gave her her strength. Faith. Faith in nature; faith in herself; faith in the universe; faith in the powers that be.

So, when she said, "God is always on time"( no matter what kind of God you believe in), she always trusted that everything would be O.K.


What We Remember. What We Treasure. What We Love.  Simply... Eartha