i forgot my words

tonight during a creative meeting for the revolution service, i was reminded of a little inspirational piece i’d written a long time ago.. actually several things i’d written.. and had forgotten all about! isn’t that amazing that you can do that? create something and then forget it exists?

we were planning a service on “leaving a legacy” and we were discussing leaving an impact and how people will remember you. one of things i mentioned was that we could have people write out their own epitaphs.. i know i know.. i’m so macabre!!

but it reminded me of a something i’d written about our tombstones with our dates of birth and death and a dash in between. meaning that our lives were essentially boiled down to a little line separating the beginning and the end,.. called “the dash”. i went back and read it aloud and it sounds like it might be used in some way for that service.

now i’m going back and rereading my old stuff.. and i will be posting some of those writings in the next few days or weeks. i don’t have very many and they aren’t great, but the dash one i’m proud of.

it’s the one my dad read and enjoyed so much that he asked my permission to share it with his congregation. he and i hadn’t had the greatest of relationships. not that we were on outs with each other, but women in my family weren’t necessarily appreciated for their intellect, creating a complex in me i’ve attempted to overcome all my life.

and so to have my dad value something of mine like that, words that were born in me, that i formed and painted on the page, truly touched me. i felt worth. i needed that so much from him at that time in my life.

my next post will be that piece. and i dedicate it to my dad.