Drawing From Its Heat

We're back! Jet-lagged, confused, tired and tan, but home. It feels good. Bali was amazing, and there is much too much to cover in one post, but I will share bits and pieces in the following weeks. Highlights included lots of swimming in beautiful waters, doing some dance therapy here and there, adorable Balinese children excited to practice their English with tourists, many wonderful talks with my dear friend Clair, and biking through the rice fields in Ubud (Ubud, I am in love with that place!). I also enjoyed daily being asked where I was from, and excited responses of "Barack Obama!" from anyone who asked. Yes yes yes.

One of the things that I like best about traveling is that the change in my regular routine reminds me to turn back to books, movies and music more than I do in my "normal days." I enjoyed some good inspiration on the trip.

First, books. I spent the bulk of time with my exam study guide for my impending counseling licensing exam (yipes), but I did take the time to read Elizabeth Gilbert's novel Eat, Pray, Love. I sort of had to, seeing as the third section takes place in Bali and Julia Roberts left the day before I arrived (so close!) from filming the movie. A bit slow in places, but overall I give this one a thumbs up. Gilbert's description of Bali is spot on, as I realized while there!

I also took in several movies, thanks to the mini screens on the long, long, long flights (ergh, glad that part is over!). I watched My Sister's Keeper (good, but about cancer, i.e. emotionally draining....), The Time Traveler's Wife (eh), Julie & Julia (quite cute, actually liked this one much more than expected), and Adam (definitely recommend this sweet story about a man with asperger's who falls in love with his neighbor).

But the hit of them all was turning back to my ipod and reaching for some of my favorite tunes, some that I haven't visited in years. If you know me much at all, you know that my two all time, unmatched favorite music groups are Over the Rhine and Waterdeep. There was much listening to them with memories of all kinds attached. I get in this pattern where I am reminded of a song I love and I just listen to it on repeat again and again, and this happened with the Waterdeep Song I am in my being here with you. This song started off our wedding ceremony, and I just love the melody and lyrics. The lyrics, below: 

I Am In My Being Here With You

Written by Don Chaffer

The deepest ties are the hardest to understand

But the warmest to embrace

And today I am assured of this

At the seeing of your face

In giving up myself to you

I'm becoming more complete

Darling, we're in the face of mystery

But we're drawing from its heat

CHORUS

I'll swallow all the problems

I will swallow all the pains

I'll drink this life together

Down to the blood inside my veins

I'll swallow all the pleasures

I will swallow all the smiles

I'll drink the life I have with you

Down through the years and through the miles

A song is in its singing

A gift is in its bringing

And I am in my being here with you

I've seen in you an oceanfront

I've seen in you the skies

And sometimes I when I'm suffering

I find comfort in your eyes

When the whole world starts to shaking up

Right underneath my feet

I remember, Darling, we're in the middle of a mystery

But we're drawing from its heat

BRIDGE

I love you so much

It sometimes makes me weep

It's so simple to say

But it runs so deep... so very deep

I know, I know it's generally a sappy and sweet love song, but as I listened to the lyrics again and again throughout the trip I found so many more meanings. In the past few months I've been reminded in so very many ways, some enormous and some quite small, that I really don't have control. I can make all of the plans and to-do lists that I want, but when it comes down to it, life truly is a mystery and really the only way to stay sane is to remind myself of that and choose to draw from its heat. In addition to "regular life" happenings, being in a foreign country you can feel especially vulnerable and unsure, which also forced me to live in the moment and just take in life for all that it is.

Take a pause out of your normal treadmill routine today to listen to a song, read a poem or reflect on a quote that reminds you about how you want to live your life. It sometimes takes me too long to do so, but, alas, I am always glad that I did.