This is Where

I just cannot resist a good, soothing song. As someone who gets songs caught in her head all-the-flippin'-time, this is one song that just won't let me go.

At school I have a time allotted in each class for writing, it's called "Day Book Time." The students have prompts that they can choose to use, or not, and we spend the first minutes of class writing. When I'm done checking in with each student then I, too, get to write. Some days more than others, but I still try to jot something down.

One day this song was in my head and I didn't know the lyrics, so I made my own. If I had my Day Book at home then I would write them for you, but I don't. When this song came on the Pandora station again today I finally took the chance to look up the lyrics. Lo and behold, this song is about winter, a river and, metaphorically, about life. Perfect for this blog and for me.

This is Where, Wailin' Jennys

The wind howls 'cross the ice floes
Send the frozen snow skimming
A river on a river hardened over
It doesn't know the way it's going
Is it north or south or westward
It just glides across the shoreline 'til it's over

You came for me in fast forward
On a claim for something ordered
A way through and past the history that held you
I'd tell my own story through you
Tell it loud to never lose you
A moth caught be the flame it cannot measure

And there we go again, wishing something bolder
Trying to push and pull inside this moment
Trying to mold this life within our hands

This is where the whole world keeps on turning
This is where we come undone...undone

Live Oak- Louisiana

Will they measure me by branches
Count the rings and take my ashes
Mark the ground where I fell and carry on
Or will we bite against the silence
Fill our days with noise and violence
Not recognize our hearts when we are done

There we'll go again wishing something bolder
Trying to push and pull inside this moment
Trying to mold this life within our hands

This is where the whole world keeps on turning
This is where we come undone

We don't know where it's going
Is it north or south or westward
It just glides across the shoreline 'til it's over

Russian River Trail, Alaska

This whole health situation is where I've come completely undone.

This is the first time I've been abruptly and scarily halted, but with it's been such beautiful times of reflection and humility. So as the song says, I'll glide along the shoreline and I probably won't recognize my heart when it's all over.

I'm thankful I've been given this chance.