The other day I had lunch with a
good friend, who has been in my life for over twenty years. We began as teaching colleagues back in
our Los Angeles Unified days, but it has been in the retirement years that we
have dared to go “beneath the surface” into a deeper friendship.
As a matter of fact, it was this
special lady who inspired me to try my hand at writing poetry. My friend is an accomplished poet – has
been for many years, but it wasn’t until fairly recently that she chose to
share her work with me. Her poems
not only touch me, but also have shown me a freedom in putting my “stories”
into poetic form.
Over lunch, we discussed how hard
it has been to share our work.
Every time I publish a poem, either on this blog or as an email to
friends, I think twice before I hit the send button. I lay myself open and vulnerable, with doubts as to
the worth of the words I have written.
But my insightful friend countered with this piece of wisdom: “Carol, poetry can’t live it isn’t
shared; it dies if it is not heard.”
My friend’s advice struck me and
has been haunting me ever since.
We all have gifts! Why is
it so difficult to truly claim them with enough confidence that we dare to
share them? Perhaps our egos get
in the way, insecurity, and the “committee in our head” shouting reasons why
OUR gifts aren’t good enough!
The list is endless! But if
we have been given gifts from God, doesn’t it seem reasonable He means for them
to be shared?
Perhaps it isn’t just poems that
can’t live if they aren’t offered to others, maybe that goes for each of our
gifts as well? There’s a reason
for the phrases “God given talent” and “God given gift” – they are FROM GOD
and are meant to live!
So, how about you? Are you allowing your gifts to
live?
Such a great reminder. I'm grateful you've put it in words.
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