The enthusiasm of realizing the abundance of life when we are young can inspire a lot of activities that did not get the benefit of common sense. It is part of the plan, I think, to allow all of that unabashed enthusiasm to course through our living selves so we can know it as memory later when so much of what we do as adults is challenged. What our childhood natures gravitate to also informs us and sets us on our path to solving the mystery of who we really are beyond the expectations and notions of ourselves and others. Watch young children play and you can see the electric charge of their spirit overtake them in chasing games, joyful activities, as well as galvanizing in terrorizing dysfunctions and debilitating illnesses. These experiences define our life trajectories. We vibrate towards and gather experiences when young to work through in our adult lives, if we live through them.
Hafiz seems to suggest here that it takes a lifetime of mistakes and seemingly surprising turns to become who we really are. That is the passionate and oftentimes painful fun of it. Rumor has it that it actually takes many lives to gain a sincere purchase on a life's possibilities. There is nothing easy about becoming and being a decent human being, though the rewards in healing and gaining insight are immeasurable in joy and relief. In the end we are thankful for the most obvious small blessings like only having to fall through a single story window when one must take enthusiastic and foolish dives from our imagined great heights.
Thank you for listening
https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-islamic-way-109185/
Music: I swim with this song a lot and it came to mind in writing this. Foo Fighters' Iron Rooster from the 2015 EP St. Cecilia. It was named after its release date November 22nd which is the feast day of this Catholic patron saint of music.
The original post in this series of poems by Hafiz (including an addendum regarding the authenticity of these poems) can be found here. Also, my thoughts on this series a year into these poems, HERE.
The Gift: Poems by Hafiz and translated by Daniel Ladinsky can be purchased here.