Someday……Otherwise

Jane Kenyon wrote a poem called “Otherwise” after being diagnosed with terminal cancer….

I got out of bed with two strong legs
It might have been otherwise.

I ate cereal and a ripe, flawless peach.
It might have been otherwise.

I took the dog uphill to the birchwood
All morning I did the work I love.

But one day, I know, it will be otherwise.

Everything comes and goes; everything changes and vanishes so quickly. Everything around us will soon be gone and something unimaginable will take its place. Apple blossoms, aspen leaves, cumulus clouds and melting glaciers all whisper that every experience is fleeting, to be appreciated and enjoyed, but also to be released as soon as it passes from the peak of fullness.

As we look back over our lives, we find that most of the things we worried about never happened, most of the things we felt negatively about turned out to be for the better, and most of the things we hoped would stay the same couldn’t stay the same if they wanted to because change is the process of life itself.

Ah, but life is a wondrous play. If we could truly grasp what is going on now, we would never be bored. There would be a sense of wonder. The fact that someday it will be otherwise gives us a deeper understanding of how sacred life is and how fragile we human beings are. It reminds us of life’s mystery and preciousness.

Let’s celebrate this day, this moment. It will make our soul sing.