Are they the ties that bind us to each other? Do they keep us tethered to life, until they release us into the hereafter?
I have previously written about the delicate balance of managing our tethers. In many ways these invisible strings can be our lifeline.
I’ve reflected how our life begins with the cutting of a cord, and how I believe our journey is an intricate matrix held together by strings. Some of the strings hold us in place, but others hold us back. Some need to be held onto, and others need to be cut. Maybe one is a tightrope we walk, sometimes precariously.
Some of these strings also connect us to others—our family members, our friends—sometimes even strangers.
A couple of months ago, a man reached out to me through my jewelry business to put a hold on beautiful antique ring. It was an engagement ring for his partner. He put down a deposit and I kept in touch with him about the purchase. The ring he picked is more than 100 years old. It shimmers with the brilliance of 21 stunning old mine diamonds. I did not hear back from him after I sent my last email.
A few days ago, a woman sent me a message telling me she was to be the recipient of the beautiful ring he had chosen, and that he had passed away unexpectedly. In an instant, a new heart string, stretching all the way from New York state to Calgary was forged. I knew the ring was meant for her; I had told him that. It is not just a piece of jewelry. It is so much more than that. It is a promise. A symbol. A representation of love. An unbreakable commitment. It will someday be an heirloom for their daughter. It is a forever gesture.
I believe we are all energy, and remain energy in this life and beyond. We are all connected to each other in some way. If there is a way for our collective energy to converge, send it to this family, to the children and partner of this man I never met.
The ring is currently stuck in customs in Memphis. It needs to be on the finger of its intended owner by tomorrow. Say a little prayer, or send the power of your thoughts to help make that happen. I need this tiny heart string to become the size of a giant vine that can pull it through time and space to take it where it needs to go.
I wrote to someone just this morning that every day I work to keep my head up, believing that things will get better. I feel the weight of life, and the absence of people in a way that breaks my spirit some days. I feel a sense of desperation sometimes because I can’t change it, or will it to be different, even if I know it will get better eventually.
We hear all the time that we need to have empanthy for others, because we don’t know their struggles. It is true we can’t know, can’t see, cant tell, can’t help, because we really don't know.
I am often brought back to my favourite passage in my favourite book. Today, I sent these words out to all those I am connected to by a heart string.
“Now nearly all those I loved and did not understand when I was young are dead, but I still reach out to them. Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.” Norman Maclean—A River Runs Through It
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