We had some friends over for dinner a few nights ago, and the conversation meandered to a discussion of if, as conventional wisdom holds, "things...
Read MoreCome, Yet Again, Come
It can be very powerful to recognize the significant difference between “starting over” and “starting fresh.“
While browsing through some old yoga notes this weekend, I found this poem my favorite instructor read to us a few years ago. It’s by Rumi, a 13th century Persian Muslim poet and Sufi mystic. (I know! So groovy!) And it’s an eloquent reminder that continuing to strive, to try, to recommit is the surest path to our most valued and valuable selves.
So whether you’re recovering from an injury, weathering a personal crisis, going back to yoga, eating paleo (again), re-committing to sleeping enough, renewing your love of playing the piano or reading or painting or judo or cooking or stamp collecting or journaling or remembering to floss your teeth… whatever it is that you want to be doing, need to be doing, miss doing… come.
Come, come, whoever you are.
Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.
It doesn’t matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow a hundred times.
Come, yet again, come, come. — Rumi
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The Best Version of Ourselves, 2015
The post below was originally published in 2011, and it's been updated each year to reflect where I am in my life and the new...
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So needed this! Going for my 3rd Whole 30 soon!! 🙂
How do I love this (post)? Let me count the ways…Melissa, this is brilliant and beautiful. Rumi always, ALWAYS resonates deeply for me (“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there”). This is landing at a gorgeous moment, when I’m in a deep and slightly scary work transition.
Another reason why this is so, so perfect in my life at this moment is that I’m on day two of my second Whole30. The first one was more than two years ago, and though my husband Geoff and I derived enormous benefit and stayed Paleo-ish for a while, only a few little habits have really stuck long-term. No recriminations (thanks Rumi and Melissa), but it’s time. That’s all, it’s time. Today my breakfast was a gorgeous medium-rare grass-fed burger on a bed of vinaigrette-dressed arugula with avocado and tomato, topped with scallions sauteed in the burger pan. I took a tip from the French and poured the burger cooking juices over the top, mingling with the salad and dressing for an extra umami-hit. As I eat this, I’m kind of wondering why I seem to think that burgers need cheese and buns. Honestly, this fantastic protein-hit might be even more delicious than a bun-and-cheese burger.
Um… your burger salad sounds crazy delicious. Congratulations on embarking on another Whole30. Have a fun month!
Melissa – this post reminded me that i have always wanted to thank you for your awesome ideas about what to eat for breakfast! People think i’m nuts but soup or leftovers for breakfast is just awesome. i always add a protein and i’m full for far longer then dopey cereal, yogurt, protein bars, etc. or any of those other old foods – I proudly told a friend that for over a year i’ve gotten off the crazy breakfast train and just eat good solid real food in the morning. i found myself wanting to lecture a lady in the supermarket the other day filling her cart with 50 yogurts! Stop the Madness! Clothes fit me that haven’t in years. I did lose weight but it is much more then that. BTW your idea to add Basil to your zucchini soup instead of the ginger was fabulous. Now i have tons of fresh oregano from a huge plant…. will experiment this weekend. I find i can no longer use a cookbook that is not annotated with humor, love, thoughtfulness, person histories, etc. You’ve set the bar high but i’ll just use your books ! Thank you so much…
Congratulations on all your successes! It sounds like you’re doing so great. Love that! And thank you so much for your kind words about my work. SOUP FOR BREAKFAST… YES!!!
LOVE this one!! (Second favorite Rumi to the lines Julie quoted above, “out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing…”) Although I hadn’t realized it was from Rumi–I know it because it’s a hymn at my church (UU) though some of the lines are left out of the hymn (good lines, I like those lines!).
Anyway, your intro reminds me of this line from The Weepies song, Happiness, I wondered if you had heard it? “Sometimes, you gotta start clean, you’ve got to begin, not begin again.”
Thanks for the recommendation of the song from The Weepies. Just listened to it (here, if anyone else is interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3asWilihpc)… loved it!