Meditation
“You see, I want a lot.” The first line of this poem so exquisitely captures the dilemma of this life with so many options. Choosing a path, a title, a purpose, a lifestyle, a passion is torment for those of us who, you see, want it all. It’s a dilemma that so often pulls me in so many directions of my many interests that it is often entirely counterproductive. The desire to succeed, to travel, to love, to learn, to excel – mastering the balance of these can be so paralyzing that in fact nothing gets done at all.
In the midst of the panic that the act of deciding brings, Rilke soothes with the words, “You have not grown old, and it is not too late.” The call to urgency serves an important purpose in our lives, marching us towards passion and righteous action when it is needed most. But there is a deep peace in resting in the knowledge that it is not too late.
Brianna Curran, Washington, DC
