THE SOURCE OF ALL HEALING

There are wonderful sayings and quotes rumbling around in my head that I enjoy when I have my hour on Facebook each night. However, my new favorite quote came from a TV series I picked to watch because it was set in Scotland and starred Susan Hampshire. I was so taken with her when she was in the pre-Masterpiece Theater production of The Forsyte Saga playing "Fleur." I loved that name and amongst the many nicknames I gave my daughter, one of them was Jennifleur. I was pleased when Susan Hampshire starred in the first Masterpiece Theater as she had been the catalyst for its long run. I hadn't seen her in decades and wondered how she had turned out. Did she still have those penetrating, soulful eyes? I digress, as usual. The quote came in a scene in which an actor played a sort of guru/shaman/NewAger who wants to bring his holistic practices to a grand house in the highlands. What he very quietly said to the young laird (who didn't go at all for this nonsense) was this: "There is no healing in denial." I was knocked out by that phrase. I paused the video and replayed it at least ten times. I've thought about the truth of it most of my waking days and may have even dreamed of this solution. It was like the Theory of Everything for me. Of course. There is no healing the earth if we deny climate change; there is no healing from unrequited love if we deny the impossibility of hope that change could happen; there is no healing from the brink of death if we deny its coming; there is no healing of a family if the parents won't acknowledge their children's shortcomings. It seemed to me that the problems of the world didn't boil down to science or religion which upon analysis could be fixed. The problems required facing squarely what we don't want to know. I became interested in looking up Susan Hampshire and was delighted to find an interview in which she has taken this solution to heart. Her enchanting globetrotting husband began sinking into dementia. At first she gave over the nursing duties to caregivers while she went on the road. When she returned from one of these assignments, she was appalled at how her husband had declined under the "care" and she embraced bravely what she needed to do. She left acting behind and began to spend all her time as caregiver. She learned not to raise her voice and watched how he responded when playing card games or doing puzzles or chatting or having her fix his favorite dish. He took Aricept which is apparently successful in early stages. They walked in the fresh air of the garden and Sir Kulukundis improved. I will probably forget the plot of "Monarch of the Glen" but I will remember the Scottish hills, the music, and the manner Susan Hampshire taught me to go forth. Cheerful. Kindly. Persevering. Denying nothing.

 I hope this post will be as revelatory for you as the quote was for me and we can heal the world together. 

dogs leap on the street

birds scatter by the lamposts

springtime in winter

artwork by D. de Letta