What sound does a longing heart make?
Like millions of others, I’m stunned this morning. My heart aches for my American friends who worked so hard to keep today’s reality from happening. I know many of them feel bereft, and many are scared. A lot of friends this side of the border feel the same. We are all determined to keep fighting for the good: for justice, for equality, for kindness, for beauty, for love.
But today I just want to breathe. To do my own work. To give up all the other worlds except the one to which I belong.
As we waited to hear Hillary Clinton speak this morning via Daybreak North, LW and I heard a song that feels just right for such a day. Faouzia Ouihya is a Moroccan-born 16-year-old raised in Manitoba. Her powerful, beautiful voice combines with fellow Manitoban Matt Epp‘s in “The Sound”—a song he says he wrote in response to an email from his infant daughter, who asked, “What sound does a longing heart make?”
A lot of us are making that sound today.
4 Responses to “What sound does a longing heart make?”
I heard this song on CBC this morning as well and recognized it in the title of your blog right away! I didn’t catch the name of the Manitoba singer, though, so thanks for sharing. It’s great to hear Canadian music featured on CBC.
As for the Trump affair, well I’m too sad today to even comment on it. I too am retreating into my own work as that is all I can control today.
Diana, isn’t her voice amazing? And she’s only 16! Chris and I will definitely be following her career and looking for an opportunity to hear her in person. Re: the fiasco down south – I’m optimistic that much good will come of it. As John O’Donohue wrote:
The world is not decided by action alone. It is decided more by consciousness and spirit; they are the secret sources of all action and behavior. The spirit of a time is an incredibly subtle, yet hugely powerful force. And it is comprised of the mentality and spirit of all individuals together. Therefore, the way you look at things is not simply a private matter. Your outlook actually and concretely affects what goes on. When you give in to helplessness, you collude with despair and add to it. When you take back your power and choose to see the possibilities for healing and transformation, your creativity awakens and flows to become an active force of renewal and encouragement in the world. In this way, even in your own hidden life, you can become a powerful agent of transformation. There is a huge force field that opens when intention focuses and directs itself toward transformation.
I think we’re going to see a lot of intention focusing and directing itself toward transformation in direct response to this election result.
Love to you and D.
I love this song. Hadn’t heard it before. Nor have I seen the poem. Both small gifts on this strange day. It’s the most important work we can do now, I think. Share what builds us up, not tears us down. Thank you…
I’m very happy to share both with you, Carin, and I appreciate all your work to build up the collective! Your post on kindness was good medicine yesterday.