Sunday, May 24, 2009

Vulnerable Dog.....

"Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." William Butler Yeats
A teacher brought this poem to our attention when we were in school. He specifically marked this one for us to think about. At the age of 18, we could appreciate it but not as much as I appreciate it now.I know in my own life , I have done this on a number of occasions. Its how I live, I hang my heart on my sleeve. And as I see two close friends go through heartache in their lives, I emphatise with them. I can feel their pain and I know what it feels like to have someone walk on your dreams.

When I step back a bit and look at it again, I question myself as to whether I should have given someone permission to walk all over my dreams. And the answer that comes to mind, says "you can't love fully if you don't allow yourself to be vulnerable." I remember a book I read at a time in my life when I was vulnerable , it read " if it hurts , its not love" .. It made me stop dead in my tracks. Suddenly, i had to think about what was really hurting at that point in time. Was it my bruised ego? .. My broken dreams??..and this is when it hit me ... It was all about me..
On an intellectual level, I understood it but it took time for me to understand it on an emotional level. I still struggle with it at times but most times I can step out of myself and be truly happy for the other person.
Its a romantic thought to spread one's dreams under someone's feet and this is fine as long as we still live in hope. Hope will give us the strength to get up and love again...and that comes from a belief that everything serves us....for our highest good...even when it feels like someone has walked on our dreams.
My version : " if you stomp on my dreams, i will kick you out" ( i will still wish you well and bless you but I will honour myself too in the process to free myself from anyone who does not honour me)

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