one tiny spark *

i wish i was there.  (photo from the NY Times, the Brooklyn Bridge turns 125. “The Brooklyn Bridge lights will be turned on from 9 to 11 p.m. each night through Memorial Day. The celebrations and observances include lectures, dances, performances, a film series presented at the foot of the bridge, information tents, guided tours, and more.”)

(picture from pro.corbis.com by way of google image search)

Tim and I spent some time this weekend with some people who don’t have a lot.  It felt so odd this afternoon to return to our quiet little life.  Our two bedroom apartment feels excessive.  The switch on the wall that turned on the heat feels excessive.  The amount of food in our fridge and cabinets feels… well, excessive.  Especially knowing that yesterday I was certain that we had “absolutely nothing” in our cabinets and HAD to go grocery shopping.  Um…. not true.  I just made us dinner.  Chicken breasts, hot cornbread, baked beans, corn, apple juice, vitamins to keep us strong, real silverware, heavy plates, white napkins with green flowers.  I ate slowly.  It all just feels so different today.  I feel the weight of our wealth, of having a home and having food in our bellies and our health and each other and our beautiful daughter, this wealth that we often take for granted.  We dream of the day that we can afford a bigger and newer car, or an iPhone, or a small piece of land where we can build a house.  And in the dreaming, sometimes we forget about how lucky, how blessed, how rich and full our life is right now.  I am sad for the friends we met this weekend that don’t have a warm, dry, safe place to sleep tonight.  I feel heavy,  ashamed at how poor we have let ourselves feel in recent months, when we have been given so much.  

(via www.poets.org)

Happy Poetry Month.