Helen and I
01/11/2004 03:58 p.m.

I am grateful that Helen and I are in education and we have a Christmas vacation.  We sometimes take this for granted, forgetting that most of the adult population has maybe two or three days off if they are lucky.  There were gifts… even the computer that I have wanted for months.  Helen did not relent, but lovingly gave me her blessings to purchase it, letting go of her anger about not getting one of the big bills paid off.  But the real blessing of the holidays is the time we gave each other to talk and listen.  Helen asked me, what is the most painful thing for you to talk about?  I replied, "Sex and money." … of course… and then we got really honest and vulnerable and had a long sharing about both.  And since that conversation on our drive to Arkansas, amidst the low mountains of Oklahoma, we have had other deep and soulful sharings.  We are reading Neale Donald Walsh's book, Friendship with God, together.  We have had our eyes and our hearts opened to some truth that may actually change our lives and our relationship.  It may not seem a major deal to others, but for us, we had not been taking time for this kind of "deep sharing" as I call it.  It has been so creative and meaningful for both of us. 

Yet I have not yet written a poem about it.  Maybe it is too personal… I don't know… but I will be open to the possibility of turning this inner journey into a poem or two.  One of the great quotes from Neale is, in the words of God… "If you don't go within, you go without."