I recently picked up a book called “Teaching With Fire.” I’m not a teacher, I just liked the title. It was filled with all of these passionate poems and passages that just seemed to make sense to me.

I wanted to pass this one along to you and ask you, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

The Summer Day, By Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper, I mean –
The one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down –
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

(emphasis: mine)

My favorite part: “Cheeeeeeeeeezits! Cheezits. Cheezits. Cheezits. Cheez-its.”

What? How Sweet!

Needless to say I was very curious. I knew Starbucks had all sorts of coffee mugs, gift merchandise, and neat things so I really wondered what on earth it could be. Couldn’t be anything but wonderful, I supposed. After all…I LOVE coffee.

So imagine my anticipation when he pulled out a brown paper bag, leaned over carefully and opened it to show me what he thought of me. I peered in and saw one single triangular shaped pastry. He said, “It’s a vanilla scone!” Like I’m supposed to get it and not be offended that he not only referred to me as some dry, dense pastry but also vanilla…..plain ol’ vanilla.

I couldn’t contain my shock. What? THIS is what reminds you of ME? I was more than a little taken aback because of course my ego was screaming in my head “He thinks I’m plain, dumpy, thick, dry and common with a sugary coating. Vanilla. Plain vanilla.” I guess I’d like to think I’m at least a little different. Ah, but no. The ego was completely bruised and I really didn’t know what to say but, “Vanilla? Really? Vanilla Scone?” He looked hurt and a little rejected by my reaction and I’d realized, in my arrogance, I had not accepted a gift graciously. I said, “Thanks.” but in my heart I was a little crushed myself.

Fifteen minutes or so later, I stepped into his home and was astonished. Ouch. I got it.

This man, this amazing man, filled his home with the scent of vanilla. Candles, lotions, shampoo…everything…you name it…VANILLA. His life was filled with it, his love for the scent was something very personal and very near and dear to his heart. In a word, he revered “vanilla”.

I was so ashamed. He had paid me one of the highest compliments he could give me. And what had I done? I had scoffed at the idea that I was plain vanilla! I had not hidden my shock and dismay that he would put me in the “vanilla” category. I hurt him terribly and didn’t even mean to. I misread everything.

Ouch, right?

While I could’ve never known, I learned quickly what Anais Nin meant by “We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.”

So I am learning. I am learning to face the world knowing that nine times out of ten I will probably misread gestures given to me because there is no way I can mind read or know for sure his/her point of view. It’s practically impossible to put everything into context at first glance. We all have our own frame of reference, our own set of principles, experiences, feelings, thoughts, and hearts that have lived through things others will never know.

Still, I believe we unintentionally see through our own lenses. He knew exactly what he meant when he chose a vanilla scone, but he hadn’t quite considered that because I didn’t know the context why I would react in such a bitchy way. Yes. I admit it. I was a bitch.

“Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.”
- Shopenhauer

There will be times when someone offends you, hurts you, or heaven forbid gives you a gift that you just can’t believe. How could they do that to you!

Stop.

Learn from my mistake.

Own your own feelings and ideas, but remain open to the possibility you may have it all wrong. Be patient. Let things settle till you can get more context on the situation. Ask questions. Don’t assume. And by doing these things, hold it near and dear to your heart – whisper in your head - hope never to hurt those you love.

It’s easy to misunderstand and be misunderstood.

Perhaps I’m not so different than plain vanilla after all. I’m finding that sometimes, that’s really good.

I read non-fiction.  Period.  The last fiction book I picked up was “The Notebook” which I consumed in an afternoon along with two boxes of tissues.  I swore I’d never do that again to myself.

I know there’s something to that…like a flaw of some sort that makes me unable to get into fiction. I just don’t know what it is. (If you are reading this and can enlighten me, please do.) 

But every once in a while, a piece of fiction will pique my curiosity.  When it does, I pay attention. 

I attended a lecture last April at my library on perfectionism (just when you thought this post couldn’t get any more boring!  HA!).  A professor from Yale was touching on points of perfectionism that was written into a book called “The Soloist,” a very cool fiction (yes, I said fiction) book by Mark Salzman about a gifted cellist who felt he lost his gift at only eighteen.

There’s this one part that is stunning….had to share.  Let me see if I can summarize a bit…

The main character recalls one particular cello lesson when he was a young boy living in Germany.  His instructor, Herr Professor von Kempen, interrupted the lesson abruptly to show the boy a new hybrid rose he was cultivating in his garden.  When the boy seemed to lack interest the professor made him stick his eye “right up to the flower so that [his] whole field of vision was consumed by the brilliant orange-red petals.”

The rest goes like this (p. 46):

“…look at all that color! And the pollen dust, which attracts a certain kind of bee that carries it to the other flowers and fertilizes them.  Imagine the complexity of it, the perfection of the design!  Isn’t it amazing that God produces such things? …right now you are looking at something that has never existed before today, not in all the time since the beginning of the universe.  When it fades, it will never exist again – it is absolutely unique in the world.  Doesn’t it now seem more precious than when you first noticed it?”
          “Yes, Herr Professor.”
          ”Yes,” von Kempen said, “and that is the way to approach music.  Every piece, every time you play it, is unique and irreplaceable.  You should open your ears and heart to every phrase, every note, and squeeze every drop of beauty you can from it.  Take nothing for granted!”

Cool, huh? 

Just think, you are “…something that has never existed before today, not in all the time since the beginning of the universe.”  We’re all works in progress.  Hybrids of some sort whether it’s from mother/father, nature/nurture or education of some kind.  Beautiful, fading, and awesome as we live and breathe.  We’ve just gotta squeeze every bit of beauty out of life we can, right?

I hope I can live my life opening my ears and heart to every phrase, every note, every moment.  I think that is truly one way of marveling and appreciating everything for whatever its worth.

Live every moment. 
Be the rose.
Dance to life.
Take nothing for granted.

Everyone has a home, be it the place they grew up, a new home just built or bought, or a love they have known.

Today I wish for you to remember that place. Return to it. Whether physically visiting your old stomping grounds or closing your eyes and remembering every corner or crevice of a tree, or the lines of his or her face….return to it.

I wish you many warm and wonderful memories of what you know to be home. Keep it sacred in your heart. Never forget. Remember the laughter, the tears, the pain, the good times, the silent moments. And always remember it will remain forever.

Today I wish for you to return to the home of your heart…and may you breathe in all that made you….you.

All my love,

Kelley Taylor

Tim Russert was no head of state. He was never elected into office, he wasn’t a president of a large corporation, founder of an organization, leader of a nation, movie or rock star.
Yet with his passing, he has been mourned by media, politicians, business leaders, and common folk like you and me….for days now.

Shows have been dedicated to him, anchors have teared up over him as I’ve sat with my own box of tissue and bawled over a man I felt so connected to yet never known. The selfish side of me mourns that my son will not grow up learning politics through Meet The Press and more importantly how to ask the tough questions, know how to push when needed, and let it go when appropriate.

You see, I watched Meet The Press every Sunday like many watch a fight: on the edge of my chair, yelling at the TV (for him to ask the question), and when he did make his move (or called someone out using their own quote – because Tim always did his research and was prepared) I would shout and pump my fist because he just knocked. them. out.

Left now to wonder, who will EVER be able to take his place or simply take over the show, I am amazed at the tributes still continuing even today for Tim Russert.

Never before have I seen such an outpouring of love and affection, respect and admiration for someone that was so uncommonly common yet nothing like anyone I’ve known personally. He was powerful yet humble, brilliant yet down to earth, loved yet feared, unrelenting yet giving…this man, this great man, has astounded me with how authentic he really was true in his paradoxical contradictions. And it’s proven with every interview of people who knew him and loved him.

David Gregory, Sunday, on The Today Show said this:
“It is said that someone is wise not if he knows the answer but if he knows how to ask the question. As unfair as it is, this Sunday morning, Tim is silent. So we are left to do the probing, to examine why he was so loved, so loving, so sharp, so uniquely capable of walking with the kings and yet retaining the common touch.

A friend of mine has written that through death we realize that our mortality is always in the background giving vividness and urgency to our days.

Tim would tell us all to ‘go get’em’ and we will do that now with even more purpose because the big guy lead the way as the moderator of all moderators, as a mentor, and as a man.”

For all that we the people say about him, it will never be enough. And so in my weak attempt to be wise, I ask: Do we live our lives the same way Tim Russert did? In the same way?

Do we remain loving, open-hearted, authentic, true, loyal, always learning, always giving, standing for something, professional, unrelenting in the pursuit of fairness and justice and truth for ourselves and for others? Do we do our homework and do it well? Do we look for both sides of the story? Do we remain humble no matter what success comes our way? Do we help others along the way?

If for no other reason, we can look at the life of this man and use it as an example of someone who really got it. He knew how to live. He extracted every bit of life in his short 58 years which will never be enough for all of us, but were mighty packed for him.

Yes, I think Tim Russert would tell us to “go get’em” as in GO GET LIFE. Live for your today’s, tomorrow’s, and honor your past. Live with an open heart, always look for what you CAN do, and love freely, honestly, and magnificently.

In the end, if we’re lucky, we might have half as many people honoring us as he did – or yet, the people who matter most to us.

Go Get’em!

Always in Honor of Tim Russert, 1950 – 2008

(Live the dash! Make Every Day A Holiday.)

would you say everything you could
do the things that you thought you would
did it ever occur to you that this could be your final day
did you go where you wanted to go
learn about what you wanted to know
did you ever really give something back instead of always taking it

did you find what you’re looking for
did you get your foot in the door
can you look at yourself and feel proud of all the things you’ve done
did you inspire the ones that you knew
make a difference to those who knew you
did you finally figure out what it is that makes us who we are today

don’t waste another day
you never know when you’ll get one
don’t waste another day
to do anything you haven’t done

did you always give it your best
is there anything you regret
if you could have another shot at it all would you do it just the same
was it all that you thought it could be
are you the person you thought you would be
or did it feel like you were spinning your wheels instead of moving forward everyday

don’t waste another day
you never know when you’ll get one
don’t waste another day
to do anything you haven’t done
don’t waste another day
you never know when you’ll get one
don’t waste another day
to do anything you haven’t done

did you
da da da did you
did you
da da da did you

don’t waste another day
you never know when you’ll get one
don’t waste another day
to do anything you haven’t done
don’t waste another day
you never know when you’ll get one
don’t waste another day
to do anything you haven’t done

did you
da da da did you
did you
da da da did you
did you
da da da did you
did you
da da da did you

“All men die, few men ever really live.”

- Braveheart, the movie

So, here we are six months into the year and I wonder, what have I done so far to really live?

Have I risked?
Have I given?
Have I received?
Have I loved?
Have I failed?
Have I won?
Have I lost?
Have I tried something new?

Have I laughed?
Have I cried?
Have I written a letter to someone I haven’t seen or talked to in a while?

Have I hugged?
Have I kissed?
Have I fought?
Have I given in?
Have I forgiven?
Have I shown compassion?

There are many things on our lists of things to do. Have you made yours? Do you try to do something each day to live better than you ever have before?

Live. Don’t let your life slip away without doing everything you can do to make the most out of it.

I wish for you the knowledge and security of knowing where you are going, and the stamina to make it there.

I wish for you everything you need to make your ride comfortable – whether it’s cool air conditioning or warm heat at your feet, a fresh bottle of water, and goodies for a long drive or a quick pick me up.

I wish for you great background music to keep you company. I hope you can find a great radio station or better yet, that you packed your iPod or your favorite CD’s.

I wish for you a freshly charged battery in your cell phone in case of emergency or just when you need to reach out to a friend because you thought of them.

I wish for you safety. I want you to get safely where it is you need to go.

And should anything happen, I wish for you calmness and surety that you will meet any obstacle that comes your way. You’ll get through it. Just breathe.

I wish for you good drive time. May your heart and soul hum as the rubber meets the road. Take in all the sights and sounds. This is your one and wonderful life. Navigate it. Drive it. It’s all open road from here.

All my love,