Quote
It was the Psalmist, one of the worlds wisest men, who prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts into wisdom.” The fact is, we cannot truly face life until we have learned to face the fact that it will be taken away from us. — Billy Graham
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. — Carl Sagan
Person
Michael, one of the best bass players to ever hit the planet, passed away yesterday. He played on so many fantastic, classic records and helped very much to make them all that way. Michael was a true artist, and approached his work as an act of service as far as I could tell. He played on so many of my records, and once paid me the ultimate compliment: When I recorded the demos for what would become Down To Believing in February 2013, he was there — Kenny was producing, and he’d called Chad Cromwell and Michael to be the rhythm section like they’d been on so much of my earlier work. We tracked “Down To Believing,” and went to listen to it in the control room. It had the magic. Michael looked at me with that sweet, knowing smile on his face and said, “Well, you did it, didn’t you?” His eyes sparkled. I took his comment to mean I’d written a great song. I think that’s the way he intended it.
We will miss him so much.
Song
I watched
Some episodes of Shrinking on Apple TV. I honestly haven’t formed an opinion about it other than it has a certain charm, but I’m not completely sold, so I don’t mind saying I’ve fallen asleep in a few of the episodes. That isn’t the show’s fault, it’s a family trait on my Mama’s side to fall asleep in front of the television. I do have compassion for all of the characters though, so the writing is quite successful. Maybe I’ll have more to share on it later.
Book
I’m still on The Rabbit Hutch, but also started reading Wendell Berry. Thank you, readers, for reminding me where I got that quote.
Thing
Electricity. We lost ours during the major winds on Friday around noon, and didn’t get it back until Saturday morning about ten. Everything was okay, but it feels weird to roam around in the dark or try to do things by lantern or candle. It’s also a challenge to explain to John Henry. I’m not sure what he understands about loss of electricty. But what a thing it is to be alive in this age! I’m grateful to have this very modern convenience back.
Favorite Photo I Took This Week
I didn’t take it, Sunny Sweeney did. She asked Kenny and me to work on a few songs for her so we did that at the beginning of the week. It was a blast! Sunny is great and I’m so glad she snapped this photo — it depicts the essence of my relationship with Kenny Greenberg, for which I’m so grateful — always listening and looking out.
Wish
That you will forward this to one person and that person becomes a subscriber too.
Prayer
Thank you, Great Spirit, for showing me what I need to see.
Intention for the week to come
May I receive the guidance and everything else I need to joyfully get where I am going.
Something I’m thinking about
No Counting, Just Being.
When I began attending ACA meetings, I wrote down how many meetings I’d done and how many days I’d been aware of practicing sober thinking, but I stopped sometime around the end of last year. Now I write down no counting, just being every day at the top of my spiritual journal page. Every day is new, right? Every day we are born again and capable of starting over. Meditation teaches us we start over with every single breath. I could practice sober thinking for 300 days, then on the 301st I could give in to perfectionism, control, whatever, and I’d be back on day one. So I decided to stop that way of thinking because it plays into one of my adaptive child defense mechanisms — competition and superiority. Of course, I want my number of days to be as high as possible and that just puts stress and therefore the opposite of self-love back on the table for me. One of the things I like about twelve step work is getting regular reminders to use what I can and leave the rest. Allowance of grey area and non-dualistic thinking is new for me.
Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. — Buddha
Habit
Well, this week it has become falling. I fell backwards in the studio the other night and cut my arm on a piece of gear, then I fell on my chin during yoga on Friday when I was attempting flying pigeon without the proper centeredness. I have quite a mark that I’m now carefully tending to. Lesson learned, I think — be more careful with my physical body and stay in it. So my habit next week will be, with any hope, paying closer attention and slowing down.
Have a wonderful week.
Lots of love,
Allison
You may have physically fallen backwards, but your other wellness dimensions seem to be on a forward trajectory—spiritual, mental, emotional, social, and occupational. Take care of your home (the body you inhabit), as well as all the nooks and crannies in your favorite spaces.
Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.