Hoping is so much work. I don’t have the energy for it.
Maybe I would like to come back as a raspberry bush. Thorny and vicious. Only working a few weeks each summer, then resting for months until the next luscious hurrah.
I prefer to think of hope as resilience, or an aspiration. When I hope for the best, I roll up my sleeves and work to make it happen. If it's entirely beyond my control, then there's no hope for it.
As far as reincarnation, I want to be a dog. Not just any dog, but one of my dogs, spoiled, pampered, adored. I could get used to adoration. I guess it's something I could hope for.
Dogs are the best. You'd have to be a lucky dog, I think. I think of resilience as the abitlity to endure, and don't really think hope has much to do with that. But that's just me. There are so many feelings attached to words, depending one 's experience, and hope feels different to me than to you. But I do want you to be a very lucky happy spoiled dog who gets fed people food.
I'm not sure about its being dangerous, although I can get there. I just think it's useless. Of course I'm useless too. I think it's a tsunami coming, and it;s too late to be useful. But to get ready, although it's too late to even get ready. So many populations will be dying in the heat and the storms and the sea level rising, not to mention the desperate conflicts. Now I'm getting depressed. I just sit here and write, and it does no good. And only now and then, and in a somewhartmore carefree vein, can I even write about it.
Profound. But funny. It's amazing how you consistently achieve that, Abigail!
That's an interesting thought that we might have to do a time hop backwards. I had a strong reincarnation dream 20-odd years ago that's still vivid in my memory – she told me who I was in the past. Maybe I'll revert back!
She told me I had been her and she was Celine Celeste. I had no clue until I googled her next morning that that was a real woman, an actress/dancer and later a theatre manager, born 1815 in Paris. Very strange. But boy was it a vivid dream!
It felt real, Prajna! I was looking in a mirror and an older woman’s face I didn’t recognise was looking back at me, saying, You are me and I am you, I am Celine Celeste. It was such a memorable name. It came at a time in my life when I was raw from bereavements, so feeling more spiritually on edge, perhaps. Never dreamed of her again, but was curious to find out about her life.
How wonderful! think Abigail has been sent to me at just the right time in my life. Okay, I found her because of Substack, but somehow I feel she‘s been sent by my late mum. I don‘t believe in ghosts but am beginning to think there might be something in angels!
A masterful mix of profound and fun. Love the 'live somewhere it rains' bit--as someone living in Seattle, I've found this to be true. We don't hope for clear days in the winter, we wake up and deal with what we've got (most of the time)
I don't agree with your take on hope, but I love the way you write. I am pretty sure we do not come back, but if I am wrong and have to come back I would really like to be a river otter.
What if it turns out to be different from what we expect, so different we can't imagine how it will be? Great stuff, Abigail! Love reading what you write.
Like you, I don't care a lot for myself because like you I am old. But I care deeply for my kids, and grands, family and friends. On the other hand, I believe in magic.
I don't want to come back either, but just in case, I've already instructed my loved ones to include a "casket note" alongside my corpse, preferably placed between my very hands. The note should read, "DO NOT REPRODUCE!" I've decided it's childbearing that causes one to remain on the wheel of suffering. It keeps us stuck in the cycle. Anyway, this note better work--it's the only idea I've got left.
Ilove, "I might agree to return as a Cro-Magnon. I could paint in caves, make things out of clay, see Woolly Mammoths with my own two eyes. I’m going to try to make one, although not sure about the woolly part."
Maybe come back as an ant? Love this. And yeah, acceptance, trust, living in the moment, breathing the beautiful air, watching flowers bloom. It's keeping me sane.
Oh dear, oh dear. Yes. I concur. Especially about the corn.
Hoping is so much work. I don’t have the energy for it.
Maybe I would like to come back as a raspberry bush. Thorny and vicious. Only working a few weeks each summer, then resting for months until the next luscious hurrah.
Not only so much work, but a dead end! after all that energy wasted!!
perfect.
I prefer to think of hope as resilience, or an aspiration. When I hope for the best, I roll up my sleeves and work to make it happen. If it's entirely beyond my control, then there's no hope for it.
As far as reincarnation, I want to be a dog. Not just any dog, but one of my dogs, spoiled, pampered, adored. I could get used to adoration. I guess it's something I could hope for.
Dogs are the best. You'd have to be a lucky dog, I think. I think of resilience as the abitlity to endure, and don't really think hope has much to do with that. But that's just me. There are so many feelings attached to words, depending one 's experience, and hope feels different to me than to you. But I do want you to be a very lucky happy spoiled dog who gets fed people food.
Yes a dog me too
The Cro-Magnon thing appeals. No bra really sells it.
And yes hope is a tricky one. I once wrote hope is the most dangerous thing in the room.
I stand by it.
I'm not sure about its being dangerous, although I can get there. I just think it's useless. Of course I'm useless too. I think it's a tsunami coming, and it;s too late to be useful. But to get ready, although it's too late to even get ready. So many populations will be dying in the heat and the storms and the sea level rising, not to mention the desperate conflicts. Now I'm getting depressed. I just sit here and write, and it does no good. And only now and then, and in a somewhartmore carefree vein, can I even write about it.
Profound. But funny. It's amazing how you consistently achieve that, Abigail!
That's an interesting thought that we might have to do a time hop backwards. I had a strong reincarnation dream 20-odd years ago that's still vivid in my memory – she told me who I was in the past. Maybe I'll revert back!
who were you? That's so cool.
She told me I had been her and she was Celine Celeste. I had no clue until I googled her next morning that that was a real woman, an actress/dancer and later a theatre manager, born 1815 in Paris. Very strange. But boy was it a vivid dream!
I love this dream
It felt real, Prajna! I was looking in a mirror and an older woman’s face I didn’t recognise was looking back at me, saying, You are me and I am you, I am Celine Celeste. It was such a memorable name. It came at a time in my life when I was raw from bereavements, so feeling more spiritually on edge, perhaps. Never dreamed of her again, but was curious to find out about her life.
That is so absolutely fascinating. I write down my dreams when I remember them.
I had three dreams of Abigail Thomas before I met her. I just left her house yesterday and flew back to California.
It was literally a dream come true.
I’m glad you’re finding power in your dreams
How wonderful! think Abigail has been sent to me at just the right time in my life. Okay, I found her because of Substack, but somehow I feel she‘s been sent by my late mum. I don‘t believe in ghosts but am beginning to think there might be something in angels!
“What if we have to come back?” 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I know, right? No thank you.
But looks like I’d finally get a six pack. So there’s that.
I’d rather get the other kind.
hahahahaha
hahahahahahahahaaaaa
Love this. Acceptance is so Zen. So wise. And so hard. Some of the time. Oh hell, who am I kidding. All of the time.
Pretty much everything is hard. At least acceptance tends to stick around, you don't have to keep renewing it every damned minute.
A masterful mix of profound and fun. Love the 'live somewhere it rains' bit--as someone living in Seattle, I've found this to be true. We don't hope for clear days in the winter, we wake up and deal with what we've got (most of the time)
I love what you said, thank you. And,we do wake and deal with whatever is served up in the morning. (And sometimes just go back to bed.)
sometimes going back to bed is dealing with it lol
I'm a big believer in going back to bed.
I don't agree with your take on hope, but I love the way you write. I am pretty sure we do not come back, but if I am wrong and have to come back I would really like to be a river otter.
excellent choice. if we still have rivers.
What if it turns out to be different from what we expect, so different we can't imagine how it will be? Great stuff, Abigail! Love reading what you write.
Thank you. So happy you are enjoying what I write. I'm pretty sure earth has had enough of us.
Like you, I don't care a lot for myself because like you I am old. But I care deeply for my kids, and grands, family and friends. On the other hand, I believe in magic.
I choose a dog. I worked on an idea of “Hope“, it was exhausting.
I understand what you’re saying about acceptance, I think.
Acceptance for the things that we cannot change and courage to change the things that we can
And the wisdom to know the difference.
I just realized that’s a prayer that I heard it one time over and over again .
I don't want to come back either, but just in case, I've already instructed my loved ones to include a "casket note" alongside my corpse, preferably placed between my very hands. The note should read, "DO NOT REPRODUCE!" I've decided it's childbearing that causes one to remain on the wheel of suffering. It keeps us stuck in the cycle. Anyway, this note better work--it's the only idea I've got left.
but it's very good advice.
once you're a mother. you're a sitting duck.
Exactly. And you can’t appreciate this before motherhood. Then, you fool yourself into thinking it will improve as they age. Hahaha indeed!
That Cro-Magnon woman is definitely on the paleo diet. Or the idealized dream of an illustrator working for National Geographic in the 50s.
Ilove, "I might agree to return as a Cro-Magnon. I could paint in caves, make things out of clay, see Woolly Mammoths with my own two eyes. I’m going to try to make one, although not sure about the woolly part."
Maybe come back as an ant? Love this. And yeah, acceptance, trust, living in the moment, breathing the beautiful air, watching flowers bloom. It's keeping me sane.