It’s July 31, the last day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Cooler breezes prevail. I can feel a change in the air. I can feel a cascade of emotions within me. No optimism, no joy, just a sense of sadness for all the cracks that are present in our world today. It makes me think of Leonard Cohens song Anthem. It’s true that the crack is where the light gets in. Equally true, it is where the darkness comes in, too.
It’s good to remember to ring the bells that still can ring and forget about the perfect offering. And I like to remember to smile the while when I can. Good things still exist. I made a good run at this July UBC, missing only one day. That was the day when I had to take my father in to Emergency in respiratory distress. He has recovered remarkably well for a 95 year old. He continuous to be his old mischievous self, getting into trouble unnecessarily.
Just a few days after getting over pneumonia, he has to truck down to the basement to cut his hair. Yesterday morning at 8, he went outside and a tumble on the front lawn. No serious injuries except painful ribs on coughing. He’s not confused. He’s been warned not to do these things many times. It’s just who he is. I’m almost over getting angry at him because it is a waste of my energy. I’ve just made another trip over to see how he is. He is ok, not owning up, of course. He is always very clever at explaining. Those incidents are what are called accidents. How can you argue with that?
I do understand the elderly. It helps to read this post about how Clint Eastwood feels about getting old. Whether he wrote it or not it rings true. I wonder how I will be when I get to be 90. I hope I can participate in the UBCs That’s something to aim for. LOL. Thank you, Paul for hosting the challenges. Thank you everyone for writing and reading.
Anthem – Leonard Cohen
The birds they sang
At the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don’t dwell on what has passed away
Or what is yet to be
Ah, the wars they will be fought again
The holy dove, she will be caught again
Bought and sold, and bought again
The dove is never free
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
We asked for signs
The signs were sent
The birth betrayed
The marriage spent
Yeah, and the widowhood
Of every government
Signs for all to see
I can’t run no more
With that lawless crowd
While the killers in high places
Say their prayers out loud
But they’ve summoned, they’ve summoned up
A thundercloud
They’re going to hear from me
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
You can add up the parts
But you won’t have the sum
You can strike up the march
There is no drum
Every heart, every heart
To love will come
But like a refugee
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
That’s how the light gets in
That’s how the light gets in
onethousandandtwo 
I listened to “Anthem” on YouTube. That’s the great thing about the internet. It’s great to find the songs right away. I also found someone who sang it beautifully. Leonard Cohen, like Bob Dylan, is a great song writer, but neither one of those two can sing.
Yes, I felt the crack in everything. LIving it has been challenging, and I will need to explore that more in future UBC months. The crack has let in too much of the dark and too little of the shimmering light of early morning. I think that exposing it and talking about it and sharing our feelings is probably one of the best antidotes.
Thank you for your wonderful blog posts. You have grown so much as a writer since I started reading your posts. I am so grateful for your perspective, as well as the support and encouragement that you’ve offered me. I don’t even have the words to describe how much that means to me.
See you in October.
Thank you, Alice. Your words and stories are wonderful. They make me y day a little brighter. I have learned a lot from you also. It’s wonderful to have this community.
This was such a good post. Cracks in the world today — I feel that so much too. Your statement “It’s true that the crack is where the light gets in. Equally true, it is where the darkness comes in, too” is actually encouraging because we can truly shine light into the darkness that is seeping in everywhere today.
Lily, missing one post because you were taking your ninety-five-year-old father to Emergency does not diminish what you achieved this month. 🥰 I’m so glad that he recovered and is still mischievously insisting that his latest escapades were simply “accidents”! Your reflection on the cracks allowing both light and darkness through felt painfully honest. Perhaps our task is not to pretend the darkness isn’t there, but to keep ringing the bells that still can ring. I hope we’re both still blogging at ninety too. 😉
I haven’t been active on the challenge for a bit. Congratulations for only missing one post! I am glad your father is okay! It can be scary navigating the challenges of elderly parents. I always enjoy your real and vulnerable posts. You continue to inspire me with my own writing. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer. I will see you in October.
congratulations on completing the challenge – and only missing once.
I felt myself nodding the whole time I was reading about your father and the quest for still being independent while they are unable to recognize their declining abilities. It’s exactly where we are with my mother.
I suppose we will be on the other side of all this one day.
Looking forward to continuing reading your blog.
The imagination of us still doing the UBC when we’re 90 is priceless:-) Just imagine!
It was great to see you show up every day, congratulations!
Thank you, Tamara!