Life
is a journey and on
this journey many people pass through our lives. Some
stay for a while, and others pass through quickly... sometimes
too quickly! Over the years I have met and lost touch
with many people. I am thankful that our paths crossed,
for on this journey we have many teachers and many
lessons to learn. I remember one evening after having
lived in Stratford, Ontario for only a short time, I found
myself sitting in Balzacs, a local coffee house, reading
to its patrons. It was Friday night Open Stage and I was
reading to an attentive group sipping on cappuccinos and
enjoying fresh baked cookies and cakes. The only familiar
face was that of my daughter, but I felt surrounded
by friends... real and in spirit. The
Invitation by Oriah
Mountain Dreamer is a piece that meant, and still means,
a lot to me, especially as my thoughts turn to all those
who are on this journey with me, to new friends
and old, and even to those that have yet to hear the invitation...
our journey is far from over!
The
Invitation by
Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It
doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want
to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.
It
doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know
if you will risk looking like a fool for love,
for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It
doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your
moon. I want to know if you have touched the
center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and
closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you
can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving
to hide it or fade it, or fix it.
I
want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your
own, if you can dance with wildness and let
the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and
toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic,
or to remember the limitations of being human.
It
doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling
me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another
to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation
of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be
faithless and therefore trustworthy.
I
want to know if you can see beauty, even when it
is not pretty every day, and if you can source
your life from its presence.
I
want to know if you can live with failure, yours
and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and
shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”
It
doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how
much money you have. I want to know if you can get
up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and
bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to
feed the children.
It
doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came
to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the
center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It
doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you
have studied. I want to know what sustains you,
from the inside, when all else falls away.
I
want to know if you can be alone with yourself and
if you truly like the company you keep in the empty
moments.
by
Oriah Mountain Dreamer
copyright © 1999 by Oriah Mountain Dreamer.
About
the Author: "I am a teacher and writer living in Toronto
with my two teenage sons. While my family history includes
stories of Scottish, German and Native American descent
I am a Canadian woman, and not an 'Indian elder' as has
sometimes been reported, being neither old enough nor
wise enough to claim the status of 'elder' for any people."
The
Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
"The Invitation" is a declaration of intent, a map into
the longing of the soul, the desire to live passionately,
face-to-face with ourselves and skin-to-skin with the
world around us, to settle for nothing less than what
is real." -from The Invitation
Shared
by word of mouth, quoted on the World Wide Web, recited
over the radio, and read aloud at spiritual conferences
and other gatherings, "The Invitation" has been passed
along by thousands who have discovered and treasured its
unique message. Now Oriah Mountain Dreamer expands on
her beloved prose poem, presenting a powerful and inspirational
challenge to all of us who long for true intimacy and
joy.
Speaking
from the heart, Oriah Mountain Dreamer invites us to confront
the varieties of human experience, from desire and commitment
to sorrow and betrayal, and challenges us to open repeatedly
to love and life. Unique, practical, and often surprising,
The Invitation is an invaluable guide to living the ecstasy
of everyday life, learning to recognize true beauty in
ourselves and the world, and finding the sustenance our
spirit longs for.
Peace.