My mother, Dorothy Park Lindorff
Was kind. And her heart was open
For most of her life,
So just by being my Mom
She taught me that that is possible -
To keep my heart open.
I could tell plenty of stories about
How that mode of existence was tested,
And why my heart carries a few scars
To prove it but this is not about me.
It is about her, my mother with heart.
I think she was something of a pioneer
Or even a warrior in her own way
Because the world she lived in was not kind
To people with open hearts.
She was also something of a creatrix too,
A creator of worlds, my mom.
She created a world for us at home
That was like a sanctuary for heart-centeredness.
As I grew older I didn't want to leave my childhood home
Because it was a sanctuary.
But the perimeters were compromised
By the greater world outside.
It got in, through us!
Pulling our psyches outward like taffy
Until the metaphor changes
And eventually we found ourselves looking in
And questioning her world of pure heart.
That is why I say she kept her heart open
"For most of her life".
As I age I find myself trying to get back
To being more like her,
Which is why I am writing this tribute to her.
She got pretty far with her heart open!
She was able to raise us by her example,
To understand that open-heartedness is possible.
I won't say it's a choice, because I know
How tough living in this world can be.
But I'll say this:
She raised us to understand
That in our lives we too can create sanctuaries.
She was happiest where she raised us
But that home was always second best
To the home where she was raised
And now that makes sense to me,
But more than that,
Now, at 72, I can honestly say
My mother makes sense to me.
Her example taught me well
And underscores Rumi's lines
"Surely there is a window from heart to heart."
Because of my Mom, that sentiment holds power and medicine for me
This mothers Day!
(Article changed on May 14, 2023 at 1:46 PM EDT)
