More hula hoop

Maiku Monday: circle of life

Not that I’ve given it a lick of conscious thought before now, this morning I’m well aware that my least favorite shape is the circle, mainly due to its association with the words “of life.” I feel flattened by a runaway train of a circle on Father’s Day—a life “phenomenon” I experienced yesterday with missing my own dad for the 8th time. If you don’t have a living dad, you likely get it…we’re in a club no one wants to be part of, but alas here we are. And if you do have a living dad, well, I hope you celebrated the bejeezus out of him yesterday and love him actively every other day of the year.

Additionally, I know a few people whose dads have died between last Father’s Day and now. I send sincerest condolences and extra love out to them, knowing how excruciating it can be when the pain is fresh, when the wound is open, gaping. And “time heals all wounds” is a bullshit expression used by the delusional…the passage of time makes things different but not necessarily easier. I woke up today, drained and spent, glad it is over, and today’s Maiku comes from that dastardly circle. It goes like this:

The circle of life.
Round things: hula hoop…wheel…noose.
Fun…useful…the end.

Round things come in all sizes and flavors…some bring joy, some are utilitarian, others not so much. And so it goes. Round and round. I’d give you a link to The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell here but she ditched Spotify. But anyway, this circle game isn’t about any one thing, it’s about the universe in all of its “wonder”…wonder which is about beginnings and endings over and over, of learning and unlearning and relearning, of gains and losses, through both addition and subtraction…wonder which is awesome and awful, perfect and painful, breathtaking and boring…and sometimes all at once.

Anyhow, in the dark times it becomes more important than ever to take a step back, to search for the light, to see the big picture, to understand the context and the nuance of the circumstances…to find a name and a place for the feelings…and for me when I do that I see myself as fortunate to have enough love in my life that my heart is perpetually full…though admittedly on days like Father’s Day it simultaneously bursts and hurts. I spent yesterday on a lake, with good friends and cold beer and (mostly) good music and lots of laughs. And dad was with me the whole time, as he always is. But on Father’s Day more than ever, I miss his physical presence—his smile, the twinkle in his eye, his laugh, and his love.

And so it goes, round and round, the circle of life.

The circle of life.
Round things: hula hoop…wheel…noose.
Fun…useful…the end.

Moral of the story? More hula hoop!

So today I’ll start your week off with this song, because this post is as much about death and dying as life and living. And you know something? If you don’t listen to the words that carefully, The Smiths are pretty uplifting. As a rule. Enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you had a great weekend and that you have a great week. Appreciate you being here, so much.

Love you too.

Now go—a hula hoop awaits!