Prince Update ~ 1 February 2014: “Spend time with nature”

My Prince’s Gift: “Spend time with nature.”

When we were outside, it quickly became clear that this would be today’s “gift”.

The funny thing is, I kept forgetting over and over what I heard the message to be. Karen had to keep reminding me with one clarification; that is, the use of the word “with”. The message might logically seem to be “spend time in nature”. Yet, I kept clearly hearing the word should be “with”, as if we’re in partnership with nature. We are. Now, this might not seem to be a fair message for those of you who live in colder climates.

Makes me think of the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by “The Bryds; lyrics are here. I’m fortunate that I grew up with my family owning a beach house on the Pacific coast, just south of Santa Cruz. I’d spend summers there; especially as my best friend’s family had a beach house a few houses down. We’d listen to this genre of music, so listening to it just now evoked a whole host of memories for me.

Lovely, familial, comforting memories .. of our coast socked in by fog in the mornings, then often the sun would come later. Of spending endless hours playing card games ranging from Canasta to Hearts to Poker to Blackjack, etc. Always music nearby.

When I listened to the song again as I’m writing this, and read the lyrics, Prince’s message began to take on more of a metaphorical meaning for me beyond the obvious literal message. The song starts with: “To everything – turn, turn, turn There is a season – turn, turn, turn And a time to every purpose under heaven”. It’s reminder to me that Prince’s passing as well as Tuna’s on 19 April 2013 and Tiffany’s on 5 July 2013 .. are all just part of the natural (nature) order of life.

I’ve found it interesting that I did not seem to have as much outward grief when my brother died 7 June 1992 at the age of 27, falling off a roof in San Francisco, where he lived. Or when my dad almost died in 1986 just after he retired, then died in 2003. In spite of my Catholic upbringing, I’ve always held a belief that we all have an agreement with God/the Universe of when we’ll be leaving physical form. I have found that concept more comforting when dealing with a human death.

Perhaps Prince’s message is a reminder is regarding the last line of the song: “A time of peace, I swear it’s not too late!” Is Prince reminding us that even if we think we’ve destroyed everything we desire, we want, that fuels us … that was merely part of that “season”. Now, it’s time to reclaim that which as it’s “not too late”. ~ponders and smiles quietly~ Certainly, this bears some consideration. <3 <3