Wednesday, February 01, 2006

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me to know what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream your hearts longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk being 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 if you 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 jade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own;
if you dance with wildness and let ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers
and toes without cautioning us to be careful be realistic, or to remember the limitation of being human.

It doesn't interest me to know if the story you're 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.
I want to know if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty every day, and if you can source your life from Gods presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,
and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver 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 a night of grief and despair, weary to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me to know who you are, how you came 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.

-- Oriah Mountain Dreamer

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW

'nuff said

akash

Anonymous said...

Sincere comments which are true:

From your writings, I gather you are single woman desparately seeking for someone, for woman like you you will get a deserving groom soon. But I tried to check your yahoo profile you didn't mention you are a male or female. But I have seen your photo from your Blog profile few months back and I also happen to see you once few days back, you are beautiful and you are the same person in the photo although I didn't get a chance to talk to you at that moment. So any plan of getting married in the near future or soon?

Anonymous said...

arre wah aap to internet msg dekh ke bhavishya vani karlete ho....

Invincible said...

phew !!
That was 'some' invitation :)

Arunima said...

@soothsayer: I have forgotten what I have put in my yahoo profile:-)

As for the marriage, yes, I am definitely getting married in a few years time. By the grace of God, within the next two years. (please don't disappoint me Lord!!! ):-) I don't want to die a spinster. BTW, do I know you? Have we chatted before?

Sujay Sukumar said...

There obviously a lot you'd want to know...and there is just one thing i'd like to know....what in your opinion is of more importance, The Destination or The Journey?

d4u said...

Wow...that was an amazing read:D!!

Anonymous said...

phewwww!

someone in here sure knows what love is all about.
tell u what- I hate that "8 things about your lover" tag that is going around -- thank gawd no one tagged me with that - I would have disappointed him ;-)

Actually people potray such a glossy picture of their desired ones - it seems as if its a mushy mushy movie going on their blog :P or for that matter I 'hate' most of those goody goody descriptions that go along - horos, matches, people's wishlists, this 8 tag, etc etc.

Coming across something down to earth, realistic and still so beautiful after a long time. Hope you wont mind me distributing it!!! {gotta mail this to a few people}

oh and thanks a zillion for this one :-)

Anonymous said...

Hope you find a great match. :) Have lots of happiness, Arunima.

GratisGab said...

Well put lady..., well put.

Prerona said...

wow! floored by your blog :) read a lot of ur old posts - they are all wonderful!

Minal said...

First time visit but liked what I saw..would be here often!
Cheers

the Monk said...

hey,good one...heartfelt...

Shivangi Misra said...

Till a few years ago, I would've felt the same... Not any more.

infinity said...

hmmmm...sorry, i'm taken...:p

Arun Gopalan said...

That Oriah mountain dreamer should have been at the top :). While reading i thought you have written this and kept applauding you, then redirected everything ;-)

Arun

Arunima said...

momentarily, I got the applause. :-)