“As long as people have been on this earth, the moon has been a mystery to us. Think about it. She is strong enough to pull the oceans, and when she dies away, she always comes back again. My mama used to tell me Our Lady lived on the moon and that I should dance when her face was bright and hibernate when it was dark.”
In this quote from Sue Monk Kidd, the narrator reflects on the enduring mystery and power of the moon throughout human history. The speaker's mother instilled in them a reverence for the moon, viewing it as a sacred place where "Our Lady" resides. This belief connects the speaker to a cultural tradition that honors the cycles of the moon, guiding their behavior and actions based on its phases. The moon is portrayed as a force of nature that controls the tides and cycles of life, embodying both life and death in its perpetual waxing and waning. This quote highlights the significance of the moon in shaping cultural beliefs and practices, offering a poignant reflection on the enduring mystique of this celestial body.
The quote from Sue Monk Kidd serves as a reminder of the enduring fascination and awe that humans feel towards the moon. Despite advancements in science and technology, the moon continues to captivate us with its influence on tides, traditions, and cultural beliefs. Even in modern times, the moon holds a significant place in our lives, shaping everything from our calendar systems to our spiritual practices.
"As long as people have been on this earth, the moon has been a mystery to us. Think about it. She is strong enough to pull the oceans, and when she dies away, she always comes back again. My mama used to tell me Our Lady lived on the moon and that I should dance when her face was bright and hibernate when it was dark.” - Sue Monk Kidd"
Reflect on the quote by Sue Monk Kidd about the moon and its significance in our lives. Consider the mystery and power of the moon, as well as the cultural and spiritual meanings attached to it. Here are some questions to ponder:
“I realize I'm trying to work out the boundaries. How to love her without interfering. How to step back and let her have her private world and yet still be an intimate part of it. When she talks about her feelings, I have to consciously tell myself she wants me to receive them, not fix them.”
“That's because May takes in things differently than the rest of us do." August reached over and laid her hand on my arm. "See, Lily, when you and I hear about some misery out there, it might make us feel bad for a while, but it doesn't wreck our whole world. It's like we have a built-in protection around our hearts that keeps the pain from overwhelming us. But May - she doesn't have that. Everything just comes into her - all the suffering out there - and she feels as if it's happening to her. She can't tell the difference.”
“You've been halfway living your life for too long. May was saying that when it's time to die, go ahead and die, and when it's time to live, live. Don't sort-of-maybe live, but live like you're going all out, like you're not afraid.”
“This is the autumn of wonders, yet every day, every single day, I go back to that burned afternoon in August when T. Ray left. I go back to that one moment when I stood in the driveway with small rocks and clumps of dirt around my feet and looked back at the porch. And there they were. All these mothers. I have more mothers than any eight girls off the street. They are the moons shining over me.”
“I pulled out my bag and examined my mother's picture. I wondered what it had been like to be inside her, just a curl of flesh swimming in her darkness, the quiet things that had passed between us.”
“The truth is, in order to heal we need to tell our stories and have them witnessed...The story itself becomes a vessel that holds us up, that sustains, that allows us to order our jumbled experiences into meaning.As I told my stories of fear, awakening, struggle, and transformation and had them received, heard, and validated by other women, I found healing.I also needed to hear other women's stories in order to see and embrace my own. Sometimes another woman's story becomes a mirror that shows me a self I haven't seen before. When I listen to her tell it, her experience quickens and clarifies my own. Her questions rouse mine. Her conflicts illumine my conflicts. Her resolutions call forth my hope. Her strengths summon my strengths. All of this can happen even when our stories and our lives are very different.”