Sunday, August 20, 2006

What I Value

I've been looking to find a self-definition, a single value, a word, that wraps all of the other values I hold dear inside it. If I find that value that is my center, I can focus, balance, dance on the edge. I’ve been thinking about what core value defines me.

Tonight I wrote an email that said this:

Again I find myself wanting to help, wanting to say “thank you,” and wanting to get out of the way.

You don’t know how well that defines me.

I am working on this one. I value space, and independence, creativity and helping, and trust, and forgiveness, and compassion, and peace. Yeah peace backlit with joy.
−me strauss Letting me be

8 comments:

Trée said...

"Peace backlit by joy."

Homerun of a phrase if ever I heard one.

Trée said...

I think I need more coffee. That was suppose to be:

"Peace backlit with joy." :-)

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Yeah, that's the great part of friendship. I knew exactly what you meant.

Joe Paris said...

trying to force a "boutique phrase" is not you (this from a loyal reader), so please dont obsess about it. Whethter "Peace backlit with joy" or "pork infused with sage" or whatever, it wont sum you up anyway - will it, really? Sure - we all wish we were Nike, whose "Just do it" and swoosh as symbol come as close to anything else to what you are looking ofr - one word - or just a few - and one symbol - that sums us up. Look at how ridiculous The Ersatz Arteest formerly known as !?Y looked when he tried it. C'mon. WE who love you dont need a shorthand version of you to explainanything to us. And those that DONT know wont be edified by some cute phrase if they havent read you lo these many months. Relax. Be you. Share. and THANK YOU.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hey Joe,
Thank you,
You don't know that peace backlit with joy has a history . . . it's not a made up thing from no where. You don't have to lose faith in me. It comes from the best piece I ever wrote.

Walking on Water

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

PS. Joe.
Nice to know that you are out there. I'm staring at this comment box digging for words to tell you how much it means to hear you say those words.

Thank you, Joe.
I mean that.

Joe Paris said...

You're NOT ONLY "welcome", Lizard (this is my newly adopted pet name for you as of this moment, because new friends should have pet names for one another)

BUT ALSO you are "welcomed" into my everyday life as a touchpoint of genuine feeling.

"A touchpoint of genuine feeling " now THERE'S a phrase you can get your teeth into !

- jist keeding, mees - we don't need no STINKING phrases around here !

ANYWAY - I look forward to reading your blog every single day - think about it - HOW MANY things - really - do ANY of us have to look forward to EVERY SINGLE DAY that brings us - oh - let's say - "joy sidelit with a piece of pie" ?

Now THERE"S a PHRASE ...

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hey, Joe,
My dad used to say if you sleep on the floor you never have to worry about falling out of bed. Let's use that instead. I don't like the thought pie looking at me. :)