The Invitation, the poem...

I received a message from Sushi Freak (link) the other day.

"...wanted to share something with you that you may enjoy.

This is my favorite love poem. It speaks to your posts on crushes and unreturned love and I think you will like it."

Well, nobody send me a poem before. Its too good for me to enjoy myself, so I'd decided to share it with all of you out there. Enjoy! And, thanks for visiting my blog !!!

The Invitation

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
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 centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled 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 fade it
or fix it.

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

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are 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.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

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

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre 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.

Sushi Freak includes the following link to the original author of the poem.

http://www.oriahmountaindreamer.com/

Having a Crush?

Crushes can turn up at any time and reduce you to a nervous wreck. Here's how to cope.

Crushes are addictive - they make life exciting, and give you hope and focus. This is why we let ourselves make the same mistakes over and over again, it is the thrill of the chase, except it is often more of a loiter!

The Symptoms:

• You love them yet you don't even know them;
• All you can think about is them and what if...;
• You've planned your whole future;
• You follow them round like a puppy on your lunch break;
• You go red whenever you see them;
• You lose the power of speech and co-ordination in their presence;
• Butterflies in your stomach;
• Pounding heart;
• You stammer/stutter something like "have you got the time?" at them;
• You imagine hours of conversations with them.

How to cope

Try not to tie yourself up in knots about this - you've set yourself up with a fantasy relationship, but that's all. The emotions feeding this fantasy can seem very real, but the advantage is you don't have to deal with the actual person. It's like a sexual encounter without the real-life hassles.

It is fairly unlikely to turn into reality as often crushes are formed on the unobtainable; they may be attached, a famous film star or totally unsuitable. You have to accept that this romance will never exist outside of your own head. Often, just confiding in someone you trust will help you get things in perspective.

If things get too intense try to limit your time spent in their company. In time, you'll get a grip on this fantasy, and see it as a learning experience about some powerful emotions. If anything, it'll work in your favour when it comes to dealing with real life, realistic relationships.

Unobtainable crushes can hurt like hell - the object of your affection may walk past like you don't even exist or, perhaps worse, notice your drooling and laugh about you with all their mates. If this happens, deal with the rejection - treat yourself, see your mates or curl up at home with a DVD of your choice.

On the practical side, try to fill the time you would otherwise spend thinking about your crush. Plan your day. Promise yourself some crush-free time, and set up a reward afterwards. Once you've defined the boundaries, a crush like this can be a positive experience. One that can set you up to deal with the emotional side of future, more realistic relationships.