MJ Reflections

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Circle of Life


 Those of us who know
We who see
We understand
We’re right where we’re supposed to be

In the light of day
In the sun’s brilliant rays
And in the moon’s glow
We just know what we know

The truth, it is written in the air
We can see it, we can feel it
No longer a mystery
It’s been already there

Our vision has changed
You see, rearranged
By the One who reflects
All our wishes and dreams


 Now we see things we’ve never seen before
‘Cause that child came along and opened the door
To our sheltered places
Our comfortable spaces
Shadows danced across the floor
And for the first time we could see their faces

He shined his light in the dark
And showed us the way
He said, now you will know
What I’ve already known
And you won’t need to ask
It’s been already said



Your vision has changed
You see, rearranged
By the One who reflects
All your wishes and dreams

When you look to the moon
On this cold winter’s night
You already know, my love is in its light
A precious gift will soon be revealed
In the glow that surrounds the moon this night


 Trust what you see, trust what you feel
You know what’s right
Your hopes and your dreams
They are already there in the circle of life

Take care not to fear
Take care not to doubt
Take care not to question
What this is about

You already know
What you know in your heart
My light has shown you
The way through the dark


 Now you see things you’ve never seen before
‘Cause that child came along and opened the door

Your vision has changed
It's been rearranged
By the One who reflects
All your wishes and dreams

Trust what you see, trust what you feel
In the glow that surrounds the moon this night
You need only believe
You know what’s right
Your hopes and your dreams
They are already there in the circle of life

01/l8/2011
Copyright © 2011 by Charlene Burgess


Circle of Life - The Poem: How it came to be...
This poem came to be after I had received the wonderful news last week that my daughter and son-in-law are expecting their 4th child! This news by itself would be evidence of the wonderful miracle of life and God’s gift to us; however, there’s more to this story than first meets the eye. You see, their 3rd child, Asher, didn’t make it to full term. For unknown reasons, he died mid-pregnancy and his two older brothers, Aidyn and Avery, would never have the privilege of playing with their little brother whom they were so excited to meet. As with my first two grandsons, I was with my daughter, Kendra and her husband, Matyas, at the hospital on October 1, 2009, for the delivery of our little doll, Asher. We knew he was not alive, so it was a very emotionally intense experience for all of us, but especially Kendra. As she brought forth this precious little being that her body had so lovingly caressed for 4½ months, but who was not to be in this world, she also lost Hope. I saw the light go out in her soul and, as her mother, I felt so helpless to do anything for her. I couldn’t take her pain away. It’s not the same as kissing a 'boo-boo' and making it all better as you do for them when they are young. This was a deep, deep pain that she had to work through herself to come to terms with her grief and anger over this unexplainable loss. I lent my love and support and faith in whatever ways I could in the weeks and months that followed; but, as any mother of a grown child knows, you have to allow them space and time to work things out for themselves - to find their own answers and their own peace in their own time. They may not realize it at the time, but it’s how we love them.

Kendra and Matyas were undecided for some time after October of 2009 as to whether they would try for another child. There was even a period of time when it looked as if it wasn't going to happen. For a while Kendra's grief was intensified by not only the loss of little Asher, but the loss of the possibility of another child. Well, as you know, there IS another child on the way! On the evening of January 17, Kendra shared the good news with me when I was at their house for a visit. I was thrilled, of course, but also filled with concern for her and how she was handling this emotionally. She and I talked for a long time that night about worry, doubt and fear and all I could say to her was "God knows what He's doing... please trust in that!" I was afraid to say "everything's going to be fine" because I really didn't know that, and I didn't want to assure her of something that was yet uncertain. I have no way of predicting the outcome any more than she does, but what I can do is share my faith with her...so I did.

A little later when I left to go home, I stepped outside and, looking up as I always do to find our little moonwalker, I noticed the nearly full moon shining brilliantly through a porthole in the sky. There was a HUGE ring of dense fog around the moon, larger than any I had ever seen. Inside the ring the sky was so clear and bright, I could see all the stars surrounding the moon. It was as if the moon had burned off the fog to create this porthole so I could see it...just for that moment (it was gone by the time I got home.) The sky outside the ring was foggy so the only clear spot was inside the ring and the whole picture looked 3-dimentional! I was mesmerized by this beautiful scene and I stood there for several minutes just absorbing its magic. The first thing that came to mind as I was looking at this miracle of nature was "Circle of Life"... it was HUGE and it was complete, the full circle representing eternity and the ongoing reproduction of life. When I realized what that meant, I started to cry and, looking at the circle again it felt like a big hug...something I'd been asking for in my prayers lately. It was wrapping its arms around me and making me feel warm and secure on this cold winter's night. A beautiful gift of love - like everything was coming full circle and I knew it was going to be alright!

I drove home feeling as if I wanted to call Kendra immediately and tell her of this experience and the powerful sense of assurance I had received. But there was a nagging feeling of concern too that was hanging over me at the same time. I didn't want to give her a false sense of security, because I knew that I still didn't have concrete answers...just a feeling. I also realized that "everything's going to be alright" could mean a variety of things and didn't necessarily guarantee a healthy, full-term baby of the desired gender! I decided to sleep on it and see how I felt in the morning.

When I arrived home I noticed the ring around the moon was gone, so I went inside and spent some time on my computer checking messages and reading over a couple of my blog posts from around Christmas time. When I read the December 17 post, "A Christmas Story: Yours and Mine", I was moved all over again by the story in the song "Old City Bar." It was somewhat related to this 'encounter' I'd had with the circle around the moon.
http://mjreflecdtionsheart2heart.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-story-mine-and-yours.html
Soon after reading this post, I fell asleep in front of my computer and woke up around 4:00 a.m. with these words in my head: "Those of us who know, Those of us who see, Those of us who understand, We're right where we're supposed to be." That's when I wrote "The Circle of Life". A few days later, I sent it to Kendra, telling her about how the poem came to me and my feeling that everything was going to be alright, adding this:

"Now, what that means, I don't know. I just know we need to trust in God's timing and His love for us no matter what. That's all God asks us to do. If we can let go of our doubts and fears, then we will see that everything in our lives (yes, even the pain and suffering) holds a gift. Being able to trust when you've been hurt so deeply isn't easy... I know, and God knows too. Letting go and handing over the reigns when you have felt betrayed is probably one of the hardest things you'll ever do! It's not that you don't have ANY control over the outcome...you can do everything in your power as a human being to take care of yourself and seek the medical and emotional support that you need to ensure having a healthy pregnancy and to increase your chances of having a healthy baby. This is something you do very well, my dear, and I have every confidence you will do it again this time. All the rest is prayer and trust in God's love for you and your family.
"I knew right away I wanted to share this poem with you, but again I hesitated only because my own doubts started to creep in after some time had passed (as they often do!) and I didn't want to give you 'false hope'. After a little more time, I thought 'There is no such thing as FALSE Hope! Hope is HOPE... and Hope is good! Hope is one of God's wonderful gifts - if we don't have Hope, we have nothing!' It is true that sometimes our hopes are not realized, but that is where the trust comes in...and the believing in God's love no matter what.
"So, I've listened to that little voice inside and decided to send you this poem. I hope this touches you, honey, and gives you comfort and HOPE! What this poem did for me was to confirm my own intuition, the feelings I had when I looked at the moon and the words "Circle of Life" came to me and I felt that warm hug of assurance that everything was going to be alright. So I'm passing that assurance on to you."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
My friends - Now you know....the ressst of the story! (as Paul Harvey used to say)

I am filled with Hope for a beautiful healthy new baby in our family! Please join me in that Hope and in continuing our mission to create a better world for our children and grandchildren to live in! Trust your intuition and use it to be the best that you can be at whatever talents God has gifted to you! And always...put some Love back into the world each day, as Michael so faithfully did throughout his entire life. The Circle of Life continues - generation after generation. And if each generation can help to make things just a little bit better, someday this world may realize Michael's dream of peace, love and joy for all the world's children!

01/27/2011
Copyright © 2011 by Charlene Burgess

This one's for you, Kendra!...


I love the above video, but I much prefer Elton John singing the song.
This is a great video too:
(see lyrics to the right in the sidebar)

19 comments:

  1. Tammy Marie said...(via facebook)

    Love this Charlene...I will carry and share that light forever for the love of Michael......♥♥♥

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  2. Keita said...(via facebook)

    i'm am constantly staggered and amazed at the depth of love inspired by and received from Michael...just beautiful i have posted this to my wall. i love you more than ever.

    Your Sister-Friend...keita

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  3. Jan said...(via facebook)

    Ah, Charlene ... it is so refreshing to come to Reflections and read your beautiful poetry (which I refer to often on my blog) ... and this wonderful story of the Circle of Life as it expands in the Universe as well as in individual lives. As in the macrocosm, so it is in the microcosm.

    And once again our minds are chugging along side to side ... our subject, this week, apparently is the impact of one man upon a world that is still trying to come to grips with that impact. And the certain knowing and trusting in that knowing of that impact. Get outta my head, woman! LOL!

    Your post on Facebook made me laugh ... seven whole minutes? Dang! I didn't know we were racing ... LOL!

    Big hugs!
    Jan .

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  4. Mabi said...(via facebook)

    Thank you my dear Char...

    As ever, you have touch my soul. The circle of life...It´s a thing that we forget sometimes. Life comes and goes. This is it. But, what a miracle is each new baby born...

    We have not the answer for a lot of things that happen in our life, but we need to keep the faith.
    As you wrote: God knows and we have to trust on him.

    I send my love to you and your daughter and God bless you...♥

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  5. Bonnie said...(via facebook)

    Charlene this is wonderful news! Great blog, well said!! I'm posting now.

    Thank you. :-)

    Love,
    Bonnie

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  6. Oh Charlene,
    thank you for directing me here, because this poem, just...wow. I am speechless, speechless.....

    It has given me goosebumps and tears. Truly inspired, I can see.

    And your words "there is no such thing as false hope - hope is hope". Well, I had never thought about that before. You're right, hope is hope. If it exists, it can be false.

    Thank you and best wishes to you and your family.

    Niamh

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  7. Niamh,

    I'm so glad you came by and I appreciate your loving words. I'm sure you see what I meant when I commented on your blog that we were on the same wavelength! That has happened more than once this week (see Jan's comments above).
    :)

    I thank you for your good wishes and I will extend them to my family as well.

    God Bless You!
    ~ Charlene ~

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  8. Marjolein said...(via facebook)

    Once again you found the words... Wonderful and loving poem....

    LOVE to you and your loved ones. And a big hug!

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  9. Candy said...(via facebook)

    My dear Char,

    I am so sorry to see your message so late. FB is causing me some troubles lately.

    Thank you so much for sharing your precious poem with us and your personal story. I love the poem and I am deeply touched with your true story. The poem is brilliant and you are very creative and inspiring as always!

    My favourite parts:
    ''Now we see things we’ve never seen before
    ‘Cause that child came along and opened the door
    To our sheltered places
    Our comfortable spaces''

    ''When you look to the moon
    On this cold winter’s night
    You already know, my love is in its light
    A precious gift will soon be revealed
    In the glow that surrounds the moon this night''

    ''Trust what you see, trust what you feel
    In the glow that surrounds the moon this night
    You need only believe
    You know what’s right
    Your hopes and your dreams
    They are already there in the circle of life''

    In my opinion, the circle of life is a magical thing controlled by our Creator. I love the fact that you refer to MJ as being that child who made us know the truth and see a new world, more beautiful and loving. I wish your grandchild comes soon safely and is blessed to open many doors of love, happiness and joy into our world.

    Love you Starlight!
    God bless you and your family.

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  10. Wonderful blog, Charlene!

    L.O.V.E =)

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  11. Thank you Mayra!

    So glad you stopped by and left your calling card. :)

    L.O.V.E. to you too...
    Charlene

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  12. Nancy said...(via facebook)

    In the infinitude of Time
    There never was a time
    When I was not
    Or you were not
    There never will be a time
    When we will cease to be
    ~ excerpt from Heaven Is Here
    by Michael Jackson
    Dancing the Dream

    I love you Strarlight. Your art is amazing.
    ♥ Nancy

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  13. Veronica said...(via facebook)

    Char - Starlight...
    I agree with Nancy your art is plenty of sublime feelings of L.O.V.E. but is also full of very true words of wisdom and stunning beauty. I really love, as I usually say to you, it nourishes my soul.

    The vision of the circle around the moon and the metaphor of the "Circle Of Life" that goes on for eternity and we all are part of it is just
    A M A Z I N G ! Everyone should think about that and make that change to make a better world for the children and grandchildren...as Michael said.

    As I read your story and your poem and looking to Michael’s wonderful pictures...I leave God to inspire me to pray for you and your daughter...

    Sorry for the little angel that passed in October 2009. Needless to say he is in heaven taking care of his Mother, his Daddy, his Brothers and his wonderful Grandma.

    I want to share this poem with you...It speaks about HOPE...

    (From ~ Maria Egilsson ~ Manitoba)

    ON EAGLE WINGS

    As you wait upon this shore
    How your heart does long to soar
    With eagle’s wings you want to fly
    From the pain that makes you cry

    Tired and weary is your soul
    And you pray to be made whole
    So you wait upon the Lord
    Daily reading of His word

    In His time His breath will blow
    The wind beneath your feet will grow
    He will teach you how to fly
    As an eagle soaring high

    Above the clouds you will view
    All that God has walked you through
    Flying close to the Sun
    You will see what He has done

    Pressing on in fearsome flight
    Reaching for His guiding light
    Grace and beauty will cover you
    As others learn to follow you

    Soaring through that darkened sky
    You will see with eagle eye
    He will give you gift of sight
    To see the one who stalks at night

    For now you sit in this place
    As He covers you with grace
    He sees your grief and knows your pain
    For such a time is why He came

    So rest in Him a work He’ll do
    Gifts of grace will be given you
    For the tasks He’s called you to.

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  14. Nancy said...(via facebook)

    Starlight,
    My heart to yours as I know this pain has become another part of you that will remain until your days are done. The loss of those we love and the pain we felt/feel are only a memory away. I am praying this new grandchild fills you with great love to make those painful memories less fierce...

    I love what you posted Billie Jean (Veronica)
    'For now you sit in this place
    As He covers you with grace
    He sees your grief and knows your pain
    For such a time is why He came'

    excerpt, ~ Maria Egilsson ~ Manitoba

    God is always present as the Good Father who only cares to ease our burdens and take away our pain. Sometimes He sends people to do that for Him. We are all joined because our loving mothers' hearts give us understanding and support of one another. I find it amazing every day. Who knew there were so many 'angels in training' thoughout our world?

    Love to both my sis's!
    Nancy (Moonchild, Doggone Gurl)..and yeah...La'Mole!

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  15. Dear Char,

    Sorry for the late reply! Only just read the touching poem and the story behind it now. Thank you for sharing your gift with us, and may you and your family be blessed with a healthy child/grandchild!
    Love,
    Elmira

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  16. Hello Charlene,
    Found your blog today and am so happy that I did! U writing is beautiful :-)
    In the Circle of Life video u posted, did u notice that the baby being shown around @3:05 is pretty similar to how Michael showed "Blanket" to his fans...that came to be known as the infamous baby dangling incident?

    The spirit of the "baby showing" is the same, isn't it? What do u feel?

    Love,
    Suvie

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  17. Oh, Char...
    I'm so thankful you led me here from the comment you left on my facebook post. I read your poem with such joy...'twas so sparkly and bright. And I wept for little doll Asher, and for your daughter...his mother, and his father and brothers, and for you, my dear...yours is a love story, with its pain and loss...embraced in a big, big circle of love....

    LYM...and all my best to you and yours...
    Brenda

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