The Tempest

[vaneramos]

August 10: Marian and Brenna in Old Montreal


[TORONTO] Tonight there is nothing in the world bigger than the empty seats in the car where questions, conversations and laughter echo as I follow the highway alone. My life is a patchwork of roads followed. I’m always driving away.

I’ve run away from many things, never my children, yet they seem like the ones I must leave behind most often. Parenthood is a continual letting-go, one of life’s hardest lessons.

Yesterday we saw The Tempest performed in Stratford. It is William Hutt’s farewell season, one of the world’s great living Prosperos asking his audience to finally release him. And once more tenderly setting his Miranda free.

Marian loved the play. “It’s about being human,” she said. Brilliant.

Jacob James was breathtaking as Ariel, the story’s moral centre, thirsting after the rough passions of his human companions, at the same time flitting toward the promise of freedom from burdens.

The weight of love and compassion is a gift. To let another person go is to affirm life. Every September I must set free my own Mirandas and myself, like Ariel, back “to the elements.” I return to ethereal grownup entertainments with pockets bankrupt but chest bursting, emotions buffeting like the storm.

Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please. Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant;
And my ending is despair
Unless I be relieved by prayer. . .

Comments

[ubermunkey.livejournal.com]

oh what tender agonies


love and peace
munkey

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thought of you quite a bit today.

hugs,
Van

[missprune.livejournal.com]

Preparing to deliver my daughter back to college, I so so empathize!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I thought you would.

xoxo

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Well we had a very happy time together this summer. It's always an emotional challenge transitioning back to my other life, letting go of them but holding onto the happiness of being.

Don't change!

[eloquentwthrage.livejournal.com]

You're such a drama queen. I love it.

(PS: I only am saying that because I have only recently discovered the same in a lot of my own deeply personal writing. What I think is heart-wrenching or powerful, others are finding overdramatic and unfortunately humourous. OH, and you have to send me your snail mail so I can send you my new eloquent with rage. You've been away so you have probably haven't seen the progress. But it's done. E-mail me.)

Re: Don't change!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure whether you mean you found this post over-dramatized or humourous. It's difficult explaining these emotions to my friends, particularly since such a large percentage of them can't relate to being a parent, and many parents don't experience separation until their children leave for college.

Re: Don't change!

[eloquentwthrage.livejournal.com]

It was heartfelt, I know. Just very heavy, and I know from trying to read my own material objectively that folks who are not as thoughtful as you and I often take such writing as overdramatics. The only humor I found was in how much I saw myself in what you wrote.

Sorry if I made you feel bad. :-( Not what I meant...