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Hear from Staff members on words from their beginning
Eric Whitesell
My words come from Frank Herbert's 1965 Sci-Fi Novel Dune.
In the novel, there is a phrase used as a kind of meditation, to help bring focus and peace in times of great difficulty. It's grown to mean a lot to me, and I use it myself when I'm feeling overwhelmed or scared.
"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain."
Seton Fogel
I don’t have any words, but rather a song to share with you all. My choir at UC Irvine recorded a Christmas EP last year, and it will be released on November 29. Our first single from the album is already out, and I wanted to show it to my Harbor community. This song, titled “Gabriel’s Message,” is an interpretation of a classic hymn about the angel Gabriel telling Mary that she will carry Jesus. My choir and I worked so hard, and I’m so happy to share it!
Macy Whitesell
The movie Meet the Robinsons came out when I was 11, and I have watched it COUNTLESS times since. The themes of found family and embracing your uniqueness resonated deeply with me as a small person. At the end of the movie, the song "Little Wonders" plays, and I swear that my first time hearing it was magic. The song, in my opinion, so perfectly encapsulates the movie and bridges the gap between its messages and the real world.
As an 11-year-old, it felt like comfort.
Now, this is my go-to processing song. When I experience beauty I can't describe, fear or sadness that digs into my heart, deep reminiscence, or just wonder - it feels like these words hold all of that for me.
"Let it go
Let it roll right off your shoulder
Don't you know?
The hardest part is over
Let it in
Let your clarity define you
In the end
We will only just remember how it feels.
Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders
These twists and turns of fate
Time falls away
But these small hours
These small hours
Still remain."
Justin Wright
The following is paraphrased from my childhood memory.
Years ago, I had a music teacher who to this day is the most patient person I have ever met. His name was Frank, and he was exceptional at his job. If any of you have learned to play an instrument, or taken on the challenge of learning any other skill that requires a decent amount of technicality you may understand that at times it can be quite difficult and frustrating. During one of these music lessons, while working through a piece of music that I had been struggling with for weeks, I became extremely frustrated with myself for not being able to tackle this sheet of music that was sitting in front of me (it was definitely above what I knew at the time). After expressing my frustration to Frank he gently asked me to describe what specific parts I felt were giving me the most difficulty. I remember him smiling and in an almost joking manner saying “Well of course!” after I had answered his question. “Those parts are all the things that are new,” he told me. Then he said two sentences I would remember indefinitely. “It’s only hard because it’s unfamiliar. You’ve never had to play something like this piece before.”
Obviously, that first sentence is not applicable to every situation we encounter in life, but it taught me a valuable lesson that day. Oftentimes the things we deem difficult only appear so because we are either unfamiliar with them or we lack enough surrounding information or skills to tackle what is at hand. As a child, math was not my strong suit. I struggled and went to countless hours of tutoring just to get a passing grade. Math was difficult for me. It did not come easy, but with time I understood the material through consistent exposure and effort. It became easier as the subject became more familiar and I no longer thought it was difficult. I have carried this mentality to almost every aspect of my life. From new jobs, to hobbies, and new interests. Now, some things are incredibly hard and their difficulty cannot be surmounted by practice. Life is hard. We get knocked down, we may go through periods of terrible circumstances, maybe we lose those around us whom we dearly love. I would consider most of the curve balls life throws our way to be exceedingly difficult, but once we’ve gotten through a rough patch, we tend to be better equipped at dealing with the next. Familiarity.
My life has been made richer and I have learned more about the world through asking questions. When I find myself stumped I remind myself, this is unfamiliar. The next question I’ll ask is something along the lines of, what do I need to do or know for this to become manageable? Maybe it’s as simple as a google search. Heck, we have more information and ‘how to’ videos than any other time in the world! When we get to asking questions about the Sacred, the context of the question changes. If I’m taking time in prayer or meditation it may sound something like, “God, what am I missing? Help me see what I need to in order to make sense of…(enter the situation here).” Maybe I’m irate and my prayer is just expressing anger! (Often my anger is a cloak for disappointment and fear). In either scenario, I’m seeking for what I need to know to move through my circumstances. In other words, what can become familiar so that I may move forward confidently? Maybe it’s knowing we are always held by spirit. For “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
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