Love’s
Alchemy
“…Just
because fiction does not contain things that are real doesn’t mean that it
doesn’t contain truth, and we find it through the alchemy of our tears.”
Cassandra
Clare
A few
years ago, I wrote a book that I never tried to publish—even I could see the
weaknesses in it. But what happened as I was writing it was that the characters
became real people to me—I began to think about them even when I wasn’t writing
as though they were friends whose stories I wanted to know. Some characters I
liked more than others, and sometimes a character took control of the plot, and
I would wrestle with them. They always won. I was talking with my son, Jake,
and his friend, Thomas yesterday about this very thing. Thomas writes music and
poetry, and Jake is a visual artist. They agreed that the key to success in any creative
endeavor is getting your ego out of the way and allowing the piece to create
itself. The muse is in control of creativity and the minute the vessel through
which the muse flows—that would be you—begins to “think it” they are cut off
from the source. On the other hand, if you can stay out of the way of the story
that wants to be told, the characters themselves will act it out right before
your eyes. It is alchemy, indeed.
The
other alchemy that Cassandra Clare speaks about in the quote above is that of
our tears. What makes us cry? Sadness, loss, fear, but also beauty, sweetness,
joy, patriotism. Isn’t that interesting; our human response to that broad range
of experiences is tears. Some people think crying is a sign of weakness,
but they are wrong—it is a sign of love. An indication of your capacity to love
and to experience deep connection. What a joy it is to have a full range of
emotions. For some of us, crying is difficult. Instead of weeping at the appropriate
times, at funerals, for instance, tears creep up on us unsuspected and
uninvited. Suddenly we are sobbing—and it’s because something has touched our
souls and opened our hearts. I can tell you a few things that produce instant
tears for me—the opening ceremony at the Olympics, sweet commercials, certain
pieces of music—to name just a few. It is irrational, and inexplicable, but sometimes
we need to be irrational to balance our devotion to rationality. Alchemy is a mysterious
science—not meant to be analyzed, only to be experienced.
So, I’m
wondering, what brings tears to your eyes? What causes tears of joy? Of
sadness? Of pride? When was the last time you cried over a book or a movie even
though you knew it was fiction? It’s cleansing, right. Having your heart open
to love is a very good thing. Tears are the clue you’ve arrived.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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