'So We Share' (Poem Inspiration)
One morning, when I was waking up, not quite awake, yet not quite asleep, I "heard" the words “too much for one to bear, so we share, so we share” in my head. It wasn't an auditory voice but more like a "thought ball." I was in a very relaxed state and I felt like I was getting this from a higher place so I got up and wrote the words down. I don’t remember the exact day I woke up to this phrase, but not long after, I wrote the poem ‘So We Share’ in early 2001.
In early 2001, I had a baby at home and an almost three-year-old. Those days were challenging. I often felt stressed. The lack of sleep, support, and time for myself sometimes put me in a mild depression. One day, I remember having a bad “stay at home” mom day when I got an email from my cousin. She is the same age as me and also had two young children. She shared in her email that she had recently been diagnosed with cancer. She talked about her treatment plan and how she was doing her best to stay upbeat and positive.
I remember just sobbing when I read her email. I felt so sorry for her and her family and so grateful to God that it wasn’t me. I felt so ashamed of myself for feeling down because I was having a “bad day.” I got smacked with perspective and I wanted to support her during this difficult time. I wrote the poem ‘So We Share’ for her and sent it to her. She told me she put it up on the wall at the hospital and it really helped her.
In early 2001, I had no idea what was about to happen on September 11th, later that year. I wanted to share a poem on the 25th anniversary of September 11th to help comfort all of us. I thought to myself, “How am I going to find the right poem for such a purpose?” and “Do I even have a worthy poem for this?” I asked God to help me. The poem ‘So We Share’ came to mind. After reading the poem, I still wasn’t sure if it was the right poem or if I would find one. Then I looked at the year the poem was written at the bottom of the page. I felt like that was my “God Wink” approving of this poem for this time.
-Lisa Murphy Taylor
www.poemeopathy.com