* Father Sends Learning Wisdoms

My father shared a beautiful poem by Mevlana Jalaladdin Rumi with me and my brother today.  Mevlana was a prominent poet of Sufism whose burial site is in current day Turkey.  Mevlevi Sufis are also know as the Twirling Dervishes.

Below is my translation of this poem, so forgive me if it does not make complete sense:

I was born from an endless darkness

I saw light, got scared and cried

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In time, I learned to live in light

I saw darkness and was afraid

Day came, I sent my loved ones to darkness

I cried

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I learned to live

I learned that birth is when life starts ending

The time in between is stolen from death

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I learned time

I raced with it

In time I learned, it cannot be raced

I learned to keep peace with time, in time

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I learned people

Then I learned there are good people and bad people

Later I learned there is good and bad in each one

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I learned to love

Then learned to trust

Then I learned trust stays longer than love

I learned trust is the strong foundation of love

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I learned human skin

Then the spirit that lies underneath the skin

Then I learned that the spirit lies higher than the skin

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I learned the universe

Then I learned ways to light up the universe

And later I learned to first light up what's around me to light up the universe

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I learned bread

I learned to make bread in abundance to keep peace

Then I learned sharing bread equally is as important as making many

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I learned to read

Later I taught myself to write

And then writings taught me myself

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I learned to leave

Then to return because I could not stay away

Then to leave again despite myself

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In my youth, I learned to go against the world

Then decided to walk with the masses

Then I realized the true walk should be against the masses

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I learned to think

Then I learned to think in molded frames

Finally I learned that healthy thinking is to think thoughts that break these molds

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At home I learned the importance of honor

Then I learned it is not honorable to expect honor from dishonorable

I learned honor is not to touch iniquity when it is within reach of your hands

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One day I learned truth

I learned truth is bitter

Then I learned just enough bitterness adds to the taste of life just like spices in food

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I learned every living thing will taste death

But only very few will taste life

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I love my friends neither with my heart nor my mind

You know

Hearts stop

Minds forget

I love my friends with my soul

For it neither stops nor forgets