1916

I am enjoying reading the early letters of CS Lewis to his

dear friend Arthur Greeves.  I know I mentioned this before...

Lewis is still young, not yet a Christian, reading so many books

and absorbing a largely Christian literary tradition.

He has just discovered George MacDonald and he is glorying

in his friendship with Arthur, as one who sees and loves things

as he does.   

I am loving that what Lewis is loving is classical music, novels, poetry, 

ballads and epic literary poetry.

Sometimes, I wish I could stay where I see beauty.

I must say FB has been a terror recently. 

I can't seem to break myself from it, but so many 

horrid things are posted, news and worse.

Of course, I also find beautiful things like this there: 

My Oma and Opa listened to classical music,

my Opa can home and changed into a tie and shirt for dinner,

from what my Mom remembers. 

***

There are so many things that I now see as tragedies,

as things that destroyed culture instead of upholding it.

The time of the English Civil War, how the Reformation was done...

Most recently it is events such as WWI, WWII,

and much of what happened after the 1960's.

Things that were just normal for me,

from the changes in musical styles to everyday life. 

***

Music is a big deal.

After years of going back and forth with what I listened to,

I settled on some classical music, Orthodox music and silence. 

OK, and old and newer Christmas music.  :)

***

It is wonderful to have silence in one's life.

To hear only good music in one's mind, in one's soul.

It will take a life time to empty myself of the many songs that

tear at one's soul or worse, but it is something that I can at least say,

this: this discipline is something that gives life, this, I can do.