Can you hear the music?

Another quote from Matthew Kelly

"For me, one of the greatest joys in this world is music.  Can you imagine a world without music?  Music is expressive of every human feeling and emotion, but it most aptly expresses joy and love.  What holds music together?  Rhythm.  What holds lives together? Rhythm.  Is your world a world without music?  Is your life a song without rhythm? Rests and pauses are as important in great music as the notes themselves.  Rests and pauses are as important in great lives as activity.
Those working for good are not in a hurry.  They are patient, and because they are patient, they are wise.  They do all they they can to bring on this good without losing the rhythm of life themselves.  They never sacrifice the rhythm.  You must find the rhythm, your rhythm.  The rhythm that allows you to find that sacred balance that gives you strength, courage, and confidence to be yourself.
If you decide to walk the path that I have described in this book, not everyone will understand.  Some of your family and friends will ridicule you, they will accuse you of being a dreamer, and they will tell you that you are crazy.  The people who cannot hear the music think that the people who are dancing are crazy.  Don't let that bother you.  And even if it does bother you, don't let it discourage or distract you from walking the path.  If they understood the path, they would be on it.  Some of them are bitter because once in their youth they tried to walk this path and gave up, and now in their old age they believe it is too late for them to seek that path again.  This path is not for everyone.  Everyone can choose and walk this path, but very few actually have the strength, courage, discipline, and perseverance to do what it takes to walk it.  That is what sets them apart.  That is what makes them legends, heroes, champions, leaders and saints."

That gives me goosebumps.  It inspires me to continue to find my own rhythm.  It has taken me leaving my natural surroundings and all that I knew life to be to see clearly.  When you are right in the middle of all life entails it is impossible to see what you are missing.  I heard a great talk once about a lady who was flying into LA.  She could see out her airplane window a think haze of smog covering the whole city.  "Oh," she thought, "How will I be able to breathe?! That looks terrible."  She landed at the airport and walked out to her car.   As the day went on she realized that she could not see the smog anymore.  It wasn't that the smog was not there, it was just that she was now in the middle of it and no longer could see a difference in the air.  That is how I feel right now.  I feel like I am up in the sky and can finally see what is really going on.  I get so emotional writing this because I want to be able to follow my own true rhythm when I am at home as well.  To not feel pressured into living a life that  I kick against.  There is a lot about my life that I love, that I treasure and am so grateful for, but there are definitely things that bother me.  Things that have bothered me for a long time, but I have never had the courage to change.  And to tell you the truth, I don't know if I'll have the courage to change them when I am home either.
I really struggle with knowing if it is better to give my kids the lessons and sports that they love, or just have family soccer games in the backyard and teach them a love for music myself.  The kids here do not need all that, I beg to say that most of the world doesn't.  Yet, our culture thrives on it.  That is the world our family lives in.  So, if I don't conform to that are my children going to miss out?  Will I regret it later?
The world steals so much of my children's time.  I know that some people love when their kids go back to school, but I am not one of them.  I feel like so much of their day is spent learning things that "the system" wants them to learn, and not necessarily what is best for them.  However, I do believe there is so much about school that they do need to experience.  I am so torn!
Being here with these children has taught me simplicity.   We try to do too much.  I don't consider myself an over-achiever in any sense of the word, but compared to these amazing people I am.
I have realized that some of what we are taught to think is right and good, actually inhibits us from feeling satisfied as a person.  I love what America has to offer.  I am so proud to be an American.  But, I do believe we have much to learn from other cultures that know how to be still and be content.