Holding presence

Reading from Wednesday, September 25, 2013 yoga class

From the book, "Life is a verb" by Patti Digh  The Marion in the story is author Marion Woodman, a Jungian analyst and author.

"During a stay in India, Marion became sick with dysentery and captive in her hotel room for weeks.  Finally, desperate to escape the room, she gingerly made her way to the hotel foyer one afternoon to sit and write a letter to her husband.  Sitting near the end of a long, empty couch, she began to write.

Although there were other seats available, a very large brown woman came and squeezed between Marion and the end of the couch, so close that their arms were touching, so close it made it difficult for Marion to write.  Marion scooted away, angry at the invasion of her space.  The woman scooted closer, pushing up against her: "Every time I moved, she moved, until we ended up at the other end of the couch."

Once she stopped moving away, Marion realized what a nice, big, warm arm the woman had.  And so they sat, a thin bird of a sickly white woman and a big brown woman, arm-to-arm.  They shared no common language, so they sat in silence.  Marion gave in to the broad warm arm, the presence of the other, and relaxed into her.  The next day she went again to the hotel foyer to write.  And again, the woman came and silently sat next to her, touching her.  And the third day. And the fourth day, and Marion's health improved. This couch dance continued for a week.  One day a man appeared as the two women finished their silent, warm-armed vigil.
"You're all right now.  My wife won't come back tomorrow," he said to Marion, nodding toward her couch compatriot.  Your wife? she thought to herself, startled.  "Why is she here in the first place?" she asked.

Marion was unprepared for his quiet, simple answer. "I saw you were dying and sent her to sit with you.  I knew the warmth of her body would bring you back to life." he said.  It took a moment for the magnitude of his message and the enormity of what these two strangers had done for her to sink in.

"She did save my life," Marion said quietly in recounting the story.  "That this woman would take the time to sit with me and, most importantly, that I could receive it...That is relatedness."  That is what it means to hold presence for others."

This story has stayed with me ever since I read it about 3 or 4 days ago.  How we can change the world by being who we are.  I love it!!!