Melissa, now in her 30s, wrote this note to her Mom (Nancy) when she was five or six years old. The now framed, pencil written original hangs in my friend Nancy’s kitchen. We couldn’t get a clear enough picture of it, so just imagine these words in a child’s handwriting.
Could Melissa have been any clearer? In essence, she said: Mom, what you want is not what I’m interested in…here’s what’s important to me and I want to know if I can have it…now! Her loudly spoken “I Want to Know” took up most of the page.
When I first saw this message, from a clearly precocious child, I laughed at her verve. Then I smiled as I absorbed her open and insistent honesty.
What do you really want to know – and when did you last express it? Imagine, for a minute that you write a letter to your boss or a significant person in your life and tell them exactly where you stand and what you want (okay, so perhaps you should not mail it!) However, wouldn’t it feel just wonderful to open up and let all your feelings and thoughts just flow?
I performed a jazz poetry version of my poem “I Want to Know.” It was my response to David Whyte’s poem, Self-Portrait. Take either poem, a beautiful blank piece of paper, and, you guessed it –write! Now, it’s your turn!
Thank you Melissa!
