This is my last day as the Featured Author. It has been an awesome experience, and I want to thank everyone for listening and participating, whether through public posts, PM’s or by just reading through all this stuff.

As a tribute to all of you who struggle through your own quicksand of depression, I dedicate this song. This will be my last “official” post.

This appears as a poem in my book, but I originally wrote it as a song. The first three lines came to mind while waiting at a bus stop. By the time I got home, I had written the rest of it on the back of an envelope. The image of the soaring eagle became symbolic of my deepest self throughout my struggles to escape the quicksand of my despair and depression. And when it came time to write my story, there was no doubt what the title had to be.

EAGLE BORN TO FLY

I’m just a poet who’s searching for rhymes
Trying to sing you a few simple lines
Sharing the song that I hear in my heart
‘cuz the love that I see
In You frees in me
The eagle born to fly.

I’ve been that eagle just learning to fly
Trying to find my own piece of the sky
You’ve come along with a love that is strong
And this love that I see
In You frees in me
This eagle born to fly.

I cherish you,
You’ve carried me through
With a love so gentle and free
And I love You -
You know that I do -
With a love that’s bigger than me…

I’ve been a pilgrim out wandering lonely
Lost and alone in my desert of fear
You reached out Your hand and You called me friend,

Now this love that I see
In You frees in me
The eagle born to fly.

Yes, the love that I see
In You frees in me
This eagle born to fly….

Copyright Sharon C. Matthies, 1983, Dartmouth, NS, Canada

That is so beautiful Eagle...I just ordered your book, less than 5 minutes ago. I cannot wait to get it. You are quite the weaver of words, which convey such depth of feeling. God bless you for using your talent to touch others.

I have to wipe my eyes so I can go wake up my kiddies for school...

Thank you Eagle for the song, the book, and for a month of beautiful uplifting posts.

May you truly take flight as you have inspired us all.

smile

Eagle, you are an amazing woman who is being used as an instrument of God to help lead, guide and heal others. Your picture on the back cover shows your gentleness and sweet spirit but your words show power, wisdom and wonder. You've done a wonderful job on this forum and God only knows how many you've helped with your loving words. You are an inspiration. We love you!

Eagle, you have blessed me with your story and responses to all of our posts. As we're going through our trials sometimes we can't understand what good will come of it, but God will always turn the bad into good if we only allow Him. I'm glad you did. You have helped many women on this board and I'm sure that we're just the tip of the iceberg.

God bless you and keep you well,

Daisygirl

Bluebird, Smile, Dianne and Daisy, thank you for your generous words. It has been an awesome experience getting to know everyone better here this past month.

Dotsie informed me that this forum will still be available indefinitely, but I don't want it to overshadow or intrude on the incoming October Featured Author. So if there IS any further discussion on this, I'll be keeping it low-key and may look into transferring new posts to another forum.

But just in case anyone DOES post here, I'll be out of town for the next week or two. We're leaving tomorrow to go help hubby's daughter move into her new house in Montreal, but first we have to renovate her basement. I hope to get online from her computer once in awhile, but we're going to be quite busy, so I won't be here as much as I have over the past month! ...wonder if I'll go through withdrawal symptoms...

So if there are any more questions or afterthoughts posted here, and I don't respond right away, that's why.

Eagle - this is not just a cliche, the check's in the mail! Can't wait to get your book!

I've got your book, and I cherish it. I'm quite sure I'll be referring to it over and over again.

Thanks for all your help.

Sherri

Ditto to all said here. Really enjoyed your time as featured author - I learned a lot