NO GREAT TALENT IN LIFE

Mannequines on display - “Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applauses which he cannot keep; so that scarcely can two persons meet, but one is offended or diverted by the ostentation of the other”

"I don't have any talent." You have cer­tainly heard those words. You may have even said them yourself! And quite possibly, if you looked closely enough, you might discover that you are wrong.

Mary Frye enjoyed writing poetry. She wasn't interested in publishing her poems, and occa­sionally she passed one on to a friend who could use a lift. "I don't figure I have any great talent," the Bal­timore, Maryland home­maker said. But many people would disagree. One of her poems, especially, has given hope and comfort to people who mourn for over 50 years.

When a friend of hers lost someone close, Mary Frye jotted down a poem, which seemed to spring from her heart, and gave it to the grieving woman. That poem was later passed on to others, who, in turn, passed it on until it became an Ameri­can classic. "If it helps one person through a hard time, I am amply paid," said Mary, who has re­ceived no remuneration for her un­copy­righted work. It has been used in countless fu­nerals, translated and used in foreign lands and even incorporated into television drama.

Here is her original text, which has moved so many for so long:

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.

I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.

I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room,
I am the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.

How many people are finding strength and sol­ace from a verse jotted by a woman who always pro­fessed she had no talent? And what if she had kept her poetry to herself? Don't be afraid to use the tal­ents you do possess, it has been well ad­vised. The woods would be very silent if only the birds with the sweetest songs were heard.

From Lifesupport.

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