Believe and Receive: Finding Joy amidst Uncertainty and Chaos February 28, 2026 19:56
“All winter you carved water jars out of ice. How well they hold the summer snowmelt.”
Coleman Barks “A Deep Nobility”
Recently, a friend of mine shared a post about the passing of poet, scholar, and translator, Coleman Barks. He died on Monday while I was at school asking students about their annotated bibliographies for their upcoming argument essays and how they were progressing on their Civil Rights Leader presentations.
I heard Coleman Barks read poetry at Butler University in 2001. He read his translations of Rumi poems and some of his own poetry in Atherton Hall. I remember waiting in line for him to sign my copy of his book.
I was sorry to hear of his passing, and I spent time this morning reading his poems aloud while Maya, our teacup Yorkie, snored softly from the couch.
***
My mantra this month has been “Believe and Receive.” It has sustained me through an unexpected health scare and moments of breathtaking uncertainty. It has also elevated my spirits, allowing me to appreciate moments of joy.
“We have been secretly fed from beyond time and space. That’s why we look for something more than this.”
Coleman Barks “Fringe”
On February 13, I was standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes. My husband, Jim, was dressed for work. He sat on a kitchen chair, suddenly out of breath—like he had just run a marathon. Jim is healthy, and has no history of serious health problems.
He had taken some cold medicine a few minutes before, and I Googled possible side effects of the medication. Shortness of breath was listed as a possible side effect.
I took him to the hospital. We were convinced that this was simply a reaction to the cold medication. We spent several hours in the ER, and after necessary bloodwork and a CAT scan, we discovered that he had blood clots in his lungs and was admitted to a private room.
In the past few years, he had occasional superficial blood clots in his leg, but this was far more serious.
Jim and I spent Valentine’s Day in the hospital. Heart-shaped balloons floated near the television where Olympic speed skaters were racing around an icy track. Fortunately, blood thinners did the trick, and he did not require surgery. We were able to return home later in the afternoon.
Believe….. Receive….
I thought about these two words quite frequently while we were at the hospital
while a young child in a nearby room coughed and coughed
while machines beeped and vital numbers flashed in pale green lights
while technicians took ultrasound images of his heart, lungs, and leg, tracking the path of veins and arteries
while nurses monitored IV bags full of medication
while downhill skiers flew down mountains and soared into vast, open, snowy skies, suspended in space before touching down unharmed.
Inhale….Believe….
Exhale…Receive…
Jim received excellent care from everyone we encountered: doctors, nurses, technicians, volunteers, security guards. Everyone was kind, attentive, and helpful. I’m glad we were able to go home—and I’m grateful that he’s feeling better now.
***
“Sweet fruit hides in leaves…Nonexistence contains existence. Love encloses beauty. Brown flint and gray steel have orange candlelight in them. Inside fear, safety.”
Coleman Barks “Paradox”
“It is an honor and a joy to meet you. Thank you for all your hard work and efforts—and for your team. You truly care about this country…and about other people…and we desperately need intelligent, competent leaders like you.”
Kamala Harris shook my hand, looked me in the eye, and smiled as I said these words to her.
My daughter and I waited in line for two hours to meet the former Vice President before her talk at Old National Center in Indianapolis.
She was kind, attentive, gracious, and she offered us a message of hope. “We still have work to do. Don’t give up.”
I read her book, 107 Days, a few months ago. It wasn’t an easy book to read—parts of it were emotionally draining for me. The book described her perspective of each day of her presidential campaign. It outlined the Herculean effort and work that she and her team did in such a short period of time.
It was difficult to read because I already knew the outcome, and I realized that this country would be profoundly better off today if she had been elected President.
It truly was a joy to meet her, both for me and Elise, and, I’m sure, the other 200 people who were in line with us.
2,500 people, a full-capacity crowd, stood up and cheered for her when she stepped onto the stage. It felt good to be among a group of so many enthusiastic, supportive people.
Believe…and Receive…
Dr. Jessica Knurick was the moderator for this event. She asked Kamala Harris questions regarding her book as well as the current state of the nation. She also asked her a few questions from the audience, too.
One question, posed by a ten-year-old girl named Cindy, focused on bravery. Cindy is a swimmer and feels brave during competitions, but she doesn’t feel brave when speaking in front of a group or sharing her opinions. She wanted the Vice President’s advice about how to be brave.
Kamala Harris asked us to applaud Cindy’s question—and we did so, willingly. She told her to remember that applause the next time she has to speak her mind or speak in front of a group, and to know that there are people who support and love her.
She was directing her response to Cindy—but she was speaking to all of us, too. All of Kamala Harris’s answers to questions were thoughtful, honest, and sincere. She was confident, poised, and relaxed throughout this event.
***
We’ve endured over a year of chaos and uncertainty, and more chaos and uncertainty await with today’s news of the brutal and unconstitutional strike on Iran.
But on Thursday night—it was about joy:
receiving joy
receiving hope
receiving inspiration
receiving community
receiving kindness
receiving compassion
Believe…and Receive…
“as song begins, as the glass
fills, wind rising, a roomful
of conversation, a sanctuary
of prostration, a bird lights
on my hand in this day born of
friends, this ocean covering
everything, all roads opening,
a person changing to kindness…” Coleman Barks “Auction”
***
Thank you for taking the time to read this month’s blog offering. May you endure whatever uncertainties await in the coming days and months with grace, bravery, and compassion. May you continue to practice, in whatever ways speak to you.
May you continue to Believe…and Receive…
Poems cited in this article came from The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems by Coleman Barks