“Be grateful for whoever comes, / because each has been sent / as a guide from beyond.”

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

— Jalaluddin Rumi, translation by Coleman Barks (The Essential Rumi)

Prompt:

Everyone has a place that they call home. This place has undoubtedly shaped your worldview, for better or for worse. In your mind, go back to when you were a child. Now identify someone—maybe you know them, maybe you don’t—who, if you’d grown up with them, would have changed your worldview. Write a letter to them welcoming them to your “home.”

Jen Eason

Location: Iowa
About: I'm a college student from Iowa. This was inspired by my best friend.
Age: 21

What if, in 7th grade, when I moved to a town with less than one thousand people who all knew each other and their grandma, you were there. Me, with my spaghetti noodle arms, and you, with your cherubim chub. You would already have fallen for Taylor, and she would have already broken your heart, or maybe you would still hold that love under padlock. Like the ones built into our mustard, middle school lockers. Would you have moved a little of that love into a separate drawer? For me?

Well, you and Taylor would be friends at least. And I would come to complete our little trio. We’d all suffer through Mrs. Brook’s lectures on wind and laughed together at Mr. Stone’s crazy Iraq war stories. We would have danced like idiots at the homecoming dance and worn funny but too-niche costumes on Halloween. Would you have gone to senior prom with me? Instead of my little brother’s best friend? Because I would’ve asked you instead of Eddy, who dumped me for a sophomore.

We would have done trivia bowl together! We would’ve been unstoppable! You, the Wizard of Obscure Knowledge, and me, the Master of Educated Guesses. You would’ve been my little King of Hearts in the school musical. In the summers, we would’ve gone to Taylor’s softball games. Such a stupid sport. But I could watch anything with you.

Your house would’ve become my second, or maybe third, after Taylor’s, home. Your Mom would be another parent to me. Our parents would put their bleacher chairs next to each other at the football and basketball games. I’d watch you throw disc during track meets, and you would’ve held my blocks for the 400m hurdles. We’d be on homecoming court together. Maybe you’d win. Taylor won, and would always have won. But maybe you could’ve been her king for a night.

You’d become another one of the 15 members of our class. Another sibling. We would’ve shared 6 years together, instead of meeting just at the twilight of high school, purely by chance. But maybe then we wouldn’t be how we are now. I barely talk to my class anymore. We’re all kind of sick of each other. But I’m not sure I’ll ever get sick of you. We’ve spent three years apart, but have grown incredibly close. Maybe it would’ve been better if we’d grown together. But at least we got here. Didn’t we?

Phillippa Cannon

Location: Chicago, IL
About: Rumi's poem "The Guest House" inspired me to think about the lessons that are disguised in difficult experiences. If we are lucky we recognize and are transformed by them.
Age: 61

Although the coronavirus pandemic narrowed my world, in one way it has liberated me. COVID has taught me to say no. As women, we are conditioned to put the needs and wants of others before our own and I was no different. Now that agreeing to go somewhere or do something can put my life at risk, I have had no trouble being very clear about what is or is not right for me. I’ve begun to do so in other areas of my life too and it feels good. I’ve been declining invitations, rejecting obligations and limiting relationships that are not in my best interest and not feeling a bit guilty about it. Who knew that being forced to stay home could set you free?

63. The Guest House – Jon Batiste