{"id":106,"date":"2006-01-05T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-01-05T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/chatteringmind\/2006\/01\/there-is-joy-in-selfforgetfuln.html"},"modified":"2006-01-05T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-01-05T12:00:00","slug":"there-is-joy-in-selfforgetfuln","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/chatteringmind\/2006\/01\/there-is-joy-in-selfforgetfuln.html","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;There is Joy in Self-Forgetfulness&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-right:5px\" align=\"left\" src=\"https:\/\/images.beliefnet.com\/imgs\/tout\/story\/helenkeller_060105.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Helen Keller\" \/>&#8220;Sometimes, it is true, a sense of isolation enfolds me like a cold mist as I sit alone and wait at life&#8217;s shut gate. Beyond there is light, and music, and sweet companionship; but I may not enter. Fate, silent, pitiless, bars the way. Fain would I question his imperious decree; for my heart is still undisciplined and passionate; but my tongue will not utter the bitter, futile words that rise to my lips, and they fall back into my heart like unshed tears. Silence sits immense upon my soul. Then comes hope with a smile and whispers, &#8220;There is joy in self-forgetfulness.&#8221; So I try to make the light in others&#8217; eyes my sun, the music in others&#8217; ears my symphony, the smile on others&#8217; lips my happiness.&#8221;  <\/p>\n<p>&#8211;from Helen Keller&#8217;s &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0393325687\/\" target=\"_new\">The Story of My Life<\/a>,&#8221; edited by Roger Shattuck with Dorothy Herrmann<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear:both;padding-bottom:0.25em\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Sometimes, it is true, a sense of isolation enfolds me like a cold mist as I sit alone and wait at life&#8217;s shut gate. Beyond there is light, and music, and sweet companionship; but I may not enter. Fate, silent, pitiless, bars the way. Fain would I question his imperious decree; for my heart is&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":374,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>&#039;There is Joy in Self-Forgetfulness&#039; - Chattering Mind<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/chatteringmind\/2006\/01\/there-is-joy-in-selfforgetfuln.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&#039;There is Joy in Self-Forgetfulness&#039; - Chattering Mind\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&#8220;Sometimes, it is true, a sense of isolation enfolds me like a cold mist as I sit alone and wait at life&#8217;s shut gate. 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