Cicely Tyson Blew My Mind
I recently inhaled Cicely Tyson’s autobiography, Just As I Am. I was blown away by her story telling. I’d watched her performance in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and still get chills when I think of it. But there is so much more to this actor than one role. She eloquently tells her story. And at 96 there was a lot of story to tell. In a career of strong characters and generous work this is the final gift she gave the world. Just three months after publication Cicely Tyson passed away. Oh but the legacy she left behind! I am not a black woman, an award-winning actor or a single mother however reading her words gave me insights into all those worlds. So many times as I read I paused and let the wisdom of her words sink in. Here are four quotes that I think give a glimpse from the book that I hope you will read in full.
When relating how her mom could be hard on her. And me thinking, yes I want the best for my offspring too and how tangled that can be.
And yet even those who care deeply for us cannot always see our big picture, the Grand Story Line that is destined to unfold before us. They are part of their own journeys. And though their paths may run parallel to ours, each is singular in its curves and mileposts, unique in its destination. As much as others want the best for us, they do not necessarily understand God’s best. He alone does.
When explaining her spiritual practices. And me taking comfort in knowing others like me find many ways to reach out to God.
It centers me. My Christian faith and my meditation practice are not conflicting, but rather complementary. Mindfulness is simply about paying attention in a world overflowing with distractions, whereas Christianity is about acknowledging my utter dependence on the Creator of that world. To him alone I bow.
When writing about one of the many griefs in her life. And me taking heart at hearing another way to live through pain.
Healing, as I see it, is not the absence of pain. Rather, it is a gradual reduction in the ache. The lessening of that hurt eventually makes room for fond memories to surface.
When talking about how the arts are a way for us all to connect. And me marveling over how she pulled it off so well in her book.
A well-told story, in whatever artistic medium it is delivered, can touch corners of the soul otherwise unreachable.