I see a lot of continuity in many of the friends I know who have full, successful lives with friends, interests, passions, and hopefully some family. And that is an outside view.
My dogs, so attuned to us humans, seek and demand affection. They can demand because I don't make them beg. If I have been gone for hours, they seek me out. And until Brody gets his chin rub, Gracie her belly, until I play with them a little, they won't go away. I think they make me a better person. I think something living must be involved with us. Whether it is rocking NICU babies or nurturing a corn snake, we need to be aware of nature, caring, love. We do what we can do. And it works.
I wish my life were a river, flowing smoothly from one point to another.
Instead, it is more like a book with long chapters, short chapters, vivid and sedate chapters. The point of a chapter is that it covers a period of intense interest or focus, then comes to an end. The book continues because we have our whole lives to continue. If the book is well-written, the closed chapter blends into the whole and what comes next. But I won't shun someone's chapter that is brilliant in an otherwise mundane life. Adventure spills all over that.
Sometimes, we close chapters that really need it. Sometimes, they close because life intervened. Someone went away, chose an entirely different life, or even died. Sometimes life intervened and we became sick, rich, poor, broken-hearted or in ecstacy. Something major changed.
If we are at all reflective, we sometimes look at all these chapters and what our life--our book of life-- has become.
I find myself repeatedly starting over. Never, really, with the same things as before, but hopefully something I learned in the last chapter I want to focus on in this next period, or chapter.
Sometimes, I am at the beginning again. Sometimes, way up in my understanding and ability.
Recently I have spent some days in a barren landscape, interspersed with days rich and powerful. Both were needed to close this ending chapter.
I feel another one opening, full of expectation and laughter.
Time to start over again.
Boy, am I lucky!
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3 comments:
I know I've probably mentioned this to you before, but you just never know the effect your words might have, once they've left your "pen" and flown out into the world. This post of yours hints at a less than happy chapter, and your determination to be optimistic about what comes next is a real inspiration. I know I am a lucky person, and my grim chapters have been few and brief ones; but your words have reminded me to take a deep breath, and just turn the page.
Yes. And I have yet one more grim chapter to finish with joy if I am strong enough.
Hew sprouts are growing.
Eh, corrections. I will leave it as it is. New. What a great word.
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