Tuesday, January 31, 2006

From a Lofty Perch


From the top of the Continental Divide, I view the landscapes - open, see-forever landscapes, ending only in mountains and far away brilliant gem blue horizons. On the first glance, the expanses seem empty like my soul feels at times. But, if one looks closely, these expanses teem with life-- sometimes even a tree springing out from rock. I wonder, if a tree can spring out of rock, can my soul find some joy in an empty space left from parting from my family to move two thousand miles across the country?

One thing I've found for sure, life is always full of transitions. Expected, planned for transitions. Unexpected, unplanned for transitions. The latter transitions are the ones I want to run from, although we never can.

The latest transition is from years of taking care of children to only having myself to care for and I must admit -- to discover. Who am I if not the one who takes care of children? What a privilege to be in their lives. I don't know how to be alone. And I am wondering how does one do it - do I endure each day? Here is another path to walk where I have never gone before. I discover: so much of our lives are defined by those who are in our lives.